Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen Recall - Volume 7.	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: R.P.	Replies: 83

New Sat 16 Jan 16 20:22   Volkswagen Recall - Volume 7. - R.P.

Ongoing discussion. 476052 Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 22 Jan 18 at 10:15 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 29 Jan 16 08:58   Potential partial US buyback confirmed - smokie

www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/business/international/volkswagen-says-a-diesel-fix-may-not-be-possible-for-some-cars.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Feb 16 18:53   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - madf

LONDON — European officials knew that Volkswagen diesels fell short of pollution limits years before the company became engulfed in an emissions cheating scandal, records show. And they also knew that diesels across the industry had problems that were similar, if not worse. ## A VW Golf that met regulatory standards when tested in the lab exceeded those limits by nearly three times when tested on the road. But that was markedly better than a car made by Renault, the Clio, whose emissions exceeded regulatory limits by as much as seven times. Notably, the Golf that was tested was a version of the car produced before VW began installing software aimed at cheating emissions tests. A second that Volkswagen tested, a Passat, was a prototype made by VW with the latest filtration technology and that was lent to the commission specifically for the tests. More recent testing by the commission of several cars designed to meet the latest European standards, known as Euro 6, showed that they averaged four times higher than regulatory standards when tested on the road. Some were eight to nine times higher, the commission said. tinyurl.com/hl2b4uw Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Feb 16 20:15   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - mikeyb

So.....the results from cars driven on the road were higher than those obtained in the EU laboratory testing Well that's news for us then Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 9 Feb 16 23:29   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - smokie

If that's true, what's the betting that the officials who were in the know have since retired to spend more time with their gold plated pensions... Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Wed 10 Feb 16 19:54   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - mikeyb

>> If that's true, what's the betting that the officials who were in the know have >> since retired to spend more time with their gold plated pensions... >> No problem if they have - all the article states, is that driven in normal conditions cars gave worse results than the standard EU lab test - we have always known that to be the case. The real issue is that the EU test is not representative, but it is at least a comparison tool. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 11 Feb 16 05:50   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - Tigger

>> The real issue is that the EU test is not representative, but it is at >> least a comparison tool. >> Except that as the 'real mpg' results on the hj site show, you can't reliably do that. Indeed, when looking at them, you see an increasing divergence between the official and real world figures as the cars get newer. When choosing a company car (when I used to have one - up to 2008), I could predict my real mpg reasonably accurately. I quite fancy the new Volvo xc90, but just look at the real mpg results so far! www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/volvo I'm not convinced that the mpg will be materially different to my 2007 landcruiser @28mpg. Last edited by: Tigger on Thu 11 Feb 16 at 05:53 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 11 Feb 16 09:14   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - WillDeBeest

The valid comparison is within a class defined by engine type, body size and - crucially - emissions standard. My Euro 3 Volvo (171g/km, 43mpg combined) typically matched or bettered its official figure; my Euro 5 BMW (159g, 49mpg) doesn't. Is that annoying? Mildly. Is it relevant? No, because the cars and engines were designed, fettled and tested ten years apart under very different regimes. But I could still look at test results from similarly sized Euro 5 diesels and be reasonably confident that a 55mpg car would use less fuel than mine and a 45mpg car would use more. That's the continuing value of a standardized test. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 11 Feb 16 20:51   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - Tigger

>> But I could still look at test results from similarly sized Euro 5 diesels and >> be reasonably confident that a 55mpg car would use less fuel than mine and a >> 45mpg car would use more. That's the continuing value of a standardized test. >> You'd be very disappointed with the volvo on my link above then Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 11 Feb 16 21:54   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - WillDeBeest

Only if I'd been deluded enough to imagine that a bus that size could achieve even 35mpg in normal use, never mind nearly 50. };---) It's simple physics really. F=ma. That much m requires a whole lot of F to achieve any a, and that can only come from the fuel tank, not helped by all the -F supplied by the Lego aerodynamics. Clever injectors and regenerative braking can add a little efficiency, knowing how to work the test adds the impression of a bit more, then making it emissions compliant takes it away again. The only real surprise is that anyone is surprised. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Thu 11 Feb 16 23:46   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - idle_chatterer

