DISQUS

SolidSmack: Engineers and Designers… Prepare to Toss Your Idea In The Rubbish Heap

  • Bruce Buck · 1 month ago
    I'm all for KNOWING about what materials are more this and that in regards to environmental impact, having a database, whatever. What I'm NOT for is being TOLD/FORCED to use some material that may not be best... FOR THE PRODUCT.

    All of this stuff is just getting out of hand. Take Toyota for instance and the Tacoma issue regarding high idling/shifting issues. Response from Toyota is basically that it's designed that way... not for any performance reasons, but because of the stupid EPA/government regulations. TOTAL Bacon Sandwich!

    Actual response from Toyota:

    By way of background, each year the government slightly tightens emissions standards so that vehicles emit less pollution.

    Modern vehicles have a very sophisticated emissions system that only works when hot or warm. If the vehicle is cold, more emissions are produced.

    The only way to heat the emissions components quickly up so they work properly is to run the engine faster when it is cold.

    The government wants engines and emissions systems to warm up as soon as possible so the emissions control systems work efficiently as soon as possible after a cold start.

    Two things the you will notice is the the engine will run fast when cold, (engine RPM higher) and shifting will be reduced, either to lock out overdrive, or keep the shifts from happening as normal until the emissions components are properly warmed.

    Reducing shifts make sense, because when you shift, it reduces the engine speed, and prevents the warming process from happening as quickly.

    By forcing the engine to stay in a lower gear longer, the engine turns faster and warms up more quickly than if it is allowed to shift normally as it does when it is warmed up.

    Full text here: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacoma...
  • Josh M · 1 month ago
    I'm with you Bruce. I think guidelines would be better and there's certainly room to incentivize the use of certain materials rather than limiting or removing their use. I'd hope, if anything comes of this, that any restriction would push innovation around the regs for new materials that destroy any need for this type of legislation.