What Happens If You Get Caught With A Deleted Truck?

The practice of deleting your truck is an open secret. Deleting a truck means having the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) removed, and detaching the exhaust fuel system and diesel emission fluids. As a result, a 20%-30% increase in fuel efficiency and extra power is achieved.

So, a lot of deleted trucks exist even though it is illegal to drive them. But what happens if you get caught with a deleted truck? According to federal law, a deleted truck driver can be fined $2500 while the fine can be up to $14 million for companies.

Even a lawsuit can be filed for violating the clean air act by driving without DPF. Below, we will discuss all the possible aftereffects of getting caught with a deleted truck and also share some tips about how to avoid getting caught.

What Happens If You Get Caught With A Deleted Truck

What Happens If You Get Caught With A Deleted Truck?

According to state and federal law, driving a deleted truck is illegal. If the EPA police find you with a deleted truck, you will be charged a fine.

As a consumer, you may be fined a minimum of $2500 and a maximum of $7500 for driving a deleted truck publicly. For companies, the fine can be a maximum of $14 million depending on the level of violation.

Again the fine depends on specific cases. If you have deleted the truck by an inexperienced mechanic, your car may stay in limp mode which will cause a higher fine.

Even the mechanic who deleted the truck can face a lawsuit due to a DPF rule violation. In addition to monetary penalties, criminal charges can be also formed against you due to violating clean air acts.

What To Do When Your Truck Is Deleted?

If you suspect that you have been sold a deleted car without being told, you can check it out by an OEM dealership. You have the right to file a lawsuit against the company for selling deleted cars.

In Some states, you will be required to pass an emission test before registering your vehicle. Deleted trucks cannot pass the test. So, you have full right to return your vehicle. You can also choose to put on the emission equipment back.

How Can You Avoid Getting Caught With A Deleted Truck?

Well, nobody is going after you to check if your truck is deleted unless you have made some serious mistake. It’s not illegal to own a deleted truck but it is illegal to drive a deleted truck.

The most common reason for suspecting a deleted truck is that the truck makes growling sounds when DPF is not present. Try to avoid or drive slowly in the spots where a check may occur. Don’t drive a truck that exhausts too much smog as newer vehicles barely release any smog.

You can buy some emission parts if you need to pass the smog test in your state. There are some places in Canada, for example, Alberta, that have no restriction on deleted trucks. You can freely drive there.

What Should You Do If You Are Pulled Over By The Police Def Delete?

If you are pulled over by the police, the first thing you need to do is to act normal. Not always you will be fined. Try to answer their questions without panicking and don’t share any extra info.

The police would not stop you for a deleted truck unless you are

  • They are carrying on some sound suppression patrolling
  • You are driving too fast drawing attention and emitting too much smog
  • You are lifted and the lack of DPF under your truck can be seen

According to law, the police cannot search your vehicle without a proper allegation. It is not applicable for commercial vehicles though.

In the states that don’t have emission laws, the police can’t give you a ticket. They may notify the EPA. If you are charged then consult a lawyer to know in detail about the laws of your state.

You shouldn’t get out of your truck unless you are instructed and don’t start searching hastily for a driving license. Most of the time the reason for being pulled over is nothing serious. So be at ease.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Deleted Truck

Deleting your truck has several benefits especially if you use it regularly for heavy loads. The amount of saved fuel is worth going through the hassle of deleting the truck in some models. But it has some disadvantages too that can hold you back.

Advantages of  deleted trucks are:

The main advantage of the deleted truck is increased fuel economy. Saving around 20% fuel improves the engine power a lot. In addition, you will get rid of maintenance hassle too. More details are given below.

  • Increased Fuel Economy:

The diesel particulate filter mainly captures contaminants from the exhaust system like spots and other particles. Then it uses diesel to burn these particles off within it which is called the ‘regeneration’ process.

When DPF is deleted, this extra fuel used for regeneration is saved. So the fuel economy increases up to 20-30%. Thus, your money is also saved.

  • Engine Power Boost:

Usually, the bad particles in DPF get burned after 300 miles. You will need to drive at 45 miles per hour or greater speed to get your truck hot enough to burn the particles.

It takes around 45 minutes to regenerate which causes frequent restarts that damage the engine. Removing DPF solves this problem and keeps your engine healthy

  • Less Maintenance Cost:

Not every time you can maintain enough speed that is required to burn particles within DPF. As a result, the DPF gets blocked with particles, and engine performance decreases.

You will need to clean the DPF manually which is a problem. You will need to repair the DPF often which costs high. Removing DPF can save your maintenance cost and labor needed for it.

Disadvantages of deleted trucks are:

The major disadvantage of deleted trucks is that they play a great factor in diesel air pollution. Again the fear of getting caught and being fined will be always present in the back of one’s mind. There are also several disadvantages which are described below.

  • Air Pollution:

The main reason for installing a DPF is to not let the contaminants pollute the air. Deleted trucks have increased air pollution by around 15%-17% in the past decade. The diesel particles are also harmful to health. Deleted trucks are therefore a criminal for air pollution.

  • Resale Value Drop

Not everyone wants to buy a deleted truck as there is the risk of being fined a large amount. So your truck will have less resale value if it is deleted.

  • Rumbling Sound

The trucks that have DPF usually have a quiet exhaust system. Without DPF, the exhaust system produces a heavy rumbling or growling sound which is very disturbing.

  • Risk of being fined

As we have discussed earlier, you can be charged from $2500-$7500 for driving a deleted truck. The risk of facing criminal charges is also present.

Conclusion

Deleting DPF is beneficial for early models of trucks. New trucks have more advanced technology that enables the engine to have more fuel efficiency even with DPF. In that case, it will be a better decision to not delete your truck.

While deleting your truck, take the help of an expert mechanic. Otherwise, the removal won’t be proper and your truck will show more signs of being deleted. Nowadays, the EPA is more strict about charging fines to cars without DPF.

Again, around 550000 trucks have been deleted in the US in the past ten years increasing diesel pollution by around 15-17%. Pollution results in global warming which is a great concern for us. It is suggested to use a deleted truck as little as possible.

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