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A week after news broke that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found a cheat in some Audi models equipped with automatic transmissions, Volkswagen has come clean on it. Reuters reports that Volkswagen issued a statement to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung due to a report done by the paper about the cheat. According to a confidential document obtained by the paper, the software controlling the transmission would quicken shifts and in a way that lowered emissions of CO2 as well as nitric oxides if it detected it was being tested. "Adaptive shift programs can lead to incorrect and non-reproducible results" when the cars are tested, the company said in an email. "Audi has explained the technical backgrounds of adaptive shift programs to the Federal Motor Vehicle Authority KBA and has made available technical information." Volkswagen argues that adaptive shift programs can save fuel due to how a person drives. Drive a vehicle gently and the transmission will shift earlier, producing lower revs. Drive it like a madman and the transmission will hold on to gears longer, resulting in more fuel being used due to higher engine revs. The issue at hand is the programming of the software was specifically developed to detect emission testing - if the steering wheel did not turn more than 15 degrees, the cheat would activate. The EPA has opened an investigation into this software and will be speaking with senior engineers about this next week. Not surprisingly, Audi. Volkswagen, and the EPA declined to comment. Source: Reuters -
A week after news broke that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found a cheat in some Audi models equipped with automatic transmissions, Volkswagen has come clean on it. Reuters reports that Volkswagen issued a statement to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung due to a report done by the paper about the cheat. According to a confidential document obtained by the paper, the software controlling the transmission would quicken shifts and in a way that lowered emissions of CO2 as well as nitric oxides if it detected it was being tested. "Adaptive shift programs can lead to incorrect and non-reproducible results" when the cars are tested, the company said in an email. "Audi has explained the technical backgrounds of adaptive shift programs to the Federal Motor Vehicle Authority KBA and has made available technical information." Volkswagen argues that adaptive shift programs can save fuel due to how a person drives. Drive a vehicle gently and the transmission will shift earlier, producing lower revs. Drive it like a madman and the transmission will hold on to gears longer, resulting in more fuel being used due to higher engine revs. The issue at hand is the programming of the software was specifically developed to detect emission testing - if the steering wheel did not turn more than 15 degrees, the cheat would activate. The EPA has opened an investigation into this software and will be speaking with senior engineers about this next week. Not surprisingly, Audi. Volkswagen, and the EPA declined to comment. Source: Reuters View full article
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As the Diesel Emits: CARB Alleges Another Cheat Device In Audi Vehicles
William Maley posted an article in Audi
If you thought this tangled web of deceit and lies that is the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal could not go any further, then you would be wrong. German newspaper, Bild am Sonntag reports that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found illegal software on certain Audi models that would reduce CO2 emissions during lab tests. The software monitored the position of the steering wheel and would activate a special program in the automatic transmission if the wheel didn't move more than 15 degrees - signifying it was in the lab. CARB technicians, taking the lessons of the Volkswagen investigation, began turning the wheel during the lab test to simulate being driven on the road, thus revealing the cheat. Bild doesn't say where they got this information from. but the Wall Street Journal was able to confirm this through two sources, saying this was discovered four months back. Another source revealed this cheat was discussed between Audi, Volkswagen, and CARB officials "some months ago". What makes this cheat different than the one used on the 2.0L and 3.0L TDI engines is that this software was used on vehicles running gas or diesel. The transmission in question (known internally as AL 551) was used in a number of Audi vehicles such as the A6, A8, and Q5. Reuters says the software in question was used until May 2016, before CARB discovered it in an older Audi model. This defeat device was also mentioned during an annual test drive of new vehicles in South Africa, known as 'Summer Drive" back in February 2013. Minutes of a meeting during the drive obtained by the Wall Street Journal reveals that Axel Eiser, the head of Audi’s powertrain division saying, The shifting program needs to be configured so that it runs at 100% on the treadmill but only 0.01% with the customer.” These new allegations could put Audi and Volkswagen into a tougher spot in the U.S. Stay tuned. Source: Bild am Sonntag, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) -
If you thought this tangled web of deceit and lies that is the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal could not go any further, then you would be wrong. German newspaper, Bild am Sonntag reports that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found illegal software on certain Audi models that would reduce CO2 emissions during lab tests. The software monitored the position of the steering wheel and would activate a special program in the automatic transmission if the wheel didn't move more than 15 degrees - signifying it was in the lab. CARB technicians, taking the lessons of the Volkswagen investigation, began turning the wheel during the lab test to simulate being driven on the road, thus revealing the cheat. Bild doesn't say where they got this information from. but the Wall Street Journal was able to confirm this through two sources, saying this was discovered four months back. Another source revealed this cheat was discussed between Audi, Volkswagen, and CARB officials "some months ago". What makes this cheat different than the one used on the 2.0L and 3.0L TDI engines is that this software was used on vehicles running gas or diesel. The transmission in question (known internally as AL 551) was used in a number of Audi vehicles such as the A6, A8, and Q5. Reuters says the software in question was used until May 2016, before CARB discovered it in an older Audi model. This defeat device was also mentioned during an annual test drive of new vehicles in South Africa, known as 'Summer Drive" back in February 2013. Minutes of a meeting during the drive obtained by the Wall Street Journal reveals that Axel Eiser, the head of Audi’s powertrain division saying, The shifting program needs to be configured so that it runs at 100% on the treadmill but only 0.01% with the customer.” These new allegations could put Audi and Volkswagen into a tougher spot in the U.S. Stay tuned. Source: Bild am Sonntag, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) View full article
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 10, 2013 The new 500T offers some of the performance of the hotted up 500 Abarth at a somewhat lower price - if you don't mind having the manual transmission only. Those who wanted the automatic with the turbo were just out of luck. However, Fiat North America's head would like to change that. “The T with an automatic would be great. I want to do it. A lot of people think it’s wrong, like an automatic Abarth.” said Tim Kuniskis, head of Fiat North America. “I need it yesterday. There are so many people [who] want that car.” There's a reasoning behind Kuniskis statements. The chief competitor to the 500, the Mini Cooper, offers the option of an automatic transmission across the range. Yes, that does include the John Cooper Works model. Offering the 500T with the option of automatic transmission would likely bring more sales to the brand. Source: Motor Trend William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 10, 2013 The new 500T offers some of the performance of the hotted up 500 Abarth at a somewhat lower price - if you don't mind having the manual transmission only. Those who wanted the automatic with the turbo were just out of luck. However, Fiat North America's head would like to change that. “The T with an automatic would be great. I want to do it. A lot of people think it’s wrong, like an automatic Abarth.” said Tim Kuniskis, head of Fiat North America. “I need it yesterday. There are so many people [who] want that car.” There's a reasoning behind Kuniskis statements. The chief competitor to the 500, the Mini Cooper, offers the option of an automatic transmission across the range. Yes, that does include the John Cooper Works model. Offering the 500T with the option of automatic transmission would likely bring more sales to the brand. Source: Motor Trend William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
