VW BREAKDOWNS

VW BREAKDOWNS

Virtually everyday I see at least a half a dozen of brand new cars hitching a lift to some service center. Rollsbacks are becoming pervasive and are thus trending because the days when you could manage a quick repair along the roadside is long gone. Whether you drive an older well used or brand new vehicle, breakdowns are inevitably and will happen at the most inopportune moments or at the worst possible time. Having a roadside assistance service like the AA (Automobile Association) can provide some peace of mind, especially to female drivers with infants or aging parents / grandparents on board. Somehow breakdowns seem to happen when you are smartly dressed enroute to a function of sorts or when you are late for an appointment. That's Murphy's Law for you.

VW Golf GTI with a engine sensor issue

VW Golf GTI going nowhere slowly

The most common road side problem today seems to be  cars running out of fuel, because of erroneous assumptions. Due to the recent rapid rise in fuel prices everyone is still topping up their fuel tanks based on note value rather than on litre value.  For example, R100.00 worth of fuel (8.2 litres) is not the same as asking for 20 litres of LPR fuel (R250.00). Hence drivers are judging driving distance based on the Rand value, often ignoring the fuel guage and getting stuck without fuel as a consequence, though expecting the rand value of the fuel they bought should have taken them a lot further than it actually did. 

A dead battery is another common issue, which is most susceptible in winter, especially relevant to delivery vehicles that drive short distances, starting their engine often, thus not giving the battery sufficient opportunity to charge fully. Persistent battery problems are more often than not caused by a faulty alternator regulator and is not normally repairable at the road side. I've had my alternator die on me at night while driving home from movies, and I was actually watching my headlights getting dimmer by the meter, as I drove. Fortunately I made it home before my battery ran down completely.

Then there is the clutch cable that snaps under stress,  which is normally a deal breaker because it inhibits changing gears. Once when this happened to me, I started my car whilest the transmission was in 3rd gear causing the car to lunge forward as the starter rotates. It's kinda like using the starter to propel the car forward until it starts. When my car's engine started, I managed to drive all the way home in third gear without incident.

VW Polo with a ESP and EPC issue

VW Polo enroute service centre.

A flat tyre / blowout is another roadside issue, especially if you discover the spare tyre deflated due to the duration of time it spent in the boot without being checked. The worst thing ever is not being able to loosen a wheel nut that's been air torqued by the last tyre repair place you visited. 

An overheating engine can just stress you out because the first thing that comes to mind is the possible cost of repair. An overheated engine is commonly caused by a snapped fan belt or stuck thermostat which can cause the cylinder hear gasket to blow if not detected and repaired in time. When my car's engine overheated, I was some 30 Km out of Bloemfontein on the N1, enroute Cape Town; somehow the attendant at the filling station who topped up my radiator water level didn't replace its cap.  As a consequence the
water bubbled out and with insufficient water to keep the engine cool,  the  head gasket blew and I had to stay in Bloem for 13 days. It was an expensive exercise, the cost of a deco set with head gasket, the cost of the opportunistic mechanic, and the cost of hotel accommodation and obviously food.

A not so common roadside fault is locking your keys inside the vehicle or even loosing your keys. Remember the microchip inside your key can also go faulty and is the only thing that can disable your immobilizer. If this should happen it would be worthwhile having roadside assistance because they generally have a relationship with vehicle manufactureres and authorised dealers and have access to Key Assist. 

Regular services would do your driving spirit the world of good because any worm components can be detected before they actually go faulty. On of the worst roadside breakdowns is a snapped cam belt but if checked at regular services and replaced before it breaks would save you a shed load of money. It is worthwhile keeping  a set of jumper leads and a 5L can of water in you boot as well as an empy 5L can and a funnel, just in case you run out of fuel.  A spare fan belt and a mechanical toolkit would also be beneficial as boot luggage. Get into the habit of continually looking at your instrument cluster while driving to check your guages for normality, especially oil pressure, oil level and water. Check your coolant level yourself if possible before going on any long trip, and please don't allow garage attendants check it, at least not without your supervision.  Also make sure your have a spare key. 

