Own a Volkwagen? Recalls incoming

CruelCoin

Seem that VW has been diddling the emissions regulations by using software to trick the testers:

"The US EPA's findings cover 482,000 cars including the VW-manufactured Audi A3, and the brand's own Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat models.
The agency said cars had been fitted with sophisticated software algorithms which detect when they are undergoing officials emissions testing, and turns full emissions controls on only reducing the test. It is a type of software known as a "defeat device".

"Once on the road, the cars produced nitrogen oxide pollutants at up to 40 times the legal standard. "

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2015/0922/729441-volkswagen-diesel/

Its seems as if the same software is used on EU cars, so if you've bought anything after 2009, odds are you'll be having a recall.


I was wondering why the Passat/Golf were so competitive pricewise. Who gives a monkies about developing the engine when you can diddle your way around it.

There could be fines incoming of €17 billion from the US alone, for a company that is worth €70 billion.

So, AH'ers, what do you think the fallout is going to be? I'm expecting global VW job losses of 25% following the fines.
And what do you think the effect will be on the road tax status for your cars? Will they be able to fix this with a software patch? They fiddled the emmissions during the test for a reason, so obviously the cars can't handle those emissions for the stated life of the car.

BGozIE

Reasonably priced VW's?

demanufactured

Only affects US models.

mahoganygas

EU cars are not affected as far as I know.

The fiddling was done to cars in the US market only.

kneemos

It was on Pat Kenny this morning.
Apparently they injected Urea into the engine when testing.Of course they would have needed a Urea reservoir and injector.
Seems it was simply turning off the airbags that instructed the engine to switch on the Urea.

jimgoose

Lots of information and discussion about this over at Motors Towers:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057495903

jimgoose

kneemos wrote: »

It was on Pat Kenny this morning.
Apparently they injected Urea into the engine when testing.Of course they would have needed a Urea reservoir and injector.
Seems it was simply turning off the airbags that instructed the engine to switch on the Urea.

Pat Kenny is misinformed. VW were running these vehicles without urea, thus prompting some to wonder how they were managing to keep NOx emissions down. It transpires that in California, the test for this consists of plugging a scanner into the car's OBD-II port and "asking" it. The vehicle's computer was programmed to respond in such-and-such a way on detecting a test scenario. This was only discovered when an actual exhaust gas analysis was run.

Menas

jimgoose wrote: »

Pat Kenny is misinformed. VW were running these vehicles without urea, thus prompting some to wonder how they were managing to keep NOx emissions down. It transpires that in California, the test for this consists of plugging a scanner into the car's OBD-II port and "asking" it. The vehicle's computer was programmed to respond in such-and-such a way on detecting a test scenario. This was only discovered when an actual exhaust gas analysis was run.

Its a bit like a Garda asking you if you have been drinking while driving as opposed to actually getting you to blow in to the machine.

jimgoose

Menas wrote: »

Its a bit like a Garda asking you if you have been drinking while driving as opposed to actually getting you to blow in to the machine.

In a nutshell.

Rhys Essien

Whats fairly ironic here is that the vast majority of those big tank yankee gas gusslers are probably the biggest polluters on the planet.All those 6L + 8L tanks.

Useless fact,the Americans are 1/22th of the worlds population and yet they burn 1/4 of the worlds oil.Maybe they should be getting their priorities right.

kneemos

jimgoose wrote: »

Pat Kenny is misinformed. VW were running these vehicles without urea, thus prompting some to wonder how they were managing to keep NOx emissions down. It transpires that in California, the test for this consists of plugging a scanner into the car's OBD-II port and "asking" it. The vehicle's computer was programmed to respond in such-and-such a way on detecting a test scenario. This was only discovered when an actual exhaust gas analysis was run.

Well it was yer man from the AA,so probably.

jimgoose

kneemos wrote: »

Well it was yer man from the AA,so probably.

Yes, I know the chap. He's a knobjockey.

Boom_Bap

Thread already open in the Motors forum for this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057495903