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It’s easy to see a networking session at an industry event as the time when the food comes out. When the drinks are free. But…

During a brief presentation and maybe the most active Q&A I’ve ever experienced at a truck show, Belzer provided a lot of useful (and updated) information to the dealer market.

What You Need To Know About Emission Tampering

Some key takeaways were:

• The fines are going up. Since writing my special report, the max fine for an OEM or dealer is now $45,268 per violative vehicle or engine. Individual and vehicle owner rates have also risen.

• Dealers won’t face fines from the Federal government for selling an emission-tampered vehicle. This is a big one. If a dealer accepts a truck on trade and finds it tampered, there is no Federal rule against selling it. However, states can fine dealers. Belser mentions Texas as a state where dealers will face fines for selling tampered trucks.

• You cannot uninstall emission systems to export a vehicle. Belzer says removing emission systems is illegal, no matter where the truck will go. Even if a customer in Mexico wants the truck without emission systems, it’s illegal to remove them.

• You can alter an after-treatment and emission component when you have a ‘reasonable basis’ to believe your actions won’t increase emissions. Belser uses recalibrating an ECM as an example. If the emission system performance remains unchanged or does not reduce, changes are allowed under Federal law.

• You won’t face fines for servicing a tampered vehicle if you aren’t servicing the engine or after-treatment system. Once you start servicing those areas, you must bring the unit into compliance.

• The EPA isn’t out to get YOU. Belser says the goal is to identify manufacturers and suppliers of tampering and defeat device programs. The EPA can fine dealers, but its overall goal is to ensure all vehicles are compliant and to eliminate suppliers that build products that lead to non-compliance.