For you guys that are interested the 09 is so cleverly engineered that it uses internal emissions controls as well. If you really want to get down and dirty with this stuff think about buying this book: Bosch Diesel-Engine Management 4th ed, ISBN: 0-8376-1353-1. I got it for about $50.00. Its a little bit dated because it addresses the EDC16, and the 09 has the EDC 17 ECU, but it has the Particulate Filter addressed that is the same as the DPF in the 09.
Bosch write fantastic guide books, don't they. I have a couple of their "Yellow Jackets" for the earlier pumps... great stuff.
The only bummer is that they generally stay generic and seldom delve in vendor-specific nuances... for obvious reasons...but it would be even better if they would say "Volkswagen has implemented this the following way"...
Yeah, its almost like they are trying to hide something. Think about it. Oil requirements, antifreeze, maintenance schedules: they are all getting more and more specific and demanding. At the same time, why not tighten up on the knowledge base? That is where the money is. The old cigar smoking guys started saying that the manufacturers were trying to stop people from fixing their own cars why back in the early 70's. Its realitively easy to understand the conceptual basis of the vacuum carburated V8. Compare that to the Common Rail of 09. The complexity is incredible. The governing concepts are abstract. Get that book and read it and you'll see what I'm saying. To understand this new engine you have to have a capacity to grasp abstractions and a lot of mental drive to think things through. Diesels are incredibly intellectual. Reminds me of Organic Chemistry. Germans figured out how to make Vitamin C out of coal tar I think in 1885! To me the common rail follows the same line of thinking.
I think, and I hope this isn't true, that the manufacturer is happy that they are selling an expensive complicated car that is going to cost a bundle to keep in service after a certain service life because of government mandates for emissions. If I were a big corporate executive that would be my goal in order to generate dollars. At the same time, the governmental bureaucracy that has been created to control air pollution will never go away. There has never been a case where a governmental bureaucracy has been mandated out of existence. So they are going to create work for themselves until cars are actually cleaning air. Its already starting to happen. Ask GoFaster on TDIclub.
In the 09, the EDC 17 has the capacity to run a systems check on startup to check all paramenters for plausibility. I think this defeats the old technique of putting resisters in cirucits to eliminate certain functions. Sorry if I run on. Been doing a litle thinking along these lines and have been lonely for someone to talk to. I'm pumped about learning all about this new technology!
At the same time, why not tighten up on the knowledge base? That is where the money is.
...
I think, and I hope this isn't true, that the manufacturer is happy that they are selling an expensive complicated car that is going to cost a bundle to keep in service
The current literature on the economics of the automotive industry certainly supports this view... the vast majority of car manufacture revenue comes from after-sales support... ie, repairs.
This helps explain why information sources like ETKA and ESI are priced well beyond the reach of most owners, and also helps explain why pure electric cars will never be something a car manufacturer will want to sell... simplicity will ruin the after-sales revenue stream. :wink:
Ah well... didn't want to get your thread too far off track.. I think the point is that the more we hobbyists can do to understand these mechanical beasts the better, and it's a bit of a uphill battle sometimes, since the manufacturers are not motivated to help us learn!
IMHO,
broaden your scope and you will find ALL
consumer goods that have been made for 20 years
are made to a lower quality and longevity standard than before.
The phrase "they don't build them like they used to" is totally true with cars.
Same with TVs, Refrigerators, home theater equipment, cell phones, etc... All of this can be attributed to the electronic revolution. (and our ability to compute more data in smaller and smaller form factors)
But the things we have really gained with the microchip revolution are versatility and efficiency. Not too bad...
I dont know that I would have it any other way.
But Moore's law and the "singularity" are a total tangent that you did not ask for....
i digress.
-brad