Fiat Chrysler Automobiles finds itself in a fair amount of hot water over the use of defeat devices in the 3.0L EcoDiesel used in the Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee with various lawsuits. But that water could become hotter as newly unsealed documents reveal FCA's suppliers discussed the use of illegal software back in 2010.
Sergio Pasini, the controls and calibration director at supplier VM Motori wrote in an email that FCA wanted to use software in their diesel engine that could detect when a vehicle was undergoing emission tests and activate emission controls.
The software known as 't_engine' "is, no matter what Fiat says, a cycle detection," Pasini wrote in the email.
The lawsuit also alleges that another supplier, Robert Bosch GmbH, warned VM Motori about 't_engine' and that they could face “serious penalties” if it was discovered by regulators. Bosch it should be noted is under investigation for its involvement in the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal.
The documents are part of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against FCA in San Fransisco which alleges the company misled buyers of the EcoDiesel by "touting the fuel economy and performance of its EcoDiesel engines while cheating on emissions tests to win regulatory approval."
“We continue to cooperate with various governmental investigations related to diesel emissions, and emails such as those referenced have been previously provided to the agencies. It is inappropriate to draw conclusions from isolated communications and internal deliberations, without the more detailed context that is part of the reviews FCA is conducting as part of the investigation process,” FCA wrote in an email statement.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
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