Bosch made the VW emission cheating dongle.

eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
It's a relief to know that my 20 year old VW T4 diesel campervan has no software !

Just a good old fashioned mechanical diesel pump and mechanical injectors.

It still gives good mileage though, around 35mpg, from a 2.5 litre diesel, in a two and half ton motor caravan body.
 
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shemozzle999

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 28, 2009
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It would be nice to think that the investigators given the task to find out how it happened are going to channel all their effort into exposing only those guilty of hatching the plan as a lot of innocent peoples jobs are on the line.

Fining the Company or closing it down would bring great hardships, it is the people who conceived it that should be severely punished and made an example of.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
It would be nice to think that the investigators given the task to find out how it happened are going to channel all their effort into exposing only those guilty of hatching the plan as a lot of innocent peoples jobs are on the line.

Fining the Company or closing it down would bring great hardships, it is the people who conceived it that should be severely punished and made an example of.
As if that is likely to happen!
 

Artstu

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2009
2,420
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I did just hear something about a diesel car scrappage scheme on the BBC news.
Bonkers, the last one was bad enough.
 

trex

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 15, 2011
7,703
2,671
I find the MPG figures can be achieved with our Golf. I can't get the claimed 80 MPG but I can get it into the 70s. It's not really practical to drive it that way all the time though and I would say that a realistic average is in the high 50s.

I had quite a gap in VW ownership from my Mk2 to the current one. The ownership experience has plummeted. The VW main dealership network is like swimming in a tank of sharks. They are constantly searching for loopholes to get out of their obligations and trying to talk you into unnecessary work being carried out on the car.
SCR urea injection is the only way to cut NOx without hurting mpg. Adblue DEF costs about £1 per litre, 1L is sufficient for about 50 litres of diesel.
Would VW supply DEF free for the lifetime of their cars?
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
I find the MPG figures can be achieved with our Golf. I can't get the claimed 80 MPG but I can get it into the 70s. It's not really practical to drive it that way all the time though and I would say that a realistic average is in the high 50s.

I had quite a gap in VW ownership from my Mk2 to the current one. The ownership experience has plummeted. The VW main dealership network is like swimming in a tank of sharks. They are constantly searching for loopholes to get out of their obligations and trying to talk you into unnecessary work being carried out on the car.
My experience in buying my last 2 cars have been really good. In fact I was beginning to believe that there is a new breed of salesperson out there. Both local dealerships, Bradford Audi, and Skipton Ford. I would readily recommend both so perhaps you need to shop elsewhere next time you buy a VW....
 

Artstu

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 2, 2009
2,420
925
My experience in buying my last 2 cars have been really good. In fact I was beginning to believe that there is a new breed of salesperson out there. Both local dealerships, Bradford Audi, and Skipton Ford. I would readily recommend both so perhaps you need to shop elsewhere next time you buy a VW....
How are they on the service department front? that's where they all seem to fall down on.
I'm glad I'm no longer putting myself at their mercy.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
How are they on the service department front? that's where they all seem to fall down on.
I'm glad I'm no longer putting myself at their mercy.
Both spot on. With the ford they came to collect and delivery was as promised with no unexpected charges. The Audi is something else. . I have a 5 years free service plan and when I arrive I am met by a young lady who asks about any problems and takes the car from me. I can wait or view progress and am supplied with refreshments if required while she stays with the car and logs the progress. The only minor fly in the ointment was my dash cam which is descretely fitted behind the mirror and it recorded the test drive where the driver was bragging to my young lady about his recent exploits using a lot of words beginning with F.
Car was returned to me all spick and span inside and out with nothing to pay.
 

JohnCade

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 16, 2014
1,486
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It's a relief to know that my 20 year old VW T4 diesel campervan has no software !

Just a good old fashioned mechanical diesel pump and mechanical injectors.

It still gives good mileage though, around 35mpg, from a 2.5 litre diesel, in a two and half ton motor caravan body.
Do you have to adjust the pump using the screw to pass the MOT?

Lots of the old diesels had to be manually adjusted to pass the emissions test, and then when the owner drove home the car would hardly have enough power to get up to the speed limit. So back at home it was just unscrewed a bit and got its normal performance back as well as polluting like hell of course. Those were the pre ECU diesels.

