balancing emissions with intake clogging

pastvast

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Location
Toledo area, Ohio
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Forgive me if the info is spattered in various posts... but here's my dilemma. I think that a VW diesel is an environmentally friendly vehicle (when compared to other vehicles, not bikes). As a person who values clean air/clean water, I want good emissions controls on my vehicle.

However, then there's me not wanting to deal with a clogged intake manifold every 50K. So... what are my alternatives for decreasing the rate at which I have to deal with a clogged intake and then, what are the effects (compared to stock) of various mods on emissions??

So far, here's the mods I've seen:
- decrease EGR settings to just above the legal limit
- totally eliminate usage of EGR
- CCV filter arrangement

Are there others?

So far the arrangement I seem to like best is a CCV filter mod (but not the kind where oil drips on the ground). However, if there's less oil going through there, will more soot end up being emitted?

Thanks!
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
One thing I've wondered about is how much pollution is caused when you clean the thing. All the parts cleaner fumes, plus the carbon junk.... is that stuff worse then the NOx?

-J
 

supton

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 25, 2004
Location
Central NH (USA)
TDI
'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
Catching the oil before it gets into the intake won't affect the amount of soot emitted from the motor. Well, I guess technically that (before you did the CCV mod) would catch some soot--but that's probably balanced by the extra soot caused by burning motor oil...

But either effect is gotta be way less than the soot caused by burning fuel at 40-50mpg. So, no, no change in soot per mile.

You could just try driving the car like normal. The consensus seems to be that babying the car leads to soot buildup, while shifting at 3k+ and gettin' on it, helps to reduce it (or at least delay it). Lugging the motor and burning poor quality diesel doesn't help.

Me, I just plan to clean the intake when I have the timing belt replaced at 100k. I don't see why, if you are at 85k, that you won't be able to do that too.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Actually, I'm at 166k. I just cleaned it, it wasn't really bad, but I don't want to to it again. My point is that there are emmissions from cleaning the thing, and how do those emmissions relate to the emmissions if you disable the EGR.

-J
 

pastvast

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Location
Toledo area, Ohio
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Doesn't the whole "drive it like you stole it" method go against what you've got to do to get the best fuel economy from the TDI??

Compu... While I haven't done an intake cleaning, I've watched one done. I didn't see anything that would be considered air emissions. My biggest question was how to dispose of the waste liquid/cleaner, which is a different type of chemical pathway than out the tailpipe. I think I might be able to get the liquid waste properly disposed of on one of those County clean-up days.

Supton: I hadn't even thought of the issue of burning oil. I'm starting to like the CCV mod even more. It might be time to do some more reading!!!
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
You can't say that parts cleaner doesn't give off fumes. I was getting kinda light headed by the time I was done cleaning my intake.


-J
 

pastvast

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Location
Toledo area, Ohio
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Got me on the fumes.

Biodiesel would be great... except that it's a 30+ minute drive out of the way to the nearest place that I've heard of in the area (which is only B20). Husband and I both agree that it's probably not the best idea to homebrew our own in the basement (which is where the furnace is)!!!
 

Smokerr

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2005
Location
Alaska
TDI
Passat Wagon GL,2005,Silver
Other than VW, most diesel mfgs have speen tens of millions to reduce to an absolute minimum the amount of oil being burned in the engine with imrpoved ring technolgoy (it adds pollution in the form of unburned hydro carbons).

So, the CCV filter will actually lower emisions, and as it will keep the engine working at peak spec, it will lower it that way as well.

Total win for enviromental
 

Smokerr

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2005
Location
Alaska
TDI
Passat Wagon GL,2005,Silver
Anything that makes the flow less than new increases emisions. So the cloging does that, as well as costs extra and should not be needed. Whats the point in 40 mpg if you pay so much more than a car that gets 30 mpg, that it costs you the same as a car getting 25mpg (not to mention the time taken to get it cleaned.) While mpg is important, its total ownership costs that are rolled into what it actually costs in Cents per mile (hopefully not $) Otherwise you are just fooling yourself.
 

supton

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 25, 2004
Location
Central NH (USA)
TDI
'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
Yep. I have a nice spreadsheet comparing my options. A Honda Civic came out just slightly cheaper over 5 years for me. At "old" diesel and gas prices ($2.20/gas and $2.40/diesel), a 37mpg Civic was like 17.5cents/mile and my TDI was 18.2cents/mile. This is at 36kmiles/year and not including insurance/registration/taxes, but including timing belts and tires and brake job estimates (I seem to be going 100k+ on brakes, so it's hard to judge).

Of course, repairs outside of warrenty will be expensive. But I don't plan to bother with the dealer for those whatsoever. But someone who depended upon the dealer would be far better with Honda or Toyota, than with VW.
 
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