Volkswagen Ignition System

Did you know that the electronics industry has had the fastest growth in the shortest amount time, compared to all other industries worldwide? But  before I expound on that, let me just say that, the invention of numerous mechanical contraptions during the late 1800s, like James Watt's steam engine for example, started the transition towards new manufacturing processes which collectively gave rise to the industrial revolution. Much later Samuel Finley Breese Morse invented the single-wire electric telegraph system and developed the Morse Code. And sometime thereafter Alexander Graham Bell invented the first practical telephone system and their collective efforts, without discounting anyone else's efforts, changed telecommunications forever. 

Added to this, ancient records show that the first streets of Baghdad were paved with tar, and that the Babylonians used asphalt to construct the walls and towers of Babylon. Even The I Ching bears testimony to the fact that the cites of China used oil extracted in its raw state before refining was first discovered, during the first century BCE. By implication, tar, crude oil and pitch, were used as a sources of fuel for a very long time before paraffin was distilled from it. When this finally happened, the thin distilled paraffin was commonly used as fuel for lamps whereas the thicker residue was used to lubricate machinery. Soon after or in and around this time, when oil/fuel was extracted from coal, Étienne Lenoir successfully innovated the internal combustion engine followed by Nikolaus Otto who became famous for successfully developing the compressed charge internal combustion engine - the Otto engine. 

Now Henry Ford on the other hand wasn't an inventor nor an innovator, by any stretch of the imagination, as many are led to believe. He was rather a  business magnate and a captain of industry, who formed the Ford Motor Company, and sponsored the development of the "assembly line technique" for vehicle mass production. One could clearly say that their collectively efforts, without diminishing any other contributor's efforts by the very least, over a period of some 200 years, are partially responsible for the social changes and economic development that shaped societies that we live in today. 

Electronics

However, when the mechanical inventions of the Industrial revolution, is compared to modern day electronics, it stands out like a global coup. Initially there was the vacuum tube aka the electron tube, colloquially known as a valve. It gave way to semi-conductor devices as a whole. Transistors and gave rise to the analogue Integrated Circuits (IC) aka chip, followed by Transistor/Transistor logic TTL chips, followed by  digital semiconductors like complimentary metal oxide  semiconductors (CMOS) chips, ROM (digital read only memeory), RAM (random access memory) chips, EEPROM (electronically erasable programmable read only memory) chips. 

This was followed up by large scale integration (LSI) chips and Very Large Scale Integration Chips (VSLI ) chips. With the advent of multi-layer circuit boards and surface mounted technology, microcontroller (system on a chip) SoC and  microprocessors (µP) became pervasive. Assembler language for chip families was developed and compiled to high level languages for programmable chips while software programming sat at the heart of most electronic devices and electronic systems. Communication protocols were developed and networks of various types became mainstream. All of this happened in 50 years as opposed to 200 years as mentioned above.

Volkswagen Ignition System

So you may ask, what has all this history to do with Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda and for that matter all vehicles from plains to trains? Well the short answer, everything! Much like the industrial revolution with its mechanical enginuity;  cars and planes were also predominantly mechanical since its inception, its mechanical Ignition System was prone to imprecise ignition timing, resulting in improper fuel mixture burn, thus increasing its exhaust pollution. With the rise of telecommunications of old, so did the electric wires, and electrically controlled gauges, and relays switches in cars and planes multiply.

The ever inflating cost of gasoline then triggered the invention of CDI (Capacitive Discharge Ignition Systems) which is in fact the first type of electronic contraption integrated into the Ignition System of a vehicle in order to, more precisely control its ignition timing making it more fuel efficient. These devices were available as add on kits and not produced as standard equipment in cars at the time. The preferred standard equipment was the IDI  (Inductive Ignition System) and is the most common Ignition System found on all cars built prior to 1980. It used a coil, distributor incorporating breaker points in its Ignition System that was prone to ware-out due to arcing on contact.

During the 80's engines still used a coil and a distributor but was computer controlled, and by the 90's the computer evolved to an ECU, replacing the coil with a power pack. However, with the constant and ever increasing price of gasoline and looming environmental concerns about vehicle exhaust pollution; the automotive industry then accelerated its R & D into newer and denser, more fuel efficient engines and power-train systems capable of higher power output with enhanced robustness. 