>> >> But I could still look at test results from similarly sized Euro 5 diesels and >> be reasonably confident that a 55mpg car would use less fuel than mine and a >> 45mpg car would use more. That's the continuing value of a standardized test. >> Whilst there may be some value for comparison purposes, HMRC mileage rates, fuel mileage reimbursement rates etc are set at possibly unattainable levels using averages of these test results. This means that people using their car (or more particularly a company car) for business are materially disadvantaged whilst other private motorists are misled, neither of which I'd argue is particularly acceptable. I suspect that for most motorists doing only a low private mileage it's not that significant but for higher mileage business users it's perhaps unfairly costing them (at least when when oil is at more normal price levels) hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year in unreimbursed fuel costs. Then there's the environmental impact, NOx levels in European cities were previously reported as being unexpectedly high (although perhaps the reason is better understood now), the trend towards cars producing these emissions was driven by the taxation regimes associated with these test results. So I'd argue that the absolute accuracy of these tests matters for more than the comparison of cars because policy, buying decisions and pollution levels have been influenced by them. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 12 Feb 16 07:00   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - WillDeBeest

...the trend towards cars producing these [high NOx] emissions was driven by the taxation regimes associated with these test results. Not sure I'd agree with the last bit, unless you mean the cost- (not just tax but fuel too) driven trend towards diesel engines. The more stringent emission standards for newer engines are enforced through type approval rather than tax. As for business users, isn't the motive behind the mileage rates to encourage users (who tend to change more frequently and to get new cars) to choose smaller, more fuel-efficient models rather than the 3.0 V6? If so, I'd argue that the consumption tests here do exactly what's required of them. I get 17p for each of my few UK business miles in addition to my monthly car allowance. Even at £1.40 a litre the LEC could break even on that and the BMW leaves me something for tyres. A more modern 318ED or a Blue-something would do considerably better, if what colleagues have told me about theirs is correct. So some of the improvement in efficiency, in sensibly engineered cars at least, is real; Humph's S212 LEC uses less fuel than my S211 with much the same engine, for example. The official figures reflect the relative difference if not the absolute values, so I'd argue they serve their purpose here. There's a parallel with the Euro-NCAP crash tests, which the car makers have become similarly adept at 'gaming'. The test won't tell you how your actual car will perform in a real accident, but it's a reasonable comparison with vehicles of a similar size and type. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 10 Feb 16 12:19   EU knew VW cheated since 2007 - Bill Payer

>> Well that's news for us then >> It's as if people hadn't noticed before that real-world MPG is worse than lab tests. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 19 Feb 16 08:23   VW sales fall - Zero

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35605089 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 19 Feb 16 12:37   VW sales fall - Bill Payer

>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35605089 >> At least they're trying to make amends in some markets. In the UK they've basically told owners to get stuffed. It would be nice if, for once, VW UK could do something that would "surprise and delight" its customers. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 19 Feb 16 12:47   VW sales fall - madf

>> >> It would be nice if, for once, VW UK could do something that would "surprise >> and delight" its customers. >> My experience of VW in the UK is that "surprise and delight" is more like "be obnoxious and screw you"... which is why I will not buy another VAG product. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 19 Feb 16 13:45   VW sales fall - Old Navy

As this is the motor trades treasure island they don't need to be nice to the punters. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 19 Feb 16 14:23   VW sales fall - No FM2R

>>My experience of VW in the UK is............ They have been very good with me over the years. BMW and I on the other hand have had some very difficult times. I guess that they're all crap some of the time, and all good at others. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 10 Mar 16 12:48   VW sales fall - Falkirk Bairn

>>They have been very good with me over the years. BMW and I on the other hand have had some >>very difficult times. I have bought Japanese cars for 21 years and as a result I have little contact with manufacturers or their franchises - other than servicing. My only complaint was to Honda over one of their franchises trying to rip me off for work that was not needed. They resolved the matter quickly. The best bit was that the offending outlet closed a few years later - perhaps due to their customer quality & service levels being found out by many more than just me!. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 10 Mar 16 00:11   Volkswagen Recall Volume 7. - smokie

"Michael Horn, president and chief executive officer of Volkswagen (VW) of America since 2014, is leaving "through mutual agreement", the company said" www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35768912 Will his colleagues Ivor Sunroof and Justin da Glovebox be far behind I wonder? :-) Reply to this message | Report message       5

New Thu 10 Mar 16 07:21   Volkswagen Recall Volume 7. - Zero

Ash Trey got the sack years ago. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 10 Mar 16 07:50   Volkswagen Recall Volume 7. - legacylad

