VW CADDY PROBLEM

VW CADDY PROBLEM

My business partner recently bought a VW Caddy 1.6L for our Security / CCTV installation business, not the one with the passenger seats inside in the back but the commercial panel van type. It came with the rear swing door lock removed and permanently bolted shut with the rear windows sprayed black. The windscreen mounted rear view mirror was also missing, since it served no purpose because of the black rear windows. Other than that, the vehicle was in pretty good nick, oh! and except for the fact that the black door handles were faded towards white or rather, had faded areas where the vehicle user's fingers rubbed through the coating. This is first for me. I would have though Volkswagen would use black PVC for the actual handle than use  white PVC, then coat it black. 

Faded VW Caddy door handle.

I've always know "VW door handle" to be problematic since I have had personal experience with both my VW Golf I and VW Golf II. Many of you may relate to the instance when you pulled youe VW's door open and the handle came adrift and you had to stick you finger through the hole in the door and tug a flat metal lever to open it. Subsequently VW changed the style of the door handle or  rather it is now properly fixed to the door. However, the Caddy's door handles aren't faulty..... yet, just faded. 



Anyway, so after about 12 000 km she developed a engine mis but it was extremely intermittent and therefore difficult to pinpoint. Each mis probably lasted about 3 seconds, it just didn't last long enough to make a proper diagnosis. Unfortunately, my son went to view a VW Tiguan for purchase in another province and took my VCDS with him.  So we were flying blind and had to rely on common sense and good old mechanical experience. We speculated that it may be the spark plugs, but then again it could also have been the coil pack or perhaps not. The coil pack would make the entire vehicle shake, so speculation continued until we were alerted by a flickering  Electronic Stability Control (ESC) light. 

As can be seen, to get to the spark plugs is a bit of a mission.

We concluded that this may have  something to do with the rotation of the wheels or perhaps the ABS because if any one of the wheels slipped or shaved against a pavement, causing the ABS to loose count of the rotational wheel pulses, then an error may occur and trigger the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) light. After a day or two, the AFS light also turned on,  accompanied by the  Electronic Stability Control (ESC) light that now stayed on permanently. Suddenly the Caddy turned into a stubborn mule, it could move forward at a mule's pace yet it didn't matter how much you beat the accelerator, she would just splutter. It was time that we fix her.  But since there were two instrument panel light that came on almost simultaneously we needed to look at what was common to both circuits before we started replacing anything.  Much later we realized that they were completely unrelated and that both lights turning on simultaneously was purely coincidental. We found that the AFS light was triggered by one of the right front headlight bulbs that fused. We then solved that problem.  

View of the purple OBD-II plug and the VCDS adaptor inserted

Thus far we speculated on several things but the logical step was to eliminate the spark plugs — because plugs misfire — and thereafter perhaps the  electronic coil. Since the spark plugs are inaccessible unless the intake manifold is removed, we ended up doing just that. The four plugs were removed and we discovered they were of the wrong type, someone had already replaced them before. The ones we removed were the regular single spark type whereas the recommended spark plug for the VW Caddy is the twin spark type. After replacing all four plugs with the twin spark type, the instrument light turned off and the Volkswagen Caddy idled perfectly normal. It really wasn't worth trying to figure out which plug went to heaven because the cost of replacing them was much less than the value of time. When my son finally returned with my VCDS, I scanned the Caddy and dropped it in below per you perusal.  

Electronic Stability Control light and the AFS light

As can be seen the malfunctioning items below are highlighted which remained 'Red' on VCDS even after we completed the necessary repairs.  We then had to clear the DTC memory for the ECU to be updated because even though the repairs were done, the ECU didn't know. Thereafter their  status revered to OK and the Readiness passed, which can be view  right at the bottom!  The refrigerant pressure problem under Address 08: Auto HVAC remained but the levels are fine so I suspect an electrical problem. Talking about electrical problems, the blower fan was also faulty and didn't work on all setting, so after replacing the series resistor, the blower works just fine. I covered fan blowers in a previous blog but I just needed to add the pic below because the Caddy resistor looks somewhat different.

Chassis Type: 2K (1K0)
Scan: 01 03 08 09 15 16 17 19 25 44 56

VIN: WV1ZZZ2KZ7XXXXXXX

00-Steering Angle Sensor -- Status: OK 0000
01-Engine -- Status: Malfunction 0010
03-ABS Brakes -- Status: OK 0000
08-Auto HVAC -- Status: Malfunction 0010
09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: Malfunction 0010
15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000
16-Steering wheel -- Status: Malfunction 0010
17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000
19-CAN Gateway -- Status: OK 0000
25-Immobilizer -- Status: OK 0000
44-Steering Assist -- Status: OK 0000
56-Radio -- Status: OK 0000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine        Labels: 06A-906-033-BGU.lbl
   Part No: 06A 906 033 ES
   Component: SIMOS71 1.6l 2V     8720
   Revision: --H03---    Serial number: VWZ7Z0F7186813
   Coding: 0000071
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377 00190