I've never seen two VW towed in tandem like the two Toyotas above.

Two police vehicles that needs some TLC

Looking at the two images above is a least a consolation to Volkswagen owners that it's not only VW  vehicles that seems to enjoy riding on the back of rollbacks.

Feel free to upload your VW, SKODA, SEAT & AUDI scans.


Engine Control Module, Data Bus for Comfort System, Coding, Control Module for Digital Sound Package, Control Module for Airbags, Control Module for Climatronic, Klimaanlage, Control Module in Instrument Cluster, Power Steering Control Module,  No Signal/Communication - Intermittent, Intermittent Operation, Defective - Intermittent, Open Circuit — Intermittent, Short to Ground — Intermittent, Open or Short to Plus — Intermittent, Implausible Signal — Intermittent, No Communications - Intermittent, Electrical Fault in Circuit - Intermittent, Adresse, Address,  Betriebsnummer, WS Code, Rollbacks, Freeze Frame, Fault Status, Coding, Readiness, Klimaanlage, Cent. Elect, Gateway CAN, Inter. Monitor, Central Conv, Komfortgerát,  LenkhilfeTRW, Kombiinstrument, volkswagenowners,

COMMON VOLKSWAGEN PROBLEMS

I've owned no less than 20 cars, the bulk of which were VW vehicles. I am thus qualified to say that the most troublesome car in the Volkswagen stable without any doubt is  the VW Jetta but it is very closely followed by the Volkswagen Polo, regardless of winning  2010 World Car of the Year. 

Whether you drive an older 6n Polo or a later 9N3 Polo classic 1.6 or 2.0L Highline, or a newer Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline, or a VW hatch 1.4TDI Highline or a VW sedan 1.5TDI Comfortline, or a VW hatch 1.2TSI Highline, or a Polo BlueMotion or a Polo GTI, or a CrossPolo, or even a Polo 6R, either manual or auto, you are bound to encounter some or all of these problems listed below over time or even perhaps in very close proximity to one another.

Since I've had my VW Polo 2.0L Highline, I've personally experienced most of them and the only reason I know that these are common problems is because I've encountered so many people with similar problems. They go as far as to say the VW Polo is a thoroughly unreliable car, adding that it's poorly built and that they should have stuck to Japanese cars. Some complain about the high repair bills they had to foot for problems that shouldn't be haunting fairly new cars,  let alone the atrocious VW customer service they experienced. Their final words - "Stay away from Volkswagen".  "I'll never buy Volkswagen again!"

Soon after I purchased  my VW polo 2.0L highline I noticed an above normal level of cabin noise. The conclusion I came to, was that the door rubbers doesn't seal very well allowing type road noise to enter. This was even confirmed by water droplets falling onto the door panel armrest and on me when it rains. In fact when I open the back doors and look at the B-post and front door rubbers seals, I can see a air gap of about 5mm between the B-post and the rubbers door seals. I would agree that the Polo isn't  built very well. 

At another time, I noticed a humming sound emitting from its gearbox when accelerating.  Convinced that it wasn't there before, or if it was, it was hardly noticeable, I took the Polo to a VW service centre, only to be told, "There is no problem with the gearbox, that sound is perfectly normal for all Polos."  Ya right! Like its normal for a person to have 4 ears.

A friend who owns a 2011 Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline also noticed the interior cabin noise was getting quite annoying when driving at speeds above 100 km per hour. As a result he had both front wheel bearing replaced thinking that may be the problem but it didn't make any difference. The VW service centre says it has much to do with wheel balancing and alignment.

Something else I'm quite unhappy about is that the interior fabric has  separated from the roof lining of my 2007 Polo Highline  and hanging as if filled with water. However I'm not as pissed about it as my neighbour is, who ownes a 2011 VW Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline. He says it's totally unbelieveble that a five year old car should be falling apart whereas as his 20 year old Mercedez Benz's fabric ceiling still looks new, like the day he bought the car.

The airbag malfunction light seems to be another VW problem on an epidemic scale. Once its on, it cannot be turned off, not even by experienced auto shops. Replacement of the airbag is the only way that light is going to turn off and stay off. This was a problem that originated with the 2006 VW jetta when nearing 160,000 kilometers.  Somehow this problem found its way into other VW's especially the Polos.