With the demand for higher-km/litre vehicles, Auto Ignition System needed to undergo an extreme revolution to produce a more  advanced Ignition Systems. So, by the 90's an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) was introduced into the Ignition System as a discrete component connected to the ECU. It essentially replaced the bi-polar transistor used in older systems. 

Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor 

An Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) is a fancy transistor, a semiconductor that functions like a switch.  Unlike mechanical points, a semiconductor switch doesn't have moving contacts and is thus referred to as a solid state switch capable of handling Voltages between 600 Volts and 3300 Volts. So in a nutshell and IGBT is a fast solid state switch capable of switching speeds between 6 ns and 125 that and can be remotely controlled.  It is thus controlled by the ECU via a driver module. The 12V DC traverses the coils winding and its negative side is connected to the collector of the IGBT which switches it to earth giving rise to induction in its secondary winding that produces the spark. Switching on and off also creates heat in the collector/ emmiter junction, cable of withstanding maximum junction temperatures of 150°C and 175°C. So as can be seen, an IGBT its just a fancy transistor, it is the latest technology needed for engines to operate at higher compression ratios that need higher spark plug voltage that can emit greater energy to ignite lean air and-fuel mixtures.

Post Y2K  technology

Starting from Y2K Ignition Systems were all ECU based, but the power packs of the 90's were replaced by dedicated coils per engine cylinder,  yet making use of an Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) as discrete component but connected to the ECU. From 2004 to 2010 the discrete Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) integrated into individual Ignition Coils evolved to the all new Smart IGBT connected to the ECU. In later technologies the discrete / Smart IGBT evolve into a IGBT Module also integrated into each of the individual coils. 

What this implies, is that each spark plug have its very own coil completely independently switched by a Smart IGBT module driven by the ECU to an extremely tight tolerance. The ultimate objective is, that the ECU, whilst maintaining absolute  stoichiometricity,  triggers the Smart IGBT module that in turn fires the spark plug at the precise moment to attain  absolute combustion.

The accurateness of the entire ignition timing process is  determined by the ECU. Its internal programming tightly controls  ignition timing process yet subject to inputs from several engine sensors as well as engine speed, torque and  temperature. Should the spark occur too early, the resulting combustion chamber pressure, then applies force to the crankshaft before its force can be transformed into continued rotation. This could cause pre-ignition. Should the spark occur too late, the combustion chamber pressure peak weakens rapidly as the chamber volume rapidly increases as the piston moves downwards. This normally results in  incomplete combustion, causing possible  knocking.  Both pre-ignition and knocking are totally undesirable and the most common cause of hydrocarbons - unburnt fuel exhaust white smoke. This unburnt fuel igniting in either the intake manifold or the exhaust system would result in back-firing.

Ignition Error Codes

Any such undesirables would trigger a DTC error codes in the P0300 range. P301 misfire cylinder 1, P302 misfire cylinder 2, P303 misfire cylinder 3, P0304 misfire cylinder 4. This can be extrapolated up to P0312 for a 12 cylinder engine. In the same vane, every component involved in delivery of a spark to the relevant combustion chamber can cause misfires. The coil can present a misfire, the spark plug can cause a misfire, the  wiring  between the ECU and the coil can cause a misfire, the Smart IGBT module can cause a misfire, the IGBT driver can cause a misfire and even the IGBT itself can cause a misfire.

Volkswagen_Polo

Volkswagen_Polo

During the winter of 2018, the Western Cape hasn't received a similar volume of rainfall as it did in previous years, thus draining its reservoirs to its last 10%. So, due to water scarcity a drought alert  was raised, along with the price of water. Water restrictions were implemented, water was denied, rain water was caught in Jojo tanks by many. Grey water became a buzz word and people lined up at the aquifers to collect drinking water.  In a nutshell we had a water crises and much like the price of water, the price of fuel in South Africa is also staggering.

