Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

Recall 23Z7 - Safe to ignore?

Romke

Romke

Making the Most of our Coast
VIP Member
Messages
546
Location
Vanzay, France
Vehicle
T6 Coast 150 4Motion
Just got a letter from VW France telling me that the engine of my T6 150 needs to be reprogrammed for improved pollution reduction. They promise that this won't affect performance or fuel economy but that it may increase the Adblue consumption. My cynical interpretation is that it will increase Adblue consumption. VW offer a free Adblue top-up, plus vouchers for 7 more free top-ups, but only if it's done by authorized VW workshops. With the low Adblue prices at pumps, online, and in supermarkets and my nearest VW dealer over an hour's drive from home that's hardly an offer that I will take. Also, if we're on a multi-thousand km journey abroad I'm probably more interested in my current "long-life" Adblue consumption than a reduced pollution level. So I am considering to ignore the recall. Is that safe and responsible?
 
Romke said:
Just got a letter from VW France telling me that the engine of my T6 150 needs to be reprogrammed for improved pollution reduction. They promise that this won't affect performance or fuel economy but that it may increase the Adblue consumption. My cynical interpretation is that it will increase Adblue consumption. VW offer a free Adblue top-up, plus vouchers for 7 more free top-ups, but only if it's done by authorized VW workshops. With the low Adblue prices at pumps, online, and in supermarkets and my nearest VW dealer over an hour's drive from home that's hardly an offer that I will take. Also, if we're on a multi-thousand km journey abroad I'm probably more interested in my current "long-life" Adblue consumption than a reduced pollution level. So I am considering to ignore the recall. Is that safe and responsible?
Click to expand...
I know what I'd do and that would be as you're thinking and ignore it!


Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 
I didn't get a letter for T6 204, but was told about the recall when my Cali was in for a service. Like you, I thought about ignoring it but as I am thinking of buying a warranty extension, decided to let the dealer do the recall update. The reason was I don't want any argument about the warranty because I didn't have the update carried out. Also I hope that the update will reduce the amount of regen the Cali does when I park up.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
spitzie said:
I didn't get a letter for T6 204, but was told about the recall when my Cali was in for a service. Like you, I thought about ignoring it but as I am thinking of buying a warranty extension, decided to let the dealer do the recall update. The reason was I don't want any argument about the warranty because I didn't have the update carried out. Also I hope that the update will reduce the amount of regen the Cali does when I park up.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Hi unfortunately it will not reduce the amount of regenerations that is set to regen every 2 hours of a drive cycle minimum and may well regen more depending on your driving style and the conditions the vehicle is operated under.
 
Romke said:
Just got a letter from VW France telling me that the engine of my T6 150 needs to be reprogrammed for improved pollution reduction. They promise that this won't affect performance or fuel economy but that it may increase the Adblue consumption. My cynical interpretation is that it will increase Adblue consumption. VW offer a free Adblue top-up, plus vouchers for 7 more free top-ups, but only if it's done by authorized VW workshops. With the low Adblue prices at pumps, online, and in supermarkets and my nearest VW dealer over an hour's drive from home that's hardly an offer that I will take. Also, if we're on a multi-thousand km journey abroad I'm probably more interested in my current "long-life" Adblue consumption than a reduced pollution level. So I am considering to ignore the recall. Is that safe and responsible?
Click to expand...

Hi I would strongly advise that you have the software updated not only does it change the adblue injection strategy to combat NOx emissions while in regen it also combats a few other glitches in the software that can cause the engine light to come on and the vehicle to go into limp. If you do ignore the update and the vehicle has to go in to your dealer with an engine light on with a adblue fault inconveniencing you the software update will be applied straight away by the dealership. Surely prevention is better than cure. Saving you the inconvenience of a breakdown and a recovery.
 
Have not received anything about this recall. Our 2016 150 was serviced/MOT by Breeze in May.
Should we expect a letter or will it be done next May 2020?
Don’t want the engine light to come on & go into limp mode.
 
calimera said:
Have not received anything about this recall. Our 2016 150 was serviced/MOT by Breeze in May.
Should we expect a letter or will it be done next May 2020?
Don’t want the engine light to come on & go into limp mode.
Click to expand...
Hi it may not be effected only certain engines are pm me your reg and I will check in the morning
 
Not to sound like a bore but there’s also the environmental impact of not doing the upgrade. Anything that reduces the output of NOx and other particulates must be a good thing especially if in highly populated areas, irrespective of the increase in use of adblue. IMHO if we can afford to buy and run these vans we can afford a couple of extra £/€ for adblue.
 
I did the update and it works fine. Adblue needed refill after 6000km which I think is an increase. Went to the dealer for the free fill-up, took them one hour so I will never do that again. Takes me a few minutes at the pump and costs almost nothing.
 
kave said:
Went to the dealer for the free fill-up, took them one hour so I will never do that again.
Click to expand...
Another VW marketing masterstroke. Offer us something for free, that turns out to be time consuming and uneconomic (factoring the drive to the dealer) - so much that no one uses it and it costs them nothing.
 
Romke said:
VW offer a free Adblue top-up, plus vouchers for 7 more free top-ups, but only if it's done by authorized VW workshops.
Click to expand...
Can you not use these vouchers to pick up a 10l container over the counter from the parts department?

Surely they don't want to you book it in to the workshop to do the adblue refill do they?

As others have said, if it's a load of hassle it's hardly worth it. The stuff is so cheap and abundantly available.
 