4 Faults Found:
16414 - Oxygen (Lambda) Sensor B1 S1: Heating Circuit
            P0030 - 009 - Malfunction / Open Circuit
             Freeze Frame:
                    Bin. Bits: 00000100
                    Resistance: 16.38 kOhm
                    Voltage: 2.100 V
                    Load: 7.8 %

            P0301 - 006 -  - Intermittent
             Freeze Frame:
                    RPM: 3072 /min
                    Mass Air / Rev.: 403.3 mg/str
                    Temperature: 72.0°C
                    Lambda: 0.0 %
                    RPM: 2144 /min
                    Mass Air / Rev.: 92.7 mg/str
                    Temperature: 73.5°C
                    Lambda: 0.0 %

            P0201 - 009 -  - Intermittent
             Freeze Frame:
                    RPM: 640 /min
                    Mass Air / Rev.: 119.9 mg/str
                    Lambda Factor: 1.016
                    Bin. Bits: 00000000

17658 - Fuel Level too Low
            P1250 - 000 -
             Freeze Frame:

Readiness: 0110 0101
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 03: ABS Brakes        Labels: 1K0-907-379-MK70.lbl
   Part No: 1K0 907 379 P
   Component: ASR FRONT MK70      0105
   Coding: 0017106
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377

No fault code found.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 08: Auto HVAC        Labels: 1K0-820-047.lbl
   Part No: 2K0 820 047 AQ
   Component: Climatic PQ35   120 0606
    Shop #: WSC 00000 000

1 Fault Found:
00229 - Refrigerant Pressure
            002 - Lower Limit Exceeded
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 09: Cent. Elect. Labels: 1K0-937-049-21-B.lbl
   Part No:  1K0 937 049 AD
   Component: Bordnetz-SG     H52 2102
   Software Coding: 008C4F010004100057000000000000000009B1065C0000
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377

1 Fault Found:
00979 - Lamp for Low Beam; Right (M31)
            010 - Open or Short to Plus
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 15: Airbags Labels: 6Q0-909-605-VW52.lbl
   Part No:   6Q0 909 605 AH
   Component: 09 AIRBAG VW52  023 2400
   Coding: 0012345
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377

No fault code found.                  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 16: Steering wheel Labels: 1K0-953-549-MY8.lbl
   Part No:    1K0 953 549 AN
   Component: Lenksäulenmodul 636 0070
   Coding: 0000001
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377

No fault code found.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 17: Instruments Labels: 1K0-920-xxx-17.lbl
   Part No SW: 2K0 920 843 B HW: 2K0 920 843 B
   Component: KOMBIINSTRUMENT VDD 1612
   Revision: V0003000 Serial number: VWZ7Z0F7117651
   Coding: 0016101
   Shop #: WSC 04556  996

No fault code found.                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 19: CAN Gateway Labels: 1K0-907-530-V2.clb
   Part No: 1K0 907 530 K
   Component: J533__Gateway   H04 0020
   Coding: 3D01034007007401
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377
                   
No fault code found.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 25: Immobilizer Labels: 1K0-920-xxx-25.clb
   Part No: 2K0 920 843 B
   Component: IMMO            VDD 1612
   Coding:
   Shop #: WSC 00000 000
                   
No fault code found.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 44: Steering Assist Labels: 1Kx-909-14x-44.clb
   Part No: 1K2 909 144 L
   Component: EPS_ZFLS Kl.140 H07 1806
   Shop #: WSC 35110 666

No fault code found.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 56: Radio Labels: 1K0-035-1xx-56.lbl
   Part No: 1K0 035 186 T
   Component: Radio BVX 016 0023
   Coding: 0020200
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377

No fault code found.

End.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

00-Steering Angle Sensor -- Status: OK 0000
01-Engine -- Status: OK 0000
03-ABS Brakes -- Status: OK 0000
08-Auto HVAC -- Status: Malfunction 0010 (Suspect electrical fault since the level is correct)
09-Cent. Elect. -- Status: OK 0000
15-Airbags -- Status: OK 0000
16-Steering wheel -- Status: OK 0000
17-Instruments -- Status: OK 0000
19-CAN Gateway -- Status: OK 0000
25-Immobilizer -- Status: OK 0000
44-Steering Assist -- Status: OK 0000
56-Radio -- Status: OK 0000

Address 01: Engine        Labels: 06A-906-033-BGU.lbl
   Part No: 06A 906 033 ES
   Component: SIMOS71 1.6l 2V     8720
   Revision: --H03---    Serial number: VWZ7Z0F7186813
   Coding: 0000071
   Shop #: WSC 35110 377 00190

No fault code found.
Readiness: 1110 1101    (Readiness /faulty condition [above]: 0110 0101)