It looks like Volkswagen has inadvertently sent a fix for its illegally polluting TDI vehicles to a customer, along with a letter spelling out the costs of said fix.
The fix, which is included on an OBD II adapter, wasn’t supposed to be sent with the letter, explained the TDI owner who wished to remain anonymous. Other TDI owners can expect to receive their fix in the next 90 days, says the letter.
From the letter:
Dear Volkswagen Owner,
As you are more than likely aware, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating the emissions compliance of certain model year Volkswagens powered by the TDI series of diesel engines. Although Volkswagen admits no fault or wrongdoing in this issue, and points out further that vehicles powered by the TDI engine family have met the most stringent and ethically administered emissions tests in Europe, to prevent customer dissatisfaction among our United States base of existing owners we have engineered a solution that addresses the EPA’s concerns while continuing to deliver the low-consumption, environmentally conscious TDI experience that our owners love.
During the next 90 days, you will be contacted by your dealership with an offer to take advantage of our EcoPlus reprogramming service. The EcoPlus is a small device that connects to your Volkswagen vehicle through the existing diagnostic port — no greasy fingers or bruised knuckles required! That’s the Volkswagen way! After the dealer connects the EcoPlus device to your vehicle, you’ll be asked to drive as you normally do for a period of seven (7) to fourteen (14) days, at which point you’ll return to your dealer to have the device removed.
At that point, your TDI Volkswagen will comply with the most stringent EPA tests at any time. It’s that easy!
If you purchased your VW TDI used, or if you have moved away from your selling dealer, please contact Volkswagen of America via physical mail at the following address:
Attention: EcoPlus Compliance Program
Volkswagen Group of America
2200 Ferdinand Porsche Dr.
Herndon, VA 20171Include your VIN, your current physical address where the car is located, and the best times and method to reach you.
Be aware that by connecting the EcoPlus device to your car, you may be waiving your right to legal recourse in most states, exempting California and Rhode Island. You will also be changing your powertrain warranty coverage to a total of 12 months/12,000 miles after the EcoPlus device is connected, regardless of current warranty coverage.
Drivers may notice a decrease in fuel efficiency of between 5 and 32 percent, depending on climate, engine model year, and driving habits. Some drivers may also notice a decrease in power under certain conditions, such as full-throttle driving or highway operation. In some tests, the power rating of the VW TDI engine was affected by as much as 26 percent during full-throttle operation in cold climates. Finally, the increased duty cycle brought on by changes in engine programming may significantly reduce the time between major services for TDI engines coupled to a manual transmission.
For more information, please write to the address above.
With all the performance and fuel economy losses, you’d be foolish to plug this into your Volkswagen.
o_o
Nailed it.
It’s kinda like GAME GENIE
FIRST OF APRIL ANYONE
Everyday seems to be April 1st at VW these days.
:-(
Up to 32% reduction in fuel efficiency and up to 26% power loss and a possible reduction in warranty coverage for some owners. This won’t irritate anyone who spent $28K on one of these cars and is accustomed/addicted to 45mpg.
“Although Volkswagen admits no fault or wrongdoing in this issue”
??????
That’s the Volkswagen way!
I was just thinking you guys hadn’t posted your annual AF joke yet.
They got me.
I have 4/1 problems with this
Sigh. April Fool’s Day, when every blogger thinks they’re a comedian.
Yeah, too many holes in this story from those of us that do our own tuning. That, along with shorten warranty and not extended one.
I could see just a reflash curing the NOz problem to the tune of some unhappy owners.
You folks must be great fun at parties.
While in general I would agree with you, after last year’s cross country record in a dual control Infiniti hoax by Jack and friends, we have a tradition to keep up here at TTAC.
Whenever I’m leaking something important, I make sure to do it in poor light and at a very crooked angle.
This fits very well with their new marketing slogan
Dummies Wanted
Hello. April 1st.
VW would never do something as expressive as use an exclamation mark in a consumer letter, either.
Exempting California and Rhode Island??!
Re the glaring contradictions in the letter; “That’s the Volkswagen way!”
Let’s dissect this.
“Although Volkswagen admits no fault or wrongdoing in this issue, and points out further that vehicles powered by the TDI engine family have met the most stringent and ethically administered emissions tests in Europe, to prevent customer dissatisfaction among our United States base of existing owners we have engineered a solution that addresses the EPA’s concerns while continuing to deliver the low-consumption, environmentally conscious TDI experience that our owners love.”
This is beautiful. Although we did nothing wrong, and Europe approves of us (which is irrelevant), in order to prevent *customer dissatisfaction* we are not going to mangle your ECU with new firmware which may or may not require several revisions to get it right.
“no greasy fingers or bruised knuckles required! That’s the Volkswagen way!”
Here’s some brevity for you in this otherwise seriously toned document!
“Be aware that by connecting the EcoPlus device to your car, you may be waiving your right to legal recourse in most states, exempting California and Rhode Island.”
So if we jack up your car, sucks to be you! Except California and Rhode Island [!] residents of course, we will try to get yours right on the first shot.
