VW Scandal

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
We've all read in the paper and seen on the news about Volkswagen and their software trick to fool emissions tests.
Now there will be serious repercussions on this, not just for VW drivers but their other stablemates, Skoda, Seat, Audi and Bentley. They all use VW TDi units and will of course use the same fuelling maps.
Inherently these engines aren't that powerful but they are mapped for power resulting in being quite dirty engines, if VW were honest their cars would attract a very high rate of VED here and could have been banned elsewhere around the world.
Guaranteed the anti diesel lobby will be rubbing their hands right now.
I bet you other manufacturers have fiddled with emissions testing too.

[Yorkie]

It's inevitable that when makers are allowed to carry out their own  unsepervised unaudited tests, that there will be an irresistable urge to find every dodge in the book to skew the results favourably. It's inconceivable that the rest of the VAG group won't be similarly affected, and almost certainly other makes too.

I'd read some while ago how they're up to all sorts of stunts to skew the MPG favourably in tests, such as taking off widscreen wipers and taping up the gaps around doors to improve the aerodynamics.

I don't think the average driver gives a hoot about these things. If they were concerned about fuel economy, they would 'read the road' much better and would accelerate and decelerate  much more smoothly. A 10% improvement in MPG = at least 10p a Litre off fuel, but few choose to modify their driving habits.

Really, for VW, this isn't about performance figures, its about trust in the brand.

Quite simply, trust is like virgiity - when it's gone, it's gone. VW have well and truly blown it - they can sack as many bosses as they like, pay any fines that are imposed, but they'll never be abe to  'put humpty dumpty back together again'.  Ironic that this is simply about diesel  NOX emmisions as I understand it, and diesel cars are only 3% of the US market. Quite novel too, that the USA - the most profligate consumer and polluter on the globe apart from perhaps China, should have unearthed this dodge, and  made such a big deal about it. American car firms would  never stoop to such a thing would they? No - of course not - squeaky clean in all respects, I'm sure. (cough, cough).

How individual car buyers react is another thing altogether. As a very satisfied Skoda Fabia owner, it won't have any bearing on my future buying decisions. When I come to change my car next year, as things stand, it will be another Skoda.

I'm sure this scandal has legs, and will run and run.

[Refugee]

I have also been following this story too.
Perhaps it needs a catchy name like CAT Scam (CATalytic converter Scam)
I will follow the story as the share price falls and wait for it to level out and in good time before the courts do there bit will be the time to buy the shares and grab the profit from the recovery. I doubt they will go under completely and something will bounce back again.

For UK owners there will be a benefit from not taking cars back for a recall as the trick actually reduces fuel consumption in regular driving reducing the amount of fuel tax paid. In the US the fuel tax is much lower and there would be little benefit from not responding to any recalls.
I wonder if the Ebay prices of non recalled cars will climb in a few years.

It is only a matter of time before other brands fitted with VW engines are found including commercial vehicles.

[ppppenguin]

I wouldn't be surprised if other manufacturers will be caught doing something similar. It's well known that they all "game" the fuel consumption tests but this is outright cheating.

BTW: I own a 2006 Golf Plus with the 2 litre 140bhp engine. Works pretty well. Predates the particulate filter, urea injection and all that malarkey. I suspect my next car will be petrol, possibly hybrid, especially if London introduces an ultra-low emissions zone in 2020. A friend has a Honda Insight hybrid and is happy with it. Must give it a try one day.

[Murphyv310]

Guaranteed they will recall every single one of them, might take a time though. The thing is they will either have to remap them for lower emissions at the expense of performance or leave as is then the road tax goes up (as much as £550) so there's going to be a lot of claims against VW. It's got nothing to do with catalytic converters either.

[Refugee]

Yes I know diesels actually have a soot filter that is supposed to save all the soot and spit it out away from cities but in London they get full and spit it all out in busy streets due to the slow traffic.
Dealing with the tax will be a nightmare if the tax office goes that way.

[radioman]

If owners of these vehicles are forced to take them back to dealers to get 're-mapped' for lower emissions, (thereby resulting in a worse performing engine with lower power output) I reckon there will be a demand to 'put back the settings' to restore performance.
Nobody likes to drive a car which is underpowered (well I certainly don't !) and there is a whole industry out there for re-mapping engines for maximum power and I'm quite sure the 'boy-racers' who get this done don't give two hoots about emissions !
Of course, the driver for this is the EU with ever lower emissions demands and that's why allegedly ALL car manufacturers will be 'at it' although it would appear that some are better at hiding this than others...
I think the only way to test cars for emissions/MPG is whilst moving round an actual test track - otherwise the car will know it's on a rolling road and adjust settings accordingly and they'll probably have GPS in them to check this !

Andy

[Murphyv310]

Insurance companies are now well aware of re-maps, I know of one person that had an accident and his claim was not upheld due to the ECU being interrogated and a remap showed up. He didn't disclose the "modification" to his insurers!
It has cost him a lot of money and is now awaiting a court case as he has been charged with having no insurance.

Our Rover 75 Diesels can be Re-mapped to 160bhp from either the 118 or 135bhp tune, the base engine is the BMW M47 unit and after remapping is more economical as well as doing 0-60mph within 8 secs.
Some insurers don't actually increase the premium some do.

[ppppenguin]

What if the remap was done by a previous owner and you are unaware of it? You might not even be aware that non-standard tyres have been fitted.

[Murphyv310]

Some remaps leave a date tag in the ECU, some are also invisible and cannot be detected, this is the case with the MGR ones done with a T4.
What do you mean non standard tyres? Different sizes and ratings or manufacturers.