He was probably exhausted from all the flak Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 10 Mar 16 08:37   Volkswagen Recall Volume 7. - tyrednemotional

...possibly concerned he is going to be exposed by a horn whistle blower....... Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 20 Nov 16 14:09   London mayor issues £2.5m VW congestion charge - smokie

"The mayor of London has claimed Volkswagen should pay £2.5m for missed congestion charge payments following the emissions-rigging scandal." www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38043574 Ever-imaginative, these politician types. I doubt this will happen... Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 20 Nov 16 19:05   London mayor issues £2.5m VW congestion charge - mikeyb

Think hes clutching at straws, but to be honest, 2.5 mil is nothing against the provisions VW have made, so they may just pay it to shut him up, especially as the UK is a large and profitable market for the group Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 08:19   VW Recall - Duncan

Apologies for revisiting this, but it's making the news again:- www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38552828 Now I know it's a regular refrain of mine that I may not have been paying attention, but would someone explain to me what was actually wrong with the VW cars that were fitted with "cheat" emission kit? Did they break down? Did they give poor fuel consumption figures? Did they fail MOTs? Last edited by: Duncan on Mon 9 Jan 17 at 08:21 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 08:50   VW Recall - bathtub tom

>>would someone explain to me what was actually wrong with the VW cars that were fitted with "cheat" emission kit? I understand ECU software 'recognised' when they were being emission tested, probably by throttle position and engine revs whilst in neutral. Not parameters the engine would usually experience. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 08:55   VW Recall - Duncan

>> I understand ECU software 'recognised' when they were being emission tested, probably by throttle position >> and engine revs whilst in neutral. Not parameters the engine would usually experience. >> And in normal everyday use - what was wrong? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 09:47   VW Recall - madf

They did not meet emissions regulations Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:12   VW Recall - CGNorwich

As the owner of a 1.6TDI Golf that was affect d by this I would say that I was entirely happy with the car. Indeed the diesel unit is outstanding. Of course fiddling the tests was wrong and VW should pay a hefty fine but to say it impacted me directly would be wrong. My car has now been modified, engine software has been changed and some sort of filter to smooth th airflow into the engine has been added. Has it adversely affected the performance of the car? Not in any noticeable way as far as I can tell. Do I feel I should be compensated? No not really. I haven't lost out and I still have a nice car that drives well. Second hand values are still good. I got an offer for it recently as a cash buy and was pleasantly surprised. Last edited by: CGNorwich on Mon 9 Jan 17 at 10:14 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:22   VW Recall - Bromptonaut

Thanks for that message CG. Waiting for recall notice on my Roomster TDi (1.6/90 EA189) and was considering whether to get it done. Will probably ignore first letter to see if there is more feedback on forums but it's re-assuring that somebody else doesn't notice any difference. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:33   VW Recall - CGNorwich

Done about 250 miles since I had it fixed now - mixed motoring You do get a gift when it's done. An over packaged pen, key fob, umbrella and a packet of German smarties Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:32   VW Recall - legacylad

That's the polar opposite to two friends of mine. 62 plate 2.0 Golf Tdi s . Neither had missed a beat until going to the main dealers for this fix. Within 48 hours both were experiencing their cars going into limp mode on a regular basis. When this happens, to rectify the situation, they pull over, turn off the engine and restart, which seems to work. Also the regen warning light comes on, necessitating taking the vehicle for a good thrash. Neither of their driving patterns have changed, and both the main dealers (Derby & Skipton) say it is purely coincidental. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:19   VW Recall - VxFan

>> And in normal everyday use - what was wrong? The engines emitted nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times above what is allowed in the US. www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34324772 www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34257424 Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 9 Jan 17 at 10:19 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:23   VW Recall - Bromptonaut

>> The engines emitted nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times above what is allowed in >> the US. And in EU/UK? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 10:49   VW Recall - Lygonos

By rigging their emissions results they could make their cars cheaper, thus unfairly competing with other car companies on both price and 'green' credentials. They could manage slightly better fuel economy in tests than they would have if the NOx emissions were up to scratch and thus pay less tax on some models when first registered. Unwitting owners could pay less tax as some cars would be in a lower tax band for VED than they otherwise would deserve, and perhaps even dodge London congestion charge thus depriving Govt/London of revenues they were legally entitled to receive. So financially they ripped off communities and other car companies. Oh yeah, and they also made more NOx than they should have. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 11:09   VW Recall - CGNorwich

