VW Fuses Switches and Relays

VW Fuses  Switches and Relays

Single Pole Single Throw

Electrical switches comes in several configurations, but are normally classified into only four types. The most common switch is the single pole single throw, abbreviated as SPST. This implies it has one contact that is normally open —abbreviated N/O—  which is closed when the switch is flicked. This type of switch is either on-or-off / open circuit or closed circuit. This switch also comes in the form of a push button switch which is normally open and closes when pushed but when released it open once again. It is also known as push-to-make, abbreviated PTM. An example of a PTM is a door bell switch or a cars hooter or the individual keys on a keyboard. Push button switches also comes in a normally closed configuration and opens when pushed, but when released, it closes again. Commonly  known as push-to-break, abbreviated PTB. An example of a PTB switch is used to release a door, held closed by an electromagnet.

Suzuki GS500 GSXR1100, Honda  VT 500 VT600 VT700 VF750,
Kawasaki ZX1000 ZX 1100 Solenoid

Single Pole Double Throw

The second and slightly more advanced switch is the single pole double throw switch, abbreviated as SPDT. This is a three terminal switch which toggles between two states when switched. SPDT are in essence two switches in one package. The one switch is normally open whilst the other is normally closed. By flicking the switch the two switches reverses their roles. The normally open switch is then closed and the normally close switch is opened. By connecting a SPDT at either end of a long passage to turns the lights or off, one is able to enter the passage at one end, turn the lights on and when exiting the passage at the other end switch the lights off. SPDT can be used as a SPST in an application by just using the centre contact and either one of the other two contacts, depending on what type of switch you need, N/O or N/C.  SPDT switches are also available with a centre-off position, known as momentary (ON)-OFF-(ON) switch.

Volkswagen 4H0951253 Starter Relay 645 and 1J0906381A Fuel pump relay 109. 

Double Pole Single Trow

The third type of switch is the DPST and is similar to the SPST switch in operation except that it has a pair of on-off switches that switch together. It is commonly used to connect / interrupt both the live and neutral supplies in a circuit simultaneously or it may be used to switch two separate circuits simultaneously. Computer power supplies have DPDT switches as a safety feature to avoid getting electrocuted whilst working on the power supply if only one pole was switched. 

Double Pole Double Throw

The fourth type of switch is the DPDT and is similar to the SPDT switch in operation except that it has a pair of on-on switches that switch together. It is commonly wired to reverse the direction of a DC motor or be used to switch between to different colour LEDS. DPDT can be used as a DPSP in an application by using the centre contact and either one of the other two contacts and duplicated on the paired switch. DPDP switches are also available with a centre-off position, known as momentary (ON)-OFF-(ON) switch.

Switches 

Switches switches come in various shapes among which are Toggle switches, limit switches, reed switches, micro switches, mercury switches, rotary switch, slide switch, rocker switch, pneumatic limit switches, selector switches and getting the right switch for the job cam sometimes be tricky and may be better suited by using a relay. Many switches also come with a rubber jacket to make it  waterproof. However that doesn't imply you can submerse the switch in water, it is more a splash proof cover than a water proof one. There are switches suited for using under water, for example a floating mercury switch. when a vat or tank is filled with liquid, the switch would float in the upright position but when the liquid falls below a certain lever  the switch would float upside down and trigger. Perhaps turning on a pump that would fill the tank or vat once again.

Whats a relay?

Having discussed switches you may ask what does switches have to do with relays. The simple answer is, a relay is essentially a remotely controlled switch. Relays are controlled electrically rather than mechanically, hence they're known as electro-mechanical relays. They are commonly used in automotive design, where high current devices can be switched from a cockpit fairly cheaply. In stead of using long lengths of thick high current cable and a substantially heavy duty on-off switch to control a heater or a motor situated some distance from the driver; a small low current switch and a length of thin low current cable and a relay switch with heavy contacts would suffice. Every relays has a solenoid configured as an electromagnet. So when the solenoid is activated by a trigger voltage, the electromagnet pulls a set of heavy duty contacts to make or break a circuit. Relays are versatile and can function as a simple spst switch, or a more advance spdt switch of a dpst switch or a dpdt switch depending on the circuity it needs to control.

