this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2024
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According to records filed in the case, Achtemeier conspired with mechanics in garages and operators of truck fleets to disable the anti-pollution software installed on diesel trucks.

Coconspirators who wanted to disable their trucks’ pollution control hardware system—a process commonly known as “deleting”—sought Achtemeier’s help to trick the truck’s software into believing the emissions control systems were still functional, a process known as “tuning.”

Monitoring software on a deleted truck will detect that the pollution control hardware is not functioning and will prevent the truck from running. Achtemeier disabled the monitoring software on his client’s trucks by connecting to laptops he had provided to various coconspirators. Some of the coconspirators would pass the laptop on to others seeking to have the anti-pollution software disabled on their trucks. Once the laptop was hooked up to the truck’s onboard computer, Achtemeier could access it from his computer and tune the software designed to slow the truck if the pollution control device was missing or malfunctioning. Achtemeier could “tune” trucks remotely, which enabled him to maximize his environmental impact and personal profit.

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 11 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

Why? Just Why?

I mean sure, there is some money aspect to it, fine.

But why spend all that time and energy just to be able to pollute more. I mean, that is the benefit of more pollution? Even if you don't believe climate change, polluii less shouldn't be that hard to understand as something positive?

I'm just... Not getting this. I'm assuming the guy has a mental illness that would explain this, maybe?

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

If the "delete" was removing their catalytic convertor and not just reprogramming the ECU then there is a mild to moderate performance increase caused by reducing exhaust pressure. If it's easier to push the exhaust out then there's more power going to the wheels.

If it's just ECU changes it's probably related to the air/fuel mixture it's using. Often douchebags will hack this to "roll coal" but changing this can give you increased horsepower at the expense of emissions.

As someone whose car has a tune but still passes emissions inspections, this guy is both bad at tuning cars and also an asshole.

[–] drapermache@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago

Tribalism, to own the libs.

[–] CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.net 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Believe it or not there is a subset of the far right who vehemently believe we are ruining the atmosphere but not pumping ENOUGH carbon into it.

It's a weird reverso climate change belief. These people blame all the historic hurricanes, wildfires and changing temperature on the completely unfounded idea that humans are limiting their CO2 output.

EDIT: https://www.mediamatters.org/neil-cavuto/fox-contributor-calls-more-coal-plants-solution-extreme-heat

[–] andrewta@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I’ve heard of deleting. But I wasn’t sure why anyone would do this. Scary if what you are saying is true.

[–] CurlyWurlies4All@slrpnk.net 0 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

During the July 20 edition of Your World with Neil Cavuto, Fox contributor Brian Brenberg called for more coal plants as a solution to extreme heat, claiming, “I think most of America wishes the coal plant was still there because… more people could be in a cool environment and be safer.” [Fox News, Your World with Neil Cavuto, 7/20/22]

Climate denier Patrick Moore, a right-wing media darling who works as a nuclear energy consultant, has refuted the idea that carbon dioxide levels are “getting too high” due to human activity. In 2022, Moore wrote on X, “It has been known since at least 1920 that adding CO2 to greenhouses and even to open air causes a huge increase in plant growth, with no harm caused to plants or animals.

https://www.mediamatters.org/joe-rogan-experience/joe-rogan-continues-cast-doubt-climate-science-joe-rogan-experience

[–] andrewta@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

And my faith in humanity drops even lower.

[–] HomebrewHedonist@lemmy.ca 6 points 8 hours ago

The ultimate "own the Libs" conspiracy.

[–] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 76 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Trump pardons then nominates him for head of transportation

[–] OCATMBBL@lemmy.world 24 points 11 hours ago
[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 23 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

coconspirators

It's okay to keep the hyphen in there. It's more readable, and also it's once again a word.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 17 points 12 hours ago (1 children)
[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 93 points 23 hours ago (13 children)

Sounds like an awful lot of work for... some reason.

[–] Free_Opinions@feddit.uk 10 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

These systems often cause issues and it may be quite expensive to repair but if you bypass it, it doesn't affect the performance of the vehicle.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 15 points 9 hours ago

Removing the pollution control equipment and disabling the software results in trucks polluting at 30 to 1,200 times the level of a truck with pollution control systems.

Fuck these people.

[–] clockwork_octopus@lemmy.world 23 points 18 hours ago

Money. It’s always money.

From the article:

Achtemeier charged as much at $4,500 per truck for work that often took him two hours or less. Achtemeier advertised his services on social media nationwide, doing business as Voided Warranty Tuning (VWT) or Optimized Ag. Between 2019 and 2022 his company took in more than $4.3 million in gross profits.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 9 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Reduced running costs, ease of maintenance, engine efficiency.

[–] ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world 17 points 19 hours ago

When you run out of DEF or the DPF is clogged, you can't run your truck for more than a brief while. You get half output in a limp-mode to go refill your DEF or have the DPF serviced. DEF is the reactant for the exhaust that makes diesel burn cleaner, but means modern trucks have 2 tanks now. Users hate it, but it cuts emissions massively. Also adds a few grand to the vehicle exhaust system in hardware and sensors and control units. Anyways:

Time = money.

For a commercial or even semi private vehicle if you bypass even one indicent of downtime by doing this is paid for itself.

That said, the DPF is a filter, and can physically clog and cause an exhaust fire if there is no monitoring software. I hope at least this guy had it wait till it was almost critical and then stop, not entirely disable the stop signal. Otherwise there is a serious risk to the vehicle and passengers.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 27 points 23 hours ago (8 children)

Yeah, someone is going to have to explain to me how $4500 worth of emissions control deletion is worth the money.

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 33 points 23 hours ago (19 children)

It sounds like it's just spite-modding with no benefits.

[–] Cornpop@lemmy.world 12 points 21 hours ago

You will get a very large HP boost and can get better MPG as well. Also don’t have to add def fluid anymore or maintain the def system.

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[–] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 23 hours ago (16 children)

The antipollution on a diesel engine (at least a big one) essentially reroutes the exhaust back through the engine and reburns it again. Before the antipollution devices were in place it wasn't uncommon for big diesels to get 500,000 miles before they needed to be replaced. Now with the antipollution devices they're getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 100k before they start having problems of significance.

Those engines and their maintenance are expensive as hell. It saves a whole lot more than the $4,500 having that done. It saves them hundreds of thousands of dollars over the long haul.

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

I actually decided to search this because I thought the whole point of DEF was so trucks wouldn't need to use an EGR like every car does.

Apparently emissions is complicated and expensive lol, so lots of trucks have both.

Newer models however have started creating systems that remove the EGR and instead rely solely on the SCR with a bigger DEF tank and a cleanup catalyst.

I think DEF is still the right direction. Exhaust recycling has a ton of downsides that took car OEMs a while to hack their way around (or give up and plan for 150k mile expectancy).

4,500 for a mod though is still pretty expensive for something you can do yourself. Most of that cost was probably due to it being illegal, not because it's hard to accomplish.

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[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 30 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

So it's a Captain Planet villain, but dumb.

[–] orclev@lemmy.world 16 points 23 hours ago (6 children)

Right, a Republican, exactly.

The way they've all reacted to climate change denialism by actively trying to make pollution as bad as possible is wild. Even if the entire world's scientific community was somehow wrong about global warming, shit like this and "rolling coal" would still be terrible for air quality, but these fucknuts apparently don't care as long as they get to "own the libs". This is peak "eating a shit sandwich to force other people to smell your breath" energy.

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