These things are true. As I said VW should pay a large fine to the authorities. Have individual owners suffered any real loss that requires financial compensation? As far as i am concerned the answer is no. The current move to bring legal action by owners against VW is just part of the modern money digging compensation culture. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 9 Jan 17 12:00   VW Recall - PR

Consumers were lied to. So VW said we have been clever enough to make this engine, with this power, and this economy, and these emissions. Whether the emissions broke UK rules or not, the figures weren't right, and not by accident. If I bought something that the manufacturer had blatently lied about I don't think Id be too chuffed. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 12:28   VW Recall - spamcan61

>> >> >> I understand ECU software 'recognised' when they were being emission tested, probably by throttle >> position >> >> and engine revs whilst in neutral. Not parameters the engine would usually experience. >> >> >> >> And in normal everyday use - what was wrong? >> Nothing. there is no correlation between official tests and everyday use; ironically the last figures I saw in the media a month or so back showed VAG had amongst the lowest real world emissions (IIRC Fiat were worst) Last edited by: spamcan61 on Mon 9 Jan 17 at 12:31 Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 9 Jan 17 21:36   VW Recall - Rudedog

I was totally mystified listening to the people on the radio today who were trying to jump on the US class action bandwagon. Where is their loss? Values as far I know have stayed the same. They were asking for a set lump sum per driver.... ok so what about the people with the bigger more expensive SUVs the sum was the same even though the theoretical loss would be more..odd. The car will pass it's MOT, the Gov have said they won't claw back any tax.. any loss in resale value would depend on each individual condition of the car. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 22:03   VW Recall - Bill Payer

>> Where is their loss? Values as far I know have stayed the same. >> Before we bought Tiguan in Sept 15 (a few days prior to the emissions news coming out) I checked the price of the 3yr old same spec version on WBAC and iit was £16K. I've rechecked a few times since, still using 3yr old cars, and it's now around £12K. The galling thing is that I intended to run the car for 3yrs and then dump it. The fall in values meant I'd have been better leasing, rather than buying. Of course, as ours is EU6 it's apparently unaffected and so we wouldn't be compensated anyway - even though it's been caught up in anti-VW opinion specifically and more widely by VW helping turn the tide against diesel. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 22:52   VW Recall - rtj70

>> VW helping turn the tide against diesel. I think the tide was turning but VW speeded it up. The push for more diesel cars because of lower CO2 emissions was a mistake. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 23:17   VW Recall - henry k

>>The push for more diesel cars because of lower CO2 emissions was a mistake. >> And the tax advantages. IIRC back in those days Ford said " Hey hang on we are making big strides to improve petrol engines " but this was ignored . Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 9 Jan 17 23:31   VW Recall - CGNorwich

From the following article published in FT September 2016. Worth reading the full article. www.ft.com/content/cebff37c-daf3-11e5-a72f-1e7744c66818 "Sales of new VW cars in the UK fell 13.9 per cent in January, according to figures from industry body SMMT. But an Auto Trader survey found that average used car prices for VWs were not affected, while consumer searches for VW brands “showed no change”. Mr Coe said: “What’s more interesting is that the model that was most affected by the crisis, the Volkswagen Golf, is the second most viewed car.” Only the BMW 3 series was more popular on the company’s website, he said. “One thing we can be sure of is that . . . price, running costs and overall reliability are the most important factors.” The findings suggest that the emissions scandal, which has rocked the automotive world, has had less effect on consumer consciousness." Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 10 Jan 17 07:25   VW Recall - PR

