My 2013 JSW

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
hey new forum pals.
you may or may not recognize me from the B5 forum.
if you'd care to catch up on my saga check out my thread over there: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/my-thread-for-advice-guidance-stupid-questions.506326/
skip to the end if you don't need all the details, and why i don't need to recount what brings me here.

the B5.5 wagon had potential to be a really great car and i was so close to getting it there! in my six-ish months of ownership taught me some valuable lessons along the way and in the end, the receipts i had for the investment i had made into it allowed me to be able to afford the car that titles this thread.

found it on CL two hours away in tucson.....86k and it's a 6 speed. 3ish years left on buyback warrantee. SOLD!

what's to do with a newly purchased TDI? take it on a 500 mile road trip, of course! so i promptly headed for mexico--after having a highly recommended indy VW shop check it out and chage the oil to Liqui Moly 5w30, 507.00 spec and a stop by the local major tire retailer to diagnose a shimmy @ highway speed. turns out it has 17s from an audi that don't center on the hubs and two of them are bent. unfortunate, because they look nice and tuck well, but it looks like they (and the crappy Nexen tires) will be replaced with the 16" rims and low mile Conti ExtremeContact DWS from the old wag in short order.

first road trip impressions are that it feels much more sporty than the B5 while giving the overall impression of very similar size. it has GREAT headlights! it gets the kind of mileage i was expecting of the old car and has better ground clearance in the front. i love the modernity, although i am not a modernity guy at heart. much more to learn about VCDS mods that i can make as i've done the major ones already. P2015 bracket incoming!

looking forward to many miles in it and like any new family member, we're both going to need to get used to each other!



 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Really nice looking wagon! Hope it works out well for you.

I'll read about the b5 when I have time. Hopefully not too terrible of a story.
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
hey there! it could have been worse, i guess. just hoping that experience will be the "cap" on this f'ed up year!

so it has thrown the CEL for DPF and exhaust flap. i'll just clear it for now until i get the non-delete tune done @ my local shop. after that, i'll assess if it needs attention from the dealer.

a couple of VCDS things that i'd like to do, but it's so much more complex than the oldie that i'm having a hard time: i need to turn off the door chime!! and would really like the front power outlet to be hot all the time, not just when the ignition is on, if that's possible.

about to head out for my first commute :)
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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Mar 3, 2014
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yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Welcome, I remember the thread. I actually posted in it. Sorry about the losses, hope this mk6 treats you well. I as well as many JSW owners have come from b5.5's. These are great cars with a few things that you should get familiar with.

You stated you wanted to delete. You should have 100% emmisions coverage still. I would HIGHLY recommend using it for ALL you can. Even if your planning to delete. The DPF is very expensive and even if you don't plan on using it you can shelf or sell it. (1st dibbs:LOL:).

Got to hand it to you, from your past threads your definitely not afraid to dive in and tackle a repair. I'd bet you'd love the Polar FIS addition. And definitely a tune. These are awesome little cars. Especially with the 6 manual like you've got. I miss the extra room the b5.5 had tho. .

Again at least think about taking advantage of your warrenty before you delete.
 

PRY4SNO

Veteran Member
Joined
May 15, 2016
Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2013 Touareg Execline
@JELLOWSUBMARINE, he specifically said a non-delete tune.

Of course, the issue then becomes how the dealer responds to possibly noticing an extra flash count on the ECM. Small risk, but definitely a potential problem which could void the warranty.

@borninabus, you said the headlights are great... do you have factory HIDs? The halogens are nothing short of disappointing.
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
well thank you, gents :)
the car did 38mpg on my commute today where as the B5 would do just above 27ish. all stop & go, about 50 miles round trip so i am quite pleased.

yes, i was thinking specifically about a NON-delete tune, but didn't realize that there was still potential to void the warrantee. i'll have to think about it some more. is my understanding correct that parts of the emission system (like the flap) are LIFETIME warranteed?

i wouldn't know how to tell if my lights are HID. haha. still learning! i guess my statement of "great" is relative to vintage VWs and some foggy B5 lights.

can't say that i miss the extra space, but not much need for the golf sized back seat in my world and haven't used the cargo area yet really.
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
malone stage 2 installed this morning!

first impressions are that while it didn't make the car much more noticeably quick, the drive-ability overall is much improved. smoother shifting and low RPM torque is improved so that it doesn't come onto the turbo so hard.

i'm expecting an increase in MPG which has been hanging around 35 in almost all city traffic. reset the computers and will report back with what i see.

still trying to figure out if i can get 12V power @ the front outlet at all times and if i can turn off the ignition on door chime. other than that, loving it! might put my p2015 bracket on when i get home.

see ya :)
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Exactly what I've seen with Kerma. From 35 MPG to a constant average 38 MPG in mixed driving, mostly town. Soot dramatically reduced, so much ezier on the DPF with short minimal load regens.

