Volkswagen under investigation over illegal software that masks pollution

I am just throwing some ideas in the mix here on the multiple maps thing. I know one of the performance tuners here in Australia (international franchise) was selling performance tunes for petrol Tiguans and it included multiple maps so you could choose to be running an eco map or perfornce map. This was not an add on device but a program of the factory ECU.

Something also to consider. I have a Skoda Yeti. The above was possible for the Tiguan via the OBD2 port. I was told they could do it but it required opening the ECU for my Yeti. Exact same motor but 2 different ECUs.

Happy Days.

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Originally Posted by joel0407

I am just throwing some ideas in the mix here on the multiple maps thing. I know one of the performance tuners here in Australia (international franchise) was selling performance tunes for petrol Tiguans and it included multiple maps so you could choose to be running an eco map or perfornce map. This was not an add on device but a program of the factory ECU.

Something also to consider. I have a Skoda Yeti. The above was possible for the Tiguan via the OBD2 port. I was told they could do it but it required opening the ECU for my Yeti. Exact same motor but 2 different ECUs.

Happy Days.

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Maybe it's just another case of hand-me-downs for Skoda.......Tig gets first suck of the sauce bottle?

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Originally Posted by Ryeman

Maybe it's just another case of hand-me-downs for Skoda.......Tig gets first suck of the sauce bottle?

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Yeh. I don't know. Same engine, same power, same torque but different ECUs (different brands ECUs from memory) but both vehicles effected by so called cheat software.

I've done some searching and apparently all EA189 engines have the Bosch EDC 17 ECU so maybe I have some miss information when I was making inquires about a performance tune.

Happy Days.

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Originally Posted by bluey

Looks like the ECU has a different map for "limp home mode". So I'm guessing the creative engineers figured how to put the vehicle into a "limp home mode" ECU map on a dyno test - equivalent to how it would behave if limping home with a sensor failure.

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Thanks for this - it actually makes sense given it's Bosch, not VW that make the ECU itself. Rather than find somewhere to add a specific cheat program VW just found a way to utilise the limp home mode every modern ECU has... I suggest it also would have made it easier to hide / harder to detect...

- Anthony

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Originally Posted by hoi polloi

Thanks for this - it actually makes sense given it's Bosch, not VW that make the ECU itself. Rather than find somewhere to add a specific cheat program VW just found a way to utilise the limp home mode every modern ECU has... I suggest it also would have made it easier to hide / harder to detect...

- Anthony

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I would have thought 'limp' would have been a bit too limp for any test rig.

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Originally Posted by Ryeman

I would have thought 'limp' would have been a bit too limp for any test rig.

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I guess that depends on how exactly the "limp" is implemented for all the possible sensor failures, or if there is a single limp mode for all failures. But it would not be unreasonable to assume that when limping, the engine map might have to cope with EGR maxed out, which just happened be be how the map behaves when on emissions test with some parts of the vehicle non-functional (eg rear wheels not turning, steering not turning, no driver in seat, etc)

Found this easy to navigate guide to diesel emissions standards and fuel standards worldwide. Some pages need subscription.
DieselNet: Diesel Exhaust Emission Standards
Emission Standards: Australia: On-Road Vehicles and Engines

Mentions the euro diesel standard is 51 cetane from 2009.

Also found these Bosch documents by Jurgen Hammar on diesel technology for passenger cars (PC) and light duty vehicles (LDV). Interesting reading.
Aspects on Injection Pressure for Diesel and Gasoline DI Engines
Advanced Fuel Injection Equipment - Technology serving Future Diesel Powertrains
Advanced Diesel Fuel Injection Equipment – A never ending BOSCH story

EA288 now implicated...

VW made several defeat devices to cheat emissions tests: sources | Reuters

As usual...disclaimer...could be a typo...bad journalism...

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Originally Posted by Eaglehawk

EA288 now implicated...

VW made several defeat devices to cheat emissions tests: sources | Reuters

As usual...disclaimer...could be a typo...bad journalism...

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I believe the reason that the vehicles have been withdrawn in the US is that there is software in the ECU which has the potential to modify the emissions which hasn't been declared. Stuff like changing the mapping during cold starts until the engine is up to temp has the potential to change the emissions, however has been put into the car to protect it during cold starts... though may also help it to pass the emissions tests too.

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Originally Posted by Eaglehawk

EA288 now implicated...

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From what I have seen, VW global has only officially mentioned EA189. Michael Horn mentioned three generations of vehicle in his testimony to US congress 1.5 wks ago - explained to be 2 generations of EA189 plus EA288. I understood the EA288 contained the suspect code but probably doesn't need it to pass testing, at least outside USA.