It might be about to get a whole lot more serious for VW upper management. I see Mueller has bravely stayed away from the US at the current Detroit motor show...! Its a bit wordy... DETROIT -- High-level Volkswagen executives could face charges in the U.S. over the automaker's emissions scandal after the FBI arrested one manager and said executive management was informed about the existence of an emissions cheating device but chose not to disclose it to U.S. regulators. In a court filing Monday, the FBI accused VW of deliberately misleading regulators about cheating pollution tests in the U.S. U.S. prosecutors plan to charge high-level VW executives based in Germany over the scandal, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The person did not say when charges will be filed against and whether they are planned against people still employed by the automaker. Herbert Diess, VW brand chief, was asked about the charges on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show on Monday. "Naturally I can say little about that," he told Automotive News Europe. "We simply have to accept that the investigations continue and we hope that we can soon reach a point where we put this behind us. But these are things that the management board itself has no knowledge of," he said referring to the investigations. "Naturally this is not good news for us at the show," Diess said. Diess declined to comment when asked if he expected further arrests of VW executives. VW employee Oliver Schmidt was arrested Saturday on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the scandal. Schmidt and other employees gave a presentation to VW's executive management about the defeat device on or about July 27, 2015, the FBI complaint said. Schmidt, shown here in his booking photo taken Monday, is accused of playing an important role in VW's efforts to hide emissions cheating from U.S. regulators. Photo credit: Reuters Schmidt, 48, appeared in U.S. District Court in Miami on Monday. He did not enter a plea and was ordered held pending a hearing on Thursday by U.S. Magistrate Judge William C. Turnoff. Schmidt, who was shackled and wearing a jail uniform, was charged with fraud and conspiracy in not disclosing a cheating device used to rig U.S. diesel emissions tests from 2006 through 2015. He was arrested on Saturday at Miami airport after attempting to return to Germany from a vacation, the Justice Department said. Schmidt's lawyer David Massey said Schmidt had learned of the investigation and reached out to the FBI to offer to cooperate. Schmidt then met with FBI agents in London last year, he said. The FBI complaint said VW employees assured VW executive management that U.S. regulators were not aware of the defeat device," the complaint said. "Rather than advocate for disclosure of the defeat device to U.S. regulators, VW executive management authorized its continued concealment." Schmidt and other VW employees prepared a chart with possible consequences from a meeting with California regulators. One of the "negative for VW" consequences was "there could be an 'indictment,'" the complaint says. • Download PDF, above right, for FBI complaint VW said it could not comment on an ongoing legal matter. "Volkswagen continues to cooperate with the Department of Justice as we work to resolve remaining matters in the United States," the company said in a statement Monday. "It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations or to discuss personnel matters.” Cooperating witnesses According to an affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Ian Dinsmore, internal VW emails and accounts from two anonymous cooperating witnesses from inside VW's engine development department and from James Liang, an engine department employee who pleaded guilty to fraud charges in September 2016, provided enough evidence to charge Schmidt. When the evidence first arose that something was off with VW's diesel engines, Schmidt wrote an email to another executive questioning whether the company should confess. "It should first be decided whether we are honest," he wrote. "If we are not honest, everything stays as it is." After several meetings in Germany, Virginia, Michigan and California, Schmidt and other executives in August 2015 came up with a plan to conceal the defeat device from regulators. Schmidt wrote an email to another VW manager explaining that one employee would not be coming to a meeting with California regulators "so he would not have to consciously lie." The complaint reads: "Nevertheless, in the summer of 2015, Schmidt agreed to travel to the United States to participate in direct conversations with U.S. regulators in which he intended to, and did, deceive and mislead U.S. regulators by offering reasons for the discrepancy other than the fact that VW was intentionally cheating U.S. emissions tests, in order to allow VW to continue to sell diesel vehicles in the United States." An unnamed witness, referred to in the complaint as "CW1" met with California regulators on Aug. 19, 2015 and "disclosed, in direct contravention of instructions from his management, that certain VW diesel vehicles used different emissions treatment depending on whether the vehicles were on the (testing) dynamometer or on the road, thereby effectively admitting that VW had cheated U.S. emissions tests." Schmidt headed the company's regulatory compliance office in the U.S. from 2014 to March 2015. In March 2015, Schmidt was promoted to a more senior management position within Volkswagen and returned to the company's headquarters in Germany. No extradition The U.S. affidavit against Schmidt lays out what could be a road map to charges against higher-level executives. The German constitution bars extradition of German nationals to foreign countries other than European Union members states. The law allows it to hand over Germans to international tribunals such as the The Hague-based International Criminal Court. If German nationals leave their home country, they could face the fate of German hedge fund manager Florian Homm, who in 2013 traveled from Germany to Italy only to be arrested at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence on U.S. charges. Most senior VW officials are not attending this year's Detroit auto show, which is taking place this week. VW Group CEO Matthias Mueller stayed away from the show. VW brand chief Diess was the company's most senior representative. VW admitted in September that it installed secret software that allowed U.S. vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution levels. The company initially blamed a small group of "rogue engineers" for the test-cheating, and has repeatedly said no current or former board members were involved. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jan 17 14:33   VW Recall - henry k