Another Jetta problem that seem to have infected VW Polo, is Ignition Coil failure which tend to  appear around 120,000 kilometers. Its a good idea to keep one or two spare coils in your repair kit because they die when you least expect it.  When they do, your car shakes as if its a washing machine in spin dry mode. I've also had one or two of my radiator fan lades snap off and when it engaged shook my entire car as if I small tree in a blizzard. After the initial fright when this happens is the thought of cost immediately springs to mind.  So some reason or the other my radiator fan just disintegrated.

The Check Engine light and the EPC light turning on, are classic VW Polo problem that just waits for an opportunity to present itself. This often occurs when your decelerate, or yielding or driving slowly or when you start it first thing in the morning. Its perfectly normal or the EPC light to come on during a 3 sec self test when the ignition is turned on but should turn off when the vehicle starts. If it doesn't, your in or a very long day. 

EPC problems sometimes evokes limp mode which I found can be quite dangerous even life threatening because I've experienced limp mode with a 30 ton road-train just meters from my rear bumper, with just fractions of a second to get out of its way. I've experience EPC problems on the freeway on-ramp in peak hour traffic. I've experience EPC problems on a lonely stretch of road in the dark of the night. I've experience EPC problems to the point that I didn't want t drive my Polo anymore and even contemplated selling it.

Wiring harness problems especially on the doors and the alarm system and the DSG gearbox. The headlight connectors tend to melt from the heat of the lights and contact becomes intermittent to the point that whilst driving they go on and off.

Leaking coolant from under the water pump or from the black metal hose that runs along two side of the engine. Either the water pump needs to be replaced or the corroded pipe needs to be replaced. 

VW LOGIN CODES

VW LOGIN CODES 

The "login" codes listed below work on many of the following Volkswagen vehicles listed in alphabetically. In order to use them you need a scan tool with the appropriate data connector plugged into your car's DLC connector.  VCDS software and its dual-K+CAN cable is probably your best option but is fairly expensive compared to the other ranges of DIY scan tools.  NB! Use these codes below at your own risk. If you don't have the necessary knowledge or expertise to make adaptation changes to your car's internal electronic module then it's best to leave them alone and refer these changes or logins to an automotive  professional, or at least someone knowledgeable about OBDII Diagnostic Trouble codes (DTC), vehicle  modules, intelligent sensors, the binary system, electronics and data link protocol transmission. These are extremely helpful if you've bee having one heck of a time trying to "login" to your instrument cluster to adapt some keys. Used incorrectly could turn your ECU into a brick so practice caution.

Dual-K & CAN Ross-Tech VCDS kit

Volkswagen:- (VW) Caddy (9K chassis) 1996 - 2003 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Caddy (2K chassis) 2004 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Corrado  and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Crafter (2E chassis) 2006 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Eos (1F chassis) 2006 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Fox/Spacefox/Sportvan/Suran (5Z chassis) 2005 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Gol/Parati/Saveiro (5X chassis) 2000 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf/Jetta II (19E chassis) 1983 - 1992
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf/Jetta/Vento/Cabriolet III (1H chassis) 1992 - 1998 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf Cabriolet IV (1E chassis) 1999 - 2002
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf/Jetta/Bora IV (1J/9M chassis) 1998 - 2006
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf/Jetta/Bora V (1K/5M chassis) 2004 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf/GTI/Jetta (1K/5K chassis) 2010 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf Variant/Wagon (1K chassis) 2007 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf Plus (5M chassis) 2005 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Golf Mk.6 (5K chassis) 2009 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) LT (2D chassis) 1996 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Lupo (6E/6X chassis) 1999 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) New Beetle/Cabriolet (1C/1Y/9C chassis) 1999 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Passat (31/3A chassis) 1988 - 1994 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Passat (3B chassis) 1997 - 2005 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Passat (3C chassis) 2006 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Passat CC (35/3C chassis) 2008 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Phaeton (3D chassis) 2002 and newer "facelift",  2007 - 2008)  
Volkswagen:- (VW) Polo (6N/6N2 chassis) 1994 - 2002 and newer 
Volkswagen:- (VW) Polo (9N chassis) 2002 -2010
Volkswagen:- (VW) Scirocco (13 chassis) 2008 - 2009 and newer 
Volkswagen:- (VW) Sharan (7M chassis) 1995 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Tiguan (5N chassis) 2008 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Touareg (7L chassis) 2003 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Touareg (7L6 chassis) ( 2007 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Touran (1T chassis) 2003 and newer
Volkswagen:- (VW) Transporter (70 chassis) 1991 - 1996
Volkswagen:- (VW) Transporter (7D chassis) 1997 - 2003
Volkswagen:- (VW) Transporter (7H/7J chassis) 2003 and newer


