VOLKSWAGEN has taken a first step towards fixing its infamous EA 189 engine, having presented technical measures to the Federal Motor Transport Authority.
The measures, which are intended to correct the emissions issues plaguing the 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines, were approved by the federal authority. This, VW claims, will offer clarity for those still waiting to discover how it intends to solve the problem.
Specifically, a ‘flow transformer’ will be fitted in front of the air mass sensor on the 1.6-litre 189 engine. According to VW, this will improve the measuring accuracy of the sensor. A software update will also be carried out. VW expects these fixes to take less than an hour to complete.
The 2.0-litre engines will also receive a software update, but this will only take around half an hour.
VW stresses that its aim with these measures is to meet the emissions targets without impinging on power, fuel consumption and performance. However, as of yet, it is unclear whether this has been achieved.
The alterations are expected to be applied to recalled vehicles from January 2016, however it will take until the end of next year until changes are made to all applicable vehicles.
In its statement, VW was at pains to stress the importance of customer convenience. It pledged to contact all customers and to consider the needs of every individual, offering to provide courtesy cars free of charge.
These technical measures are already available for the majority of those affected in Europe with EA 189 engines. At the end of the month, similar measures will be presented to the Federal Motor Transport Authority regarding the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder diesel engine as well.
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