Steergate!

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
11/06/2016 at 10:53 • Filed to: Questions

Now that Orlove has pointed out !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I’m kind of wondering if all cars do something similar. Maybe less for emissions, but you have to admit performance cars are becoming awfully fast to be running regular street tires and less power than some of their recent predecessors. What if cars are making more power on dyno and drag runs but cutting power and transmission maps during corners?

Maybe this why every single German car seems to be making more power on dynos than they are rated at. Or how vehicles are accelerating faster while being easier to handle in corners even without cup tires. I just dont think stability control systems are THAT good, especially since reviewers cut them all off the second their in the cars and turn them on AFTER they have a close call.

Just thoughts, fam.

DISCUSSION (11)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Wobbles the Mind
11/06/2016 at 10:59

Well traction control programs do cut engine power when they sense a need to. If there’s always a need to during hard cornering then you’ll effectively be running less power.

HammerheadFistpunch > Wobbles the Mind
11/06/2016 at 11:00

This steering thing is a joke, all manufactures teach to the test and there is nothing illegal about what AUDI is doing. They aren’t disabling emissions equipment and the shift maps are available in the real world. All it does is SAVE FUEL in specific situations that are achievable in real life. Sure its most beneficial on a test that is largely or wholly this situation, but that’s the test. Its like scheduling a test during a time of the day or at a location that you know you’ll perform your best, that’s not dishonest, its smart. Lets remember this is a transmission shift map...how much difference could it possible make to shift a little earlier under light load? if it makes that big a difference that manual transmission drivers have been “cheating” for decades.

HammerheadFistpunch > Wobbles the Mind
11/06/2016 at 11:05

as for the question of performance? Tires are getting good. REAL good.

404 - User No Longer Available > Wobbles the Mind
11/06/2016 at 11:06

See this is why bi-annual smog tests are stupid. Even worse, Ontario went from tailpipe testing (which the car is already stationary) to OBD2 tests. If they can cheat with this, how accurate are those OBD2 results?

jimz > HammerheadFistpunch
11/06/2016 at 11:14

weeeellll, I don’t think it’s that clear-cut. It’s one thing to set up a vehicle to do well on a particular test cycle, but it’s another thing entirely to detect when a test is being run and then change operating strategy to improve test results. “Teaching to the test” is why people complain about how their transmissions are in 6th gear by 30 mph and need to be coaxed to downshift.

Though this doesn’t seem like it’s going to get Audi hammered down again. If anything comes about it’ll probably be along the lines of the relatively minor penalties Hyundai and Ford got for mis-stating fuel economy numbers.

jimz > 404 - User No Longer Available
11/06/2016 at 11:16

all an OBD2 test does is make sure there are no stored or active codes, and that monitors are showing normal parameters. If everything there is kosher than the car is assumed to be emissions-compliant. So no, an OBD2 scan test won’t catch this because the car would be lying about everything working to spec.

HammerheadFistpunch > jimz
11/06/2016 at 11:38

I as under the assumption that the shift map would rengage after the wheel was strait for gI’ve never time but it turns out that it’s a one and done deal. it is a defeat but it’s a pansy one

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Wobbles the Mind
11/06/2016 at 11:39

I honestly doubt that the system was designed to cheat emissions tests. I bet it was put in place to increase the highway mileage of the cars.

LongbowMkII > HammerheadFistpunch
11/06/2016 at 12:28

And real fat.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > LongbowMkII
11/06/2016 at 12:55

I saw a set of 295 R20 snow tires on thursday.

bhtooefr > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
11/06/2016 at 13:52

Probably the city mileage more so, because highway will spend a lot of time in top gear anyway. City mileage would be where lugging it through the acceleration phase would provide better results, but would drive worse in the real world.