Volkswagen Solenoids

Sometimes you may need a switch with more contacts than the best switch you can find, and this is where relays outweigh switches. Relays also cost less than the combines cost of all the switches that it replaces or that can do the job of.  Volkswagen have several relays throughout its electrical system and the most hardworking relay, is the starter relay.  Starter relays form part of the starter, the reasoning, is to keep high current conductors as short as possible. However many cars have a second relay inserted into the fuse panel that powers the starter solenoid. So when you turn the ignition key to start your car, the starter relay contacts in the fuse box sends 12V to the starter solenoid on the starter. This solenoid's contacts throw and sends 12V from the thick battery cable that's connected to one side of the starter solenoid directly to the starter's field coils, causing its armature  to spin. But at exactly the same time the solenoid performs a dual function as it kicks the bendix forward into the ring gear's teeth.  The starter's force of rotation is sufficient to crack the engine and if all's well, the engine with start. 

Volkswagen_Polo

Volkswagen_Polo

During the winter of 2018, the Western Cape hasn't received a similar volume of rainfall as it did in previous years, thus draining its reservoirs to its last 10%. So, due to water scarcity a drought alert  was raised, along with the price of water. Water restrictions were implemented, water was denied, rain water was caught in Jojo tanks by many. Grey water became a buzz word and people lined up at the aquifers to collect drinking water.  In a nutshell we had a water crises and much like the price of water, the price of fuel in South Africa is also staggering.

Staggering isn't perhaps the most appropriate word  to use in this case because in essence, staggering  implies stumbling, almost falling rather than constantly rising. So I'm going to resort to words like astonishing, outrageous even scandalous. Yet this hasn't impeded car sales in the very least because cars are being sold in huge numbers monthly, despite the economic situation in SA. Not to mention that President Zuma was impeached and removed from office causing both Moody's and S&P to downgrade South Africa's foreign and local currency to junk status. Then there is also South Africa's unemployment rate that borders on 27%, followed by its  crime statistics that has somewhat decreased by 1.8% comparative to 2015/16, inclusive of vehicle theft.

Meanwhile the VW Polo reigns supreme, as the most popular and best-selling passenger  car in South Africa, closely followed in second place by its cousin,  the Polo Vivo.  The Toyota Corolla, Auris and Quest sales comes in third place, closely followed by its cousin the Etios that took sixth place.  Then there is the Kia Picanto followed by the Renault Kwid followed by the Hyundai Creta. 

The importance of this observation is that all these cars are smaller  than the average medium sized family car. The expectancy is that being smaller, they would also be more fuel efficient but that's certainly not the case. It turns out that the Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Trend, the the Fiat Tipo 1.3 Multijet Easy, Fiat 500, the Peugeot 2008 1.6 HDi Active and the Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir Easy are the most fuel efficient smaller cars on the road respectively. But their fuel efficiency is liked to impeded functionality, cramped seating with hardly any boot space.

Why Buy VW Polo

People buy VW Polo's for its sophisticated look and feel, its overall build quality and its youthful appeal, its comfortable seating and its lavish boot space. Polo also delivers superior performance and is more pleasing to drive. They are affordable both new and second-hand and cheap to insure. The Volkswagen Polo brand has been around since 1975 and is now in its seventh generation and is also sold as the Skoda Fabia and the SEAT Ibiza. 

It just makes economic sense to drive and own a VW Polo because its spare parts both used and new are in abundance. The Polo TDI BlueMotion takes fuel efficiency to a new level and is one of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid cars in SA, employing the same 1,0-litre turbo triple as the Audi A1. Beside VW offers a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty as standard on every Polo. Though not as fuel efficient as the match-box Fiats mentioned above.

So, considering the ever rising price of fuel, its just a matter of time before every household would want to store some in Jojo tanks underground to get a reprieve from paying  these outrageous and scandalous fuel prices. If you want a fuel price alert when it increased .... and possible decreases, click here!

Hall Sensors

VW POLO

Volkswagen has always had an upstanding reputation (other than for the emission scandal) for manufacturing quality vehicles at affordable prices. One such car is the VW Polo hatchback which has also become one of the most popular cars in South Africa, and it’s really not hard to see why. The VW Polo is a compact car, but when driving it, it somehow feels larger, somewhat like its bigger brother - VW Golf. Should you buy one, you would certainly agree that the VW Polo has universal design appeal, that it has good performance, decent fuel economy and is sold at a relatively affordable price. 

