I wonder how many people really consider emissions when buying a motor.

Seeing as approximately 50% of new cars in the UK are to companies most of these people will consider emissions when choosing a new car as it has a huge effect on your tax code. This is an example I did a while ago. I'd rather have the £4821 in my pocket.

 

Golf GTD DSG: Tax year 2014/15 £2242

                                        2015/16 £2467

                                        2016/17 £2355

                                        Total £7064

 

Golf GTE DSG: Tax year 2014/15 £660

                                        2015/16 £660

                                        2016/17 £923

                                        Total £2243

 

So financially the GTE saves a 40% tax payer £4821 over three years (or £1607/year, or £133.92/month).

Edited 7 November, 201510 yr by cnc

I was speaking to someone yesterday who has a friend that works as a salesman for VW

and he was saying fleet sales are really down. Company car drivers are telling him they

have been told not to buy VW. I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.

I am following this thread with the hope that someone will have some official news as to what the fixes will be and what the actual effect on car performance will be. So far after 7 pages it is mostly just pure speculation. Lets hope Skoda will fill this information vacuum soon - though I won't hold my breath.

I think you know the answer to that one. Almost surely not. Remap out the window I'm afraid.

But at least you get a tick in their boxes and who else they might share the 'we have fixed it' data with - maybe even a green sticker to show off! Some remap firms don't charge the full price for a subsequent 'repair', but don't hold your breath because I suspect that is only when they can re-flash in 10 minutes through the OBD port (tricky on newer CR engines). I am considering reconfiguring my OBD port. Well I mean re-wire the connector pin outs and make up a short male to female OBD 'adapter cable' . If the car goes within sniffing distance of a stealership flasher, they will get nada from the port without the adaptor cable. Another reason to consider independents you can trust for servicing. Those with top of the range Mercs and BMWs are already putting locks on their OBD ports to stop perps defeating the immobilizers and driving their cars away.

So Skoda wrote to me today letting me know my car is affected.

 

Skoda Superb II Elegance CR170 TDI 2009...

 

The usual message, Skoda would like to sincerely apologise that Volkswagen Group has let down its customers.....

.... remain technically safe and roadworthy in relation to this issue......

 

However, a service action including your vehicle will be required to rectify the issue. Technical solutions are currently being developed and the matter is being worked upon with the utmost priority.

 

We will contact you again when the technical solution is available, to confirm the next steps.......

.... at no cost to you and we will do our utmost to minimise the inconvenience to you....

 

 

 

So basically nothing new except they are now writing to customers!

They do note that the DVLA data is being used to send letters out so if your no longer the owner you must inform the DVLA ......

So they are as expected using the DVLA records so not filling in the forms on the website won't hide your car from the recall letters.

 

Got to say in common with most I am very disappointed by VW/Skoda. I don't expect serious compensation unless there is an actual loss (e.g. performance, Fuel Consumption, residual values (car tax will not be an issue).

 

I would be very concerned if I was looking to sell just now!

 

If the technical fix does not affect power or fuel consumption negatively all well and good, if it does then its not a Fix.

I would not be surprised if the technical fix in the UK does maintain (or improve) power/fuel consumption as any good re-mapper can in the UK as we don't suffer from poor fuel quality so the large margins allowed in the standard maps have a lot of scope for improvement over the work anywhere general maps used.

 

Cheers,

[snip]

I would not be surprised if the technical fix in the UK does maintain (or improve) power/fuel consumption as any good re-mapper can in the UK as we don't suffer from poor fuel quality so the large margins allowed in the standard maps have a lot of scope for improvement over the work anywhere general maps used.

 

Cheers,

Are re-mappers constrained by emissions regulations though? Arguably only for visible smoke/PM?

Are re-mappers constrained by emissions regulations though? Arguably only for visible smoke/PM?

No, but the car has to pass an emissions test at every MOT so they are constrained by the MOT rules on emissions, also Particulates are removed by the particle filter in the exhaust fitted on these cars to make them Euro compliant.

You only have to look at how each generation of diesel car engines get better Power and better fuel consumption yet much of the time there are no changes beyond programming to realise that the manufacturers also work on better maps all the time. They usually don't want to give you the benefit on older cars but it can be done as their research shows them how they can get more out by changing injector, air, wastegate etc settings.

 

I had a series of BMW 2.0l Diesels company cars b4 the Skoda.

First BMW 320D 154BHP

Next BMW 520D 172BHP5

Current Version (F10) BMW 520D 186 BHP + better fuel consumption.

Also available from BMW on the latest is a BMW remap to 204 BHP (£900 ish) only physical change for this upgrade is an uprated cooling fan, the rest is a re-map and includes better Fuel Consumption when not being caned!

 

Cheers,

Diesel MOTs don't measure any emissions though, except smoke, at the moment.

Diesel MOTs don't measure any emissions though, except smoke, at the moment.

Never knew that! Was going to dispute that as myth but went and checked the govt docs and you are quite right!

 

It doesn't change the fact that cars with similar engines keep getting better and BMW do a performance upgrade (to 204BHP) for £900 that maintains the cars MPG / CO2 just by changing the map and adding a bigger cooling fan, begs the question why they don't deliver them like that but it does show that my general point is true.

