Volkswagen check engine light

Nakatomi2010

So, after checking, and double checking, it looks like my concerns about my passport arriving in time can now be passed to the side. Should arrive here the week before we leave.

NEXT QUESTION!

Our 2006 Volkwswagen Jetta has over 67,000 miles on it. We're driving to Canada, from Tampa, FL. The journey is plotted to take about 1,550 miles to get there. So we're looking at upwards of 4,000 miles being put on the car between driving up, around while up there, and down again.

The check engine light recently turned on, and the dealership wants $100 to look at it and tell me what the problem is.

To me this seems silly since all they're going to do is hook up an OBD II tool to the car and read the engine codes, I could do that if I had the reader. The problem becomes trying to resolve the problem.

So, to my fellow Volkswagen owners. On a car which does not get brought back to a dealership for routine maintenance, and probably still has many of the original parts inside, how concerned should I be of something going wrong during the trip? How critical could this light be, and what are cheaper options to resolve it?

Also, on average, at what mileage count does the timing belt break? Still 100,000 miles, or am I in a danger zone?

Mmmm... Cocks...

What is that car parts place.. Auto Zone?
They will let you use one of those code tools for free. They keep them behind the counter, just ask.
Then you can go from there.

Djeet

Had a Golf toss a bad O2 sensor at around 50K miles and my sisters Passat had one go earlier then that; when I researched the problem it was not an uncommon occurance amongst Jetta/Golf/Passat, though both were earlier model years then yours. Not sure what might go wrong if you drive around for an extended period of time if that's the problem.

Timing belt replacement interval should be in the operators manual, though the dealer may recommend a more aggressive schedule.

Metalbourne

Check to make sure the gas cap is tight. Is it anywhere near the engine? Nope, but its the most common reason why the check engine light comes on. Other than that, you're not going to know what the problem is unless you get the code read.

Six

Autozone will read the codes for free. As MB says, unless it's something stupid like a loose gas cap, there's not much we can tell you that will be better than going and having the codes read.

Once you do, google the codes and your model. You will find discussions about the problem, whether it's a possible fix you can DIY, and how serious it might or might not be.

illig

Nakatomi2010 wrote: »

The check engine light recently turned on, and the dealership wants $100 to look at it and tell me what the problem is.

To me this seems silly since all they're going to do is hook up an OBD II tool to the car and read the engine codes, I could do that if I had the reader. The problem becomes trying to resolve the problem.

Unless you live in some horrible rip-off land, the $100 is not for a code reading, it's for a diagnosis.

A code will tell you what particular sensor is reporting an issue, not what the actual issue is. You can get a code read for free at AutoZone, and other similar places, but then you'll have to figure out what malfunction caused it - and AutoZone won't tell you that for free either.

A diagnosis will include reading the code and tracing the cause down to the most likely failing part. This takes time and skill, hence it costs money.

Just FYI.

Nakatomi2010

Did not know about Autozone doing free code reads. also did not know they sold the OBD code readers.

Definitely heading there this weekend. Porbably going to pick up one of the scanners

Now to just track down a DIY manual for the car.

Spudge

Readers can be expensive. The basic models will suffice though - you don't really need the definitions built in (Google is your friend)

Also Haynes/Chiltons are alright for piddly shit, but if you intend on owning that VW for a good long while I would seriously recommend saving up and getting the shop manual. Bentley does a great service manual, it's about $130 (well worth the cash)

a penguin

Welcome to the wonderful world of owning a VW.

First things first- what engine is in it?

I have an 01 Passat 1.8t and a... 01 passat 1.8t. Really. I think I hate myself.

Anyways. I have replaced all the vacuum lines in both of them. Granted, they are 01's, and

Take it to Autozone, get a code and go from there. If you are keeping the car until it dies, consider picking up a VAG-COM, because this will not be your last CEL. I have one, it's handy for telling you exactly what's wrong, as opposed to an OBDII code, which just kindly tells you that you are somehow running both lean and rich on bank 1.

Good Luck!

edit: ditto on what Spudge said, pick up a Bentley manual. Your car, in nauseating detail.

Beltaine

Buying an ODB reader for your VW is a waste of cash, you need a VW specific reader to get any real information.

Unless, you're an enthusiast, I would suggest picking up a handheld V-checker instead of a full-blown VAGCOM setup.

A VAGCOM will run you $400 and you will need a laptop to run it. The V-checkers have all the code reading and resetting capabilities of the VAGCOM, you just miss out on advanced things like data logging and whatnot.

OR

Hit up some VW forums and the regional sections to find people in your area with a VAGCOM that you can "hire" for a case of beer, or a $20 bill.

vwvortex.com and tdiclub.com are good places to start.




-'05 Beetle Turbovertible Owner

GungHo

illig wrote: »

Unless you live in some horrible rip-off land, the $100 is not for a code reading, it's for a diagnosis.

If he's at the dealer with a VW trying to get maintenance, he's by definition in some horrible rip-off land.