Hall Sensor Hall Effect Sensor Switches A3144 / 3144E / OH3144E
in a TO-92UA 3 pin SIP package can be bought for as little as 1 USD

Volkswagen has capitalize on this winning formula for years and has given us plethora of Polo's to choose from ranging from the Polo Trendline, to the Polo Comfortline, to the Polo Highline, not forgetting the Polo Cross and Polo GTI which comes in 3 and 5 doors classic and hatchback versions. Engine capacities and engine technologies range from 1.2 TSI 66kW and 1.4 TDI 55 kW for the Trendline,   1.4 TDI 77 kW, 1.2 TSI 81kW for the Highline  and 1.2 TSI 81kW Highline DSG, to  1.0 TSI 70 kW BlueMotion. The sedan or VW Polo Classic comes in  1.4 & 1.6 trendline, 1.6 comfortline / tiptronic, 1.9 tdi highline (74kw)  and 2.0 highline (85kW).  There is even a GTI (Grand Touring Injection), a FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection), TSI (Turbo Stratified Injection) and a TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection), to choose from. 

Clearly there's a Polo out there waiting for you! Having said that, owning a Volkswagen doesn't come without challenges, personally I think the biggest challenge is more likely than not the dreaded EPC light that triggers at the most inopportune times. The EPC circuit has several sensors that feeds into the ECU among them Hall sensors. From my experience hall sensors tend not to like heat, even though their specification sheets rates them above the requisite heat range.  

This datasheet gives you a good idea of a hall sensor's specifications 

Hall sensors are pervasive throughout modern day cars. Hall sensor, aka Magnetic sensors essentially converts magnetic pulses into electrical input signals for processing by electronic circuits. Magnetic sensors are solid state devices meaning there are no mechanical moving parts inside, its all electronics taking place in a sealed chip of silicon, making them immune to vibration, dust and water. This makes them popular choice by electronics designer engineers for several types of application ranging from  distance sensing, to velocity sensing, to position sensing, to  speed sensing, to directional movement sensing etc.

Hall sensors are used for angular position sensing of the crankshaft to determine the firing angle of the spark plugs. They are used for magnetic position sensing in EGR systems. They are used for wheel speed detection for the anti-lock braking system - (ABS) and speedometer. Throttle bodies with DC motors use hall sensors for position sensing. Hall sensors are also used to determine the position of the car seats and locking of seat belts. Hall sensors are employed in automatic transmissions as magnetic neutral position switch, as actuator sensors, as speed and direction sensors, for gear detection and clutch position sensing. Hall sensors are used as engine speed sensor and also as the vehicle speed sensors.  And the list goes on.

The following images depicts a hall sensor replacement inside the distributor of and Audi 5-cylinder engines 2.0 - 2.3. As can be seen the the wires have distinct colours , the red wire is +5V / 12V supply, the black wire is negative / ground and the yellow wire is the output of the hall sensor / sender.

There is space under the black plastic holder where the wires connect to the hall sensor.

Multi purpose hall sensor for automotive use, but the military spec hall sensor is a better option

The sensor is replaced, solder joints covered with fiber glass sleeving then epoxied into place.

Hall sensor plate reassembled

Hall sensor assembly fitted into distributor housing

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Hall sensors don't like heat and tend to malfunction when they get too hot. My first experience with hall sensors were when I was working as an electronics engineer for A Television and Video repair company. A video machines that employed a hall sensor in its take up clutch stopped working due to overheating.  By squirting the hall sensor with a blast of servisol rapid cooling spray, it started working again. I repeated this exercise a few times to make certain that the hall sensor was the culprit, after replacing it, the machine worked just fine. 

Then I also had a problem with my Opel Kadett 1.8 GSI  when driving in peak hour traffic. It would switched off and refused to start.  But after allowing the engine to cool, it started just fine and would be perfectly ok for days until I got stuck in bumper to bumper peak hour traffic again. The dealer had a field day with my car, telling me that they repaired a bad earth under the dash board, only to find out in peak hour traffic that they misdiagnosed. Then I was told that the loom was replaced, then I was told the ECU was replaced and finally that a hall sensor inside the distributor was replaced. This fix the problem once and for all. The images above is for the same symptoms on a Audi  2.0L 5 cylinder.  As perfect as hall sensors are for most applications, where there is excessive heat, they will misbehave.  Perhaps hall sensors mounted in heat intensive spots like the engine speed sensor, should be designed with a heatsink or have its own cooling fan. This advice is as relevant for current model cars as it was for the Audi 2.0L 5 cylinder.