(y)
 

VhickleGarage

Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Location
Tampa Bay, FL
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
Congrats on the find. You must have the HID lights, because like PRY4SNO said. . .the halogen lights are abysmal! Probably my biggest compliant with my new JSW.

I know you said 2 wheels are bent anyway, but I believe you could get new Hub rings that would center the wheels properly.

If you haven't done the manifold flap bracket yet it's pretty easy. I of course had the p2015 code too. Awesome that you got the tune right away. . The regen cycles are annoying. I would love to get the tune going to have to wait on that for a bit.

Hopefully you don't have the leaky sunroof issues. . I'm tearing into that with mine right now.
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
so i did my pretty much weekly trip which turns out to be about 225 miles round trip. it contains interstate, state hwy, minimal city, a nice mountain road and even 5+ miles of dirt. the drive is 4000+ft elevation gain going there (including 4ish miles of 4-6% grade @ interstate speed) and then back down on the way home. i make a loop of it and usually don't take the interstate on the way home because sunday traffic is BAD in that direction.

i averaged JUST under 42mpg on the round trip after fueling up @ chevron--which is not the cheapest--and it cost me about $11.50. pretty happy about that! feeling justified about my diesel now.

unfortunately, a pattern has developed: the CEL is now back on just as it has been after every highway trip. it did an active regen today and i let it run its course. seeing some soot around the tailpipes too. haven't checked the codes yet, but i'm sure it's exhaust flap/DPF. CEL eventually went out after the last active regen and i'm going to see if it does again this time before i investigate much further.

no issues with the sunroof. it hasn't rained here since like november and i in fact LOVE my pano!

installed the p2015 bracket and an OE battery over the weekend. ordered some G52 synthetic and the audi short shift kit for future entertainment :)
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
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2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
Definitely got DPF failure. You should have no soot in the tail pipe. Your 2013 has at least 3 more years on the zero deductible emmisions repair. Problem MAY be though over the recent tune if the tech looks over the flash count. I would think about running the stock tune into the dealer. Do you have a good relationship with any dealership? Hopefully you'll sail past that.

Ive seen a few threads related to Malone tunes possibly throwing codes? How often and long are your active regens? Do you have a way of watching them or just seat of the pants?
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
ok. so as usual, things have gotten complicated. i called an authorized VW service center that i have had a professional relationship with when i was an ACVW mechanic. i pretty much just asked them straight up if they could replace my DPF under warranty and they said "sure. let's run the vin" and here's where things get interesting: the vin came back as "red flagged" for an ECM flash/tune performed in 2016. they told me to call VW, so i did.

this is what VW said: the ECM tune has invalidated any drivetrain warrantee, but the emissions warrantee could still be used if the issue was determined--by the individual dealer--to have not been caused as a result of the tuning. i was provided a case reference number for any future needs regarding this situation.

so....i will call my independent authorized service center back today with this information and will hopefully get this DPF fixed--for free.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
The vin came back as "red flagged" for an ECM flash/tune performed in 2016. they told me to call VW, so i did.
this is what VW said: the ECM tune has invalidated any drivetrain warrantee, but the emissions warrantee could still be used if the issue was determined--by the individual dealer--to have not been caused as a result of the tuning. i was provided a case reference number for any future needs regarding this situation
So the tune was done in 2016, before your purchase. Hopefully a little consideration will be given at the dealership toward coverage. Hopefully its covered, you can start with a healthy emmision system. Even if you delete, you could shelf or sell the parts.

Do you know that it is a Malone tune for sure, what level? Do you have the tune installer box with the stock tune? I've only done 1 tune and that was my Kerma. It doesn't set any codes, the soot minimalized, etc. I would think that in itself would mean its within designed specifications?

Does an updated Malone tune normally throw codes? Did you buy with the CEL on? I wonder if it was a 2016 Malone tune if ANY updates are avalible ?
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
i had a malone stage 2 done. tech told me he had the same tune on his CJAA and his tailpipe is rusty inside, it's so clean. the CEL was not on at the time of my purchase. don't know what tune it had installed or even if it even still was at the time of my purchase.

i am welcome to go back to the indy shop and they will remove the tune and then put it back if needed. good bunch of guys @ autobahn motorwerks here in phx, btw.

i decided to deal directly with VW on this and am in touch with the service manager at my preferred dealership. told them what customer care said, gave them my case #, etc. they are going to do some checking for me and hopefully hear back tomorrow.
 

