The automotive aftermarket community recently received another blow, as eBay has banned the sale of any tuning device that defeats the factory emissions systems.
According to a report from Road & Track, eBay policy states that any part that has the ability to render a factory emissions system inoperative is banned from being posted for sale on the site. Applicable toward hardware and software alike, this change in policy is believed to have taken place sometime in 2022. Banned products include:
- Tuners
- Standalone ECUs
- Off-road exhausts
- AFM disablers
- Throttle response controllers
- Oxygen sensor bypass devices
“eBay prohibits the sale of items that bypass, defeat or render inoperative emission-control systems under the Defeat Device Policy and an EPA Enforcement Alert,” an eBay spokesperson was quoted as saying.
EPA policy and regulations are a large driving force behind eBay’s decision. In fact, under the Clean Air Act, the EPA has the power to charge eBay $4,819 for every illegal part sold through the website.
The crackdown began in 2020, when the EPA started a National Compliance Initiative to enforce restrictions on emissions-related devices.
“This Alert is intended to remind all regulated entities that installing a defeat device or tampering with a motor vehicle or non-road equipment can be costly to their businesses and can subject them to enforcement and penalties,” said the EPA in a statement. “While EPA continues to take enforcement actions against automobile manufacturers for their emissions cheating, the focus of this National Compliance Initiative is on those who manufacture, sell, or install aftermarket parts known as defeat devices, which bypass or render inoperative required emissions control systems, resulting in significant increases in harmful air emissions.”
In the face of massive financial penalties for the sale of these devices, it’s really no surprise the eBay decided to ban them. This isn’t the first time these types of devices have been pulled either. Cobb Tuning and Hondata both recently changed the way that tuners are able to modify and adjust ECUs in an attempt to prevent tampering with emissions equipment.
This could also prevent the tuning of GM products. For example, the LS and LT engine platforms are well known for easy modification with the likes of heads, camshaft, headers, intake, etc. Unless these parts are emissions complaint, customers may not have the ability to modify these vehicles like they used to.
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Comments
AFM valve simulators and throttle controllers do not affect emissions, and in fact many of them are compliant and acceptable with regard to factory warranties.
It uses more gas and gas mean more emissions…
seems to impact track oriented people?
Yes, however, like myself who does not track the car routinely, this ban if applied across the board has an impact on potentially the entire marketplace of tens of thousands of folks who like another 100 HP or to tinker endlessly just for the fun of it… not good news.
a good writer would’ve included information about the RPM act that needs passed to prevent further epa’s overreach.
More nanny state wokeness brought to you by liberal democrats!
You realize that the EPA is the reason today’s Accord can run with yesterday’s Camaro, right?
Wow, the EPA resulted in stickier tires, manyfacturing tolerances, and the microprocessor? It would seem the EPA is the reason that yesterday’s (base) Camaro is as fast as today’s (top) accord instead. Pre-EPA, that is…
When first confronted with EPA regulations, automakers kicked and screamed and cobbled together makeshift emissions-control systems made of some hoses, tubes, and tomato-juice cans filled with charcoal. Then they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Now we have electronic fuel-injection, electronic ignition, and other systems that reduce emissions–while improving performance well past pre-EPA levels. Sorry if that doesn’t line up with what you’d prefer to believe….
How did the EPA result in stickier tires, for example, rather than auto racing & performance arms races, especially since efficiency-oriented cars run on low performance, low rolling resistance tires.
How are you determining the performance improvements developed by GM & Honda’s racing programs & performance rivalries vs EPA, to determine which is in spite of the EPA rather than enabled by the EPA?
You mean back when a 350V8 only made 155HP????? Even though an almost identical engine 5 year prior made over 300HP. Yeah…. EPA does wonders 🙃
HP was originally measured one way. Then insurance companies started focusing on those numbers, so automakers started listing HP differently. The EPA had nothing to do with it. But don’t let facts get in the way of a good slam….
Bull Sh!t. In response to growing public concern about air pollution, Congress passed the Clean Air Act of 1970, which created air-quality standards and led to a requirement that all cars have catalytic converters. The Environmental Protection Agency mandated that all cars beginning with model year 1975 be outfitted with catalytic converters to meet emission standards. The 70’s were in fact rated differently than the 60’s, but the scrambling to meet the emissions standards of that day are the real reason the cars were so low HP. retarded ignition, exhaust blocked by bed of catalytic material, big venturi 2 barrels instead of spread bore four barrels.
the reason a current Honda is what it is is simply because of computing power. once you can tune on the fly to meet multiple power bands as well as implement more than a few gears to keep the engines there, then the sky is the limit.