Staggering isn't perhaps the most appropriate word  to use in this case because in essence, staggering  implies stumbling, almost falling rather than constantly rising. So I'm going to resort to words like astonishing, outrageous even scandalous. Yet this hasn't impeded car sales in the very least because cars are being sold in huge numbers monthly, despite the economic situation in SA. Not to mention that President Zuma was impeached and removed from office causing both Moody's and S&P to downgrade South Africa's foreign and local currency to junk status. Then there is also South Africa's unemployment rate that borders on 27%, followed by its  crime statistics that has somewhat decreased by 1.8% comparative to 2015/16, inclusive of vehicle theft.

Meanwhile the VW Polo reigns supreme, as the most popular and best-selling passenger  car in South Africa, closely followed in second place by its cousin,  the Polo Vivo.  The Toyota Corolla, Auris and Quest sales comes in third place, closely followed by its cousin the Etios that took sixth place.  Then there is the Kia Picanto followed by the Renault Kwid followed by the Hyundai Creta. 

The importance of this observation is that all these cars are smaller  than the average medium sized family car. The expectancy is that being smaller, they would also be more fuel efficient but that's certainly not the case. It turns out that the Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Trend, the the Fiat Tipo 1.3 Multijet Easy, Fiat 500, the Peugeot 2008 1.6 HDi Active and the Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir Easy are the most fuel efficient smaller cars on the road respectively. But their fuel efficiency is liked to impeded functionality, cramped seating with hardly any boot space.

Why Buy VW Polo

People buy VW Polo's for its sophisticated look and feel, its overall build quality and its youthful appeal, its comfortable seating and its lavish boot space. Polo also delivers superior performance and is more pleasing to drive. They are affordable both new and second-hand and cheap to insure. The Volkswagen Polo brand has been around since 1975 and is now in its seventh generation and is also sold as the Skoda Fabia and the SEAT Ibiza. 

It just makes economic sense to drive and own a VW Polo because its spare parts both used and new are in abundance. The Polo TDI BlueMotion takes fuel efficiency to a new level and is one of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid cars in SA, employing the same 1,0-litre turbo triple as the Audi A1. Beside VW offers a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty as standard on every Polo. Though not as fuel efficient as the match-box Fiats mentioned above.

So, considering the ever rising price of fuel, its just a matter of time before every household would want to store some in Jojo tanks underground to get a reprieve from paying  these outrageous and scandalous fuel prices. If you want a fuel price alert when it increased .... and possible decreases, click here!

What is Limp Mode

What is Limp Mode

Limp mode is a safety feature specifically designed into the OBDII system to protect the engine and or transmission from damage. In the event of a engine malfunction or in response to the "warning" lights,  the driver would be provided with advanced warning giving him or her sufficient time to get the car off the road. 

This safety feature is triggered when an abnormality is detected with the logic circuitry by the vehicle's computer, viz  Engine Control Unit (ECU) aka Electronic Cobtrol Module (ECM) or even the Transmission Control Module (TCM). Theoretically these modules receive constant signals from the MAF, MAP, TPS, vehicle speed sensor, cam position sensors, engine sensor and so many other sensors. As long as these signals that stay within the “normal” range of predetermined signal levels, all's well. Since operating conditions do change as the vehicle is driven, these signals will somewhat change and may occasionally exceed or drop below the pre-programmed level.

This event alerts the ECU/ECM to the glitch and gets stored as information. This glitch condition is them monitored by the ECU/ECM for the next few driving cycles. A driving cycle is any distance traveled between the start of the engine and swtching the engine off. It this glitch occurs a few more times during sucessive driving cycles it is registered as an error code in the ECU/ECM's non volitile memory. However if the glitch doesn't reoccure during sucessive driving cycles, that glitch is deleted.

Sometimes the yellow check engine would turn on, though the car drives and performs perfectly normal. After a few cycles the yellow check engine light then turns off as if the event never occurred.  Sometimes the glitch like  a misfire occurs and could be severe enough the trigger Limp Home Mode. Limp home mode is an operating condition that is triggered by the vehicle ECU. In the case of an automatic vehicle, limp mode will limit the transmission to 2nd gear and limiting the speed to 15 to 20kms p/hour. This may cause the engine to have a higher rev than you may be accustomed to hearing. This will also cause the vehicle to be sluggish on pill away since it is limited to 2nd gear and will not change.

