I assume they'll offer incentives to get people to bring their cars in. I also assume that if the participation rate is not high enough, then there will be draconian sanctions - like not being able to register the car. In places that have annual emissions tests, I'm sure the word will go out that the car has to demonstrate that it has been fixed before it will be passed and get the magic sticker. As long as the EPA knows the VIN, it won't be easy to avoid having the cars fixed.
I assume they can find a way to give slightly worse mileage and substantially cleaner exhaust. But it will cost money - money that VW didn't want to spend.
TTAC:
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.
I assume they can find a way to give slightly worse mileage and substantially cleaner exhaust. But it will cost money - money that VW didn't want to spend.
TTAC:
The Cruze Diesel 2.0-liter engine is based on the one of the same size used in Europe, but many changes have been made including a new intake manifold, throttle body system and ceramic glow plugs. The fuel system was also modified to run at 1,600 PSI instead of the 2,000 PSI they see in Europe. Changes in the emissions programming were also made in order to meet U.S. emissions requirements. Both engines employ a diesel particulate filter (DPF) along with a urea injection system.
GM may have paved the way for a Volkswagen fix since they were able to lower the NOx output from their engine by making a few hardware changes and adjusting the emissions programming to reduce fueling. These changes are apparent when you look at the specs for the vehicles.
The European engine produces 163 hp and 260 lb.-ft. while the US engine produces 151 hp and 250 lb.-ft.
The fuel economy is also noticeably better for the European version with the heavier Zafira Tourer enjoying a 40 mpg combined rating while the Cruze Diesel is rated at 33 mpg combined by the EPA. All of these changes fall in line with a reduction in fuel injection timing. Reducing the timing causes a decrease in power and fuel economy, but also reduces the NOx output.
One other hint to the changes lies in the CO2 output ratings which put the Zafira Tourer at 220 grams per mile while the Cruze is at 307 grams per mile. This goes in line with a lower NOx output rating for the Cruze as due to the inverse relationship of CO2 and NOx output.
The dirty piece of reducing the injection timing is that more soot is created, which is why many are against such a fix for the Volkswagen diesels. This side effect is apparent in the Cruze as many have complained about soot buildup and the ability of the diesel regen cycle to clean it. The regen cycle in the Cruze burns additional diesel to heat up the particulate filter and clear out the soot, but dealers are running manual regens or increasing the regen cycle to help combat these issues due to the heavy soot build up on some vehicles. While the longer regen cycles will help to combat soot, they will also reduce the fuel economy as more diesel is dumped in order to heat up the filter.
FWIW.
Cheers,
Scott.