OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEYExamples of Tampering
Manheim Remarketing, Inc.
7/8/2020
Manheim Remarketing, Inc.
7/8/2020
On July 8, 2020, New Jersey Attorney General Grewal and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner McCabe announced a lawsuit against Manheim Remarketing Inc., the nation’s largest vehicle auction company, alleging that it violated New Jersey’s pollution control laws by facilitating the sale of hundreds of tampered vehicles in the state.
Between December 2, 2016 and March 15, 2019, Manheim’s two New Jersey auction sites offered a total of more than 850,000 vehicles for sale. Today’s lawsuit alleges that, based on an analysis of Manheim’s records for the period on which DEP focused, Manheim either sold or offered for sale at least 214 vehicles that were “clearly and explicitly” disclosed in sales listings as emissions tampered. The sales listing disclosures that flagged the 214 vehicles as tampered included such statements as “NO CATS,” “ALTERED EMISSIONS” or “EGR DELETE.”
Facebook Marketplace or other online sales platforms
Facebook Marketplace or other online sales platforms
Internet platforms such as Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, and other sales websites have become quite popular when selling potentially tampered vehicles. The DEP Enforcement team will monitor these websites frequently for suspicious listings and flag anything to further investigate. There are certain keywords or phrases that can give probable cause that a vehicle has been tampered with. These phrases can be, but not limited to: EGR delete, tuned, no cats, tuned & deleted, and more. The photo on the right highlights these phrases on a suspicious Facebook Marketplace sale.
What does a tampered vehicle look like? See the pictures below for examples.
Engine gas recirculation (EGR) systems recirculate part of an engine’s exhaust back through the engine to reduce the formation of NOx in the engine. An EGR Delete removes the EGR valve and prevents exhaust from being redirected back to the engine. This is typically done to increase performance and reduce soot buildup, but it results in a large amount of excess NOx emissions and is therefore illegal.
Tampered
Stock
The Engine gas recirculation (EGR) cooler system lowers the combustion temperature of the engine’s exhaust before it is recirculated back through the engine. The cooler temperature helps prevent the formation of NOx. An EGR Cooler Delete removes the EGR cooler and is combined with an EGR delete. This is typically done to increase performance and reduce soot buildup. Additionally, replacing an EGR cooler can be expensive, so sometimes they are removed to avoid the expense. The delete results in a large amount of excess NOx emissions and is therefore illegal.
Tampered
Stock
A diesel exhaust system may contain a diesel particulate filter (DPF), diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. These components, respectively, traps soot particles, convert hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into water and carbon dioxide, and convert nitrogen oxides into water and nitrogen. A straight pipe indicates that the DPF, DOC, or SCR has been removed. This is typically done to fuel economy and horsepower. A straight pipe tamper is often combined with the exhaust control related wiring being disconnected, and possibly the engine computer being retuned. The removal of these emission controls results in excess amounts of particulate matter (soot) and other harmful emissions being released, and is therefore illegal.
Tampered
Stock
There are two types of tuning:
- Retuning the engine computer to ignore missing (removed) emission controls and not throw error codes.
- Software tuning can remap engine parameter to improve fuel efficiency or performance.
Both types of tuning contribute to excess emissions, and are therefore illegal.
The picture to the right shows that the Engine Control Unit (ECU) has been tuned. This vehicle had several methods of tampering: EGR Delete, EGR Cooler Delete, Blocked line from turbo, Straight Pipe, and the exhaust control related wiring tucked up on the frame. The picture on the right shows no Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) with the Key On Engine Running (KOER).
Tampered
