Diesels in Cali - for consumer use
 

When again will they be sold in this state, preferably in car form? Will I have to go across the border to AZ, or up to Oregon to buy one?

They have already reformulated the diesel fuel (lower sulfur) in anticipation of the new diesels which have (a form of) catalytic converters. Should be soon, no?

MB came up with some Bluetec diesel, clean burner, not sure when they will be available in the land of fruits and nuts. Seems to me they can be significantly damaged by the wrong, high sulfur type, fuel, but I could be mistaken.

2008 maybe

seems to me VW/Audi had one also

The argument that I've heard against California (and 4 other NorthEast states that follow California's lead) allowing MB's Bluetec is that the Bluetec system uses a urea injection as part of its air-scrubbing technology. However, after several years (5-10), that urea canister (or whatever MB uses) runs out of urea. So, the government fears that that diesel MB owner 5-10 years from now will not be willing (financially) to replace said urea canister, thereby allowing the car to become a high-polluter.

Sounds ridiculous to me, as in 5-10 years when the OEM urea supply runs out, either the diesel car will pass emissions or not. If it does, does it matter if the urea canister is depleted? If not, then the owner has to replace the urea canister to make sure the car can get registered. How hard is that to figure out?

i thought they were selling them again. earlier this year one of the bay area dealers had a couple of v10tdi touaregs.

The urea (AdBlue) is consumed at a rate of 3-5% of the fuel consumed. The urea canister holds enough to last a little more than you'd use between each oil change. So your shop will fill it back up when they do the 3-5K mile LOF service.

I'll never understand this state. They want to "increase air quality" by banning diesel cars that get 40 mpg, forcing their owners to get gasoline cars that get maybe 25 mpg. Of course if you want diesel, you can go out and buy a 10,000 pound pickup truck though that emits four times as much as the car the person wanted originally. Yea. That makes sense.

Jeff, if you think California emmissions laws on passenger vehicles have much to do with air quality, you been smokin' too much dope.

True 'dat. No doubt it's about the money, but it's presented to the public as if it has something to do with air quality.

The one that absolutely slays me is this bull about your having to have all original emissions equipment on the car to pass smog. Who the f*ck cares. If what you've got coming out of your tailpipe is within limits, who gives a crap if you're doing it with or without a cat, with or without an EGR valve or AIR pump or whatever. If (as they claim) it's really about emissions, why not just test emissions - oh yea, because they can make more money by making people pay for visual inspections.

I 100% agree it's about the money - the CARB smog Nazis insist that any vehicle having ANY aftermarket part without a CARB "exemption number" stamped on it fails the visual inspection and is therefore ineligible for operation on CA roads. I checked into what it takes to obtain a CARB exemption number - whaddya' know - a big giant fee. That's it. Don't believe me? Look it up yourself on their web site.

So long story short, if you want to be able to sell your open-block Chevy big-block engine "conversion kit" that blows unburned fuel and what-not into the atmosphere, our gallant defenders of air quality will let you do it and issue you a CARB exemption number as long as you're willing to pony up the fee to get their approval. That's all it takes - deep pockets. It has nothing to do with air quality. Kind of like how speeding tickets have nothing to do with safety. That's the state of our government - use whatever convenient rationalization exists in order to justify sucking more money out of the public. There's little "service" left in "public service" other than "self-service". CARB is living proof.