ENGINE
TDI Engine adaptation login = 12233 ( 4 cylinder MSA12 and newer)
EDC17 Security Access code =  12233  
EDC15/16 Fuel cooling Activation code =  10000 
EDC15/16 Fuel cooling De- activation code =  10001
Delete FMA Learning map  = 10008 
Switched EGR off  for next driving cycle = 10011 
DPF emergency regeneration V6 = 10016 
DPF emergency regeneration 4 Cyl  = 21295
Legal top speed limiter disable (AP07) = 28575
Teach differential pressure transmitter = 30605 

UDS Short Trip password = 27971
ME7 ECU Login Codes =  07825
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 01283
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 11500 Default coding
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 11223
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 11463
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 11501
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 12233
ME7 ECU Login Codes = 33162
Other  ECUs = 26262
Golf 1,6  FSI  = 10011 
Login codes for engine type AEL = 22158
Common Rail - disable top speed limiter = 10111
01283 Cruise Activation "older" vehicles
Activate ACC = 10002
Diesel particulate filter Adaptation  = 10016
Cruise Control Activation  = 11463  
Diesel particulate filter Adaptation = 21295
Special Customer Services login = 45678

ABS

Adaptation access  MK60 = 00212
Adaptation access  NDBW = 01025
Adaptation access  DBW = 04097
Adaptation access  SPECIAL A6 = 09399
Adaptation access  FWD = 13204
Adaptation access AWD = 13504
Adaptation access  AWD ESP = 18446
Adaptation access  MK60 = 19469
Adaptation access  FWD ESP = 23049
Adaptation access  General = 27861
Adaptation access to basic settings = 40168

AIRBAG

Airbag Adaptation Enabling login = 20324

INSTRUMENT

Instrument Cluster Adaptation Login = 13861

CENTRAL ELECTRONICS

Central Electronics Adaptation Enabling login = 21343
Activate Cruise Control Adaptation Login = 11463
De-activate Cruise Control Adaptation Login = 16167
Activate Cruise Control Adaptation = 13647  
NB! The  Cruise Control System  activation  Drive-by-Wire throttle systems will vary for different engine types.

STEERING

Steering Angle Sensor Adaptation Login = 40168

SUSPENSION 

General Login = 31564
Transport Adaptation Activation = 10273
Transport Adaptation de-activation = 41172

 

GENERIC AUTOMOTIVE PROTOCOLS

GENERIC AUTOMOTIVE PROTOCOLS

To date I've evaluated several VW, AUDI, SKODA and SEAT scan tools and discovered that there are many, many readers who have no idea what generic automotive protocols are or what a automotive scan tool does. The following is an explanation of automotive protocols, but if you like, you may download the PDF document that identifies which protocol / protocols are specific to your vehicle's make and model. To make things simple, if your car was manufactured after 2008 then your vehicle soley uses the  CAN protocol, whereas if it was manufactured prior to Y2K then it's very likely that it soley uses the ISO 9141 protocol, but there are exceptions. Cars manufactured between Y2k and 2007 inclusive, uses one, two or three of the ISO diagnostic protocols.

