EPA may fine VW

[chefdave]

Hear that switezland has banned all sales of effected vw's. VW are going to need a good spin doctor/pr to sort this mess out

[oil pan 4]

I have been tempted to get a VW diesel and make it roll coal by way of water methanol injection.
This kind of ruined the shock effect of that.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Even the Brazilian equivalent to the EPA is now putting Volkswagen under scrutiny, even though the only vehicle fitted with the 2.0TDI officially available here is the Amarok, which, by the way, was never offered in the American market.

[COcyclist]

Originally Posted by Daox

I had a question from a coworker. Has anyone seen a comparison of the current gen TDIs actual emissions vs the last generation? He is wondering how much worse 40 times EPA actually is vs the older engines.

In my opinion, no. The older engines surely made more NOX. A diesel that is tuned for power and efficiency has high combustion temperatures and makes NOX. Adding EGR reduces NOX and has been phased in over several generations of the turbo diesel. The latest TDI uses low pressure and a high pressure EGR circuits to further lower oxides of nitrogen or NOX. Some TDI owners have removed or eliminated EGR through a "tune" (off road only). This keeps sooty, hot, dirty exhaust gas from being run through the intake in which protects the longevity of the engine, makes more power and improves mpg.

[NeilBlanchard]

This problem may be getting much BIGGER:

Group claims VW, others cheated on gas emissions | LeftLaneNews

[Daox]

Originally Posted by COcyclist

In my opinion, no. A diesel that is tuned for power and efficiency has high combustion temperatures and makes NOX. Adding EGR reduces NOX and has bee phased in over several generations of the turbo diesel.

Sorry, I'm not sure if you're saying the current generation is putting more or less NOx emissions out than the previous generation.

[COcyclist]

Originally Posted by Daox

Sorry, I'm not sure if you're saying the current generation is putting more or less NOx emissions out than the previous generation.

Just edited to clarify. The current generation makes less NOX especially when tested on a front wheel dyno as done by the EPA. Evidently VW programmed the steering and wheel speed sensors to detect if it is on a real road or a "rolling road" as the British call it, to put itself into low NOX/run wimpy mode

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by seifrob

Doesn't that mean, that IF you would drive EXACTLY as EPA wants you to drive, the "device" will kick in and emissions will be as low as stated even on road???

Well, if you can manage to drive in a completely straight line for however long the tests lasts, and keep your rear wheels from ever turning, and keep a completely dead-even air temperature the whole time, and a few other things.... Then yes, you would wind up in the "low emissions testing mode", and run cleaner than everyone else.

Why don´t we take homologation tests with real drivers under real conditions?

Too many variables. Waaaaaay too many variables. Just look at the fuel economy numbers posted by different drivers in the exact same car, and you can see an immense difference. Remember, most people out there know that it is completely impossible to even get close to the EPA ratings, because they are never closer than about 80%. They ignore people who regularly get 200% of the EPA rated mileage, of course--or even a few souls getting about 300%!!

Then you have variables based on the route driven (if you go downhill, you get better economy), wind speeds and directions (tailwinds help!), ambient temperatures (higher ones are generally better), even altitude makes a difference! Not to mention other weather. Oh, and the specific fuel used does as well.

To account for all of those variations, they'd have to do hundreds of individual tests, with different drivers, in different locations, on different days. Many times each, so they can average out any errors. For hundreds of different vehicles.

So who runs the tests? Who pays for it, and how?

Yes, the current setup kinda sucks. But the alternatives, as far as I can tell, are no better or are worse.

-soD

[user removed]

The arrogance of a corporation that willfully designs their vehicle to violate emissions laws.

$10K per violation, several million cars, several tens of billions of dollars in fines and that's before the civil lawsuits hit them.

Through this fraud they become the largest car manufacturer on the planet.

Who was the idiot who thought this would be the means to the end of whatever end, I can't imagine.

regards
mech

[ME_Andy]

Well it did help them become the #1 automaker. So you might say it worked.