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo is undoubtedlty the most popular, as well as the  best-selling car is South Africa. Looking at the top ten vehicles sold in South Africa, VW Polo Vivo takes first place, the Volkswagen Polo takes third place and the Vw Golf takes tenth place. Looking at the frequency of problems encountered with Volkswagen vehicles  in general, it appears that the VW Polo 2002-2009 models are far more reliable than the VW Polo 2010—2016 models. These models are prone to EPC problems and several Polo owners have complained that they encountered EPC problem with their cars with as little as 700km on their clocks.

The most troublesome generation 5, VW Polo seem to be the 2011 model, but the 2012 model takes the cake for the annoying knocking sounds coming from the suspension when going over speed bumps and pot holes.  But this knocking sound isn't unique to the Polo 2011 and 2012 models, it also affects the Golf Mark 7, the Volkswagen Transporter T5 and Polo GTI, etc.

It seems that somehow the strut mount bolts in the engine bay of these Volkswagens haven't been torqued properly. The rattling and knocking noise coming from the shocks occurs when driving over pot holes  or over speed humps, especially when the shock is fully extended or when driving slow.  In some cases the noise comes from coil-over assembly. These coil-overs squeek and creak at random and sometimes the rear ones squeak worse than the front ones. We found by removing the damper adjustment knob and tightening the 17 mm nut in the middle of your strut top,  and   holding the centre with a 7 mm allen key,  the noise is  somewhat reduced but is very disconcerting since these models are relatively new cars. 

Its probably best to re-torque these nut between 45-60 ft/lbs with a correctly  calibrated torque wrench. In my opinion there should have been a total recall on VW Polo 2010—2016 models for this problem. 

Automotive Electronic Components

Automotive Electronic Components

Admit it or not, we all love the new creature comforts of our modern day cars, all of which have become increasingly sophisticated.  Those seat warmers in the cold of winter, the climate control in mid summer, the air suspension on those bumpy roads, the infotainment systems with integrated GPS so that we never get lost again; and the on-board video player for those times we had to patiently sit and wait in our cars for our loved ones. ECU controlled fuel injection put an end to idling the car in the morning to get it to the appropriate operating temperature. Power steering and assisted parking makes both driving and parking a breeze. ABS and traction controls ensures that your car stops and corners without incident. 

Not to mention cruise control, the increased horsepower, the additional  safety features and the overall improved spatial comforts. And the list goes on. All of this was made possible by electronics, in the name of safety. Safety in the form of Safety Restraint Systems (SRS), Front and side airbags, early crash sensors and active front seat head restraints, to  mention but a few. 

On-Board Modules

Electronic engine management systems, carputer modules, telematic systems and other electrical components constitutes a sizeable percentage of our cars, collectively affording us the aforementioned comforts and conveniences. Besides, modern cars are loaded with code; and the number of electrical components in modern cars are on the rise, constantly and consistently increasing in number, and their failure can more often than not affect our driving safety. These electronic components can easily malfunction, either due to water ingress during wet weather conditions, or due to excessive vibration due to bad road surfaces, or just through general wear and tear. Most of these components are cheap and relatively easy to repair and replace but isolating the correct one can sometimes be trying. In a nutshell, modern day cars are seriously complicated, since they are not just computers on wheels but entire computer networks on wheels. Be that as it may, it is a well known fact that computers do crash, software have glitches and networks go off-line.

How safe is safe?

But, the million dollar question remains; are these electronic devices really safe or are they as safe as the car manufactures would like us to believe they are.  How safe is it when you're overtaking on a single lane highway at 100km per hour and the car goes into 'limp mode' or the engine just switches off and refuses to restart?  How safe is it when the steering wheel airbag explodes directly into your face for absolutely no reason? Its air pressure wave that's louder than a gun, is bound to temporarily deafen you and the smoke enveloping you would certainly disorientate you. These factors can contribute to you loosing control of the car through no fault of your own or even loose your life.  

How safe is it when you suddenly and momentarily loose steering control at high speed or whilst driving in fast moving traffic when your car doesn't react to your steering direction?  Or, how safe is it when your steering wheel suddenly goes stiff when turning (temporary loss of power steering)? How safe is it when your car randomly starts to jerk and switches off on a deserted road at night? 

How safe is your VW really, considering certain Jetta, Golf and Audi A3 models are being recalled for fuel leaks that can cause potential engine fires. Case in point, German supplier Continental Automotive GmbH has been supplying fuel tank polymer flanges that crack to five OEM parts supply companies at least 11 auto makers, VW, Audi and Porsche included.  What this means is that 
there are millions of cars of all makes and models that may have leaking fuel issues as we speak.

