Car_and_Driver_USA_July_2017

PEAK NOx PARTS PER MILLION
and California LEVIII ULEV125) that they were originally supposed
to meet. Rather, the court has created a new standard that
resembles the current federal Tier 3 Bin 160, which is less stringent
for lower-speed operation but allows fewer NO x emissions at highway
speeds. Regardless of which emissions standard the fixed cars
now adhere to, the broader environmental concern was the potential
impact of junking so many vehicles. As Sutschek says, “The EPA
wants these vehicles in service.”
At the proving grounds, we ran a modified version of our typical
acceleration test, first with the new software and then again after
the car had been reverted back to its “dirty” code by two Volkswagen
technicians. (Although they used a laptop plugged into the
OBD II port, they stressed that VW dealers and others authorized
to upload the new software would use a system that will not allow
a car to be reverted to any earlier code.) In both zero-to-60 and
quarter-mile tests, we recorded identical results: 9.3 seconds and
17.2 seconds at 82 miles per hour. Extra test equipment in the back
seat and a passenger aboard mean these numbers cannot be compared
with other C/D test numbers, nor should they be considered
absolute. But the comparative fact stands: We found no
notable performance differences between the car with its original
dirty software and the same car after the fix.
The filler neck for the Passat’s DEF tank is located in the trunk,
with the tank extending out of sight such that we were unable to
accurately assess DEF consumption during testing. Nor were we
able to do much fuel-economy analysis, although according to the
Passat’s onboard trip computer there was no significant change
during steady-speed cruising after we switched software.
We did employ a portable emissions-measurement system
[see “Sniffng Around”] during testing. The data we collected
with this device do not directly correspond to any measurements
SNIFFING
AROUND
ACCELERATION 0–60 MPH
1/4 MILE @ MPH
30–50 MPH, TOP GEAR
50–70 MPH, TOP GEAR
30–90 MPH, 4TH GEAR
0–100 MPH, STANDING START
To reduce the chances of another TDI fiasco, carmakers and government regulators alike
have expanded their tailpipe-emissions measurement capabilities, moving out of the lab
and onto the road. Gathering real-world insights regarding how cars behave in customer
hands has necessitated a new category of tools called portable emissions-measurement
systems (PEMS). Some of this gear is cumbersome and expensive, while other units—
including the analyzer we borrowed from Infrared Industries for this test—are more wieldy.
The company’s FGA4000XDS PEMS is a nine-pound box containing non-dispersive
infrared and electrochemical-cell sensors capable of quantifying concentrations of
hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and oxygen in the exhaust
stream. It can also display
500
400
300
200
100
0
30–50-mph
passing
50–70-mph
passing
30–90-mph
4th gear
0–100-mph
standing
start
30-mph
cruise
Peak NO x
Readings,
Averaged
DIRTY
CLEAN
50-mph
cruise
70-mph
cruise
90-mph
cruise
CAR AND DRIVER TEST RESULTS
DIRTY
9.3 sec
17.2 sec @ 82
5.0 sec
6.7 sec
22.3 sec
27.1 sec
CLEAN
9.3 sec
17.2 sec @ 82
5.0 sec
6.6 sec
22.8 sec
27.7 sec
made during federal emissions testing, both because of the
nature of the testing equipment and because our flat-out acceleration
runs have no analogue in the federal procedure. We saw
small amounts of NO x emissions present during steady-speed
cruising at 90 mph reduced to zero with the clean software, which
seems significant in that it indicates cleaner operation even
beyond the speeds at which federal emissions testing is conducted.
And of course, the tailpipe sniffer did in fact prove that
the same car produced different patterns of NO x emissions
depending on the software. Within the limited scope of our testing
abilities, we considered this suffcient proof that Volkswagen
was not perpetrating any further deception.
> MORE TO COME
Volkswagen has also submitted two other proposals covering the
rest of the recalled four-cylinder diesels, for which it says it should
receive final approval shortly after our publication date. While
company offcials would not comment on specifics, some details of
the modifications to these cars can be found in the consent decree
under which Volkswagen is currently operating.
Engine design for the generation-two TDIs, or 2012–2014 Passats,
differs from the third generation’s but still uses DEF to curb
emissions, so the fix for those vehicles will
likely follow the same path as the 2015
models, relying on greater DEF dosing to
lower NO x emissions. All the diesels
should eventually get completely new
emissions hardware. In fact, this is
required by the consent decree for the
first-generation TDIs, or 2009–2014 Jettas,
2010–2014 Golfs, 2013–2014 Beetles,
air-fuel ratio and engine
rpm when connected to the
engine’s ignition system. It
is factory calibrated and
certified to comply with
international standards.
After a five-minute
warm-up and the insertion
of a sample line into the
tailpipe, this device is able
to quantify the ingredients
in practically any exhaust
stream. —Don Sherman
and 2010–2013 Audi A3s. These earlier
models do not use DEF, however, which
makes the fix more challenging. These cars
employ a NO x trap that requires periodic
purging; this is accomplished by running a
rich fuel mixture, which will likely result
in reduced fuel economy.
Had Volkswagen been willing to make
that trade-off years ago, it might have sold
fewer cars, but the consequences of this
crisis would surely have been averted.
Since the emissions scandal was uncovered,
VW’s annual sales in the U.S. have
dropped by 21 percent—or nearly 85,000
fewer vehicles in 2016 than in 2013—at a
time when the rest of the industry was up
12 percent. This year, however, its sales are
showing signs of rebound, with first-quarter
numbers up 10 percent. We can only
imagine that this first fix, which puts thousands
of Volkswagen diesels back into service,
will help bolster those numbers.
Money can make problems disappear, but
it is no substitute for fixing them.
INSET IMAGES BY AUSTIN IRWIN
054 . FEATURE . CAR AND DRIVER . JUL/2017