AtomBomb

I've got an '05 Golf, and the one time my light went off it was an oxygen sensor as well. As was said, seems that loose gas cap and bad o2 are the most likely culprit. Of course, if you ignore it your engine will seize right before the car explodes.

Wicked Uncle Ernie

illig wrote: »

Nakatomi2010 wrote: »

The check engine light recently turned on, and the dealership wants $100 to look at it and tell me what the problem is.

To me this seems silly since all they're going to do is hook up an OBD II tool to the car and read the engine codes, I could do that if I had the reader. The problem becomes trying to resolve the problem.

Unless you live in some horrible rip-off land, the $100 is not for a code reading, it's for a diagnosis.

A code will tell you what particular sensor is reporting an issue, not what the actual issue is. You can get a code read for free at AutoZone, and other similar places, but then you'll have to figure out what malfunction caused it - and AutoZone won't tell you that for free either.

A diagnosis will include reading the code and tracing the cause down to the most likely failing part. This takes time and skill, hence it costs money.

Just FYI.

This. A million times this. My scanner costs around $5,000. I diagnose problems and am able to hand you a quote for a repair the will actually fix your problem. The $100 is reasonable and is basically for an hour's worth of diagnostics.....even if I spend 3 hours hunting down some niggling problem. Or goto autozone and have them shrug at you

Midshipman

Having an OBD-II reader is definitely worth spending $30 or so. It obviously isn't a replacement for a trained mechanic with a more sophisticated set of tools, but it is great for giving you an indication of how serious your problem is whenever you do get a check engine light.

If you get a code saying that you've got a leak in your fuel system, then you can check your fuel cap, reset the trouble code, and then see if it reappears. If it doesn't, then you've saved $70 and an hour of time having a mechanic tell you that your gas cap was loose. If you get a more exotic trouble code that you can't address without more detailed diagnostics, then you've invested $30 in a tool that will likely be useful in the future and then you take it to a mechanic for a diagnosis.

That's the annoying gamble of going straight to a mechanic. It could be something complex that you'll need their help fixing, or you could be spending $100 just to learn that your car is fine.

Nakatomi2010

Beltaine wrote: »

Buying an ODB reader for your VW is a waste of cash, you need a VW specific reader to get any real information.

Unless, you're an enthusiast, I would suggest picking up a handheld V-checker instead of a full-blown VAGCOM setup.

A VAGCOM will run you $400 and you will need a laptop to run it. The V-checkers have all the code reading and resetting capabilities of the VAGCOM, you just miss out on advanced things like data logging and whatnot.

OR

Hit up some VW forums and the regional sections to find people in your area with a VAGCOM that you can "hire" for a case of beer, or a $20 bill.

vwvortex.com and tdiclub.com are good places to start.




-'05 Beetle Turbovertible Owner

This may explain why my Dad's code reader couldn't read the codes on the car.

While I really enjoy this car, I'm beginning to loath the quantity of money it is taking to maintain.

Eggplant Wizard

My wife's 2006 Jetta has a specific warning light for the gas cap, so that's probably not it.

RUNN1NGMAN

Wicked Uncle Ernie wrote: »

illig wrote: »

Nakatomi2010 wrote: »

The check engine light recently turned on, and the dealership wants $100 to look at it and tell me what the problem is.

To me this seems silly since all they're going to do is hook up an OBD II tool to the car and read the engine codes, I could do that if I had the reader. The problem becomes trying to resolve the problem.

Unless you live in some horrible rip-off land, the $100 is not for a code reading, it's for a diagnosis.

A code will tell you what particular sensor is reporting an issue, not what the actual issue is. You can get a code read for free at AutoZone, and other similar places, but then you'll have to figure out what malfunction caused it - and AutoZone won't tell you that for free either.

A diagnosis will include reading the code and tracing the cause down to the most likely failing part. This takes time and skill, hence it costs money.

Just FYI.

This. A million times this. My scanner costs around $5,000. I diagnose problems and am able to hand you a quote for a repair the will actually fix your problem. The $100 is reasonable and is basically for an hour's worth of diagnostics.....even if I spend 3 hours hunting down some niggling problem. Or goto autozone and have them shrug at you

I'll third this. There's more to diagnosing a problem than reading the code. Autozone reads the codes for free because they are hoping you will then start playing the guessing game and start blindly buying parts that might fix the problem. No code will tell you what needs to be fixed. Depending on what the code was, an hour for labor to run whatever diagnostic tests the particular code calls for to nail down the actual issue is not unreasonable.

Nakatomi2010

Thread can pretty much be closed now.

Took the car to Autozone and had the code read. While the code reader said Mazda and Kia, the error it gave was relating to the fan relay, which I suspected based on the jettajunkie website. Apparently that relay starts to go out around the nuber of miles I have.

While they did not sell the relay, I reseated the existing one and it seems to have resolved the issue. Check engine light went out after reseating two relays under the hood. I imagine one for each fan.

Problem solved.

Now to get that airbag light to turn off. But that's a different wire altogether.

Thanks folks.

alfrade189

hello friends....
My check engine engine light remains ON when I start the car, Is there any fault in my engine???