German manufacturers recall 630,000 diesel vehicles – The World

Le Monde | 22/04/2016 at 16h55 • Updated 04/22/2016 at 7:39 p.m. | By Cécile Boutelet (Berlin, correspondence)

This is the end of hypocrisy in the world of the German car. Volkswagen is not the only manufacturer whose actual pollutant emissions exceed allowable limits. Under pressure from the German Ministry of Transport, which made the results of its survey on the actual pollution from diesel engines Friday, April 22, other manufacturers have announced the recall of 630,000 vehicles in Europe “gas problems exhaust “. In case, the deemed problematic use of emission control interrupt device.

The recall involves five major German brands. Some foreign brands have also been pinned by the commission. This is the case of Renault, which has indicated its intention to also recall problematic vehicles. According to the daily information Handelsblatt will be recalled 243,000 vehicles in the Mercedes (classes A, B and V) 66 000 Audi (Q5, A6, A8), 194 000 Volkswagen Amarok and Crafter, 32 Porsche Macan 000 and 90 000 Opel Zafira, Insignia and Cascada. For these models, the “technical cleanup of exhaust gases at certain temperatures must be revised” says the government

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An authorized mechanism, but misused

Unlike in the case of diesel engines for VW, no illegal software has been detected in the models affected by this recall. VW had used a program that artificially reduced the emission of pollutants during the test situations, significantly higher under real driving conditions. This time, inspectors from the German technical inspection expressed doubts on another system, although permitted in certain cases by EU law but potentially misused.

Authorized Builders are indeed programming the engine control system to cut at certain temperatures, pollution control device exhaust, officially in order to protect the engine. An authorization that the environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe long denounced as unfair. The commission of inquiry mandated by the government following the VW case has given him reason in expressing his doubts on the actual need for such a device.

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Daimler had already acknowledged use a command that bridle the engine’s emission control system by temperatures below 10 ° C, as BMW. At Opel, clamping would even rise from 17 ° C. Builders defend as legal function, but they were asked to reduce the magnitude of this “thermal window” in which the pollution control device is turned off. Hence the voluntary recall of the builders, who will recalibrate the engine control system, a program that decides when the pollution control system works or not.

Now, according to the magazine Der Spiegel is Bosch, specialist of the motor control system, which equipped many manufacturers. Bosch is also the contractor who had provided the VW then base the software handled by the manufacturer to fool pollution controls. Daimler for its part could also be drawn into the same spiral that VW. Friday, April 22, the US government has summoned the Stuttgart group verify the reality of official data of emissions in the United States, considered problematic.

With these revelations is the automotive industry Germany as a whole is undermined. The giant Volkswagen, which concluded Thursday an agreement with the American justice on the aftermath of the fraud of its diesel vehicles, said on Friday it would record the biggest loss in its history in 2015. He has to be provisioned to settle the consequences of the scandal, 16.2 billion euros in 2016. It should therefore cut 30% of its executives bonuses.

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