What began as a birth at a high-tech vehicle manufacturing plant is ending with a bottle of sodium silicate for dozens of area automobiles traded in through the federal government”s cash for clunkers program.
Because the national program, aimed at helping citizens purchase more fuel-efficient automobiles, requires dealers to disable and scrap any “clunkers” traded in, local dealers are working with area scrap yards to lay the aging vehicles to rest.
“We”ve had close to 80 vehicles traded in through the program. We”ve really been covered up,” said Clyde Rhea, general manager of Carl Hogan Automotive on Highway 45 North.
Through the program, customers can trade in their less than 25-year-old vehicles for a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. After trading in the old vehicle, customers can get up to $4,500 in rebates in addition to the scrap value of their old vehicle.
Because dealerships provide the rebate money at the time of the trade-in, dealer owners must hold the “clunkers” until reimbursed by the federal government, explained Russell Street, general manager of Columbus Nissan on Highway 12 East.
“Once we”ve got them, we have to go in and type the vehicle”s information into a government Web site,” Street explained, noting his dealership has received about 15 trade-ins through the program. “We”re actually bogged down right now waiting on our money from the government.”
Although the program originally called for auto dealers to disable the traded-in vehicles upon receiving them, car lot owners now are waiting until they receive their government subsidy before putting an end to the clunkers” operational lives, Rhea said.
“We are required to drain all the oil out, and then pour in a substance called sodium silicate into the crank case,” Rhea explained. “Sodium silicate is basically liquid glass that congeals in the engine and kills the motor forever.
“At first, the government said we had to disable the motors before we got reimbursed. But we (dealers) started complaining and got that changed,” Rhea added. “Now we don”t disable them until we get reimbursed. It helps us out in case something goes wrong or the vehicle turns out to be ineligible for the program or something like that.”
After dealers disable the trade-ins, they ship the non-running vehicles to scrap yards to be crushed. But as of this week, few local dealerships had delivered the 4,000-pound paperweights to the automotive graveyard.
“It”s been slow getting that money,” said Chris Keene, general manager of Premier Ford on Highway 45 North. “We”ve already sent a few clunkers to Columbus Scrap, and will send a lot more once we get the money from the government.”
Though Keene and other local dealership owners are attempting to give area scrap yards a sharp increase in business, rows of clunkers during the next few weeks likely will continue to clog the dealerships” back lots, they said.
“We bought about four or five of them a few weeks ago from Premier, but that”s about all we”ve gotten so far,” said an employee at Columbus Scrap Material on Island Road. The employee asked to remain anonymous, citing liability issues.
“When we get a car that”s been traded in for this program, we are required to smash them flat,” the employee said.
Once the government money arrives at Carl Hogan Automotive, the dealership likely will “fill up” Bender Auto Parts and Wrecker in Aberdeen, Rhea said.
“We will use Bender”s in Aberdeen once we start shipping them off to be crushed,” Rhea explained. “We have dealt with them in the past, and we just wanted to help them out.
“We have about two or three on the lot that are ready to go now,” Rhea added. “All in all, we”ve got several hundred thousand dollars in clunkers sitting out there now.”
CLUNKER ELIGIBILITY
Not all cars are eligible for “cash for clunkers.”
Trade-ins must:
- Be no older than 25 years, based on manufacture date.
- Be government rated at 18 mpg or less.
- Be registered by the owner for at least one year.
- Be continuously insured for at least one year.
- Have a clean title with no outstanding loans.
- Be drivable.
New vehicles must:
- Get at least 4 mpg better than the trade-in for cars to qualify for a $3,500 credit.
- Get at least 2 mpg better for trucks and SUVs for a $3,500 credit.
- Get at least 10 mpg better for cars for $4,500 credit.
- Get at least 5 mpg better for trucks for $4,500 credit.
- Have an MSRP of no more than $45,000.
Source: Staff and wire reports
KILLING A CAR
Following a clunker on its final days:
1. Buyers bring in their trade-ins. The cars must meet requirements including being less than 25 years old with mileage of less than 18 miles per gallon.
2. The dealer reimburses the buyer”s clunker rebate, up to $4,500, plus the scrap value of the trade-in. As of Thursday, dealers had requested approval of $1.4 billion in rebates on 338,659 clunkers transactions.
3. The clunker remains on the dealer”s lot, in most cases, until the dealer is reimbursed the clunker rebate.
4. Once the dealer secures the rebate, the car is disabled. The traded cars and trucks can never be used again because dealers are required, as part of the program, to disable the engines. The government is very specific in its instructions that dealers must drain a clunker”s engine of its oil and pour a substance commonly known as liquid glass — technically named sodium silicate — into the engine. Once its started and allowed to run for a few minutes, the engine heats up and its internal parts meld together.
5. The cars are hauled off to scrap metal yards. The government requires the clunkers be crushed and shredded.
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