 

Most mappers also claim to maintain the MPG (at least when driven normally) despite upping the BHP when driven hard and most explain that in the UK the margins allowed for poor fuel quality are not necessary as we are not in Africa etc. No real reason why VW Group can't do the same thing on UK (and most European) cars.

Diesel MOTs don't measure any emissions though, except smoke, at the moment.

Expect that to change in the next few years and I'll bet you we'll all pay, though increased MOT costs!

 

If MOT stations start checking emmissions, what would happen to all those that had remaps done?

If MOT stations start checking emmissions, what would happen to all those that had remaps done?

Same as with petrol where emissions are already checked... Nothing. At Idle and fast idle a properly mapped car will have about the same emissions as a standard car, and sometimes less because the factory map is pretty generic and designed to work across varying worldwide fuel standards.

Same as with petrol where emissions are already checked... Nothing. At Idle and fast idle a properly mapped car will have about the same emissions as a standard car, and sometimes less because the factory map is pretty generic and designed to work across varying worldwide fuel standards.

Hope this is all true, and when all is said and done, I can remap, get rid of the dpf and do the things to my car that I intended, and get on with my life!

It's very disappointing that this diesel gate scandal has unfolded just days after I bought my new car!

Still it could be worse....

I feel it's not going to be as simple as we expected. VW are now talking about CO2

discrepancies and buy backs if over 10% which opens all whole new can of worms.

Watch this space, I'm sure there will be further adverse developments in the next few

weeks or months.

Same as with petrol where emissions are already checked... Nothing. At Idle and fast idle a properly mapped car will have about the same emissions as a standard car, and sometimes less because the factory map is pretty generic and designed to work across varying worldwide fuel standards.

 Absolutely true up to a point, with potential for improved fuel economy. But beyond stage 1 with DPF removal and EGR blanked off it gets tricky.

Hope this is all true, and when all is said and done, I can remap, get rid of the dpf and do the things to my car that I intended, and get on with my life!

It's very disappointing that this diesel gate scandal has unfolded just days after I bought my new car!

Still it could be worse....

Isn't it illegal to remove dpf and as part of the new mot testing regime it will be checked thoroughly if it's still there so will be classed unroadworthy instantly

Panorama tonight on BBC 1 @ 20.30 is all about the VW emmitions scandal ! Just looking at the taster on the BBC webpage they tested a blue motion diesel and it emitted 2 and a half times its normal 'test run' cheers Stuart

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34857404

Also VW are saying there's no compo !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34899937

Edited 23 November, 201510 yr by sparky2

I see that the compensation lawyers and now out in force. Anyone registered with one and if so is it a good idea and which ones are reputable?

I think in terms of comp lawyers I would hold fire and see what VW say and then do some research on the comp lawyers T&C's for the reputable ones who don't overcharge in terms of % they want for their services.

I have registered with Leigh Day.

They seem reputable and I feel an initial registration can do no harm. No cost to me so I'll wait and see

what they come up with when everyone gets some concrete information about what VW intends to do.

I have registered with Leigh Day.

They seem reputable and I feel an initial registration can do no harm. No cost to me so I'll wait and see

what they come up with when everyone gets some concrete information about what VW intends to do.

Well done you ! You've joined the pigs at the trough and what will this accomplish ? If we aren't careful they will go to the wall and think of all those poor sods that depend on the jobs , yes they did wrong and they will pay but not like this

Well done you ! You've joined the pigs at the trough and what will this accomplish ? If we aren't careful they will go to the wall and think of all those poor sods that depend on the jobs , yes they did wrong and they will pay but not like this

That's an interesting way of looking at it, but not mine. I don't like the way VW are happy to announce a bribe/bung to the

US owners whilst we have still not even heard any details of what they intend to do for us nearly two months down the line.

No harm in registering an interest in any class action that may take place, it's interesting to follow if nothing else.

Does VAG care or have any concern in the fact owners may have lost thousands of pounds and unable to sell or px their cars,if I'm expected to be loyal to a company for whatever reason they have to treat me right and at the moment Vag have not done so and have very little chance of keeping my business by their actions to date so to cut my losses legal action may be the only way to get recompense and I don't think Vag ,Skoda ,dealers or salesmen have any interest in my welfare it's all business the same as the lawyers they are all in it for the money.

Your not expected to be loyal to vag nor should you be , vag did wrong and they will pay and they will get back the customers loyalty, they understand if they don't they're flecked so it's in their interest to make everything alright, I will probably keep my golf without fixing it and only doing the "fix" only when it's going in as a px

My Yeti is 3 years old next March and I am thinking of changing it before then as I can't be bothered these days with extended warranties or keeping my fingers crossed hoping that nothing expensive goes wrong.

It has been a superb motor and with the top spec feel I will or would have little trouble selling or part exing for something else. What I don't like is all the current unknowns and lack of information from VAG.

Reports I read today suggest people don't really care much about emmissions, more about mpg and don't feel this diesel issue will

really dent sales or resale values. I tend to agree.

Watch this space!

Just found this article in Autocar.

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/vw-emissions-scandal-fixes-announced-ea189-diesel-engines

 

Update on the solution proposed by VW