coming out that vw fudged the numbers
http://blog.caranddriver.com/volkswa...ions-in-fines/


wonder if they are the only ones?

 

D'oh!

 

I bet this goes a lot further than just VW. All the auto makers are having a rough time meeting the current US and EURO 6 emissions requirements for light duty diesels. The worst part for the consumer is the EPA/CARB complaint engine calibration will get 10-15% WORSE fuel economy than what the car came with. There was a reason a TDi would always get much better mileage than what the sticker said.

Hyundai was also busted for cheating on the mileage testing and is going to be hit with a fine.

Ford is sorta in the hot seat because they extrapolated MPG numbers for some cars instead of doing full tests.

 

Remember when Holman Moody built a Mercury version of the Mustang with a diesel that they claimed got 75 mpg. By the time the EPA got through with them certifying it, they gave up.

 

Another big issue with US diesel fuel is it's lack of quality. It is very dirty and full of junk. The sand and grit in it killed a lot of the early common rail euro diesel engines. VW had to create a unique fuel system that doesn't work nearly as well for the US to deal with the tractor juice that we get. The US spec does not get as good of mileage or make as much power.

 

(1) GM was caught doing the same thing years ago but the news didn't play that up.

(2) VW says that they're going to correct this by updating the engine computers in the affected cars. I wonder how the owners feel about that!!! If I owned one and I knew that they were going to reprogram my computer to worsen my mileage, I wouldn't let them anywhere NEAR my car! Which brings up the question: Can VW force the owners to let them update the engine computers? Can the EPA and/or US G force the owners to cooperate? If the owners refuse to cooperate then where does that leave VW with the EPA?

 

Wonder how it's all going to end.
VW hired the law firm that defended BP after the oil spill.

 

If I recall correctly, Ford and GM had issues with the early 2000's 7.3 liter Powerstroke and same vintage DuraMax light duty truck diesel engines where they ran afoul of the EPA around emissions. As I remember it, this led to the rushed development of the 6.0 liter Powerstroke and we all know what a flaming POS the 2003 / 2004 versions of that motor were. (We have a 2003 F-350 Powerstroke in the fleet that runs like a raped ape - when it runs. When it doesn't - which is more and more often since it's got over 100,000 miles - it gobbles parts and cash at a rate even the government would be shocked at.)

 

well that escalated quickly.


i think the pressure to bring out the latest and greatest has made the r & d for all makers suffer. i just cant believe they let it ride that long.

short term thinking