Once the problem / error code is diagnosed and the appropriate sensor that's causing the problem is seen to or replaced, everything should be back to normal.

Fail Safe Mode

Fail Safe Mode

"Fail Safe Mode" aka "Limp Mode"  is becoming more common as the guarantees on cars of all makes and models are starting to expire. As cars are getting older, they also tend to be affected by fail safe more frequent than ever before. In fact now a days, its quite difficult to find a car fitted with OBDII that hasn't gone into "fail safe mode" or "limp mode" at some time or the other,

"Limp mode" is normally instantly identifiable and have a number of symptoms. These symptoms range from the car's engine switching off in mid travel, the engine idling but its won't rev, the car performing sluggish on take off, or in automatic models, the transmission doesn't seem to want to shift. These are often accompanied by a flashing or permanently on check engine light or transmission light and the EPC light. When this happens to you, its best to get your car to the side of the road and out of harms way as quickly as possible. I've experience limp mode several times with my VW Polo 9N and one of them stands out as a near death experience when I just about managed to limp my car away an fast on coming pantechnicon truck, before it could hit me. 

Since VW is known to have cheated on VW vehicle test, namely the during diesel scandal, there's an idea that's been making its rounds on social media, claiming that "limp mode" was engineered by Volkswagen AG as a way of making money from all VW owners when their vehicles start to misbehave. However, this is a myth or rather it's not exactly true because "limp mode"  doesn't just affect Volkswagen manufactured cars but seems to be more prevalent on Honda,Toyota, Dodge and Chrysler vehicles with a computer controlled transmission, though not specifically.

Transmission Limp Mode

Automatic Transmission are plagued by both electrical and mechanical issues because  the  Transmission Control Module  (TCM) controls the process of shifting gear;  and because it's  located inside the rear end of the transmission itself, constantly subjected to extreme heat from the transmission oil. As such, the ribbon cable inside the becomes hard and brittle and sheds their PVC covering causing connections to short circuit or cause sensors to malfunction.

Both the Transmission Control Module (TCM) and the  Engine Control Module (ECM) depend on a stable 12 volts supply  to operate properly. So by implication, a faulty alternator can give rise to a low batteries or even dirty battery cables can cause  intermittent power issues, causing these modules not to function optimally, resulting in "Limp Mode".

When faced with a "Transmission Limp Mode" it is worth trying to perform an Adaptive learning Procedure before limping it to the service agents. This will hopefully reset the TCM and eradicate the problem. So turn on the ignition to the position where all the dashboard light are lit. But don't start the engine. Then depress the accelerator pedal all the way in, and keep it there for 1 minute and while keeping the pedal depressed turn the ignition off. Release the accelerator pedal and wait for another minute then start the car. 

Russian Autotech

Russian Autotech

Greetings fellow Volkswagen owners. I'm certain most of you will agree with me that as huge as the Internet is, it's often hard or rather difficult to find exactly what you looking for. More often than not, this pertains to information  on automobiles of every kind but especially VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. Be this as it may, it certainly doesn't mean that these sought after help files or information even exist; though several "mechanical services web sites" allege that they have all the answers to you motoring problems, offering said information on a paid subscription basis. In reality, there is absolutely no guarantee that they actually have the answers you need to fix your Volkswagen,  Audi,  Skoda or SEAT. The worst would be after subscribing, that this is in fact the case. 



To make matters worse, since the diesel-gate scandal, Volkswagen AG hasn't been forthcoming with information needed by the general public in order to fix or maintain their Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda vehicles. They've been far too busy dealing with the fallout of the "diesel dupe". In the US alone, Volkswagen has already paid over €25 billion in fines and litigation costs. Regardless of this, the Dieselgate scandal doesn't look like it's going to abate anytime soon. 

Notwithstanding, this hasn't deterred Volkswagen from extending a €1.75 billion deal with Russia's GAZ group until the year 2025, to produce VW, Audi and Skoda brand vehicles at their Gorky plant in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, despite the collapse of the Russian ruble. Meanwhile the Kaluga plant in Russia continues to produce VW Tiguan, VW Polo and Skoda Rapid models, as well as build 1.6L gasoline engines. Russia has long been touted to become the largest single car market in Europe, eclipsing Germany’s 3.35 million new vehicles registered last year though currently, many Russians can't afford to buy new cars. 