ISO stands for 'International Organization for Standardization' and is a Worldwide Federation to which  most national standards bodies situated in most countries are affiliated to, as members. Member bodies interested in a specific subject, automotive or electrical or otherwise, for which a technical committee has been established, has the right to be represented on this committee. Any draft International Standards adopted by these technical committees are then circulated to all member bodies and publication of the impending International Standard requires approval by a 75 % member majority vote before it can be accepted as cast in stone. The numbers 9141 / 1430 / 15765 are just numerical numbers allocated to standard when approved and gives you some idea as to how many standards they already approved.  ISO 9141 has been amended and is now known as ISO 9141-2.

The various colour lines depict the various bus systems. In the drawing only three modules for each bus system is shown but there could me more than 10 modules per system hence the open ended arrows. As can be seen, the Powertrain bus, the Diagnostic bus, the Infotainment bus, the Lin Bus, the Instrument panel bus and the Convenience bus are all disparate bus systems that converge at the Gateway module which is responsible or protocol translation between the various bus systems.

Anyway,  VAG vehicles predominantly use either ISO 9141-2 ("CARB"), or ISO 1430 ("KWP-2000") [Keyword Protocol 2000]  or the  ISO-15765 ("CAN") [Controller Area Network] protocol and these are the languages of OBDII (On-board Diagnostic 2) systems.   Some VWs support all three protocols and the scan tool normally used the protocol best suited for communication subject to the mission criticality and speed of the individual networks. There are other protocols in use by different car manufacturers like, LIN (Local Interconnect Network) Bus, and FlexRay, Byteflight,  and MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) etc... but these are not the only bus protocols used in electronics.

For example HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol),  SSL (Secure Socket Layer), TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol) are protocol that come to mind that are used for internet communication. Then there is the WI-FI protocol for cell phone or laptop  to router communication, then there is  Bluetooth for cell phone to cell phone communication or computer to printer communication to mention but a few.

A protocol is essentially a set of rules that determines the interchange of digital information between on-board emission-related Electronic Control Units (ECUs) or two bus enabled electronic devices. Restated, how the electronic modules in your car communicate with one another and how  they communicates with a scan tool in order to display, read and clears DTC's. DTC stands for Diagnostic Trouble Codes. You may download this PDF of generic trouble codes specific to VW, Audi SEAT and SKODA vehicles. A scan tool can exchange digital information with any of many electronic modules to establish the correct module coding based on installed equipment. A basic set of modules are

Address 01: Engine   - Engine Control Module (ECU)

Address 02: Auto Trans  Transmission Control Module (TCU)

Address 03: ABS Brakes  - Assisted Braking System Module (ABS)

Address 08: Auto HVAC  - Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning

Address 09: Cent. Elect.  - Central Electronics Control Module

Address 15: Airbags  -  Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

Address 17: Instruments  - Dashboard cluster

Address 19: CAN Gateway - On-Board Power supply

Address 25: Immobilizer - Immobilizer Control Module

Address 44: Steering Assist - Power steering Module

Address 45: Inter. Monitor - Interior Control Module

Address 46: Central Conv.  - Central Convenience Control Module

Address 56: Radio - Radio Control Module

Getting back to the rules, a protocol is commonly called a hand shake. It takes to parties to commit to communication. Its something like when someone comes to knock at your door, and when you hear the knock , you go answer the door. The person at the door greets and you return the greeting because it is protocol to do so. The visitor asks if this is number '303 steering module street' and you say yes. He then say he represents the electricity department and needs to take a reading of your electricity meter, you agree for him to enter. He then capture the information in his palm top, thanks you for you cooperation and you let him out and closed the door behind him. 

Likewise the scan tool (someone at the door) sends a signal (knock on the door) to the engine control module or the steering control module, or the gateway modules. The relevant module (you) receives the signal and decodes it, then determines (the nature of business) that the scan tool requests access to its internal non-volatile memory. Because the request signal had the appropriate greeting, the relevant control module reciprocates and allows its contents to be read. Thereafter the scan tool transmits an  exit signal and the control module releases or shuts down communication.  That basically describes a successful yet very simplified digital information interchange between scan tool and control module. However, all this is done in  naughts and ones, the bits and bytes of binary code and is a lot more intricate than described but the objective was just to give you a general idea of function of a  protocol. 