VW papers shed light on emissions scandal www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38603723 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 10 Jan 17 09:19   VW Recall - Bill Payer

>> Only the BMW 3 series was more popular on the company’s website, he said. >> Very off topic, but it's remarkabe how 3 Series has become the bog-standard British car. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 10 Jan 17 08:18   VW Recall - Crankcase

>> I was totally mystified listening to the people on the radio today who were trying >> to jump on the US class action bandwagon. Bit like that PPI stuff. I don't have it and never have, on anything, but of course checked my old statements and things just in case. And also googled. It's very evident there is a culture of "just claim anyway, some bank somewhere might well pay out something if you ask." That just feels wrong to me, that, but clearly not to many. World we live in now I guess. Yuk. Still I also got grumpy about that time some cashpoint was paying out incorrectly. There were huge queues, photos of the queues in the paper, lots of copy about it, but nowhere did anyone seem to want to say "yes, these people are thieves who are being photographed". And then the bank afterwards said "oh keep it, too hard to sort it out". Amazing to me the police weren't called, but hey. Clearly I'm the weird one. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 10 Jan 17 09:24   VW Recall - Bill Payer

>> Bit like that PPI stuff. I don't have it and never have, on anything, but >> of course checked my old statements and things just in case. And also googled. It's >> very evident there is a culture of "just claim anyway, some bank somewhere might well >> pay out something if you ask." >> >> That just feels wrong to me, that, but clearly not to many. World we live >> in now I guess. Yuk. I think most people feel antagonism towards large corporates who, of course, are also very impersonal. Getting something out of them under any circumstances is always a victory for the little man. I have to say I feel the same way about VW, perhaps more specifically VW UK. I had hassle some years ago with daughter's Golf and they have a horrible attitude. While Mrs BP absolutely loves her Tiguan it was a very hard purchase for me and the emissions stuff is just the icing on the cake. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 00:37   VW Recall - Stuartli

I've always had petrol-engine VW vehicles - prefer them to a diesel lump upfront. But taking the present jumping on the bandwagon attitude of far too many, I'll point out that I've stuck with the marque for nearly 30 years because of the solid image, resale values and overall class. Like most people I generally buy my fuel in fixed amounts, such as £20, £30 or more sums depending on tank capacity. Fuel consumption has rarely been of interest and certainly emission levels would never have persuaded me to buy other than a VW. Those who seek to take advantage of what has been a difficult time for VW (the Americans of course have led the way) don't get any support or even sympathy from me. If the subject had never come to light they would have been no worse off than when they first bought a vehicle, so I'm not surprised that VW sales have pretty much been consistent or even higher than previous years. Certainly I would have no qualms about replacing like for like...:-) Last edited by: Stuartli on Thu 12 Jan 17 at 00:39 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 08:27   VW Recall - Crankcase

>> Like most people I generally buy my fuel in fixed amounts, such as £20, £30 >> or more sums depending on tank capacity. Really? I was wondering about that the other day. I've never done that at all, always just filled it up, but noticed at a Tesco pump the other day there were some new buttons to press that make it dispense in those kind of amounts. I looked and thought "can't imagine they'll get used much, who does that?" Just me again, is it? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 08:41   VW Recall - spamcan61

SQ >> Just me again, is it? No, me too, I always fill empty (ish) to brim, can't see the point in the 'tenner at a time' approach unless one enjoys spending more time than necessary on fuel station forecourts or one is skint. Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 12 Jan 17 at 10:21 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 09:25   VW Recall - Stuartli

>>..can't see the point in the 'tenner at a time' approach...>> Where did I mention a "tenner at a time"? I usually top up my 12 gallon fuel tank when it drops below the half way mark, but it's much easier to put in fuel to the values I mentioned rather than try and dribble every last drop in to brim the tank. The cost of the fuel doesn't bother me that much nor do I over worry about fuel consumption, as I enjoy driving and make the most of the car's performance during my time on the road...:-) By the way, my Jetta 170 Sport averages approximately 43 mpg...;-) ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 09:32   VW Recall - mikeyb

Fill to the brim every time - no desire to visit the station anymore often than I need to, plus the tank on the lexus is to small anyway - currently £38 to fill from empty Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 09:45   VW Recall - henry k

