Another Manufacturer Is Being Sued Over Diesel Cheat Devices

Rolling coal, the act of causing a diesel engine to emit large amounts of black exhaust fumes, is the most obnoxious example of emissions control being defeated on diesel engines. That's not the only reason people use tuning equipment from companies like EZ Lynk, but it is why many people are finding it hard to sympathize with the company as it gets sued by the feds. Based in the Cayman Islands, the company sells a device that can be plugged into a truck's OBDII port, ready to be controlled by a smartphone. Owners can select different engine tunes to use, and other after-market companies can sell their tunes to be installed via the device. The problem lies in the fact that the device can circumvent the diesel particulate filter (DPF) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems of General Motors, Ford, and Ram trucks.

EZ Lynk has one of the most popular and easy-to-use devices on the market, so if you've seen an F-150 or similar deliberately "rolling coal," then it was likely programmed to do so using EZ Lynk hardware. The court documents, reported on initially by Reuters, claim that the company and its US-based founders "violated the Clean Air Act by refusing to provide EPA with information about the manufacture, sale, and use of EZ LYNK's defeat device."

"Emissions controls on cars and trucks protect the public from harmful effects of air pollution. EZ Lynk has put the public's health at risk by manufacturing and selling devices intended to disable those emissions controls. Through our lawsuit, we will prevent Defendants from continuing to sell this product and impose civil penalties to hold them to account," said U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.

EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield said: "EZ Lynk refused to cooperate with EPA's investigation, and all the while continued to sell aftermarket defeat devices that resulted in harmful air pollution. This is not acceptable and EPA will work diligently with the Department of Justice to stop the illegal activities and ensure that EZ Lynk complies with the Clean Air Act."

With the EPA and the Justice Department out for blood, EZ Lynk could face a similar fate as H&S Performance, a popular diesel tuning company that was forced out of business in 2013. An injunction against sales and installation of the EZ Lynk device has already been requested. The US government is seeking daily fines and civil penalties for the defendants it alleges are violating the Clean Air Act.