CAN-bus is used for the Drivetrain Network
CAN-bus is used for the Instrument Cluster/Suspension Network 
CAN-bus is also used for the Convenience Network
CAN-bus or LIN or MOST is used for the Infotainment Network
CAN-bus is also used for the Diagnostic Network 

VAG 405 SCAN TOOL

VAG405 SCAN TOOL

A week ago I  ordered a VAG405 scan tool from an online store. This scan tool is essentially a dedicated stand-alone OEM level diagnostic device for scanning Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Seat, VW Golf, VW GTI , VW Polo, VW Jetta, VW Beetle, VW Passat, VW Touareg, vehicles... etc. Restated, it's a scan tool specific to VAG vehicles manufactured since 1990 to the current day, yet it is quite unlike the Autel D900 diagnostic scan tool I evaluated in a previous blog which is not VAG specific but can scan several makes of vehicles.

As can be seen, it can scan Golf 3, Golf 4 Beetle, New Beetle, Passat.....

It also scans the Polo, Sharan, Lupo, Bora and the Transporter, etc...

However, when the scan tool arrived, I expected something much smaller, like perhaps the size of a Samsung S7, but to my surprise it was actually quite substantial, sporting a large easy to read backlit LCD with OBD/EOBD functionality. The box also included a nylon carry case, an OBD2 cable, a USB cable and a VAG405 user's manual.

Initially, I was intrigued by the general claims made by the advert and reiterated on  the actual box it which it was packaged. It stated that  the VAG405 scan tool reads most electronic controlled modules and erases Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) from the ECU's non-volatile memory triggered by the Engine, Transmission, ABS, Airbags, Climatic control (AC), Steering wheel, Immobilizer, Instrument cluster and Central electronics, etc. That it reads and clears generic trouble codes on VAG vehicles using either ISO 9141-2 ("CARB"), or ISO 1430 ("KWP-2000") and ISO-15765 ("CAN") protocols for the latest cars and can even resets the MIL light, airbag, ABS and a host of other  OBDII systems.

ISO 1941 Protocol

KWP2000 Protocol

CAN Bus Protocol

And that it can also resets oil service light and retrieve the ECU embedded VIN (Vehicle Information Number) as well as display I/M readiness. 

All of this just sounded too good to be true so I just had to get one. But after running tests I am sorry to say that I am not too impressed with it. Not because it is brick but that it is rather inclined towards cars built prior to y2k.  I found that the VAG405 timed-out and froze when scanning for trouble codes, while displaying "Please Wait" on its LCD screen. In order to reset it, I had to physically unplug the 16 pin DLC then reconnect, else I was going to wait forever.  I assume the "Please Wait" (timeout) is an incompatibility between the non-volitile memory used in my 2007 VW Polo 2.0L Highline and that used in VW prior to y2k. However, most of the other functions appear to be compatible.

I like the fact that it is powered from the car's battery via the DLC and therefore doesn't need batteries but a nice to have would have at least been an on-off switch fitted to the scan tool, to reset the scan tool when it freezes. The software is fairly simplistic and easy to use, though rather limited since it doesn't allow you to change module coding. I couldn't retrieve my car's embedded VIN and I don't think this VAG405 can't retrieve it from  any later model VAG vehicle. It is a very nifty scan tool and great value for money if you own an older VW vehicle or Audi but steer clear of it if your car is newer that year 2000. Perhaps this peculiarity is specific to my scan tool yet everything else seem to function as per claim in the advert and on the box.

Below is a series of photographs that I uploaded to demonstrate the functionality of this scan tool.

Engine control Module data

ABS control Module data

Airbag control Module data

Instrument Control Module data

Electronics Module Control data

Gateway Control Module data

Comfort Control Module data

Failed communication occurred several times but after unplugging DLC and
reinserting comms appeared to be much better.

The software is quite informative, guiding you to causes of comms errors.

Link Error! This happened when I scanned the Steering Control Module and the Radio Control Module, both of which was present and responded to the Autel D900 scan tool.

OBD readiness tests of the 8 monitors, 6 of which are feature in the above image and
2 are featured in the image below, all of which pass,

The first 6 Control Modules, A peculiarity I picked up is that the Airbags is listed before ABS which
isn't normal compared to other dedicated scan tools and computerized scan tool software.