A similar thing will probably happen when these VWs have the cheat device removed and the performance goes down with the emissions. Many owners just won’t take them in and there will be so many that follow up will be all but impossible. It’s not just VW either. The EU test is a joke and everyone knows it. But the car makers have the ears of governments. This will be the beginning of the end for diesel cars though and road tax bands will rise along with the tax on diesel.
 

Wicky

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Feb 12, 2014
2,823
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Colchester, Essex
www.jhepburn.co.uk
The modified system utilised a chemical which needs replenishing at £50 a time. No doubt the base cost of this chemical is about 50p...
I'd be mighty pissed off paying even 50p...

"Selective catalytic reducer (SCR) work by injecting urea into the exhaust, which reacts with nitrogen oxides, forming harmless nitrogen gas and water. Car owners have to refill the tank of urea* (sold as AdBlue) every few months."

*Aqueous Urea Solution 32.5%

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28240-how-did-volkswagen-cheat-in-tests-and-can-it-fix-affected-cars/
 
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eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
Do you have to adjust the pump using the screw to pass the MOT?

Lots of the old diesels had to be manually adjusted to pass the emissions test, and then when the owner drove home the car would hardly have enough power to get up to the speed limit. So back at home it was just unscrewed a bit and got its normal performance back as well as polluting like hell of course. Those were the pre ECU diesels...........
No, I've never had to fiddle with anything to get through the annual MOT.

I've had it for 15 years, and although its needed the occasional brake pads or exhaust, it's always sailed through the emissions tests.

Because of its age, it's only banded as a > 1549cc, which equates in tax fee to emission band i in the a to m range, about halfway.

I remember an old Montego I had many years ago though, you had to thrash it for a mile or so in third gear just before the test, to burn the crap in the cylinder heads.
 

D C

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 25, 2013
1,142
577
Dear Volkswagen customer,
We regret to inform you that the Type EA 189 engine built into your vehicle with the Vehicle Identification Number wvwzzz13zev****** you submitted, is affected by software that causes discrepancies in the values for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) during dynometer runs. Your car is safe from a technical standpoint and roadworthy.
We are very sorry to have broken your trust and are working at full speed to find a technical solution. Volkswagen will cover the cost relating directly to this repair.
We will be in touch with you directly to explain what steps are required. We'll do the necessary work at our cost and have you quickly back on the road.
Yours faithfully,
Volkswagen.


I guess I'm cheating with the car as well now:(
Dave.
 

Gubbins

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dear Volkswagen customer,
We regret to inform you that the Type EA 189 engine built into your vehicle with the Vehicle Identification Number wvwzzz13zev****** you submitted, is affected by software that causes discrepancies in the values for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) during dynometer runs. Your car is safe from a technical standpoint and roadworthy.
We are very sorry to have broken your trust and are working at full speed to find a technical solution. Volkswagen will cover the cost relating directly to this repair.
We will be in touch with you directly to explain what steps are required. We'll do the necessary work at our cost and have you quickly back on the road.
Yours faithfully,
Volkswagen.


I guess I'm cheating with the car as well now:(
Dave.
Did it say..
Dear future VW customer....[emoji844]
 
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eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
I've long been a fan of VW engineering, right back to owning a Beetle in the 1970's.

So I have no axe to grind with them, but I'm wondering how far this could potentially go.

As this was a clearly identifiable culpable con on a huge scale, that has already been conceded by the company, is it not possible that buyers of the affected vehicles can now claim a full refund of the purchase price, and return their cars ?

The two main reasons for buying an alleged low emission car are to get lower road tax, and to personally cause lower pollution to the planet. Either motive now makes these vehicles totally "unfit for purpose".

Since it would seem impossible to update the software to give the advertised performance and stay with the emission banding, I can't see how they could avoid being forced to refund ?
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,221
30,618
The two main reasons for buying an alleged low emission car are to get lower road tax, and to personally cause lower pollution to the planet. Either motive now makes these vehicles totally "unfit for purpose".
The UK government now seem to have indemnified against VED loss, saying these cars will remain in their current band, apparently without requiring proof of conversion. Probably part of keeping Europe sweet ahead of renegotiation.
.
 
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