Right and wrong, it was a double whammy, but the 1970 350 rated in the modern way would post approx 250hp, not 155. The additional 100 horses was robbed by the CR being dropped significantly and the exhaust going to hell in a hand basket with 1” pipes designed to make backpreasure as low even as idle for the EGR system and low flow cats.
Respectfully – No, competition from the free-market is the reason today’s Accord can run with yesterday’s Camaro.
Respectfully, no, the evolution of fuel and spark delivery is why the two cars are equal. An evolution that was spurred by EPA regulations.
The evolution of manufacturing–an evolution that wasn’t directly related to EPA regs–played a part, too, especially metal-machining processes using computer-numeric controlled equipment. This part we can legitimately attribute to the free market.
Please note that the EPA crackdown began in 2020, which was during the prior administration. eBay is finally changing their policy now to reflect compliance.
I really don’t think this is about administrations, but “wokeness” that has been creeping for many years and only now many are prepared to actually show their colours so to speak. Any way you cut it, the current “many state” is hard at work trying to eliminate anything with an ICE (motor) to force EVs down our collective throats.
Looks like I will not be using eBay for any aftermarket accessories here again another BS Restriction created by the Democrats so they can shove these Evies down your throat which is not the answer
The sad thing about all of this if people actually did the research they would realize 90 percent of all CO2 emmisions are created by earth it self in the rotting of trees and other organic material. The other 9% is the ocean and volcanos. Humans mabe 1% but the problem is it not about emissions/polution its about control and easy way to take more money from people by the way of these taxes on carbon. I have no issues with EV’s except the fact the truth is they create more of a enviromental issue than any fossil fuel device, but to many people are already brained washed they are afraid to question anything.
It’s not about facts or doing research or a better future. It’s about control.
When I was growing up we called CO2 plant food. This nonsense is a joke.
Agreed. CO2 is actually necessary for life. We have had much higher CO2 levels in the past, which demonstrates the planet has a wide enough margin to function. Much like a car, if the planet was not tuned the way it is, we would not be able to sustain and grow.
100,000 airline flights dumping carbon and unburnt fuel on our heads per day Worldwide and they are worried about a few hot rodders? The face of Fascism!
Here we go again with more morons more control freaks going after freedom of speech and then of course freedom of choice the morons that bring it on will have to live with all of it personally I’m glad I’m already retired glad I don’t have that many years left actually the idiots putting all this in place can live with it I guess no more eBay for me the woke morons will think of a way to get rid of Thanksgiving as well for some reason or another ban everything decent and replace it with some made up stupidity good luck charging your electric cars what a joke bad joke enjoy the holidays while you can before they get rid of them somehow
Dude, that is borderline unreadable, how about some punctuation so we don’t have to guess what your moronic thought process is?
Don’t forget all of the liberal celebrities trekking all over the world to…………make ever-so-important movies. Funny how they, and other feel-good greenies, ALWAYS get a pass…..because “movies” or “meetings” or Access Hollywood “interviews”.
Let’s also not forget all of the politicians preaching green flying all over the world as well.
The environmental hypocrisy on the left is staggering.
Yup, unless ya live in a cave, cook over a fire pit, and wear animal skins, yer just a hypocrite if ya criticize any part of modernity….
The goofy “not-me” lefties like you who praise endless environmental regulation are exactly the ones who won’t give up your own bad habits. Strict regulation is for everyone else…right?
Again , politicizing a comment ! I vote for the best candidate , not party affiliated. I do more for the environment , in one day , than most do in a year.
You got me pegged! I’m a goofy not-me lefty! Yer so smrt!
Meanwhile, sensible folk, instead of throwing around ad hominem attacks and red herrings, continue to try to improve on that which we’ve already accomplished….
Yeah, but throwing out snarky sarcastic statements doesn’t add to the conversation. If you have something to say, be brave enough to plant your flag and prosecute your case. Otherwise move on.
Forgive Esko, he/she’s always like this. “Twitter-smart” snarky and dismissive….likely from a position of self-proclaimed authority.
You’ll see another one in a few moments after this is posted.
“The environmental hypocrisy on the left is staggering.”
“The goofy “not-me” lefties like you who praise endless environmental regulation are exactly the ones who won’t give up your own bad habits.”
“The greed argument rings hollow when you don’t apply it uniformly.”
Speaking of self-proclaimed authority….
It’s called the reductio ad absurdum. It’s used to demonstrate how absurd an argument is by taking it to its logical conclusion.
Apparently, snark can only go one direction, given that my so-called snarky comments are the only ones to raise your ire….
