 |
 |
 Tests prove differences with cars Poor maintenance can make cars high emitters, whatever their age or make. If you don't believe that a few vehicles produce most of the emissions, spend some time with Ed VanMil, who oversees a program that tests more than 10,000 cars and light trucks every year.
On a recent sunny day on Stockdale Highway in Bakersfield, VanMil's crew from the state Bureau of Automotive Repair tested 32 cars, vans and pickups for the three main pollutants from gasoline-powered vehicles. The tests are voluntary, and there is no penalty for drivers who fail, so most agree. The results confirmed what the scientific reports say: Most cars are clean. But when they're dirty, they're really dirty. The cleanest car was a 1999 Ford Mustang, polished to a glistening white sheen by an obviously proud owner. It emitted 5 parts per million of hydrocarbons -- gasoline vapor and other petroleum products -- at 15 mph and 6 ppm at 25 mph. Contrast that with the day's dirtiest vehicle, a 1978 Ford E250 Club Wagon van that spewed 1,362 ppm at 15 mph and 1,335 ppm at 25 mph, more than 200 times the Mustang's hydrocarbons. Diagnosing causes isn't part of VanMil's job, so he can only speculate about why a specific car is a high emitter. In general, though, he credits technical advances such as fuel injection and computer control units with helping keep emissions down.
For example, take a 1986 Ford Taurus that the crew tested after lunch. No question, this car is a beater. The paint is shot and it idles rough. But it's not too bad on hydrocarbons, emitting 132 ppm at 15 mph and 106 ppm at 25 mph. "That Taurus is still far better than any Ford from the mid-1970s," VanMil says. "Just the fuel injection alone makes a big difference." The Taurus doesn't do as well on the test for nitrogen oxides, emitting 1,802 ppm at 15 mph and 1,150 ppm at 25 mph. That probably means it's running lean -- too much air and too little fuel in its cylinders. Even though it's a 16-year-old car, a little bit of maintenance might fix the problem, VanMil suggests. "The rumor is that old cars fail and new cars pass," he says. "But if you maintain a car well, it will almost always pass, assuming there are no major mechanical failures."
MYTH: Electric vehicles will never be practical because of the need to plug them in for recharging regularly.
REALITY: Electric–gasoline hybrid vehicles already on the market never need to be plugged in. A small gasoline engine recharges the batteries as the car is driven. |
|||
|
©
2002 The Fresno Bee
|
