How many Hippy / Beatnik types have parked their TDIs?

[Brian 162]

A friend of mine has one, and he's always saying he can't believe the mileage.
He's not to concerned but he doesn't want the car repaired. He would like to leave it as is. I don't think it will pass an emission test any time soon.

[Crowbob]

I'm thinking it'll soon be a good time to buy one.

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Apparently not according to your link. Sounds like they are being recycled.

We just need to really stop using batteries at this point, it's a no win situation for the environments and the countries we're dumping them on. I've see the mountains of rotting batteries personally. But as long as it's not in your average Prius owners back yard, all is good.

Well, all your posts have been about lead-acid batteries and Prius uses a totally different chemistry. If we really stopped using batteries you wouldn't be able to use a computer to post on a message board about how we shouldn't use batteries, so that's kind of a problem for you.[/QUOTE]

I'm not using a battery.. And I've seen equal quantities of ni-cad, nimh, lithium, all piled up together. It's staggering how many batteries are tossed, hearing aids, cell phones, you name it. Pretty much worse than plastic bags at this point.

If your thing is killing the world with tons of toxic chemicals then it seems you're on the right track. It's damned irresponsible, and a terrible source for stored energy.

[unclebilly]

I know a guy, an ex subordinate of mine who bought one for the reduced carbon footprint. He also owned a home with passive solar heating (solar community). His TDI is not parked...

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Scott R

I'm not using a battery..

If you're using a computer you're using a battery. They've all got them.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by pavulon

So will a current owner be able to decline the "improvements" and continue to use a dealer for service?

I am guessing not. And in some states you will not be able to license the vehicle unless you have evidence that the car has been reprogrammed.

Perhaps we need a battery recycling thread....

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by 74-911

That could be as Houston's city attorney announced he was filing a $100M lawsuit against VW for polluting Houston's air.... wonder how many other cities, etc. will follow suit ?

When does he plan to sue Pasadena?

Originally Posted by widebody911

All the hippies I know drive priuses or volvos

You forgot Subaru, or is that only lesbian hippies?

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by 74-911

That could be as Houston's city attorney announced he was filing a $100M lawsuit against VW for polluting Houston's air.... wonder how many other cities, etc. will follow suit ?

If the cars passed state standards for diesel emissions, they don't have a leg to stand on....

Which they all do, which is a whole different racket.

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

If the cars passed state standards for diesel emissions, they don't have a leg to stand on....

The state will take the position that they expected the cars to meet EPA standards.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

If you're using a computer you're using a battery. They've all got them.

And how many here recycle their electronics?
Almost every product today has them.

I did not know this:
Alkaline Batteries Do Need to be Recycled
It appears the reality is this: Alkaline batteries do not contain as many toxic components as I had thought. They do, however contain metals like nickel, cobalt, zinc, manganese, and silver. At this time there are no real cost effective methods available to recover these metals.
(If there was a good purpose for public-service prison labor, this would be it. IMO.)

Scott made a good point about the dearth of reprocessing.
A re-manufactered AL soda can requires something like 1/10th the energy to create from scratch IIRC.

World's Richest Self-Made Woman: A Paper Recycling Entrepreneur : TreeHugger
Remarkably, Ms Zhang, after starting up Nine Dragons Paper just a few years ago, has become "the world's richest self-made woman, surpassing US talk show host Oprah Winfrey and J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter author". Now here's the "kicker" as we say in the US. "Ms Zhang's listed company, of which she owns 72 per cent, buys scrap paper from the US and processes it in China for sale".

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Scott R

Like a lot of companies we're looking into getting into making a profit off battery disposal. Most automotive type large batteries end up like below because they are to costly to recycle.

Those batteries are waiting to be recycled. Most Pb batteries ARE recycled. The going rate for scrap Pb batteries is 25 cents a pound at the collection facility. They turn around and sell them at a profit to recyclers. There is a fortune in lead in that photo and it's not going to just sit there. Recycling a Pb battery is a lot cheaper than smelting lead from ore.

[mattdavis11]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

The state will take the position that they expected the cars to meet EPA standards.

It's not even on the radar. The state isn't going to take any position, we don't have emissions testing for diesels.

The city attorney in Houston is putting on a political dog and pony show.

[RF5BPilot]

Say what you want, but the prices for TDI's haven't crashed on EBay. No wave of people dumping their cars.

[don911]

Originally Posted by RF5BPilot

Say what you want, but the prices for TDI's haven't crashed on EBay. No wave of people dumping their cars.

Don't know why they would. I suspect, like me, most people bought TDIs for gas mileage not to be "green". There may be a very small number of people who are so "ashamed" of their TDI now that they wish they had a prius but even "green" people will find a way to live with shame of it all when money is involved.

I filled up yesterday and averaged 45mpg. I couldn't be happier with the car. I'll back out any "fix" and plan to drive the crap out of it,

[pavulon]

For the most part, won't the impact of a "fix" determine what happens to the value of TDI's?

[Rtrorkt]

still drivin the touareg TDI

[Hawkeye's-911T]

Still gettin' a chuckle outta the "hippie/beatnik" reference/thing.

Cheers
JB

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

It's not even on the radar. The state isn't going to take any position, we don't have emissions testing for diesels.

The city attorney in Houston is putting on a political dog and pony show.

I think this problem will result in some states changing their policy. I don't believe all sates will give the cars a free pass. This is unprecedented, I would not rule anything out just yet.