VW fiddling emissions data

Pincher

Enigmatic_Me wrote: »

A few people have said they cannot understand why a new car with low mileage can fail on emissions? I really do not understand emissions so could someone please explain or have I been conned by VW?

Lemons, Friday afternoons.

Road bump or pot hole incident crunched the exhaust system, so it's leaking from a crack.

Some garage stole your catalytic converter, and swapped it for a dud from a wreck.

WellKnownSid

Enigmatic_Me wrote: »

It had just 4000 miles on the clock. The exhaust centre clamp was leaking which needed repair (£47.54) and it needed fuel treatment (£29.99).

Your car has done so few miles, that your exhaust system never heats up.

This means that the devices on the car to improve emissions never really got to work in three years - hence the need for fuel treatment.

It also means that water collects in your exhaust over time causing corrosion and likely your leak, especially if you went too fast over a sleeping policeman. It'll be possible you'll be replacing other parts of your exhaust over the next few years if the mileage remains that low.

You may have avoided the fuel treatment if you'd given the car a good old fashioned Italian tune up on a fresh tank of fuel before taking it for testing.

Enigmatic_Me wrote: »

A few people have said they cannot understand why a new car with low mileage can fail on emissions? I really do not understand emissions so could someone please explain or have I been conned by VW?

You haven't been conned by VW. Although you could have probably bought the same fuel additive for £4 from Tesco.

bigfreddiel

Enigmatic_Me wrote: »

Can someone in the motor trade please explain something to me.

I have a VW Polo S 1.2 60 PS petrol. Purchased it brand new in Feb 2012. Had its first MOT in Jan this year which was done by VW as part of the 3 year free servicing deal.

It failed the MOT on emissions. It had just 4000 miles on the clock. The exhaust centre clamp was leaking which needed repair (£47.54) and it needed fuel treatment (£29.99).

A few people have said they cannot understand why a new car with low mileage can fail on emissions? I really do not understand emissions so could someone please explain or have I been conned by VW?

Thanks

You've been conned big time, my 20yr old Micra has never failed an emission test, nor has my 15 yr old Yaris.

fj

Gloomendoom

My wife and I had to drive behind half a dozen VolksWagens on the way to and from work today.

Will we be due any compo? We could have been poisoned.

ChiefGrasscutter

bigfreddiel wrote: »

You've been conned big time, my 20yr old Micra has never failed an emission test, nor has my 15 yr old Yaris.

fj

Probably because the rules for older cars are different and less strict.
My older car of the same vintage does not fail either.

The more modern car of mine used to do lots of mileage on motorways and never failed the emissions test.
Then it's use went to lots of local journeys and so never really heated up the exhaust system as a previous poster helpfully explained.
So its emissions gradually got closer to the limit - then one year it failed that was a new cat' required to fix it.
Roll on another few years...and the same thing happening not suprisingly given its usage cycle of local journeys plus the odd long one. Currently it is just OK on emissions provided I do a VW type fiddle by adding catclean to the fuel in just before the MOT test.

cepheus

Gloomendoom wrote: »

My wife and I had to drive behind half a dozen VolksWagens on the way to and from work today.

Will we be due any compo? We could have been poisoned.

To put it into perspective through, legal older models are likely to be far worse than tampered modern ones.

We've already discussed the issue of re-chipping and DPF removal on here which many posters think is a great idea, yet will have similar or even worse effect on emissions. Perhaps the back street companies who offer this service, the government for turning a blind eye, or even the customers themselves who asked for this 'service' should be sued?

The lack of progress on air quality resulting from various methods of cheating inside and outside the industry has led to further pressure on vehicle manufacturers to reduce emissions and install expensive technologies to meet regulations in an artificial test which is susceptible to 'cycle beating' or outright cheating. Of course this financial cost is paid by the customers and the social cost by the general public.

The root of the problem is the lobbying of the industry along with sympathetic business friendly politicians and legislators turning a blind eye to these issues which have been prevalent in some form for decades, and the demise of independent government agencies allowing private companies to oversee the tests.

For a good explanation of the tampering issue and why VW took the risk of being caught read here.

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21667918-systematic-fraud-worlds-biggest-carmaker-threatens-engulf-entire-industry-and?fsrc=scn/tw/te/pe/ed/amuckybusiness

londonTiger

my mot center is 8 miles away on a dual carriageway which max speed of 50. every year i drive there on gear 3 and emissions seems to be fine.

bigjl

Enigmatic_Me wrote: »

Can someone in the motor trade please explain something to me.

I have a VW Polo S 1.2 60 PS petrol. Purchased it brand new in Feb 2012. Had its first MOT in Jan this year which was done by VW as part of the 3 year free servicing deal.

It failed the MOT on emissions. It had just 4000 miles on the clock. The exhaust centre clamp was leaking which needed repair (£47.54) and it needed fuel treatment (£29.99).

A few people have said they cannot understand why a new car with low mileage can fail on emissions? I really do not understand emissions so could someone please explain or have I been conned by VW?

Thanks

4000miles in 3 yrs?

I would suggest that they additive was probably CataClean and this was due to your car probably not being used much and when it is the journeys might be short so the Cat never gets up to temperature.

Garages have been using CataClean for years to sort out emissions, it is a good first try before more in depth and costly investigations are done.

First thing I did to my newly purchased Berlingo was chuck some in. Only did 6500miles in the last year which was its highest annual mileage for ages. Had done just under 23000 since March 07. All of which was round South London.

rogerj

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 clearly states the item must match its description.
If I bought a VW expecting emissions described by the manufacturer, and am now told they are 40 times higher; then VW lied; the company deceived me and their CO has admitted guilt.

The Sale of Goods Act Part II Section 13(1) provides that where the buyer is sold goods by description, the goods must correspond with this description. Harlingdon v Christopher Hull


"I don't want a car that does not meet its emissions description. If my car is one of those effected CAN I HAVE MY MONEY BACK?"

WellKnownSid

rogerj wrote: »

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 clearly states the item must match its description.......
"I don't want a car that does not meet its emissions description. If my car is one of those effected CAN I HAVE MY MONEY BACK?"

Yes. If your invoice clearly lists out the oxides of nitrogen levels and all other relevant emissions compliance data and testing methods and criteria, you may have a case.

Otherwise the manufacturer will simply ensure that your car does indeed meet the criteria for it's certificate of conformancy with a recall and in so doing you won't have a case.