Volkswagen Accused Of Hacking 482,000 Diesels To Fake U.S. Emissions Tests

Yahoo Autos ^ | September 18, 2015 | Justin Hyde

[Reaganez]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California officials say some 482,000 Volkswagen and Audi diesels were engineered to falsify their emissions for federal tests—a violation that opens the German automaker to a theoretical fine totaling $18 billion.

The EPA and California Air Resources Board say the affected models had software in its computer engine controls that could sense exactly when it was being tested for emissions quality. At all other times, it would run the diesels in a different mode with illegal levels of pollution; for example, spewing up to 40 times more nitrogen oxide, a key component of smog, than allowed.

While other automakers have been accused of violating the Clean Air Act, this is the first time one has been found to have designed software specifically to circumvent the rules. The notice issued by the EPA and CARB today was the first step in a process that will likely lead to a recall of the affected models with 2-liter turbodiesel engines by VW; the agencies told owners that the vehicles are still safe to drive.

The affected cars include VW Jettas, Beetles, Golfs and Audi A3s with diesel engines from the 2009 to 2015 model years, along with diesel VW Passats from 2014-2015.

[JAKraig]

Diesel fuel is the same as heating oil. It goes up in winter and down in the summer. Europe has caught on to the good of diesel engines and over half of their cars now use it thus creating a significant increase in demand which increases price.

I am on my 4th VW TDI Passat, I love the mileage and the power. I frequently drive back and forth to Florida from Kentucky, a little over 1000 miles, it costs about half of what my wife's mini van cost to drive down.

The thing is the government specifies that at a certain RPM the emissions must be below a certain level, well they are. If you don't like the results change the test, they made the car to do what the government told them to do.

The car does not sense the test it is just that the test is a certain set of parameters and VW makes sure that at those parameters they meet the level. If they want to make it better just ad more parameters, different RPM ect to the test.

[antidisestablishment]

I agree. Now, just don’t ask about my hearing. ;)

[RayChuang88]

In fact, this discovery may lead to European authorities who test engines for Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions compliance to find out if Volkswagen did the same thing for the 1.6-liter I-4, 2.0-liter I-4 and 3.0-liter V-6 engines used on European-market Volkswagen cars. If they find out they’re fuduging the ECU so the engine passes Euro 5 and 6 emissions regulations, Volkswagen could be facing a fine in Europe that could approach €8 billion.

[11th Commandment]

Very true. In the seventies we use to disconnect that horrid smog pump that took 10 hp off the engine.

Today the main improvement is the electronic ignition system and computer timing that reduce pollution.

[minnesota_bound]

I once had a 1977 Olds Delta 88 that did not pass emissions until the guy changed the car to a Olds Delta 98..... : )

[wally_bert]

And explosive....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS1q75CgXLA

[LurkingSince'98]

Wrong wrong wrong

Nitrous oxide emissions are NOT particulates!

Nitrous Oxide is a vapor under ordinary atmospheric conditions.

[RKBA Democrat]

This is awesome! Too bad there will be a run on these. Ikd like to get one before recall repairs.

[NoCmpromiz]

Nitrous oxide emissions are NOT particulates!

Normal people know this. In normal areas of the country NOx is gaseous. However, when the nitrous oxides enter California airspace, they become particulate due to some secret formula invented by CARB and the EPA at taxpayer's expense...

My '97 Jetta TDI has 478,000 miles on it...

[VeniVidiVici]

That switch had two modes, which VW calls “road calibration” and “dyno calibration.” Only in “dyno” mode, which monitored for the precise conditions EPA and other agencies would use to test emissions, do the engine’s full emission controls go into effect.

The only thing full of shit is CARB and EPA.

Just what do you think VW is NOT doing with their emission controls? Do they just sit there and are bypassed? They use the exhaust to burn off particulates.

And just what can the software do to "monitor for emission testing"? They hang a sensor in the tailpipe to test for emissions. No software can detect that. Have all these people been failing their emission tests over the years?

[arthurus]

Look it up. The Europeans are driving cars, some are GMs and Fords with diesels that get 50 to 80 miles per gallon but the pollution per gallon is higher than for comparable American gasoline powered cars and are by that reason excluded from the American market but they emit less pollution per mile driven because they drive many more miles per gallon.

[Krosan]

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/vw-fool-epa-couldnt-trick-chemistry/

“Michigan’s Stefanopolou says computer sensors monitored the steering column. Under normal driving conditions, the column oscillates as the driver negotiates turns. But during emissions testing, the wheels of the car move, but the steering wheel doesn’t. That seems to have have been the signal for the “defeat device” to turn the catalytic scrubber up to full power, allowing the car to pass the test.”