You do realise that the reason for increased ad blue is cheat software that reduced the ad blue whilst outside the test regime ie when cruising. On it goes.
Also reduced Nox is at the expense of increased regens and fuel consumption (on vehicles without Ad blue )- giving higher CO2 etc. Its a balance, move one down then another goes up. The modifications to the EA189 engines are dire with increased fuel rail pressure, secondary fuel injection to put unburnt fuel upstream of the dpf to increase the exhaust temperature. Why ? because Nox increases with temperature.

Result on Ea 189 engines.
Bore wash, Increased Injector failure, EGR failure, increased fuel consumption. Needs a chemical eng but almost certainly overall equal or worse emissions.

Whats not clear yet is whether Ad blue addition rate is the only thing changed in the firmware or whether pre condition injection and increased regens are also there.
If its really just more ad blue then thats a good thing but....
 
Legin said:
Result on Ea 189 engines.
Bore wash, Increased Injector failure, EGR failure, increased fuel consumption. Needs a chemical eng but almost certainly overall equal or worse emissions.
Click to expand...
My brother in law had the 23Q7 done on his Audi A5 (no AdBlue). I have heard no complaints, and the car is now over 5 years old, has over 240 000 km, and there has never been a key on the car except for regular service.
So, all this panic doesn't seem to be needed in this case.
Cars having those problems would have had them even without the engine update, but maybe just a few miles later.

And I am lucky my California didn't have the cheat software (or at least didn't have the recall). Well, that was up to 3,5 years / 45000 km, when my EGR-cooler/valve left me in the Dordogne. Now 6 years / 100000 km later, that second EGR-cooler/valve is still working like a treat (Or I don't have problems with it (yet)).
It might break down on me again one time, but let's see it as a wearing part, like brake pads or something as there are moving parts and electronics in it. If that valve can work for 200000 km, then it's fine with me. If it breaks down, there will be no reason for me not to have it changed. Then I will be good for another 200 000 km with that new part. Other parts may break down on me also, but I will have it replaced too. No need to get rid of the € 50000 van for €1000 of costs. There may be a lot of costs to pay untill it would justify buying a new van, but then for €60 - 70000.

But, each for his own.
 
My 2016 T6 had the recall done whilst it was in the garage last week for the warranty issue. I noticed the AdBlue indicator was back up at 5000 miles when it came home (It had been around 4000).
Today I receive a letter from VW with vouchers for 8 free reducing agent refills, referring to the recall as there may be an increase in consumption as a result of the software update from the recall.
 
I have imported my T6 ocean 204 4x4 into France , changed the plates and I got a letter today using my new French registration number ... well at least that was efficient LOL, I guess I will have it done when I have fully understood the letter ...but doesn’t mention free ad blue top ups etc ....
 
Niborn said:
I have imported my T6 ocean 204 4x4 into France , changed the plates and I got a letter today using my new French registration number ... well at least that was efficient LOL, I guess I will have it done when I have fully understood the letter ...but doesn’t mention free ad blue top ups etc ....
Click to expand...
Mine was done some months ago at my French dealer. I didn't get any vouchers but the next time I was at the dealer for something else I asked them to top up the Adblue, which they did for free. I guess the topup offer is registered in my car's file. After this latest topup my Adblue range went up to 10.000km. Sound reasonable to me!
 
Mine was done today. I'll find out what the effect is in the coming days and weeks.
 
Had mine done two weeks ago. No positives to report so far.

Adblue range reduced from 6k to 4k miles.

Lost 4mpg on exactly the same commute (36mpg down to 32mpg)

Reduced torque on acceleration.

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
 
Romke said:
Just got a letter from VW France telling me that the engine of my T6 150 needs to be reprogrammed for improved pollution reduction. They promise that this won't affect performance or fuel economy but that it may increase the Adblue consumption. My cynical interpretation is that it will increase Adblue consumption. VW offer a free Adblue top-up, plus vouchers for 7 more free top-ups, but only if it's done by authorized VW workshops. With the low Adblue prices at pumps, online, and in supermarkets and my nearest VW dealer over an hour's drive from home that's hardly an offer that I will take. Also, if we're on a multi-thousand km journey abroad I'm probably more interested in my current "long-life" Adblue consumption than a reduced pollution level. So I am considering to ignore the recall. Is that safe and responsible?
Click to expand...
Might invalidate your warranty.
 
Last edited:
Auberg-ine said:
Just had my recall, then fell onto this article here. 100€ cash? Haha.
car-recalls.eu

VW recalls the T6 model due to emissions and compensates the increased AdBlue consumption - Car-Recalls

✅ Volkswagen has announced a new recall for 185,323 VW T6 models produced between October 1, 2014, and November 1, 2017, which covers California (Beach),
car-recalls.eu car-recalls.eu
Click to expand...
No the recall is genuine.

In the EU customers received a 100Euro compensation offer.

But in the UK this was reduced to a VW AdBlue top-up voucher.

The voucher entitles the customer to 8 top-ups at a VW commercial vehicle centre. Unless you happen to run low as you go for a service or you happen to live very close to the VW commercial van centre, then the voucher is next to useless as it may cost you more in fuel to get to/from the van centre.

Personally I am still waiting to use my voucher as I've never been in a situation where it needs to be topped-up when I have visited the van centre.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Useful links

VW California Club

  • CampervanBits Accessories
  • Comfort Insurance
  • VIP Membership
  • Conquest
  • Sale from Campervanbits
  • Hire a Vw California

About us

The VW California Club is the worlds largest resource for all owners and enthusiasts of VW California campervans.

Our Partners

Our Partners

Back
Top