Electrical sub systems

As mentioned above, modern cars, can have as many as 200 small embedded electronic control units, better known as  (ECUs). Each module is in fact a fully fledged computer in its own right, overseeing one subsystem. Collectively they  have several functions, ranging from controlling the engine and or transmission, to controlling the immobilizer, to controlling the air bags, to unlocking doors, to controlling the radio, to managing the ABS, to managing the cruise control and such like. 

Most of these computer modules have input switches and or input sensors that can detect variables such as temperature, air pressure, braking, steering angle, voltages. All these computers are connected to a centrally networked  CAN bus that carries constantly varying data between them, in order to manage the car as it is being driven. The upside of this, is that the car can virtually drive itself but the downside is that when some essential module does go faulty, it would most likely shuts the car down which may also turn out to become an expensive repair.

Automakers are becoming more like 
assemblers and less like manufacturers

Essential components like headlights and spark plugs, ignition leads, wiring harnesses, relays and switches  can often be the first to go, but they are more electrical than electronic. Whereas the following list of sensors and actuators are totally electronic.

Air mass sensors (MAF) - electronic
Camshaft Position sensors - electronic
Crankshaft Position sensors - electronic
EGR Valves  - electronic
Knock sensors - electronic
Lambda (oxygen) sensors  - electronic
Throttle position sensors  - electronic
Wheel speed sensors  - electronic
Ignition Coils  - electronic
Glow Plugs  - electronic
Coolant temperature sensors  - electronic
ABS  actuators  - electronic
Injection valves - electronic
Solenoid valves - electronic
Anti-theft alarm  - electronic ... and the list goes on.

Since Automobile production requires several thousands of parts, most of these parts are not manufactured by the car maker but are supplied by auto suppliers. Hence automakers are becoming more like assemblers and less like manufacturers because Auto Megasupplier's  contributions have drastically increased from about 60% in the mid '90s to above 85% in 2017.  Among these auto megasuppliers are companies like:-

Robert Bosch supplies (Gasoline and diesel systems, chassis system controls, electronics,  exhaust gas turbochargers, steering systems, starter motors and alternators,   etc), 

Draexlmaier Group (wiring harnesses,  interior systems, cockpit and door modules, etc.),

Royal Philips Electronics (Lighting, car radio integrated circuits, liquid crystal displays, etc.)

Infineon Technologies (Microcontrollers, intelligent sensors; power semiconductors, etc.)  

Hella ( Electronic & lighting components, etc.)

DuPont Automotive (polymers, elastomers, specialty chemicals, lubricants, refrigerants, etc.) 

SKF Automotive ( Bearings, seals, clutch assemblies, SKF Automotive drive-by-wire systems, etc.) 

Valeo SA (transmissions, Micro hybrid systems, etc.)  

Magneti Marelli (Lighting, powertrain transmissions, electronics, suspension systems,  shock absorbers, exhaust systems, plastic parts, etc.)

Continental AG (Instrumentation, stability management systems, chassis systems, safety system electronics, telematics, powertrain electronics, interior modules, etc.) 

Eberspaecher Holding GmbH (Silencers, catalytic converters, particulate filters, manifolds, vehicle heaters, electrical vehicle heaters, electronics, climate control systems, etc.)

CITIC Dicastal Co.  (Aluminum alloy wheels, aluminum casting parts, etc.)

Mobis North America (Chassis, cockpit & front-end modules; ABS, ESC, MDPS, airbags,  LED lamps, ASV parts, sensors, electronic control systems, hybrid car powertrains, parts & power control units, etc.)

That being said, there are so many of these components from auto suppliers that are troublesome. For example, batteries, starter solenoids, diodes and alternator voltage regulators and relays. Considering that the alternator is the heart of  your vehicle's electrical system and that the electrical load has substantially increased due to the glut of extra electronics, I would think that some manufactures would at least have a second alternator for redundancy. Even perhaps a redundant network so that an alternative data path is  available if the wiring harness goes faulty. Or even dual temperature sensors, or dual camshaft sensors, etc. It would do marvels for reliability.

Volkswagen is recalling some 766,000 cars globally for a software upgrade to their "anti-lock braking system".

Volkswagen is recalling 8.5 million diesel cars across the European Union  due to the "emissions scandal".

Volkswagen is recalling some 90,000  gasoline powered VW Beetle, VW Golf, VW Jetta and VW Passat with 1.8T or 2.0T engines sold between 2015-2016, because the rear camshaft lobe has the tendancy to unexpectedly snap-off from the camshaft resulting in "loss of vacuum to the brake booster", implying inefficient braking and an increased risk of a crash.