“Drivers may notice a decrease in fuel efficiency of between 5 and 32 percent, depending on climate, engine model year, and driving habits.”
Which would never ever contribute to the customer dissatisfaction we are trying to mitigate.
“You will also be changing your powertrain warranty coverage to a total of 12 months/12,000 miles after the EcoPlus device is connected, regardless of current warranty coverage”
So just forget your remaining factory warranty or extended warranty coverage you purchased at additional cost. You’ve been upgraded to one year of powertrain coverage!
“Finally, the increased duty cycle brought on by changes in engine programming may significantly reduce the time between major services for TDI engines coupled to a manual transmission.”
By the way, you know the maintenance schedule we developed which you must adhere to and when you don’t its your fault for not following our directions? Just chuck that out. We don’t have a new schedule for you though, because we don’t know what it should be yet. Enjoy being in our grand experiment!
Hugs and Kisses
Your betters at VAG.
???
It’s April 1st, isn’t it?
April Fools…
Well played if this was the case.
This sort of letter would be personally addressed, and offer a website for questions/sign up/appointment schedule/dealer location, etc. It was also clearly not written by a lawyer, which this would’ve been. :)
@28 Cars – I work for a VW/Audi/Porsche dealer, so I know it’s an April Fools’.
For some reason when I see April 1 on the calendar, I never remember what day that really is and engage the BS filter.
My BS-o-meter is at hyper status 24/7, so I haven’t been “got” on 4/1 in several years (though last year’s caper had me going).
If the “no bruised knuckles..” thing didn’t raise a red flag…!
Just send everyone a check for 20k and crush the cars already.
If the reductions in mpg and performance are true, that means a TDI Jetta will get about 30mpg and do 0-60 in about 10 seconds. Das car indeed.
Great April Fool’s day gag. After reading it and picking up my jaw from the desk, I was just about to comment when I saw the other posts and April 1st reference. I certainly hope this is a gag, I would send that little device back to them with a well sorted letter expressing my concerns about the fix that would say something to the effect:
GO %#CK YOURSELF VOLKSWAGEN
The biggest giveaway was the “That’s the Volkswagen way!” but otherwise seems like a fairly reasonable expectation of what will happen with the resulting “fix.”
I should run over to the VW HQ here in Herndon and ask for a copy of the letter and see what the reaction is.
LOL, I was thinking “why the Hell would anyone agree to…oh. April Fools.”
VALUED CUSTOMER:
Please plug this into your car! It voids your warranty, indemnifies us against legal action from you, kills your power, and your mileage, and in all likelihood will grenade your engine.
MOAR TO COME
In other news, Volkswagen Group of America and the Federal Trade Commission have reached a settlement.
As part of the agreement, the Jetta will be renamed the EquiNOx, and Volkswagen will be changing its advertising slogan to “Gross Polluters Wanted.”
“EquiNOx.” Ha!
You know, I was just thinking that all the good April Fools jokes had been superseded by real life. But so far this one hasn’t. Emphasis on “so far” mind you. :)
Seems like everything is “meh” this year, if the fare on “aprilfoolsdayontheweb” is any indication.
Really good.
…The EcoPlus is a small device that connects to your Volkswagen vehicle through the existing diagnostic port — no greasy fingers or bruised knuckles required! That’s the Volkswagen way…
So much 4/1 awesomeness here.
“Note by reading this letter out loud you have waived any responsibility on our part in perpetuity throughout the known universe.”
“no greasy fingers or bruised knuckles required! That’s the Volkswagen way!”
Nicely done.
I should have just skipped the internet today.
I believe that there is some sort of hole in the space time continuum and some of the universe of “Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe” has leaked through. ;-)
EH, not well enough written to pass as anything official.
Good one Mark.
April Fool’s to you!
Although most of it is quite funny (unless you own one of the actual cars)
I really Lol’d at this line;
‘Some drivers may also notice a decrease in power under certain conditions, such as full-throttle driving or highway operation’
Essentially every time you need the power XD
Not as elaborate as the double steering wheel Infiniti, but at least it’s posted on the correct date this year :)
Unfortunately, VW made all its customers into April fools!
Fahrvergnügen!!!
Ahhhh, I nearly forgot what day it is! Good one.
Mark Mark Mark,
It is not nice to kick us TDI owners when we have put up w months and months of silence. This is why you will have to travel 1000’s of K to test drive a FCA car you would want to buy.
Karma.
Automatic, the vendor of the above Photoshopped dongle, had their own AFD joke
http://blog.automatic.com/shifting-to-manual/
In other news, I noticed as I was filling up last night that diesel is now 10 cents less than regular. Is it like that for anyone else?
Good time to buy a TDI, if that were still an option.
TMA1,
In NJ about 12 cents higher vs RUG
Good one! I got about 1/3 of the way through before I realized it sounded too ridiculous to even be from VW despite what’s happened in the last 6 months.
Then I realized it was still April 1 and you guys were making a joke at a joke of a company’s expense. As Mike Brewer would say, top work!