JELLOWSUBMARINE

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Joined
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Location
yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
I went back and reread the thread. Correct me my summery is off.

You just bought the car .
No CEL @ purchase, will set/clear CEL fairly consistently since purchase.
Found out VW is aware of pre purchase 2016 tune. Red flagged.
You took to independent shop and had Malone 2 tune.
Case open with VW. They basically gave warranty approval over to local dealer for go or no go.

My questions are
Did the Indy shop save the old tune... The one before they installed YOUR recent Malone 2? And was the previous tune the old 2016 Malone red flagged tune? OR was it the new VW "fix" tune?. It did have the fix, right? If not it wouldn't have the extended emmisions warranty. I'm thinking it must have had the "fix" tune or VW wouldve gave you the Sh!t OUT OF LUCK when you opened the case?

Can you reinstall (for now) the stock "fix" tune to pacify the dealer for warranty purposes? I'm not sure exactly how the Malone tunes are reloadable. The Karma I did came with my own box to swap back and forth.
 

borninabus

Veteran Member
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Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
you're pretty right on the money, jello.

not sure as to the status of the the tune that was installed. tech never mentioned it, but i could ask. and yes, the car has been "fixed" by VW and i can have the shop install/uninstall the tune as needed.

didn't hear back from my service manager today. will contact them tomorrow. the CEL is not going off and the car did another active regen today while driving. it's been about 200 miles since the last regen. engine module is showing p2002 error code.

waiting on those floor mats and audi "short shift" for something to do :)
 
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JELLOWSUBMARINE

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yes
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen, 6M, red/tan, navi, pano, 83 5m diesel pickup, 82 p/u trailer,.04 5.5 TDI Passat wagon (gone), 80,81,82 diesel p/u (gone), 80,82 sportruck (gone), 59 passthru bus (long gone), 79&87 westy (gone), 57 baja bug (long gone), 73 914
So the shop had the quadzilla tune loader and they loaded your recent tune. I wonder if the Quadzilla can be used by a shop to load multiple cars/tunes?. I would hope they saved your VW tune to put the VW fix tune back on and/or take off?

Since the 2016 tune was done by another owner AND VW fixed and resold it I can see why they didn't outright tell you go away. Legally they must be liable... Unless they smell another tune! Id temporarily remove it and play dumb


200 to 300 miles are my norm..
 

borninabus

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Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
thought i'd bring my thread back up to the top and provide some updates on my wagon.

i've put about 15k on the clock so far and am averaging 35+mpgs depending on my city highway mix. been running the B5 16" wheels and conti DWS06 for almost the entire time. i love the tires for my purposes which are extremely mixed driving conditions. i upgraded the low beam H7 bulbs to 70 watt bulbs and that's made a huge difference in lighting. would like to do the highs too, but it seems the only higher watt H15s are in the 24V variety and the osram HID headlight assemblies are a little steep for my blood. did all the brakes and flushed the system as well as i could using a manual bleeder bottle. upgraded the rear sway bar to a 21,7mm off of a B6 passat (you dont have to use a GTI one) for super cheap, junkyard style and am pretty happy with the cost/reward on that one. kinda like the audi shift linkage, not a huge difference but more just the way it should have been to begin with.

no real issues to report other than the pesky DPF/EGR related CEL that has the car @ the dealer for the third time right now. i've done my research though and am trying to help them get to the root of the problem--which i think they can. also no problem with removing the malone stage 2 and taking it into them. no questions asked at least in my situation. YMMV. the 2021 tiguan that i'm loaning (2.0T; DSG) is pretty meh IMO, especially when you're used to TDI torques. AND it makes a strange (intake?) noise @ light throttle that i would be pretty peaved about if it was my brand new 3500mi car.

my next projects (once the repair is completed to my satisfaction) is to upgrade the rear shocks to match my HD RSB. waffling back and forth between koni sports & bilstein yellows. i like that the konis are adjustable--once removed--and am kind of gun-shy that the bilsteins will be too harsh without a spring change. i do have a baby on the way, you know! any input would be appreciated. and i am for sure installing a neuspeed power pulley because i noticed that my drive belt could use a change and it just kinda compounded from there. i should be able to provide some real-world feed back on that as i won't be doing a bunch of other work @ the same time. so stay semi-tuned. my projects take forever sometimes!


valentine's day roadtrip to Las Cruces/White Sands, NM where we saw some snow, real cold temps and my intercooler didn't even freeze :)
 
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prsa01

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Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
What's involved in using a 70 watt bulb setup? Just coding or more than that?
 

prsa01

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Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Did you check to see if the wiring/connections got hot at all? I guess I'm not familiar with whether these cars use the higher watt bulbs elsewhere in the world and are just restricted here.

