Photo: Audi
Volkswagen’s 3.0-liter V6 TDI units might have another form of unapproved software, a report claims.
This time, an unnamed source told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that U.S. regulators found three unapproved software programs in the ECUs of Volkswagen Group-made V6 TDI engines. According to the report, the software made the engine shut off its emission control systems after 22 minutes, a move that is not permitted by American legislation.
A similar scandal erupted in Europe a few months ago, as various parties uncovered the fact that some engines shut off their emission control systems after a given period. Unlike the USA, European legislation allows automakers to turn off emission control technologies provisionally for short periods of time to protect the reliability and components of the said engine.
The scandal arose from the situation because this allowance turned into a loophole after several automakers took advantage of it and its formulation.
In the case of American regulators and the V6 TDI units sold by the Volkswagen Group in the USA under the hood of particular Audi, Porsche, and VW models, it appears that tests have shown that the emission control devices were shut off after 22 minutes of operation.
This is a different modus operandi from the 2.0-liter TDI units with a “defeat device,” which identified the specifics of the testing procedure and then switched to an ultra-low-emissions mode.
The time would be sufficient to pass an emission control test, which reportedly takes just 20 minutes, but any drive longer than 22 minutes will bring damage to the environment, as the emission control devices would allow the engine to generate more NOx, particulates, and CO2 than legally permitted and homologated.
As Automotive News reports, The Volkswagen Group has only settled with American authorities on the matter of the 2.0-liter TDI units it sold in the USA, while the 3.0-liter TDIs were awaiting a fix that will bring the engines to their homologated specifications, without any buyback offers.
A similar scandal erupted in Europe a few months ago, as various parties uncovered the fact that some engines shut off their emission control systems after a given period. Unlike the USA, European legislation allows automakers to turn off emission control technologies provisionally for short periods of time to protect the reliability and components of the said engine.
The scandal arose from the situation because this allowance turned into a loophole after several automakers took advantage of it and its formulation.
In the case of American regulators and the V6 TDI units sold by the Volkswagen Group in the USA under the hood of particular Audi, Porsche, and VW models, it appears that tests have shown that the emission control devices were shut off after 22 minutes of operation.
This is a different modus operandi from the 2.0-liter TDI units with a “defeat device,” which identified the specifics of the testing procedure and then switched to an ultra-low-emissions mode.
The time would be sufficient to pass an emission control test, which reportedly takes just 20 minutes, but any drive longer than 22 minutes will bring damage to the environment, as the emission control devices would allow the engine to generate more NOx, particulates, and CO2 than legally permitted and homologated.
As Automotive News reports, The Volkswagen Group has only settled with American authorities on the matter of the 2.0-liter TDI units it sold in the USA, while the 3.0-liter TDIs were awaiting a fix that will bring the engines to their homologated specifications, without any buyback offers.
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