What did VW do to "Fix" the TDI emissions ?

skromfols

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Location
Valley Springs
TDI
2017 Jaguar XE TDI, 2014 Sportwagen TDI
After having the "fix" done to my Sportwagen TDI I immediately had my Malone tune put back on. The power and torque are still at the level that they were at prior to the "fix", and I've had no driving problems. I've noticed that the regen seems to happen more often, and my fuel mileage has decreased. As an example, I used to get around 600 miles on a tank of fuel, but now I need to start looking for a filling station at around 525 miles.

So my question is does anyone know what was done to "fix" the emissions problem, and how difficult would it be to unfix it? Where I live the only emissions testing required is when the vehicle changes ownership, and I plan on keeping this vehicle until the wheels fall off or I lose my driving license due to old age.

Any information would be appreciated.
 

JesseTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Location
Missouri
TDI
2012 Golf TDI, Premium package
It depends on the year of the vehicle. My 2012 Golf was just retuned. I suspect that's what was done to yours as well. Your aftermarket tune has more than likely negated the 'fix' changes and put you back where you where in the first place but I'm not 100% sure on that. Some years had to have a whole DEF system retrofitted to their cars I have no clue how that's working out but I suspect it's not too bad since we dont have a ton of threads about the new parts going bad.
 

skromfols

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Location
Valley Springs
TDI
2017 Jaguar XE TDI, 2014 Sportwagen TDI
Thanks for the response Jesse. Although the tune seems to have helped a great deal I still don't have the same fuel mileage as I used to have, so there's something else that is different. I won't complain because this little TDI still has great power/TQ and gets good mileage, just not quite as good as it did before.
 

JesseTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Location
Missouri
TDI
2012 Golf TDI, Premium package
All TDI's suffered decreased fuel mileage after the fix. I dont know everything they did but I'm pretty sure they changed how often a DPF regen is done and that will effect fuel economy. They changed a injection timing to eek out better emissions as well, they went from an optimal power map to an optimal emissions map. If you had your aftermarket tune altered to maintain the new emissions standards then that explain your decreased fuel milage.
 

skromfols

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Location
Valley Springs
TDI
2017 Jaguar XE TDI, 2014 Sportwagen TDI
I just went with the Malone 2.0 tune, which is what I had prior to the emission fix. I'm not complaining because this little JSW is still great to drive and gets better fuel mileage than anything else I can think of, but I still miss driving from here to Palm Springs before having to fill up. haha
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
This is a little complicated. First, you'd have to know what reflashing the car with the Malone tune actually does. Does it overwrite all of the car's current (fixed) base tune, or lay different fuel/boost/timing parameters on top of it? Also, I thought there were some emissions hardware replacements with the CJAA fix, but I can't recall.

On my '15, Rocketchip first obtained the original pre-fix base tunes for my GSW and then built the tune on that. I don't know if the Malone tune works the same way. My car regens infrequently enough that I have yet to add any Adblue in the 14K miles I've driven it since picking it up at the dealer in 2017. Average MPG is 44.2.
 

JesseTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Location
Missouri
TDI
2012 Golf TDI, Premium package
Some of the CJAA's got different/new hardware the earlier ones (like mine) got a new (but same) DPF and a tune. The only got a new DPF If the current one tested out of spec
 

skromfols

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2010
Location
Valley Springs
TDI
2017 Jaguar XE TDI, 2014 Sportwagen TDI
IndigoBlueWagon, I would certainly be happy with 44.2 MPG. I'm closer to around 37 MPG. And it's my understanding that the 15's were a different engine, or at least a different engine management system. One of the differences is that we (14's and before) don't have the DEF system. I'm not sure how the Malone tune works, but with my Flashzilla I can add or subtract it at any time, so if I can find a way to reverse what VW did I can always add the Malone tune back.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
The '15 engine is different. And it seems that people are seeing better FE on it post-fix than on the '09-14 cars. If you want to be sure you've reversed the fix, I'd talk to Malone.
 

Kevinski4

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Location
Nebraska
TDI
.
This is a little complicated. First, you'd have to know what reflashing the car with the Malone tune actually does. Does it overwrite all of the car's current (fixed) base tune, or lay different fuel/boost/timing parameters on top of it? Also, I thought there were some emissions hardware replacements with the CJAA fix, but I can't recall.

On my '15, Rocketchip first obtained the original pre-fix base tunes for my GSW and then built the tune on that. I don't know if the Malone tune works the same way. My car regens infrequently enough that I have yet to add any Adblue in the 14K miles I've driven it since picking it up at the dealer in 2017. Average MPG is 44.2.

AdBlue usage and regen frequency are unrelated to each other. Urea in injected constantly into the SCR cat when the engine is running.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I understand that, but adblue usage is related to targeted emissions, and all evidence I've seen about usage post fix is that it increases with the fix.
 
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