1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

VW Faces $17B Fine for Emissions Scam

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by Jeff N, Sep 18, 2015.

  1. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    21,721
    11,319
    0
    Location:
    eastern Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    If the non-compliant cars were ones without SCR(urea and water), and the newest models now have it,
     
  2. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,105
    10,039
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Does this put an immediate halt to the sale of new cars that don't comply?
     
    GrumpyCabbie likes this.
  3. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  4. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2010
    2,382
    1,304
    0
    Location:
    California, USA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Chevy Volt
    Good question. It's hard to see how VW can certify that the new 2016 cars comply with the emissions regulations and I'm guessing they can't be sold without the certification.
     
  5. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,126
    15,390
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    If they were detecting an OBD device, someone with a Scangauge would have the emissions working . . . and any mileage hit.

    Bob Wilson
     
  6. ftl

    ftl Explicator

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2009
    1,812
    790
    0
    Location:
    Long Island NY
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Three
    This quote from the NY Times says that the emissions were manipulated by a "defeat device", which only allowed the full emissions control systems to operate during testing. That would imply that if the defeat device was re-programmed via a recall to do this all the time, the cars would be compliant.

    "The Environmental Protection Agency issued the German automaker a notice of violation and accused the company of using software known as a “defeat device” in 4-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi vehicles from model years 2009-15. The device is programmed to detect when the car is undergoing official emissions testing. Only during such tests are the cars’ full emissions control systems turned on. During normal driving situations, the controls are turned off, allowing the cars to spew as much as 40 times as much pollution as the legal standard required under the Clean Air Act, the E.P.A. said."
     
  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Whew! They sure are lucky they did not deflate the tires, now THAT would get them in trouble!

    OTOH, *mod insert/edit* please leave political opinion for the political forum, thanks
     
    bisco and ftl like this.
  8. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2011
    3,292
    547
    0
    Location:
    2014 Prius c
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    If I were a VW owner (which I will never be) I wouldn't want it to be fixed. Fixing would mean higher fuel consumption, less power and worse MPG.

    Then let's arrest VW and put him/her in prison for 10 years.

    do diesels have OBDII?
     
  9. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2011
    3,938
    1,351
    28
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    #29 Sergiospl, Sep 18, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2015
  10. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    11,312
    3,588
    1
    Location:
    Northern VA (NoVA)
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    So is the implication the EU versions of the cars make quite a lot of NOx?
     
    San_Carlos_Jeff likes this.
  11. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2010
    4,297
    2,347
    33
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    I would be willing to bet there is a market for a "cracked version" of this sw out there.
     
    #31 frodoz737, Sep 18, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2015
  12. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,862
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    I do not think the US EPA has a dog in the fight over EU emission testing scams, that will be a separate issue by some other agency.
     
  13. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2011
    3,938
    1,351
    28
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    "In California, to do an emissions test, testers don't stick a probe up the exhaust, as you would suspect. Instead, they just do a visual test to make sure nothing was tampered with and then plug a scanner into the OBD-II port to read the codes. The news today basically says that the cars were programmed to send out false codes, giving readings that testers are looking for instead of what's actually going on."

    VW air rule violation allegations 'stunning,' $18B fine unlikely
     
  14. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,705
    48,947
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    same here, haven't used a probity probe in years.
     
  15. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,126
    15,390
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Over the years, I have looked at Jetta TDI claims and compared them to the Prius. But tonight, I replaced all of my Prius vs Jetta JPEGs with:
    [​IMG]
    For me, easy, but think about the "Greenhuman" 'Portland-to-Portland' stunt. Worse, the Jetta 'fan-boys' who paid good money for a "clean diesel." As for VW/Audi, they did it to themselves.

    The lies of VW:
    • 'sporty' - VW turns off emissions controls to get more power to the wheels. No one knows the 0-60 times with this bogus software.
    • 'efficient' - VW turns off emissions controls to get higher MPG that shows up in the user metrics often being higher than the EPA rating. It is likely the EPA numbers are close to the true values than many would care to admit.
    • 'clean' - VW turns off emissions controls outside of the EPA test protocol.
    Bob Wilson

    ps. Where to I file my labor hours analyzing false VW Jetta performance?
     
    #35 bwilson4web, Sep 19, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2015
    laevus likes this.
  16. jameskatt

    jameskatt Member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2011
    148
    50
    0
    Location:
    Monterey, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Shame on Volkswagen. Double shame on Volkswagen. I would NEVER consider buying a Volkswagen car again. It should be banned from the United States. That is the only fitting punishment for a car maker who deliberately has been polluting the environment. Shame on Volkswagen. It confessed to it. It is guilty as sin.

    Volkswagen Group must recall 500,000 diesel cars for cheating on smog tests | Ars Technica

    Volkswagen "clean diesels" are not clean at all. They pour out 40 times the legally allowed amount of nitrogen oxide. Then they cheat on EPA testing to hide this.

    Volkswagen may face a fine of $37,500 PER CAR for its crime. It may face billions in losses for fraud. Obviously its diesels are not "clean".

    VW cheated on U.S. pollution tests for 'clean diesels' - LA Times

    EPA Says VW Intentionally Violates Clean Air Standards - ABC News

     
    Silver bullit likes this.
  17. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,126
    15,390
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Buyer's market for all VW/Audi, TDI diesels:
    • Visit dealer and get price for stripped and top-of-the-line models. Leave with "I need to see my banker."
    • Between now and end of month, return and offer to buy top-ot-the-line for the stripped price.
    Bob Wilson
     
  18. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2010
    4,297
    2,347
    33
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Although this may be a good intellectual or bashing discussion, it really doesn't matter to most of us because the VW products are riddled with reliability and high cost maintenance problems. I know first hand.
     
  19. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
    12,544
    2,123
    1
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
  20. jdonalds

    jdonalds Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2008
    541
    225
    0
    Location:
    Redding, California USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    Touring
    VW wants to be #1 in the world. This is going to be a big setback against that goal.