>> Fill to the brim every time - no desire to visit the station anymore often than I need to, plus the tank on the lexus is to small anyway - >> That is what I do plus with under 300 urban miles per tank full my time is more important. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 09:51   VW Recall - Dog

Going back a few years of course but, my uncle who, I must point out, suffered with mental health issues, would only ever put 1 gallon of petrol in his old J4 van, when absolutely necessary. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 10:26   VW Recall - spamcan61

>> >>..can't see the point in the 'tenner at a time' approach...>> >> >> Where did I mention a "tenner at a time"? >> My shorthand for the fixed spend approach, although I do frequently see folk literally sticking a tenner's worth in. >> I usually top up my 12 gallon fuel tank when it drops below the half >> way mark, but it's much easier to put in fuel to the values I mentioned >> rather than try and dribble every last drop in to brim the tank. >> I fill until the pump trip stops further filling, nothing could be easier than that. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jan 17 00:47   VW Recall - Stuartli

>>I fill until the pump trip stops further filling, nothing could be easier than that.>> That's fine. Each to his or her own. However there does seem to be a developing tendency in these forums, whether it's motoring or computing, for some forum members to take a shock horror approach to others if they do something differently than themselves. There's more than one way to skin a cat and no one should forget that fact...:-) Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 13 Jan 17 08:31   VW Recall - CGNorwich

How do you skin a cat? :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jan 17 11:48   VW Recall - madf

>> How do you skin a cat? >> :-) >> >> >> Take one large bottle of brandy, two hooks and a very sharp knife. Drown cat. Suspend dead cat by its tail. Take knife and cut down from head to tail and remove entrails. Drink brandy. Give up due to mess and need to vomit. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jan 17 11:57   VW Recall - Crankcase

Sounds easier than giving a cat a pill. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply plaster to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small wrench. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet mignon. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 litre of water down throat to wash pill down. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture store on way home to order new table. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 13 Jan 17 11:58   VW Recall - CGNorwich

I didn't really need to know! Apologies to any cat lovers. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Fri 13 Jan 17 11:15   VW Recall - legacylad

If I'm running low on fuel, then depending on when I know I shall have access to Shell VPower, I might only put in a tenner. Or even a fiver. With 140k miles on the clock there could well be all kinds of stuff swilling around in the bottom of my tank so I don't like running it too low. Or I could be totally wrong (again). Either way, there's no point having a quarter full tank of Asda finest diluting the expensive V Power, if you follow my reasoning. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 10:30   VW Recall - VxFan

>> Just me again, is it? Nope. I try and round it up to the nearest £1, or if I go over, to the next 50p on the display. I can't recall ever putting in fixed amounts such as £20, £30, etc. Just brim it when filling up and that's it. Also it makes it easier to calculate the MPG as the fuel computer is always out by a few miles. I too saw those new fangled Tesco pumps the other evening and thought who's going to use that feature. For starters it was quite high up on the front of the pump. I'm 5' 11" and they were above my eye level and I also had a job reading the info on how to use the buttons. Probably ok once you've used them a few times, but I am unlikely too. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Thu 12 Jan 17 08:46   VW Recall - commerdriver

>> Like most people I generally buy my fuel in fixed amounts, such as £20, £30 or more sums >> depending on tank capacity. I usually buy mine in a number of gallons at a time or at least the litre equivalent, and then fill up on odd occasions to keep an eye on fuel consumption, mainly as a first check on the car running normally Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 10:28   VW Recall - smokie

I just squeeze the pump till the first auto cutout, then squeeze it one more time for luck. And, unlike some, I have always mentally noted my pump number and have my method of payment ready in my hand before I reach the cash desk (if I can't pay at pump) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 10:35   VW Recall - legacylad

Not that difficult is it smokie? Living out in the sticks there is no surplus of fuel stations, and I always try to use Shell V Power. My arthritic 1.6 diseasel needs all the octane it can get, and the extra few quid pales into insignificance compared to the overall running costs. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 10:50   VW Recall - Crankcase

The Tesco buttons seemed at a glance to offer the choice between a fixed amount of cash or a fixed number of litres, which is quite clever. Thinking about it I'd use that when it's something like when returning a courtesy car and wanting to put just a fiver in or whatever, that kind of scenario. Would be good for that. But I can see how someone would want a fixed £50 a week in the tank or something. I was just being a nosey-rosey because I don't do it that way is all. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 11:02   VW Recall - smokie

