California Orders Recall Of More VW Vehicles

In the EA 189 2.0 liter diesel engine only a software update is required taking less than half an hour.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s Audi division will resubmit a revised version of software that the US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board has targeted in its latest probe.

VW continues to stress that the cars remain safe to drive, and that owners should continue to do so.

The automaker also said Wednesday that eight employees had been suspended in connection with an internal investigation to determine who made a decision to install illegal software in the vehicles.

The recall will involve between 15,000 and 16,000 3.0-liter diesel vehicles, Dave Clegern, a CARB spokesman, told AFP. The fix covers nearly all of the 8.5 million European vehicles expected to be recalled, and the company says it should take between 30 minutes to an hour per vehicle.

The manufacturer announced that the measures involve “minor hardware” changes in the case of the 1.6 litre TDI engines and a software update in the case of the two litre engines.

SEOUL-The South Korean government on Thursday ordered Volkswagen AG to recall more than 125,000 diesel-powered cars sold in the country after it found the German auto maker installed emissions-cheating software in the vehicles. Until someone tests pre- and post-fix cars back to back, it will be hard to know what effect the proposed solutions will have.

It’s possible that 325,000 of the 482,000 affected 2.0-liter diesels in the USA would need to have a Selective Catalytic Reduction system fitted, which comprises a new catalytic converter, a tank of urea liquid, and associated plumbing to inject the urea into the exhaust aftertreatment system. VW of America and Canada have different protocols.

Volkswagen has submitted then technical details of the fix to the KBA in Germany before revealing details publicly, so we must assume it’s a doable fix and one that won’t compromise the cars’ economy and performance, although ratification of the fix is still subject to KBA approval. In fact, even the latest Euro 6 standards won’t be as tough as current USA standards until 2017.

The admission from Audi, which contributes about 40 percent to VW group profit, is raising pressure on Stadler, a 25 year VW group veteran who has led Audi for nine years.