Reader Letters: VW fumes, a YouTube repair wheeze, not-so-smart motorways and cyclists

Grubby business

Nick Tyndall seems to be under the impression that Volkswagen has found a way of tuning the thermodynamics of the internal combustion engine so that it meets emission standards (“Cleaning up VW’s act”, Letters, March 20). If this were possible then everyone would be happy. In fact the “clever piece of technology” he describes merely soaks up some of the pollutants emitted when the car’s computer detects that the vehicle is on a testbed.

John Griffiths, Hythe, Kent

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Cheaper parts are child’s play

Jeep isn’t the only company asking high prices for official parts (“Jeepers, that’s a bit much”, Letters, March 20). The digital dashboard display showing mileage and service intervals on my Porsche Cayenne died after 10 years of use. Porsche quoted €3,000 to replace it so, after following instructions on YouTube, my seven-year-old and I removed the cluster. I sent it to a company in Germany that fixed it (burst resistor) and returned it to me for €300, including postage.

Tom Hackwood, Spain

Slow-acting signs

Andrew Mogford encountered 60mph limits because of “congestion” — though no traffic could be seen (“Unfair cops”, Letters, March 20). These limits may well have been caused by a technical fault that prevented the signs from being updated. Last year I drove about 10 miles on the almost-empty M25 at 40mph for that reason. I wonder how much revenue these errors generate?

John Grant, Cambridge

On the defensive

Although some cyclists seem to think the rules do not apply to them — red traffic lights and so on — drivers have the primary responsibility to prevent accidents (“Out of the ordinary”, Letters, March 13). That’s because they are much less likely to end up in A&E. Defensive driving is the answer: treat the cycle as if it were another car and give it plenty of room.

John Huddy, Southport