I think it's more common abroad as I've come across it in the States, and for me it works OK there as I often pay cash (my credit cards don't usually work in the pumps there, not least as they ask for a zip code), and in some petrol outlets there is a different (higher) price for credit cards. So I suppose if you are paying cash it makes life easier. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 11:25   VW Recall - legacylad

When sponging off my CA friends I drive all their cars, an Outback and three Toyotas ( Tundra, Scion & Sienna). The pumps never accept U.K. Cards so when inputting how many gallons of gas I need to buy,then pump after making payment, it's always hit n miss. What's this got to do with VW Recall though? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 17:55   VW Recall - Bromptonaut

Currently both cars get brimmed every time (excepting odd occasion Mrs B tops up on the M40). However when mine was basically a station car and diesel was pushing £1.40 a litre I preferred to have money in bank rather than tank. Topped it up 20 a time in either quids or litres depending on how far from pay pay day I was. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 13:21   VW Recall - Bill Payer

>> so I'm not surprised that VW sales have >> pretty much been consistent or even higher than previous years. >> I think they're down a chunky amount last year. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 13:34   VW Recall - CGNorwich

Sales up overall mainly due to growth in China and Asia. Down in Europe and the Americas. www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/14/vw-sales-return-to-growth-as-dieselgate-impact-fades/ Last edited by: CGNorwich on Thu 12 Jan 17 at 13:35 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 12 Jan 17 13:53   VW Recall - devonite

Must admit I'm one of them there £15 quids a time folk! That takes it to just above half full, can't see the point in burning fuel just to carry it, mind you the last time I spent £15 on fuel was three weeks ago, and I've still over quarter tank left! - suppose it depends how much you need to use it, ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jan 17 11:26   VW Recall - Rudedog

I remember when I started driving in 1986 there used to be the same kind of buttons at the local Jet station, but they started at £5, so not a new thing but in those days the £15 button was a lot of money. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 13 Jan 17 16:57   VW Recall - VxFan

>> Apologies for revisiting this, but it's making the news again:- I bet VW bosses are fuming ;) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 10:14   Audi Recall - VxFan

Yet further recalls by the VAG group. The models concerned are A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q5, sq 5, sq 5 Plus and Q7 www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5294675/Audi-recalls-127-000-luxury-cars.html Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 22 Jan 18 at 10:14 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 14:34   Audi Recall - Boxsterboy

While they're at it, they should recall all the Transporters with the BiTDI engines and replace the engines FOC. The EGR Coolers are about as useful as a chocolate tea-pot and wreck the engines as a result. It will be a very long time before I buy another VW/Audi/Skoda/SEAT, etc. If ever. Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Mon 22 Jan 18 15:36   Audi Recall - zippy

>> It will be a very long time before I buy another VW/Audi/Skoda/SEAT, etc. If ever. I agree. I was surprised that the "other place" gave the new Polo 5/5 when they have been harping on about the engine problems caused by not replacing the tool that makes timing chains, ERG issues and diesel-gate. I also understand that the VWG now consider dampers a consumable / wear and tear item and warrant them for only 6 months with owners reporting oil leaks and refused warranty repairs on them! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 16:11   Audi Recall - Zero

Add to that the DSG gearboxes, and you have all the reasons I didnt go for a VAG group car. Pity the Audi A6 Allroad Quattro would have done me nicely. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 16:48   Audi Recall - Bromptonaut

Got the recall for the Skoda but I've opted out which is apparently no problem. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 21:33   Audi Recall - Hard Cheese

>> Pity the Audi A6 Allroad Quattro would have done me nicely. >> Thought only the V90 and G31 accommodated the dog cage? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 22:06   Audi Recall - Zero

The V90 didnt even come close to taking the cage. Last edited by: Zero on Mon 22 Jan 18 at 22:07 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 22 Jan 18 23:27   Audi Recall - rtj70

I doubt Zero even thought of trying the Audi because he'd ruled it out for the reasons he'd given. Don't the performance petrol engined cars come with DSG/S-Tronic rather than TC/Tiptronic? I think the current A6 is overdue replacement - it is dated inside. I prefer the A4 and A3. You'd have thought the A7 would be a derivative of the A6 again and come after a new A6 too. Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 22 Jan 18 at 23:28 Reply to this message | Report message