Volkswagen recalls some 280,000 cars for fuel leaks.

Honda recently recalled 1.2 million  from the 2013-2016 model Accords years, citing 'faulty battery sensors'.


Ford South Africa recalled 2.0-litre diesel-powered Kuga SUVs to resolve a potential "brake problem". 

TO CHIP OR NOT TO CHIP

TO CHIP OR NOT TO CHIP

The word chip has entered our vocabulary by force and is loosely used in everyday speech but it has absolutely nothing to do with deep fried thin potato slices or potato wedges. A chip in this sense refers to a mico-chip, as in monolithic integrated circuit, or micro computer chip, or micro processor integrated chip or just IC for short. Integrated Circuit chips or IC's first appeared in the 60's as a complete electronic circuit etched onto a small piece ("chip") of semiconductor material, embedded in a dual inline plastic package. It essentially replaced much of the circuitry dominated by silicon transistors or entire silicon transistor circuits, which started replacing vacuum tubes just a decade previously. In a nutshell, a single IC can contain hundreds or thousands, or millions, or even billions of transistors on a single piece of silicon just the size of an adults "pinky" nail, subject to its level of integration. The level of integration range from small scale integration, to large integration (LSI), to very large scale integration (VLSI), each using up to as many as a  million transistor to form logic gates, flip-flops and multiplexers.

Small integration (SSI) and LSI Analogue and digital Chips 

Over three decades, IC's metamorphosed from a meager 8 pin dual inline package, for example the analogue NE555  timer chip, to the digital but now obsolete 132-pin package i386 processor, to several other surface mounted low-profile quad flat packages (LQFP).  But within  a few short years we surpassed the Pentium 4 chip and arrived at the Intel Core i7  Thin Quad Flat Package (TQFP) processor. The most current Intel chip to date, is the  LGA 1151 Socket, Coffee Lake Quad Core Computer Processor. However, somewhere between theses two extremes, PLCC's, ROM's, PROM's, EPROM's, EEPROM's, RAM, SRAM, DSRAM, PSRAM, Flash Memory, PROFET Highside Power Switches, Microprocessors and 32-bit microcontrollers  evolved.

Some specifically designed for the automotive industry, for  use in Engine Control Module's (ECM), Electronic Control Units (ECU's) Transmission Control Units (TCU's), Anti-skid Braking System ABS units and so many other automotive controllers.  Automotive Chips have been around for several years, but is currently in great demand, and to say that this technology has evolved, is probably the understatement of the century. In fact Automotive  Chips  advancements progressed rapidly,  improved unequivocally, matured almost instantly and  became largely scalable and highly integrated. Software programming gave these Automotive Chips a degree of artificial intelligence, most of them configured by car manufacturuers for average performance to extend engine and transmission lifespans so that they would last through the warranty period. 

Stainless Steel Exhaust Downpipes 

Since Automotive Chips are programmable and configurable, many have ventured into  chipping them. Chipping an ECM / ECU for some means removing the ROM containing the ecu's stock maps and replacing it with a new chip containing maps altered for enhanced performance. However, a ECU dump can be changed with a hex-editor and the ROM can be reflashed with diagnostic software like, REVO Stage 1 Performance Software, TOAD, RomRaider, EcuFlash, VAG CAN Pro (VCP), Winols, Galletto, etc, using the appropriate Chip Tuning / Flashing Interface. Hacking an ECU  can be pretty straight forward, especially with VAG COM diagnostic tools, which permits you to find  where the various maps reside in memory, then filling them with new or experimental values. 

K&N VW Polo air Filter induction kit

This procedure is not as simple as it sounds and is best left to the tweekers who have some knowledge of MISRA C.  MISRA C is a software development standard for the C programming language specifically developed by the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association. Since ECU programming is a very specialized business, any errors or accidental changes can prove disastrous and scramble your ECU permanently, unless you have a saved ECU dump to revert back to.  ECU maps can be found strewn all over the internet especially those for older cars. But be forewarned, they may not work as expected.