The most significant thing about this operation, is that several thousands of  Russians were empowered by VW and Audi and privy to their technology, to the point that they are willing to share it with whoever is willing to ask. So, all you peeps  who are having trouble with your VW's, Audi's, Skoda's and SEAT's and seek repair information, there are several Russian Websites that have hoards of free VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda information that is not normally available on English / American websites. Below are a few links to Russian Websites that may have the information you are looking for. The images in this post are screen shots from these websites. Best of luck with your repairs.

The first site is  http://vwts.ru/  .... this is a Volkswagen Technical Site. All information is in Russian. Login to http://vwts.ru with your facebook account. If your Russian, like mine, extends to yes and no - "да (da) and (нет) net" respectively, then its best  to download  Google chrome's translation extension in order to make sense of the documentation. Some of the documents are in PDF format, mostly in  Russian and German but I've downloaded several written in English. This site also has a forum vwts.ru/forum/  but it appears to be insecure.

http://volkswagen-org.ru/ ... this site covers Golf 1 - Golf VI, Volkswagen Polo, VW jetta, VW Passat, VW Phaeton, VW Tiguan, VW Touran etc. It seems that its administrator has locked down new registrations, but if you manage to login, do so with the facebook icon.

https://www.vw-bus.ru .... this is a forum covering the VW combi T1 - T5, the LT, crafter, the VW Caddy and the Amarok, with members living in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakstan, Baltic States and Europe.

https://www.drive2.ru/   ... this is a site of general interest but has good coverage of VW, Audi, Skoda and SEAT.

Check Engine Light

Check Engine Light - aka MIL

Yesterday morning when I started my VW Polo highline she idled a bit rough but I never gave it another thought because it had been raining hard throughout the night with harsh howling winds accompanied by a  lightning storm. I summized it could have been caused by the moisture in the air but when I looked at the dashboard, I saw that the orange / amber Check Engine Light was on. I tried accelerating and looked at the CEL but it stayed on. Surprisingly the engine seemed sluggish and didn't revv as per normal. Looking through the rear view mirror, I could see a distinct amount of smoke spiraling behind the car.  This was worrying because the previous day,  the car drove perfectly normal and when I parked her, she idled just fine. 

The problem with the  Check Engine light, other that being on, is that it doesn't tell you anything about the nature of the problem nor whether it's  serious or not. All I knew is that something was wrong with my emission control system because of the excessive  smoke.   The Check Engine light is actually better known as the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) so in essence there was a malfunction detected by the ECU and there was no way to tell what it could be without plugging in my scan tool. So off I went and  fetched my laptop and my VCDS cable, plugged it into the under dash DLC connector and ran a scan and found 4 Faults - P1137, P1103, P1187, and a P0441.

CODE ERRORS

17545 - Fuel Trim: Bank 1 (Add)
P1137 - 002 - System too Rich - MIL ON

Considering the first error code describes the fuel system as to rich, by implication then there is too little air for proper combustion. So I popped the bonnet to check the MAF, and saw a whole load of leaves and pine nettles strewn all over the engine compartment and a hand full of them stuck to the inlet of the air filter, blocking the air flow. I then open the air filter, removed the leaves and nettles and all those that got sucked into the air filter housing when I initially started the car.

17595 - Linear O2 Sensor; Compensation Resistor: Open Circuit
P1187 -- 35-10 - - - Intermittent

The second error directed me to the O2 sensor because the ECU describes it as  "Open Circuit".  Stooping over the engine, my eye followed the exhaust pipe, from the manifold branch past the firewall and saw a pine tree branch under the car, so I kneeled down to pulled it out but is was stuck. The tree branch was right below the  Catalytic converter.  I then went inside to fetch a garden pruning scissors so that I could cut off the protruding twigs and free the branch. Just as I was cutting I saw a wire hanging from down from the Cat. It was the wire from the O2 sensor that broke off and I supposed this happened with the force of the wind blowing the branch under my Polo.