Control Modules 16 -25 

Control modules 35 -56

I don't believe that there are no stored codes because I know there are airbag error codes stores which I determined using VCDS. Like I mentioned earlier, the VAG405 is more suited to vehicles manufactured prior to y2k.

VOLKSWAGEN'S EXISTENCE THREATENING CRISES

Volkswagen's Knock-on / Snowball effect

During September of 2015 Volkswagen AG admitted that they created sophisticated software that could  determined when the cars in which it was installed were tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thus able to turn on the pollution controls but once all wheels were in rotation and the steering wheel was turned, the cheat software turned off. The cars implicated in Volkswagen's emissions scandal include the VW Jetta TDI, the VW Beetle, VW Golf  Model 2009-2015 TDI's, the Audi A3 and the Passat 2014- 015 model .  

Apparently Volkswagen cheated at emissions tests for seven years before being caught by the International Council on Clean Transportation. With the result that all sales of affected VW cars were stopped. In a the inquests that followed Volkswagen was found guilty and liable to compensate all the car owners who were cheated.

The owners of the 482,000 Volkswagen 2-liter diesel vehicles implicated in the company's emissions scandal  could each get as much as $7,000 because the automaker is willing to shell out over $10 billion in a civil settlement to U.S. car owners, in order to make things right. The automaker is expected to award each of these  car owners between $1,000 and $7,000 and will attempt to repair as many of the automobiles as it can, at no cost to the consumers. 

European are also shouting compensation and Europe's Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska  says it would be biased and very unfair of  Volkswagen to treat European customers  differently  because of different legal system, and that Volkswagen (VOW) should monetarily   compensate European customers same compensation as US drivers. And she added "Treating consumers in Europe differently than U.S. consumers is no way to win back trust,"  However  VW officials in Europe said that they will repair vehicles and remove illegal software, but have no intention to pay consumers compensation, arguing they suffered no loss.

As Volkswagen prepares to spend $10.2 billion to buy back vehicles in the U.S. a South Korean Volkswagen executive has been arrested after a warrant was issued by the Seoul District Court for charges related to Volkswagen's emissions cheating. Claiming the executive should have submitted test results for new cars but tried to fool the system by submitting test results for previous models. In what could mean even more trouble for  Volkswagen, the VW executive told prosecutors he altered the software for the electronic control units based on direct orders from Volkswagen management. Volkswagen Korea is facing class-action lawsuits from Korean owners who are demanding compensation similar to what has been offered to owners in the U.S. 

From this it is clear that the Snowball effect will soon go global and evey country will jump on the band wagon in order to get a piece of Volkswagen. The million dollar question is, " Will Volkswagen survive a 80 billion USD "existence -threatening  crises.

WHAT IS A VW EPC WARNING LIGHT

What Is a VW EPC Warning Light

The EPC warning light is an instrument cluster based LED found on all Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda vehicles fitted with a drive-by-wire system and EPC stands for Electronic Power Control. However the EPC warning light is not exclusive to these VAG cars, most other motor manufacturers also have them, since it's legislated to be part of the OBDII system. This EPC light when lit displays the letters EPC and primarily warns the driver that there is problems in the engine's torque system - (acceleration system). The reason why the EPC turns on, problem could be many, among which are the vehicle's knock sensors, its throttle system, its cruise control, its mass air flow system, its engine speed verification system or any of the other associated systems that cooperate in the drive-by-wire schema. 

When this EPC light comes on, the vehicle’s throttle valve (butterfly) may be limited in order to protect the engine from damage. It prevents the engine from revving above 2000rpm. This is known as limp mode and the ECU permits just sufficient power to drive the vehicle to a service center for repairs. To remedy the problem, the vehicle’s ECU should be scanned with an automotive diagnostic too, in order to extract the DTC's related to the torque problem.  Cars with an accelerator cable are also fitted with an EPC light but the ECU software is quite different, yet the overall principal remains the same.