Carbonised Valves before and after

Having said that, many car enthusiasts  want their cars tweaked for more power, cleaner emissions, better fuel economy and better performance, expecting at least 20% more power and at least 20% more torque. But these are not realistic expectations for non-turbo cars with a standard engine. Also chiptuning is subject to climate and atmospheric pressure meaning a engine tuned for top performance at sea level will not perform optimally at high altitudes and vise versa. Also remember that tuning for performance is at the other extreme to tuning for  economy.  According to my son, whose VW Golf 7 R was optimised  with RaceChip One for Increased Acceleration & Performance with a 76mm stainless steel downpipe, Intake Induction kit & Intercooler upgrades,  Blow Off Dump Valve Adapter Spacer Kit, DPF & EGR Removed and fitted with a Bilstein B12 Eibach 30mm/30mm Lowering Suspension Spring Pro Kit, when he speeds he can actually see his fuel level decrease as the needle races towards empty. Definitely money not well spent.



There are several chiptuning workshops strewed throughout South Africa, some better than others and some not worth their salt, all offering Volkswagen  ECU Remapping and Chip Tuning services for older and newer models. Among them are, Alpha Performance Inovation, Chiplogic, Tuned2Race, ATM Chiptuning, CPI Performance Innovation, DTE Systems SA, Wulfchiptegnik, Unichip Performance Tuners and GT Performance, etc. I've have several friends who had their VW's Chiptuned but they are definitely not happy with the results, saying that ECU Remapping and Chip Tuning is just a ripoff, it's like pouring money down a drain. 

However, for the DIY car enthusiast with an older 2.0L VW Citi Golf, weber 40mm sidedrafts, a 300deg cam  and a  solid lifter head, is a feasible performance investment that can deliver 112kw 207nm.  Add a Blow Off Dump Valve Adapter Spacer Kit to vent   extra boost air into the atmosphere instead of sending it back into the engine's intake manifold besides the WHOOOSHH sounds is really awesome!!

Blow Off Dump Valve Adapter Spacer Kit

ECU Remap via OBD port, ECU Reprogramming & Software upgrade & Chip Tuning, Injection timing, injection quantity, injection pressure, boost pressure and air mass flow, Better Throttle Response, Optimized Fuel Efficiency. Enhanced Throttle Response, GTI VW Polo GTI, VW Golf 5, VW Golf 6 R, VW Golf 6 GTI, VW Golf 7 R, VW Golf 7 GTI, VW Polo TDI, VW's Audi A4/A5/S5 Audi S3 8V Audi S3 8P  Audi RS3/TTRS Audi RS5 / RS6

RECALL

FLASH OF DEATH

The Volkswagen emissions scandal has hardly died down, when we heard that Volkswagen is in the dog box once again. The German car giant is in the process of 

'recalling  as many as 3 million 

Volkswagen's, Audi's, Seats 

and Skoda's  worldwide'

due to DSG (direct-shift gearbox) "gearbox problems" that causes loss of power. This is probably one of the biggest recalls in VW's history. Though in comparison  to Toyota's recall of 10 million cars between 2009 and 2010, amid accident fears over sticky accelerator pedals and floor mats, Volkswagen’s recall is but minuscule.  Some believe that the Volkswagen  recall is  bogus. But it's really good to see that Volkswagen is "stepping up to the plate". 

VOLKSWAGEN RECALL

The recall reports that the dreaded 7-dry DSG malfunctions are the result of faulty "temperature sensors" (NTC - thermister) caused by the use of synthetic oil in 7-speed dual-clutch gearboxes.  As such synthetic oil will be replaced with traditional mineral oil. Somehow the Audi 2L TFSI models, the Golf GTI's with the 6-wet DSG and the reliable Tiptronic A/T  are not affected. But that doesn't mean that the wet DSG's are not totally immune to mechatronic failure in the future.  Jetta SportsWagen, GTI and Eos vehicles built between September 2008 and August 2009 and a limited number of 2010 Jetta seem to be most affected. It was probably a bad batch of DSG's.

One is the "false neutral syndrome" where the flashing PRNDS occurs with the car losing all motive power without warning, (traced to a faulty DSG heat/temperature sensor) and the other is where the DSG (direct-shift gearbox; German:- Direkt-Schalt-Getriebe) suffers severe delays at shift points, causing erratic shifting, jerking, long stall pauses, clutch slipping, surging in forward and reverse, etc. 

The "gearbox problem" previously mentioned is non other than the "Flash of Death" aka "DSG Flash of Death" aka "false neutral syndrome", resulting in  a flashing PRNDS. When this happens,  the car loses all motive power without warning, as its transmission goes into limp mode by selecting  3rd gear. But this isn't always the case because subject to the actual "gearbox problem", because the transmission may not disengage. So when the engine is switched off, it may not start thereafter. A second transmission problem revolves around causing erratic shifting, jerking, severe delays at shift points, clutch slipping, surging in both forward and reverse. This  often happens when accelerating, overtaking  or cruising and your VW or Audi is also prone to slip gears and judder at low speeds, even though clutch adaptation may have been done. These faults have been associated with the Mechatronic Unit, bent clutch forks and warped clutch packs. If you have vag-com, you will see that your car threw one or more of the following DTC's, or a variation of them.

