EPA And California Claim VW Used Software Trickery To Beat Emissions Testing

Malarkey. My car still goes into regen mode to clean the DPF, and the AdBlue fluid is still injected. What else could be "turned off"?

Article: "...No fines have been ordered for now, as the investigation is continuing, but the EPA decided to announce the alleged violations to inform the public and “to put VW on notice of our continuing investigation”..."

IF the allegations are proven true, then this is a very serious matter of creating and selling vehicles that don't meet or exceed legally required emission standards, and lying about it. In this case, VAG (VW Audi Group) deserve what comes their way, including lost sales due to eroded customer perception.

However, if the EPA's allegations are not proven out, then their course of action -- publicly announcing an alleged serious offence before arriving at a verdict -- is monumentally irresponsible. It's like publicly announcing that Mr. Joe Smith is being investigated for rape, and he has been "put on notice." If the allegations are found to be groundless, the accused still experiences a public reaction as though they had been guilty, and that's grossly unfair for the accused.

you're missing the part of the article where VAG admitted the cheat code was on the cars. The cars were programmed to detect when they were being tested and perform "properly", and then when they weren't being tested they'd spew out 400x the allowable NOx. They're total frauds, and it completely undermines VW/Audi's entire "Clean TDI" campaign. They did so intentionally and willfully and deserve whatever massive penalty they get.

JRobUSC: I've been reading more and more articles on this, and many of them allege (or could simply be repeating allegations) that VAG admitted guilt. That's a "Holy Shit" moment that deserves stern repercussions. *IF* the allegations are true, then in the very least, VAG deserves harsh penalties under the laws they contravened, and they certainly deserve loss of goodwill and the shame they'll inherit from this scandal.

My point is, what could software "disable" to alter emissions? I recognize possible timing issues, but the two major emissions controls on my Passat are the AdBlue injection and the post-combustion injection of fuel to clear the particulate filter. They can't disable the filter cleaning, as that would cause it to plug and cause serious problems. The filter itself can't be disabled, only removed.

I know the AdBlue is being injected, as I can hear the fluid slosh around in the tank as its level drops. When it was filled during the 10k service, the sloshing stopped. I've gone almost 5k more miles, and I'm hearing the same sound again. That wouldn't happen if the injections were not happening.

There's another filter in the exhaust as well, but again software doesn't control anything. I'm not saying a manufacturer wouldn't attempt such a thing, and I would certainly believe VW is capable of it. I just can't think how something software related could have that sort of impact without it being noticeable to a knowledgeable driver.

atc98092 writes "...what could software "disable" to alter emissions?..."

It could alter the fuel injection characteristics, which is just about everything to a diesel engine. These changes that deliver good emissions numbers while being interrogated for an emissions test, might result in terrible power, or rough running, or bad sound, or poor fuel economy under normal driving conditions.

I don't know know what's actually happening, but I'm giving you a scenario of what might possibly be happening, assuming the allegations are true.

VW fanboyidiots will defend. Those of us with brains saw this coming.

I'm not defending, and if they did it they deserve to be fined. I'm asking what portion of the emissions controls can be affected so severely by software without being noticeable by the user?

Article says VW already admitted to defeat device/software. Interesting that the fines could be 20x higher than the GM cover-up and 130+ fatalities. This should be interesting, though may be years to come to conclusion.

VW is such a putrid car company.

IF the allegations are proven true, this is the fastest way to loosing trillions$$$ of brand equity and shareholder value. IF the allegations are proven true I predict bankruptcy within 2 years. Consumers around the world will find this disgusting and unconscionable. This will make Audi's unintended acceleration in the late 80s look like peanuts - and all the R&D and brand building since then squandered.

This isn't an "IF they're true" issue. They're not allegations anymore. They're facts. VW admitted the cheat software was on the cars.

Vw is POS company making Pos cars! You can sell anything in the world! IF GM CAN KILL HUNDREDS AND NO ONE GOES TO JAIL! PAYS FINE FROM TAXPAYERS MONEY!.... VW CAN CERTAINLY GET AWAY WITH THIS!

True, very true.

Germans caught red handed again... VW cars are unreliable crap anyways. What a waste of people's time and money.

Sorry w222 but this is circumscribed to VW/Audi, not BMW or Mercedes. Japanese cars might be more reliable but I can't imagine Bimmer or Merc getting into such nasty business. Not even Opel.

carsnyc, I never said it applied to bmw or mercedes. VW consciously rigged the software so that their cars could emit higher levels of nitrogen oxide which is both harmful to the environment and people's health. They will receive no sympathy from me. Anyone who overstep moral boundaries for profit should head straight to jail.