VW emissions recall, anyone had it?

The MOT test for diesels is just a crude smoke test. My B6 Passat never got done and the company have now taken it off me and 'upgraded' me to a mk3 Focus :( so it won't be getting done before it gets auctioned off.
 
Nasher said:
They will almost certainly fail if they haven't been sorted I think. The emissions are many times the allowed limit without the cheat.
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But people aren't going to remove the cheat themselves; if the cheat is removed then it will be done as part of the recall alongside the corresponding modifications (which is why people are keen to avoid it until the impact is clearer). So I still don't see how current cars will fail the test given the cheat has been proven to work for the current MOT and cheat cars are passing MOT with flying colours. They'd have to change the MOT to either test differently, or specifically look for cars with the defeat device still operational, and as I said I haven't seen anything official to say that is happening. There would doubtless be ample warning in that scenario.
 
HangTime said:
But people aren't going to remove the cheat themselves; if the cheat is removed then it will be done as part of the recall alongside the corresponding modifications (which is why people are keen to avoid it until the impact is clearer). So I still don't see how current cars will fail the test given the cheat has been proven to work for the current MOT and cheat cars are passing MOT with flying colours. They'd have to change the MOT to either test differently, or specifically look for cars with the defeat device still operational, and as I said I haven't seen anything official to say that is happening. There would doubtless be ample warning in that scenario.
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Given the cheat device is software based it wouldn't be a simple test.

Based on an educated guess the bonnet sensor will be connect to the ECU through CANBUS then when the it changes the fuel map amongst other things when the bonnet is open and it detects wheel speed movement
 
My Scirocco needed a software update as part of the recall.

Went in for an MOT and a service a few weeks ago and software was updated.

Seen, heared, or felt no difference since having it back.
 
Rainmaker said:
First to say I'm not fully versed so I'm speculating as you are. However I really can't see how they could void the warranty if you refuse to accept an emissions modification that (potentially) adversely impacts the car's drive or performance in the real world.

"No thanks I'd rather decline your offer of modifying the car."
"OK sir, we shall void your warranty in that case."
"Great, so now you're retrospectively backing out of warrantying a car in the condition you sold it to me, because I'm refusing your 'fix' for your own illegal cheat device? Fine, I'll take a refund minus costs for usage, then?"...

Maybe not, but you see the point. Plus EU regulation 1999/44/EC, which by now has been incorporated into member state laws, states that OEMs can't refuse to honour a warranty based on other owner choices. It's often cited by savvy smartphone users. For example, OEMs often say rooting a phone voids the warranty, but this legislation says that unless the OEM can prove with an independent report that the root is what directly caused the fault (eg a custom kernel overheating the CPU), then the statutory two year warranty cannot be voided as the root is effectively irrelevant.

I should imagine the same clause would hold water for a car. If you choose not to accept their 'fix', they can't then decline warranty work based around a chain fault, bodywork, whatever. I'd be highly surprised (and somewhat amused) if they could later blame even a fuel, emissions or exhaust fault on their own illegal cheat device, so your failure to allow them to remove it surely couldn't count against you? IANAL and all that but it was my first thought. I'm sure Google (or more learned members here) will know the real answer.
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Not sure what point you are trying to make but this is about emissions and resulting air quality. Nothing to do with a warranty.

Good luck selling a car if it hasn't got an MOT on a basis its VIN hasn't been confirmed as receiving the 'fix'.
 
Frozennova said:
Given the cheat device is software based it wouldn't be a simple test.

Based on an educated guess the bonnet sensor will be connect to the ECU through CANBUS then when the it changes the fuel map amongst other things when the bonnet is open and it detects wheel speed movement
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The bonnet switch was the 'cheat' that started the legislation around defeat devices. Its a fair bit more complex than that with the VW system!
 
Jonnycoupe said:
Not sure what point you are trying to make but this is about emissions and resulting air quality. Nothing to do with a warranty.

Good luck selling a car if it hasn't got an MOT on a basis its VIN hasn't been confirmed as receiving the 'fix'.
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I thought it was perfectly obvious what point I was making. Someone wondered whether VW might try to retrospectively void warranties for people who refuse the 'fix', and I suggested they probably couldn't do that. I quoted them in my reply, so I'm not sure where I lost you.

I'm fully aware that this is nothing to do with warranties, that was my point.
 
Well, after driving mine a good 75+ miles since the "recall", my butt-dyno can't report any difference, still pulls how it did before, and whilst I can't guarantee that I was driving in exactly the same manner (it won't be vastly different, I tend to try and be as smooth as possible when I'm claiming the mileage back :p), I'm getting the same MPG figures as I was pre-recall.

I'll keep an eye on it in the coming week as I'll be doing a good 700+ miles in the next 5 days, a good mix of urban, countryside and motorway, so should be able to get a better grasp of the overall economy.
 
Going to be interesting to see what they do with the 1.6 engines they have been stalling for a massive amount of time now. My guess is they can't fix it without a massive dent to performance or MPG that the owners are going to notice so they are staring at a substantial compensation bill!
 
I thought the 1.6 fix was an air flow "disrupter" and the software flash.

Surely the only "stall" now is waiting on parts, and the availability of the service departments, it's a longer process than the simple ECU flash for the 2.0's.
 
The 1.6 needs a Flow 'Transformer' or 'Straightener'. Its basically a plastic/metal grid that makes the air flow less turbulently over the MAF sensor, giving a more stable reading (as its very sensitive).

It should only take 15 minutes to fit. Many of my old VAG's and BMW's had them, so god knows why VW omitted them on the 1.6 CR TDI?
 
Frozennova said:
Based on an educated guess the bonnet sensor will be connect to the ECU through CANBUS then when the it changes the fuel map amongst other things when the bonnet is open and it detects wheel speed movement
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It was actually when only the drivern wheels are turning and the otehrs (rear) are stationary. (rolling road)
 
helpimcrap said:
Interesting and part of the VW thing...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36589106

Not exactly rocket science that diesels are so polluting and controls are turned off to avoid damaging engine... Lol
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The damaging the engine thing is a dangerous interpretation of the rules though, the rules say this can only be done in extreme conditions and that under normal running conditions the car should meet the requirements. These controls are being turned off at 18 degrees which was above the uk average for over 300 days last year so hardly extreme conditions and the same models in the US are not having the controls turned off until they hit 5 degrees. So this hardly looks like the engines being protected much more like car makers fudging the rules to improve MPG! No doubt are useless government will do nothing about it despite cars being recalled in France and Germany for exactly this issue.

Interesting that if the VW 1.6 fix is as easy as a bit of mesh and a software flash they don't seem to have done a single one in the country yet!
 
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Anyone heard anything more about this? - worried my CC will drop in performance after this 'fix' is implemented.

I don't mind paying the little extra road tax but I don't want to suffer less performance.

Missus was saying something about VW having said they've put millions aside to pay out compo as they couldn't implement a fix? - unsure on the validity of that as it was the missus talking lol
 
They have millions set aside for US compensation, but their regulations are I believe much more stringent than in the UK/EU.
 
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