US EPA accuses VW of cheating in oil burner tests

[topher]

they have http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/en/news/2015/09/Volkswagen_AG_has_issued_the_following_information.html

but i'm sure there will be more to come

[fredgroves]

I think probably someone (in the EU) will be examining that in some detail.... I don't think anyone is in the mood to accept VW's word about this!

Although, my gut feeling is that the derv engine used in the USA was an older model that was "retrofitted" to comply with EPA Tier II regulations, whereas the European model used Euro5 and 6 purpose built engines.

[phope]

It's all a huge mess - you really have to wonder who actually sanctioned the implementation of the test mode software, and who has known about it for all these years 

Financially, a huge cost, but more importantly, VW reputation and loss of future sales will be the biggest cost to them

Expect a EU crackdown on aftermarket remaps/tuning as well in time - after all, why should a manufacturer go through all the hugely expensive certification process only for some bloke with a laptop turning up the boost and fuel maps willy nilly, or removing the DPF

[Sootchucker]

Quite a mess and a bit sad really - I have worked for a German multi-national, multi billion € company for over 26 years now, and they take these matters of tests and documentation really seriously - shame on you VW - heads are going to have to roll over this ?

Heard on the news this morning that over a million UK cars could be recalled, although if we believe the statement from VW mentioned above, then drivers of MK7 Dervs with the Euro 6 compliant engines are immune from these (so my GTD for instance), although I'm sure everyone of it's emission tests in all markets around the world will be under scrutiny now.

Wonder if this is just the VW brand or also Audi (which is massive in the US), as well as Skoda, Seat etc. ? I also wonder how many other manufacturers are playing the same game but just haven't been found out.

Whilst it's bad for VW (very bad), maybe some good will come out of this, as things like the emission and European official fuel consumption tests will now hopefully be adapted for something approaching real world conditions - not laboratory.

[fredgroves]

WLTP will replace all of the various domestic/regional testing standards eventually...

https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/cycles/wltp.php

Who knows when though!

[fredgroves]

I've been trying to make some sense of the very confusing EPA standards for NOX emmissions.... but it seems to me to be 0.05g/mile, which when you multiply that by 1.6 to make it into g/km, comes out as 0.08g/km... which is the same value as the Euro6 standard.

I guess the key here is whether the EPA standard has been in force for some time... remember Euro6 engines only came about with the Mk7 and technically Euro6 only comes into force September 2015 anyway.

It seems VAG were trying to sell effectively a Euro5 design engine into the USA, which had a test limit of 0.25g/km - just over three times worse.

All of this really just stresses the importance of globally harmonized emission standards - something which ironically has been more about manufacturer resistance than anything else!

There's a good writeup here:

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/214605-vw-caught-cheating-on-diesel-emmissions-standards-ordered-to-recall-500000-cars

Actually, thats the most detailed technical explanation I've seen so far... apart from explaining what I read elsewhere which is that the test rig is a front wheel dyno style rig... to enable the car to actually not freak out about the front wheels moving and the rears not, you have to put it into a special mode... a rolling road mode. So its not a truly automatic "defeat" device...

I wonder how this defeat device actually plays havoc with performance testing dyno runs? What do you have to do to a Mk7 when you stick it on a dyno for power measurement?

[topher]

The mk7 tdi is the ea288, but i've done plenty of ea189s on the dyno generally you just switch off the traction control and once the abs registers the rear wheel speed sensor faults it just powers through. B8 Audi A4s I sometimes have to disconnect the abs pump. From what I gather the emissions tests are started with a cold engine so that may be part of the trigger. They've all made within 2bhp of the quoted factory flywheel power too.

[mcmaddy]

It's all about nox emissions and it doesn't affect performance or mpg either. It also won't affect road tax.

[corgi]

Latest statement from VW.

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/dieselinfo

As stated above all EU6 models (e.g. GTD) are unaffected...

[p3asa]

What would they actually do in the recall?
I'm guessing it would also affect the performance of the car?