17090 - Transmission Range Sensor (F125): Implausible Signal
P0706 - 000 - -

17106 - Transmission Output Speed Sensor (G195): No Signal
P0722 - 000 - - - Intermittent

17114 - Gear Ratio Monitoring: Incorrect Gear Ratio 
P0730 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

17114 - Incorrect Gear Ratio
P0730 - 000 - - - Intermittent

18113 - Gear Ratio Monitoring: Adaptation Limit Reached
P1705 - 09-10 - Adaptation Limit Surpassed - Intermittent

18149 - Clutch Pressure Adaptation: Limit Reached 
P1741 - 001 - Upper Limit Exceeded - Intermittent

18149 - Clutch Pressure Adaptation: Limit Reached 
P1741 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

18149 - Clutch Pressure Adaptation: Limit Reached
P1741 - 002 - Lower Limit Exceeded - Intermittent

18151 - Clutch Slip Monitoring: Signal too Large 
P1743 - 35-00 - -

18172 - Transmission Temperature Monitoring
P1764 - 000 - - - Intermittent

18201 - Transmission Output Speed Sensor 2 (G196): No Signal
P1793 - 000 - -

18226 - Pressure Control Valve 2 (N216): Electrical Malfunction
P1818 - 007 - Short to Ground - Intermittent

18226 - Pressure Control Valve 2 (N216): Electrical Malfunction
P1818 - 006 - Short to Plus - Intermittent

28775 - No communication with Gear Selector Module 
U0103-000--MIL ON

28775 - No Communication with Gear Selector Module
U0103 - 004 - No Signal/Communication

MECHATRONIC UNIT

Long story short, your VW or Audi is more likely than not going to need a mechatronic replacement when you experience the above. However, that doesn't mean every transmission problem can be solved by replacing the mechartonic unit.  I know of someone who experienced the "VW DSG Flash of Death". So, he took his Audi to the VW service agents who diagnosed a faulty Mechtronic unit and a faulty wiring harness. Charged him $3500 for parts and labour and three weeks later, "DSG Flash of Death" struck again. The peculiar thing about the "DSG Flash of Death" is that it affects  brand new vehicles. Cars with as little as 3K kilometers on the clock and virtually none of them exceeding 50K on the clock before the DSG (Dreaded Spiteful Genie / direct-shift gearbox) takes revenge. But a faulty mechatronic unit isn't the only problem Volkswagen is facing. Some 30,000 Volkswagen Tiguans are being recalled in the UK alone because of an intermittent fuse / blown fuse problem that causes headlights to cut out. 

The amount of transmission complaints that NHTSA received prompted their lawyers to get Volkswagen to initiate the recall. 
Be that as it may, VW and Audi branded cars sport really great technology, engineering and performance as well as beautiful aesthetics, but what good is all that if the darned car leaves you stranded every so often, costs a bundle to repair and maintain, besides the darn thing can kills you, when limp mode kicks in on the freeway, with fast flowing traffic on your tail.

OTHER VEHICLE RECALLS

Recalls are common in the motor industry but getting the incumbent to take responsible can be a painful as pulling teeth. Recalls are also as common as sand and by the looks of things,  no auto manufacturer is except.  For example, Ford Kuga SUV fire recall goes all the way back to 2013 in South Africa. Now, they are  in the process recalling thousands of its Kuga (fireball) models following client reports that the SUVs self-combusts.  

Honda is recalling an  additional 775 000 vehicles for defective front passenger airbag inflators that was manufactured by the Japanese supplier Takata.

Toyota is globally recalling all the Mirai fuel-cell vehicles  due to a software bug that can shut off its hydrogen-powered system without warning. Toyota is  also recalling more than 300 000 hybrid Prius vehicles globally due to a defect in their parking brakes. 

Volkswagen will recall an additional 50 000 vehicles in China due to brake problems when the cruise control is activated. 

BMW is recalling some 150 000 cars and SUVs in the US and Canada due to wiring problem to the fuel pumps inside the gas that can cause its engines to suddenly stall.

Mazda is recalling almost 175 000 cars in the US due to the seats can suddenly change angles, making driving difficult.


And the list goes on.