Volkswagen will also install dampers on all of the fuel lines, since it can’t be sure that technicians will always replace the number two line.
A Volkswagen recall is now active for leaking fuel lines on Jetta, Golf and Audi A3 vehicles from the 2009-2012 model years. The 2-liter TDI diesel engine used on those cars is susceptible to a resonance that cracks the number two cylinder fuel line. The resonance is caused by the operation of the EGR system, which decreases emissions of nitrous oxides, a particular problem with diesel engines.
More than 168,000 VW and Audi cars are affected by the safety defect, which because of a high pressure fuel system makes them susceptible to fires if the fuel line fails.
In a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just made public, Volkswagen said it will install an improved fuel-injection line for the number two cylinder. Volkswagen will also install vibration dampers on all of the fuel-injection lines, since it can’t be sure that service technicians will always replace the right line. The supplier for the Mexican-built engine was not identified in the required filing.
The Volkswagen safety recall is expected to begin during November 2011, although the large number of engines involved might cause a delay because of parts shortages. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987 about recall campaign number 23J9/V5. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327 or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
