VW Is Said to Cheat on Diesel Emissions;

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http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/bus....html?_r=0&referrer=

[sekker]

http://forums.macresource.com/read.php?1,1908281

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This is what I get for doing a lot of work instead of browsing the forum all day.

[M A V I C]

To be fair, I saw that subject earlier and would have had no idea that it was on the same topic.

[mrlynn]

So was this 'defeat' software designed to work automatically by detecting when an emissions test was being performed, or was it activated by a switch the owner could control? The article suggests the former, but I wonder how that would work.

Used to be emissions testing was done with a sensor up the tailpipe, but I gather that's been superseded in many places with some kind of computerized test--using built in sensors, or what?

/Mr Lynn

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Yes, about 10 years ago they used to put a sensor at the muffler to capture the actual gas and measure the CO, NO, etc. content. Now that is not longer used, all they do is connect something to the OBD port and read those parameters. Apparently the software detected when the test was being done: steering wheel was not moved, and many other tricks like this. Apparently some researchers put a sensor on some of these cars and drove them around to measure the actual emission content.

I am surprised how large the fine could be, some articles said over $37,000 PER CAR!. This is more than half the price of those cars! VW will be losing a lot of money and they deserve it.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

mrlynn wrote:
So was this 'defeat' software designed to work automatically by detecting when an emissions test was being performed, or was it activated by a switch the owner could control? The article suggests the former, but I wonder how that would work.

The articles I've read were pretty clear on this: The software works automatically. Some even gave a rudimentary explanation of how the software worked.

Until this story broke, no one besides VW was aware of the existence of the defeat software. That being the case, how would the driver activate the software?

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I think the guy(s) who came up with this idea back then (2008-2009?) were considered genius(i), but now they just cost VW $18 Billion.

$18 BILLION!!!

how can you put such an "accomplishment" on your resume?

[mrlynn]

N-OS X-tasy! wrote:
[quote=mrlynn]
So was this 'defeat' software designed to work automatically by detecting when an emissions test was being performed, or was it activated by a switch the owner could control? The article suggests the former, but I wonder how that would work.

The articles I've read were pretty clear on this: The software works automatically. Some even gave a rudimentary explanation of how the software worked.

Until this story broke, no one besides VW was aware of the existence of the defeat software. That being the case, how would the driver activate the software?
I was wondering whether they might have built it in for the performance-minded drivers, who were capable of making modifications themselves, as some do by reprogramming ECUs and modifying transmission shift points.

/Mr Lynn

[M A V I C]

There's different requirements in different parts of the planet. VAG cars are usually programmed to accept a regional code so the car will shift into whatever mode it needs to for the region, without different hardware or programming. You can also usually do this for feature-by-feature. For example, on my car I can change the brake lights to go into euro mode where, when pressed very hard, they flash rapidly instead of just staying on. That way the vehicle behind me knows I'm stopping fast rather than just gently pressing on my brakes.

I forget the exact numbers, but their auto transmissions also have a lot of programming options. I think they have a dozen or more where they can automatically detect the driving environment and adjust. Towing? The computer figures that out, makes adjustments. Going uphill? The computer adjusts. Have extra people, cargo, high elevation...

I wouldn't be surprised if this "defeat" thing wasn't intentional, it was simply variably tuning the car based on the conditions it was driving in.