All Volkswagen (VAG) vehicles have a whole array of dashboard warning lights in their instrument panels, specifically designed to alert the driver to any vehicle malfunctions or problems. In fact so does all most modern day automobiles. Having said that, it is only a matter of time before these lights start lighting up. Invariably and inevitably all cars will breakdown at sometime or the other but its nice to be warned about a mechanical problem before it actually occurs. For example, having a low coolant level light or an low engine oil-level light flash at you, accompanied by an audio alert is a blessing because complete loss of either coolant or engine oil could result in a very expensive repair. 

The one warning light that puzzles most drivers is the VW EPC warning light. Driver often ask, what is the VW EPC warning light? Like I've mentioned above, it is a bright yellow dashboard light with the letters EPC inscribed in bold.it  When lights-up to draws your attaention to a potential malfunction in the EPC system. When it lights up whilst driving and the trouble is related to a safety issue, the car will more than likely go into limp mode. This may sound quite serious but in most cases it's not. There are several reasons why EPC Dashboard Warning Light turns on, but through a process of elimination the cause can be tracked down fairly easily. 

The Engine Speed Sensor is  known to cause the EPC light to turn on. The engine speed sensor is a proximity magnetic transducer counting the revolutions of the flywheel / crankshaft and sends a steady stream of pulses to the ECU. So when this stream of data is interrupted for whatsoever reason for only a fraction of a second, the ECU  detects this and turns on the EPC light and cuts power to the engine. It does this to protect the engine from damage. 

If you have a scan tool, check for DTC errors. The following error code, 17745 /P1337, 17746 / P1338, 17747 / P1339 and 17748 / P1340 are the troubles codes that provides a  tell tail sign that the engine speed sensor is either loose or faulty, hence the car's engine cuts-out whilst driving and the speedometer is inoperative.  But in some cases the engine will start again. When this symptoms repeats itself often, you should know it is time to replace that pesky engine speed sensor.

The Accelerator Pedal itself is often the main culprit that causes EPC problems. A telltale sign is that the engine idles a lot faster than it aught to. To verify this, physical pull the accelerator pedal away from the floor board while the car is idling. If it reduces the engine's revs back to normal, then it is time to replace it, because the potentiometers that's built into the the accelerator pedal, have gone faulty. Accelerator pedal problems are numerous and the following DTC, 16504 / P0120, 16505 / P0121, 16506 / P0122, 16507 / P0123, 18038 / P1630, 18039 / P1631, 18040 / P1632, 18041 / P1633, 18042 / P1634, are linked to accelerator pedal errors. 

Mass air flow sensor is another engine component that can cause the EPC light to turn on. Cleaning the  mass air flow sensor with compressed air does often solve the problem but if the issue persists, its time to replace mass air flow sensor. But before changing it, check to see if any of the rubber hoses in its vicinity isn't perished. An leak in Air Intake System wil allowing air unmonitored to enter the intake which will throw a P2279 / 15093 error or a P0068 / 15101 error.


The Throttle body is by far the most common cause of an EPC problem though in many cases it is not the throttle body that's at fault but rather that it the needs to be recalibrated (adaptation). The scan codes like P2135 / P2136 / P2137 / P2138 / P2139  and P2140, will give a  good idea as to whether or not the throttle body require replacement.  But in many cases it turns out to be  wiring harness issue. The plugs that connects the throttle drive motor and the throttle position sensors is fairly troublesome ad should be checked before throttle is replace.

The Brake light switch can also cause the EPC light to come on because the torque control circuit uses the brake light signal as a ECU input signal when the car decelerates.  

The Injectors and the Ignition Coils can also cause the EPC light to turn on. I've heard that an incorrect spark gap on the plugs can also cause an EPC problem but haven't experienced it yet.  Driving with very little gasoline in the tank can also cause the EPC light to turn on because the high pressure fuel pump may lose pressure which then notifies the ECU to inhibit the torque circuit and switch on the EPC light and make the car go into limp mode.

I've experienced the Knock Sensor turn on the EPC light. Spirited driving also turns on the EPC light.

So as you can see there are several things that can cause an EPC fault.  This is not a complete list of EPC problems but as new ones are identified, I will post them.  The following questions prompted me to write a synopsis of what an EPC light is!

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