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"Limp mode" is a much better solution, switching that on will basically guarantee the fluid gets refilled in short order. And actually I'm not so quick to assu
by guscost 11y ago
"Limp mode" is a much better solution, switching that on will basically guarantee the fluid gets refilled in short order.
And actually I'm not so quick to assume this is only a stupid decision either. Hanlon's razor still applies but there is also a distinct possibility that this regulation was "encouraged" as a play to make small diesel cars less competitive.
- criddell 11y agoIt's a different solution, but I don't know if it would be better. How do you think it's better? VW doesn't want their cars going into limp mode. They don't want customers calling up asking why their car is acting funny. They don't want to increase the maintenance load on their customers. They don't want customers coming in for unnecessary service appointments (especially for stuff they wouldn't be able to charge for). Making a tank big enough to last as long as the motor oil seems like an easy, low tech solution. Sometimes simple is better.
- guscost 11y agoSee my reply above, I'm inclined to believe that storing enough DEF for correct dosing through a 10,000 mile service interval may not be feasible for a small car. After hearing about this regulation it seems an obvious reason why they would keep the cheat enabled even after adding a DEF system.
- criddell 11y ago> I'm inclined to believe that storing enough DEF for correct dosing through a 10,000 mile service interval may not be feasible for a small car. It is feasible and they already do it.
- guscost 11y agoDo you mean VW? All the speculation I've read is that the DEF cars are also being recalled because they don't use the correct dosing. Or do you mean the Chevy Cruze? They must have some strategy that works (so far).
- criddell 11y agoWhat they are going to do during the recall is different for the various generations of cars. Some of the VWs are getting bigger DEF tanks. For the cars that this isn't an option, I don't think VW has said exactly what they are going to do. They could just disable the cheating mode on the software. Fuel economy and performance would suck, but the emissions would be at acceptable levels.
- guscost 11y agoI haven't heard anything about the latest agreement, other than that it will involve a buyback offer, unspecified fixes, and/or compensation. You don't have a source do you? There's been a lot of speculation all along, will they retrofit DEF systems, will the cars just get super unreliable because the systems can't handle prolonged legal operation, etc.
- criddell 11y agoNo, I don't have a source I can point you to. I was talking to a Audi mechanic last weekend. He told me that 2015 cars were pretty much unaffected and will likely only get a firmware tweak. 2013-2014 cars need to hold 1/2 gallon more exhaust fluid and apparently that's doable (and also new firmware). Older cars are a bigger problem and will likely get a combination of fixes but in the end, they are going to be louder, fuel hungry cars after getting "fixed". The oldest cars will likely get owners a buy-back offer because the depreciated value is lower than the cost to fix.
- guscost 11y agoOK thanks.
- Grishnakh 11y ago>He told me that 2015 cars were pretty much unaffected and will likely only get a firmware tweak And what exactly will this firmware tweak do? If it decreases performance or fuel economy, then that isn't acceptable. The customer bought the car because it advertised X horsepower and Y mpg; if the firmware tweak changes that, then that's false advertising and the company needs to refund their money in full.