At the recent Zero Emissions Summit, Biden flew in on Airforce One (huge overkill) and was joined by a reported 400+ other private jets all spewing emissions. Gore flies all over the world in private jets and makes a fortune from this false-front industry. Honestly, how can any of take these guys seriously. This really has very little to do with emissions and anyone with an iota of a brain secretly knows it.
And all the delivery vehicles dumping out pollution delivering eba y purchases.
I agree with Den, what about are plans???
The way I see it, Americans do not exist anymore ! You are either a Dem or a Republican. This is not a USA problem , it is a world disaster. Traitor trump, did his job , dividing the people. 90% of Pollution is caused by man. It comes from manufacturing, animals !!! By the way animals are sentient beings they should not be manufactured. Industries , planes , cause most of the rest. As for the article, I disagree with their choices. Cars, with all the anti pollution parts , do not produce that much carbon anymore. I drag race often in the fall and I like to tune up my cars , without losing my warranty , though. The reason I will buy an EV for the wife , is to get away from the oil companies greed. Oil is way overpriced and gas is even worst. Oil is the main culprit in all this inflation because of rising cost of transportation . Diesel fuel in Canada is at 9 to 12 $ a gallon!!! If the world would go solar , like it should of been since we have the technology , we would clean up this world air quickly. Recycle, re-use , repair . I could go on with lots more but I do not have the time to explain everything , go and read but not from social liemedia.
Some oil company greed certainly exists, but how do you define greedy companies? How about Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Facebook, Twitter, Hollywood, the automakers….your local electric utility…your government?
$1000+ for an iPhone?
The greed argument rings hollow when you don’t apply it uniformly.
Like I said I do not have all day. I said read and learn.
You can’t learn from a liberal, they lose too much…
So companies are greedy for creating a product you gotta have, not one out of necessity.
Look no Further than your mirror if you want to see greed!
Isn’t greed greed no matter if you need the product or not? Or does greed only apply to the industries you don’t like?
Greed seems more tolerable when associated with luxuries; less so when associated with necessities.
Not everybody needs an iPhone. Pretty much everybody needs transportation. If you can’t see the difference, either yer not trying, or yer not as smrt as you think you are….
@ Wayne Middleton
The country was divided long before Trump. Biden campaigned on being the great unifier, what a joke that has been. Every speech he gives (the parts you can understand of it) are nothing but a Republican bash fest.
Biden started out trying to do things in a bi-partisan manner after he was elected President. But if one side doesn’t want to play, you don’t get a game.
LOL, yeah all of those executive orders were soooo bi-partisan! LOL! Be honest.
Yeah, sure. McCarthy and McConnel tried really hard to work with Biden but were repeatedly rebuffed….
You were drinking some strong Kool-Aid if you believed Biden was going to be bi-partisan. His campaign was simply saying what they thought would get him elected. Day one of being in office his true intentions and divisive behavior came out.
This is just another way to control all of us…..We really need SEMA to get stronger and get the RPM act passed. I’ve been in the performance racing industry for over 30 years and companies like Holley are buying up all the smaller performance companies and selling direct to the consumer, cutting out all the speed shops that really built the industry. I hope Holley will get to work and help reverse where this is headed, because they now have a lot to loose as they direct market through E-bay more than anyone else, they just use different names as the seller. LETS ALL WORK TOGETHER AND FIX THIS IF IT’S NOT TO LATE.
OK just bought a 14 Silverado with a bad engine. FJB and Kerry also. Gonna throw an old 427 in it just because I know how to do it And register it in a non emission county.
Wow, yer so cool! That’ll show ’em! I bet Biden and Kerry just slink off to their basements ‘cuz of you!
Knob alert!!!!!
A proper 427 with a good transmission will actually likely not loose to much MPG and gain oodles of power 😍
Non-emissions county? I live in a free red state never had to worry about emissions.
It is pretty purple here.
It is an EPA thing, because of the winds pollution blows in from the Chicago area and the Ohio valley.
Oil is the main culprit? LOL, you don’t have a clue.
No , you don t. If ignorance was money , you would be a billionaire !
This is awesome news. Making it more difficult for diesel bros to modify their exhaust to spew black smoke all for the sake of freedom to do what they want.
And to all the whining that this impacts you. No one is taking away the opportunity to modify your vehicles. Just requires you to use parts/equipment that maintains its stock emissions. Quite unfortunate that so many have an issue with that.
If they want to waste their money, let ‘em.
“Their” money…dreamer…it is your’s!
the problem with current diesel emissions is the EGR carbon fouling seems to cause the diesel smoke you mention and then the regen cycle causes the motors to emit quite a lot while trying to clean out the emissions equipment designed to remove the emissions during daily driving. vicious cycle.
