Check Engine Light ALWAYS on
Over the past few years, the check engine light on my 2002 GTI has repeatedly come on and it’s now on all the time. My dealership told me the car is misfiring when it starts up, but nothings wrong with the car and not to worry about it. I’ve only got 2,000 miles left on my warrenty (after a 10,000mi. extension bc. the car’s a piece of crap) and am taking it back to the dealership next week for another problem. Any suggestions as to what I should ask them to do? My fear is that just not worrying about it will turn into something bigger as soon as the warranty runs out.
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YupOldBull Said,
January 23, 2006 @ 4:28 am
How about this…… – CEL
When an engine design is flawed. When the vehicle is poorly assembled. When the sensors are of poor quality. When the sensors can fool the computer. When the computer can fool the mechanic. When the service manager can fool the customer.
When VWOA can no longer fool us!
I have had over 20 CEL’s go off. (some times for 2 weeks “”on”" and then 2 weeks “”off”")
I hardly mention it in my “”profile”"…..I have had other larger problems!
Terrible.
297 Said,
January 23, 2006 @ 12:18 pm
Check Engine Light ALWAYS on – So long as the CEL is not blinking the car is okay to drive. It is, however, reporting a sensor reading that is out of normal bounds and should be checked with the dealer while you are under warranty. Go to another dealer if this one is telling you not to worry. What’s the point of a CEL indicator if they don’t deal with it (I’d also report them to VWoA)?
As for the actual misfires… have them check your sparkplugs, wires, and coilpacks. Also check the mass airflow sensor. Another basic check is coolant level and even the coolant temperature sensor, which is prone to failing if it’s the old one (black top versus the newer green top).
Of course, all these issues tend to show up as a noticeable symptom other than just the CEL: you would have a rough idle, or the car would buck, etc. It just wouldn’t sound right.
If your car sounds fine, then I have a question for you: do you baby the car? If you keep the car around 2000 RPM all the time and don’t bring it up to 5000 RPM on the occassional acceleration romp, a CEL sometimes does pop up due to a misfire. It’s a bit rare, and since you say you get the CEL repeatedly it’s not my first guess (that would the the sparkplugs and wires), but it is a possibility if the car is running fine. Besides, babying the car like that fouls up the sparkplugs, which leads to my first guess.
Post edited 01/23/06 12:19 AM by paultakeda
Chombi Said,
January 24, 2006 @ 11:36 am
Check Engine Light ALWAYS on – I had a CEL light on for almost a whole year cause VW cannot find a way to keep it off longer than a couple of days. So, I dumped my crappy 97 Passat by trading it in for my great new Scion tC!!!!. I hope the Scion/Toyota dealership drove it straight to the nearest junkyard after I left it with them. I also hope no one tears it up to sell it for parts. I wouldn’t even trust a single bolt in that car to be re-used on another B4.
Chombi
vabeachautohaus Said,
January 26, 2006 @ 10:01 am
cold start misfire – Hve the dealership check the secondary air kombi valve for faults,this can easily be checked by removing the inlet hose from the secondary air pump and the vac hose from the solenoid valve and when starting the car cold you should see no misfire recognition in value blocks 015 and 016.You will set a secondary air fault when you do this but it can be erased.The 1.8 passat in notorious for this problem.
Motorrad Said,
February 2, 2006 @ 9:59 am
On, Off. Now what? – Hey, Paul. My CEL came on a few days ago (solid, not blinking) but now it’s just as suddenly off. The car still ran perfectly while the light was on. Since I’m out of warranty, I’m planning to wait until my 40K service (I’m at 38K) and mention it then. Or should I not wait? I was askin’ for trouble: I’d just told someone I hadn’t had any problems recently. Funny, though. When I told the service advisor that the CEL had come on in my barely out-of-warranty GTI 1.8, he replied, “Of course it did.”
297 Said,
February 3, 2006 @ 2:19 am
Check Engine Light ALWAYS on – If the CEL went off then the sensor rechecked values and found them nominal.
But yes, mention it on your next service. The error is stored in the ECU even if the CEL is turned off.
V-dubber Said,
February 3, 2006 @ 12:53 pm
Check Engine Light ALWAYS on – My car is in for the 60K service right now. I’ll probably be uneasy until I get the “”OK”" phone call.
vabeachautohous, nice to see another tech on here with helpful advice. It’s people like you and Paul that keep us owners sane.
On a side note, while some VW employees or cheerleaders post on here a bunch of derogatory comments (further pissing off their customers)…you think VW as a whole would take a more proactive approach to customers with problems…as opposed to just calling them “”whiners”".
I assure you, if I noticed a local DC area tech on this forum posting helpful advice, I guarantee I would would go take my car to him/her. It’s just good business.
It actually seems like a really good idea for auto companies (maybe they already do?) to put a few people on the payroll not to just defend their products, but to offer advice and act as an ambassador.