— Volkswagen says it's just about ready to tackle the enormous task of repairing European diesel vehicles equipped with EA 189 engines. The automaker says all corrective measures have been presented to the appropriate authorities and the automaker hopes to get the recalls running in January 2016.
VW says the proposed remedy turned out to be more simple than first believed because of advances in engine developments and sophisticated air intake systems.
Volkswagen's goal is to fix the emissions problems on every vehicle without affecting fuel economy and engine performance. So far, that's a goal the automaker doesn't know if it can meet.
Transforming the Airflow
Volkswagen says a "flow straightener" will be installed in front of the air mass sensor of the 1.6-liter EA 189 engine. This will allegedly "calm the swirled air flow" and help to measure the accuracy of the air mass sensor. The German word for this component is Stroemungstransformator, which I believe translates to "cheap plastic tube with some mesh in it."
In addition, an engine software update will be performed, with both repairs taking less than two hours.
("Flow straightener" for the 1.6-liter EA 189 diesel engine)
For 2-liter engines, only the software update will need to be performed, something that should take about 30 minutes.
EA 189 Engine Recall Details
Volkswagen expects to start recalling European diesel vehicles in January 2016, with the recall lasting until 2017 due to the different engine variants.
For customers involved in the recall, VW will provide alternate transportation and try to complete the recall repairs as quickly as possible.
VW says technical solutions are ready to go for almost all vehicles in Europe equipped with EA 189 diesel engines. The automaker says the remedy for 1.2-liter 3-cylinder diesel vehicles will be available soon.
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