You've only been running this only a short time, correct?

Any issues with getting flashed or anything else?

Thanks. I would be interested in trying this out if the wiring can handle it with no problems.
 

borninabus

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Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
i'm not concerned about the wiring handling an extra 15w so i never checked. no issues with blinding others, that's why i stuck with incandescents. i ran these same bulbs in my B5 passat (where they were also the DRL) as well without issue. so, i've been using them for a while.
 

borninabus

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Feb 18, 2020
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Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
installed some koni sport (yellows) in the rear and am very happy with my choice. set them @ halfway and the wagon rake is definitely a bit more pronounced. the ride is not too harsh at all but my initial thought when test driving was: guess i need to do the fronts now. i have some TT CAB en route for the front and then i'm going from there.

the car is headed back to the dealer tomorrow for it's second DPF replacement. i am going to talk to the tech and ask what his plan is for addressing the EGR codes which keep tripping the CEL. i do believe that with my guidance, we can get the emissions system into proper shape to get through the warranty period. then it's delete time. really wanting to get my malone stage 2 reinstalled!

having some second thoughts about the nuespeed pulley as it's coming into summer here in phoenix and i don't want to compromise the A/C's ability to keep me comfortable. anyone use one in extreme heat like here? i also ordered a heatshield sunroof panel.
 

borninabus

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Feb 18, 2020
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Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
so the car should be done @ the dealer sometime next week. in the mean time i went ahead and ordered some VW Driver Gear springs. plan is to install the rears to even out the rake a bit and then decide what i want to do in the front. i'm not really interested in lowering the front so i'm thinking about installing the DG springs and Blistein TC "sports" and see how it sits. if i need spacers to bring it back up then that's probably what i'll do. went ahead and pulled the trigger on Neuspeed power pulley and i'll see if the A/C can keep up with phoenix summer heat. also have a heatshield for the pano roof. ready to get this car back!
 

borninabus

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Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
well, it took some time but the dealership did what i said and replaced the EGR filter, cooler and whatever else needed to be done to address the insufficient flow DTC. i've had the car back for most of the week and have about 100 miles of driving without the CEL.

put my VWDG springs on the rear only and they lowered my height by exactly 1-1/8". it looks good, but not perfect and the springs feel great. i'm going to need spacers all around to get the ride height i want and still be able to run these. no biggie.

headed over to autobahn this morning to have my malone stage 2 reinstalled and i also have the nuespeed power pulley but i'm gonna run it around to compile some nubmers and get a good feel for the malone before i install it.
 

97B4TDi

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Feb 5, 2007
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Wisconsin
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1997 B4 Passat, 2013 Jetta Sportwagen TDI
If you have a pano roof look into getting it tinted with a 3M Ceramic or Crystalline window film. They reject a great amount of infrared energy attempting to go through the glass.
 

DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
hey there! it could have been worse, i guess. just hoping that experience will be the "cap" on this f'ed up year!

so it has thrown the CEL for DPF and exhaust flap. i'll just clear it for now until i get the non-delete tune done @ my local shop. after that, i'll assess if it needs attention from the dealer.

a couple of VCDS things that i'd like to do, but it's so much more complex than the oldie that i'm having a hard time: i need to turn off the door chime!! and would really like the front power outlet to be hot all the time, not just when the ignition is on, if that's possible.

about to head out for my first commute :)
If it's under warrenty. Don't clear it. Get the dpf replaced.
 

borninabus

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Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
thanks for the replies. was getting kinda lonely in here!
i opted for the heatshield for my sunroof just because the heat is so extreme here i didn't want to risk it shattering.

it was a long process, but the car is out of the dealer and i have about 500 miles logged without the CEL and no soot @ my tail pipes!
 

rtking

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Mar 18, 2011
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Southern California
TDI
2011 Jetta Sportwagen 6MT
Good news! My JSW is at the dealer for a DPF and exhaust flap replacement. Dang how much I miss driving the car!
 

borninabus

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Feb 18, 2020
Location
Arizona
TDI
-2013 JSW 6MT- -2006 Jetta DSG-
what codes are you showing?
if you've been driving around with a broken DPF, then the low side EGR will need repair as well. i didn't have any problem with informing my service advisor and tech of that fact and then they passed that info along to VW. took a little extra time, but they approved the diagnosis and replaced all that shizz.

i was actually thinking that i'd call them (the dealer) and see if they'd replace my under hood insulation blanket with the newerr style one. mine has clearly shrunk. it's falling out and i don't see why that--according to the settlement language--it wouldn't be considered a part of the emissions system.
 
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