VW fiddling emissions data

[Deleted User]

jonny_power wrote: »

Simple question (I hope?!)

I had my second letter yesterday explaining the timescales and more details on the software fix.

I'm not keen to do anything until I know a bit more about any potential compensation or routes to obtain compensation.

However, I'm also not keen to have a software fix which could (I guess) significantly worsen the performance of my car. Is that the case? Will the software fix downgrade acceleration/torque etc?

For myself it's not just a software fix but also a hardware change, don't have the letter to hand right now to describe the exact change.

Anyway, don't really want any changes made to the car so the VW letters are likely to be filed in the log burner

After all this is a 60 plate, Dec 2010, car so why the heck would I want VW dicking about with a 5 odd year old car well out of warranty... No thanks... Car works just fine as is.

jonny_power

neilmcl wrote: »

Which engine do you have? For the majority the "software fix" will simply remove the "cheat device", so wont have any impact on performance or economy.

Golf 2.0 TDi

I'm still not sure if it's just removing the cheat device (seems pretty pointless to just do that really?) - Or is it mapping the engine so that emissions meet the reported emissions?

dannyrst

jonny_power wrote: »

Golf 2.0 TDi

I'm still not sure if it's just removing the cheat device (seems pretty pointless to just do that really?) - Or is it mapping the engine so that emissions meet the reported emissions?

Exactly. Removing the cheat device has no point. It isn't being used until the car recognises it is taking part in an emissions test, which is impossible to do during day to day driving.

Why would they remove something that is never going to be used again?

Crag30

neilmcl wrote: »

Which engine do you have? For the majority the "software fix" will simply remove the "cheat device", so wont have any impact on performance or economy.

The letter states that they do not know themselves yet what impact it will have on performance or economy, only that the 2.0 engines have a software upgrade and the 1.6 also has a bit of hardware that needs attaching.

So, I'm still waiting to hear what the software upgrade will do to my car

neilmcl

This - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/volkswagen-emissions-scandal/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-ea189-recalls-to-start-in-january-2016/

Recalls of EA189 2.0 TDI engines - built between 2012 -2015 - will commence from January 2016, with affected engines being subject to a software update to remove all traces of the NOx emissions 'cheat' software. Volkswagen says the work will take just a few hours to complete and will not impact CO2 emissions, performance or fuel economy.

Crag30

neilmcl wrote: »

This - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/volkswagen-emissions-scandal/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-ea189-recalls-to-start-in-january-2016/

That last bit is not on my letter from Audi

buglawton

neilmcl wrote: »

This - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/volkswagen-emissions-scandal/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-ea189-recalls-to-start-in-january-2016/

Note the words "Volkswagen says" from your quote. If VW remove the cheat software, the cars will instantly fail their next MOT. VW will need to both need to remove the cheat software and then remap all the software to allow an MOT pass. That WILL impact performance and CO2. That quote was a disingenuous, perhaps desperate, statement from VW. Or maybe just innacurate reporting by Honestjohn.

BeenThroughItAll

buglawton wrote: »

Note the words "Volkswagen says" from your quote. If VW remove the cheat software, the cars will instantly fail their next MOT. VW will need to both need to remove the cheat software and then remap all the software to allow an MOT pass. That WILL impact performance and CO2. That quote was a disingenuous, perhaps desperate, statement from VW. Or maybe just innacurate reporting by Honestjohn.

Only they won't, because our MOT emissions test for diesels isn't sophisticated enough to be impacted.

bod1467

Precisely. Do you really think the "cheat" device knew when an MOT test was being carried out and adjusted the emissions accordingly?

The MOT test records what the vehicle is actually emitting ... if the "fix" merely removes the ability for the vehicle to pass the approval test then it shouldn't make any difference to normal performance.

neilmcl

buglawton wrote: »

Note the words "Volkswagen says" from your quote. If VW remove the cheat software, the cars will instantly fail their next MOT.

Oh no they wont! (as we're in panto season ) With or without the "cheat device" no affected car will fail the current UK MOT test for NOx emissions.

The device was there purely to beat much stricter US EPA emissions tests in a lab environment.