I had to take my '85 300D over for emissions testing today. In the state of Washington they test for opacity of the exhaust running at about 25 MPH. The limit is 20%. My car with nearly 237K miles on it came up with only 2% opacity. Two years ago when I bought it with 212K it was putting out 3% opacity.
Now heres the interesting part. I no longer have an oxidizing catalyst nor an operating EGR and the ALDA is turned up for maximum power.
Looks like the emissions crap only makes it emit more.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

That seems pertty low, I wonder what a new gasser would do?

__________________
-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
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1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

Gassers are checked for different things like HC, NOx, CO, etc., diesels are checked for opacity, probably how much soot is in the exhaust.

I would really wonder what the new 320CDI would come up with.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

I also had mine tested, but at the time the engine in my 91 300D 2.5 Turbo only had 60,000 km on it. It came in at somewhere between 2 and 3%. It does not have a trap oxidizer and the EGR is partly working (the flap which blocks off part of the clean air intake when the EGR valve opens is disconnected).

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1991 MB 300D 2.5 Turbo (207000km) (now gone)
1993 Audi 100 CS Quattro (300000km)
1999 VW Jetta TDI (290000km)
2002 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro (150000km)
2005 MB E320 CDI (34000km)

Sorry for my ignorance, i should think before i speak

__________________
-Randy Wakefield

1969 220D 4 speed (parts car)
1976 280C
1976 280S
1981 240D 4 speed (parts car)
1982 300D
1983 300TD (Ivory)
1983 300TD (gold)
1985 300TD (gray)
1987 190D 2.5
1970 280SEL (sold)
1977 240D 4 speed (sold)
1974 280 (rusted to death)
---
1927 Chevy 4 door sedan
1938 Chevy 2 door sedan
1950 Willys Jeepster
1955 Studebaker President 4 door
1977 Ford F250
1979 Glastron 17'
1948 John Deere A
1960 John Deere 2010
1979 Satoh S650G
--
2000 Bichon (Doby)

The oxidizing catalyst reduces Hc and CO emissions.

The EGR reduces Nox emissions.

The test is not related to any of these components.

You would have failed miserably if these items were tested, as if it were a gasser.

I have to smog my diesels too and they have always tested between 0 and 5%. My 87 300D tested at 0%! Ironically I was belching out huge clouds of black smoke under full throttle shortly before the test to "prepare" the car. And I have to pay $36 for this silly test.

Brian, if a diesel car was tested under gasser rules it might fail on NOx but it's very unlikely it would fail on CO or HC. Do some research if you don't believe it.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

The opacity test in CT was and still is a complete joke. 4 years ago my SD passed with "0%" opacity. Right. The original engine had over 300K, and the compression was lousy. You could see opacity from 100 ft away, you didn't need a $50,000 machine. Last month I had my newly rebuilt engine tested, the one that doesn't smoke 5 seconds after starting cold at 0F. "11%" opacity. They would make a great improvement in technology if they instead tested for "smelliness" as determined by specially trained, drunken bloodhounds.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Without a functioning oxidation catalyst? You think so? The limits would have to be very liberal.

Yes, diesels draw in far more air than they need to burn their fuel. They put out very little HC and CO emissions. What little unburned fuel thre is, is expelled in the soot

I guess that's why they only check for soot emissions.
I wonder why then do they bother with putting emissions controls on diesels?
I had a reduction in soot w/o the OC.

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

EGR and the oxidation catalyst only work to reduce NOx. The opacity test only makes sure that you're not belching black clouds of diesel out of the exhaust.

Does anyone know if you can just drive up to an emissions test place and pay them to do a full emissions test, even on a car that doesn't need it?

It would almost be worth the money for me to run a tank of pure #2, and get my numbers tested, then run a tank of B100 and get my numbers tested again. The people at the station would probably look at me like I was crazy, but it would be nice to have some numbers for my vehicle.

Diesels do well on everything except NOx and particulate matter. But when urban communities are concerned about pollution from diesels, it is typically the PM (and the hydrocarbons stuck to it) that are the health concern, hence the crude opacity test.

Here in MO, there is no testing required for diesels of any size.

EDIT: Just answered my own question, here in MO, the state testing stations don't even have equipment that can handle diesel testing, so they couldn't test my vehicle even on a voluntary basis. There has to be some private place that does it though, hopefully for cheap.

peace,
sam

__________________
"That f***in' biodiesel is makin' me hungry."

1982 300TD Astral Silver w/ 250k (BIO BNZ)
2001 Aprilia SR50 Corsa Red w/ 5.5k (>100 MPG)

Sam, you can bring the car to Washington. It only costs $15 for the test. Is that cheap enough?

__________________
DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Hey, thats not bad. I'd pay 15$ for the test. Of course, it would cost me a little more than that to drive to and from Washington. Though it would be a nice trip, I miss the Pacific NW.

peace,
sam

__________________
"That f***in' biodiesel is makin' me hungry."

1982 300TD Astral Silver w/ 250k (BIO BNZ)
2001 Aprilia SR50 Corsa Red w/ 5.5k (>100 MPG)