Volkswagen emissions fix approved by Federal Motor Transport Authority

Hong Dong Gon, a director at the Ministry of Environment, said in a live television broadcast that the ministry will continue investigating 30 000 other Volkswagen diesel cars for which it did not find evidence of emissions cheating. The investigation is still in its early stages, but thus far, there is no evidence of any wrongdoing on Bosch’s part.

As for the 2.0-litre engine, customers will be able to pop into their dealer once the recall has been issued to receive a free software update.

The proposed changes have been presented to the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Germany for approval, but it is unclear at this stage whether the same fixes can be applied to vehicles in Australia.

The “defeat” systems in millions of VW Group diesel engines were programmed to artificially reduce nitrogen-oxide and carbon-dioxide output when the vehicles were undergoing a government certification test.

The software wasn’t created to cheat, Audi spokesman Udo Ruegheimer said in a phone interview.

The automaker will bring the 2.0-liter engines to speed via a software update, while the 1.6-liter machinery will need both a software update and plastic filter installed inside the engine’s air intake.

The EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) had played an instrumental role in documenting the violations when the emission irregularities were first discovered.

The automaker says it is committed to finding quick and uncomplicated solutions to fix the cars, but until then, no V6 3-liter TDI diesel engine vehicles will be sold. The three brands Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen are affected, and Audi estimates that the related expense will be around 50 million dollars. The engine was also used in the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne SUVs since model year 2013, Audi said. German regulators have approved the fix, VW said.

Clegern said the device in the 3-liter engines has a timer that shuts it off shortly after the test cycle used to make sure the vehicle’s emissions meet clear-air rules. Frustrated and angered by the situation, and skeptical about the prospects of a satisfactory fix, some owners have called for Volkswagen to buy their cars back.