When is EPA or any enforcement agency going to crack down on all the motorcycles that have their catalytic converters (and mufflers) remove and replaced (for safety, of course) with outrageous straight pipes?
That’ a good point. Probably when emissions from bikes contributes more than the miniscule percentage of transportation-related emissions than they currently do. In other words, likely never.
well this current fight seems to be Karen’s of the world versus Bro Dozers. currently the Karen’s are winning, they might chase after bikes next, but you can make a bike loud without removing the Cat. Mufflers are only required if you get to a certain decibel.
The EPA is playing hard ball on many things that are being sold. CARB is even worse in California with multi million dollar fines for simple things like non compliant Fuel jugs.
E bay is just getting scared out of the market as it is not worth the risk with the fines and the difficulty of tracking the parts and where they are shipped or sold.
You can sill modify a car or bike but the EPA are going after the retailers and MFGs.
The time is coming if you have a non compliant vehicle you may not be able to get a license for it or even race it.
Study up on the RPM act.
I fully believe at some point the EPA will dump more ethanol in the fuel and kill the older cars. They will let the owner drive them till they die. That is where it is going in England.
They are trying to make synthetic fuel for vintage cars but how much will that be?
Time to pass the reign act…. Or just a prolonged government shutdown. I’m at the point to where we just need to send everyone home, tell them to find a new job.
The flagship Boeing 777–300ER burns around 8.5kg/km, with 2.9L/100km per seat. The -300 (non ER) burnt 7.9kg/km with 2.7L/100km per seat. The long-range 777–200LR burns 7.56kg/km and 3.25L/100km per seat.
The new Opel Corsa, as comparison, burns 93g/km. The Opel Astra Hybrid burns <50g/km.
One of the biggest contributors to the Global Warming is the Air Conditioner refrigerant gas, aka R134A. This is still used and will be for a long time to come, due to its cost, in all commercial buildings. R-134a is a potent greenhouse gas with a GWP (global warming potential) value of 1,430. In other words, the greenhouse effect of the R-134a refrigerant is 1,430 times the 100-year warming potential of the same volume of carbon dioxide.
In comparison, the new refrigerant gas 1234YF has a GWP of less than 1. The cost is 10x higher than the R134 A. By regulation, all passenger vehicles sold in the US and most of Europe must use 1234YF (again, it is against the cars) to mitigate the global warming,
But another comparison, a car can go with its original 1kg loaded at the assembly plant for 3 or 4 years before recharging, while for a 2,000 sq ft house, you need anywhere between 2.5-ton to 4.5-ton units (with an average of about 3-3.5 tons). For this capacity, you need either central air or ductless mini splits.
So the blame is against the cars that use gasoline? C'mon, it is a drop in the bucket.
Just go to Disney World and see the waste of refrigerant when stores doors are open and they keep them at 65°F all day or today you can see how much doe sit cost (in $ and environmentally) to keep the World Cup stadiums in Qatar.
Refrigerant does not leak out unless the vehicle is not maintained. SO just like a rarely driven 60’s muscle car, it rarely hits the environment, so it does not really qualify as an argument.
But an Opel will not get me to California in 4 hours.
They already are wanting to attack Freon but AC temps we use.
They are going after meat and are pushing bugs for protein.
We have a log more issues going on,
What are the chances that I could buy and drive (off-road, of course) a new fairly decently equipped manual trans naturally aspirated (heads and cam, headers, no VVT or AFM) Corvette? Where will you find me after this awful hate crime? Alcatraz or Sing Sing?
What are the chances that I could buy and drive (off-road, of course) a new fairly decently equipped manual trans naturally aspirated (heads and cam, headers, no VVT or AFM) Corvette? Where will you find me after this awful hate crime? Alcatraz or Sing Sing?
To paraphrase Mencken, aren’t the legislators who display a perverse interest in regulating our cars desperately afraid that, somewhere, someone might be having a good time?
A good follow up response should be from SEMA, who really helped guide the aftermarket especially with the advent of computer controlled, EFI systems on modern cars around the time of the GM and Ford tuned port fuel injection 305’s, 350’s and 302’s.
Administrations in DC come and go, but the monolith EPA does not. They are entrenched and they are the bully tail that wags the dog in both the federal political leadership and our major automakers. And it’s beyond far too late to tear them down a notch or ten.
I’ve never seen so much whining as on the GM forum here! If you don’t like or agree with an article written, pass over it or delete it. And I’ve ordered my stage 3 tuner from Throton Chip tuning and if it does half of what it is advertising to do it will pay for it’s self in a short time. Have a nice day.
Tomg
There’s almost enough snowflake tears in the comments to rehydrate the midwest. boo hoo, I can’t hot rod my car, what ever shall I do?!?! 😂