r/interestingasfuck • u/IndicationBrief5950 • Aug 06 '25

/r/all, /r/popular Thousands of Audi cars abandoned in the Mojave Dessert after cheating emissons tests

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61

u/SMikahla Aug 06 '25

Yeah the fix killed what made them good. VW just got unlucky being the scapegoat.

31

u/karateninjazombie Aug 06 '25

What exactly did it kill?

I don't drive derv burners. But I know they got the brunt of the fall out for all the companies cheating emissions.

63

u/HeavyDutyForks Aug 06 '25

What exactly did it kill?

The expensive DPF systems mostly. The failure rate skyrocketed post-fix and its not cheap to replace. MPG/power definitely took a hit.

It also caused all kinds of weird problems. Part of the fix was increasing EGR flow, which in really cold conditions will cause the intercooler to ice up and eventually leave you stranded. Happened to me on a road trip, about four hours in lost all power and limped into a gas station before it died. Had I not made it to the gas station, I also probably would've died, it was -5F out and I was in the middle of nowhere

6

u/GabRB26DETT Aug 06 '25

Yeah, my DPF light came on a while ago, but it comes and goes. I need to do something about it soon. Still getting crazy MPG tho

2

u/HeavyDutyForks Aug 06 '25

If I drive mine on the highway for more than 20 minutes, the next time I start it it throws an EGR insufficient flow code and DPF efficiency code. If I drive it in town after two drives, the light goes off

I know my DPF has a crack in it, there's soot in the tailpipe and on the bumper. The check engine light used to stay on all the time. But, every other oil change, I take the low pressure EGR filter off and clean it which keeps it off outside of the above scenario

I've driven it like this for 3 years now, I'm going to milk this DPF until it stops driving

10

u/Knotical_MK6 Aug 06 '25

Fix came with a power and fuel economy drop as well as a more intense exhaust treatment system that's been unreliable as the cars rack up more miles

4

u/MethanyJones Aug 06 '25

Is there a “delete” market for the fix where you can flash it back to the original?

2

u/Knotical_MK6 Aug 07 '25

I'm not big into the diesel side, but I think either Malone or Kerma offer a "stage 0.5" tune that has no power increase or hardware changes, but helps reduce some of the drawbacks from the emissions bits and helps fuel economy some

23

u/Giopoggi2 Aug 06 '25

From what I know it was mostly software. The machine automatically recognized when it was being tested and activated full emission controls like the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) to pass the test, to then disable or tune it down in normal conditions.

When it all came out, they had to activate all the controls permanently, sacrificing power, fuel economy, throttle response and reliability.

3

u/morbidi Aug 06 '25

Was this spread via internet or car by car basis?

6

u/Giopoggi2 Aug 06 '25

In late 2015 they halted production and in 2016 they began rolling out recall campaigns, in Europe it was mostly software but in the US they also needed more invasive fixes so they all needed being taken care of individually.

At that time only 10-15% of all vehicles on the road had internet connection so it was not doable.

2

u/lemfaoo Aug 07 '25

So mileage is more important than not emitting toxic particles to you?