The road and my driveway was littered with pine comes and nettles that the wind blew from the park more than a 100 meters away.  Anyway, I striped of the O2 sensor wires which was screened and reconnected them with an electrical block connector. You know the ones were you have to push the wires into a brass ferrule from either end and screw it down with the two screws. That just worked perfectly.

17511 - Oxygen (Lambda) Sensor Heating; B1 S1: Performance too Low
P1103 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

The third error also directed me to the O2 sensor that wasn't heating up. I suppose it's linked to the disconnected wire and I assume the ECU prevented this because it realized the O2 sensor was OC. 

16825 - EVAP Emission Control Sys: Incorrect Flow
P0441 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

The fourth error I couldn't make sense of  though I've seen this error when the fuel tank cap wasn't properly closed. So I went to the the tank, took off the cap and inspected the rubber seal. But it all seemed fine, so I closed it. I them cleared the diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) stored in the engine control module and started and re-scanned the ECU for errors and it came back with "No fault code found ". I then started my Polo and all was well. She revved as before and the Check Engine light was off.


The Check Engine light has always been a major annoyance to both motorists and mechanics,  and as a consequence is often ignored. I even know of someone  who stuck a piece of black insulation tape over the orange / amber  Check Engine light to blot it out, rather than fix the problem. Be that as it may,  ignoring the Check Engine light could lead to expensive car trouble later, so it's important to promptly address problems indicated by it.

DIY mechanics should buy and inexpensive scan tool / DTC code reader  since they are all standardized to plug into the 16 pin DLC under the dashboard. It would empower them to  discuss the problem with their mechanic if they can't manage to solve it themselves. When Check Engine light comes on, it is more likely than not that your car car is releasing unburnt gasoline (hydrocarbons) and carbon monoxide  into the atmosphere and consume a lot more fuel than it actually should.  

The OBDII system was primarily designed to monitor the emission control system continuously so it can be said hat if you car passes "readiness" its a good indication that your car  engine is in good health.  

Some problems that can illuminate the Check engine Light.

A clogged air filter can trigger the Check Engine light.
A loose gas cap can trigger the Check Engine light.
A fault O2 sensor can trigger the Check Engine light.
A Mass air flow sensor problem can trigger the Check Engine light.
Perished Spark plug wires can trigger the Check Engine light.
A blown  Catalytic converter can trigger the Check Engine light.
Low oil pressure or overheating can trigger the Check Engine light.
Sporadic engine misfiring can trigger the Check Engine light.

  

Hall Sensors

VW POLO

Volkswagen has always had an upstanding reputation (other than for the emission scandal) for manufacturing quality vehicles at affordable prices. One such car is the VW Polo hatchback which has also become one of the most popular cars in South Africa, and it’s really not hard to see why. The VW Polo is a compact car, but when driving it, it somehow feels larger, somewhat like its bigger brother - VW Golf. Should you buy one, you would certainly agree that the VW Polo has universal design appeal, that it has good performance, decent fuel economy and is sold at a relatively affordable price. 

Hall Sensor Hall Effect Sensor Switches A3144 / 3144E / OH3144E
in a TO-92UA 3 pin SIP package can be bought for as little as 1 USD

Volkswagen has capitalize on this winning formula for years and has given us plethora of Polo's to choose from ranging from the Polo Trendline, to the Polo Comfortline, to the Polo Highline, not forgetting the Polo Cross and Polo GTI which comes in 3 and 5 doors classic and hatchback versions. Engine capacities and engine technologies range from 1.2 TSI 66kW and 1.4 TDI 55 kW for the Trendline,   1.4 TDI 77 kW, 1.2 TSI 81kW for the Highline  and 1.2 TSI 81kW Highline DSG, to  1.0 TSI 70 kW BlueMotion. The sedan or VW Polo Classic comes in  1.4 & 1.6 trendline, 1.6 comfortline / tiptronic, 1.9 tdi highline (74kw)  and 2.0 highline (85kW).  There is even a GTI (Grand Touring Injection), a FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection), TSI (Turbo Stratified Injection) and a TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection), to choose from. 

Clearly there's a Polo out there waiting for you! Having said that, owning a Volkswagen doesn't come without challenges, personally I think the biggest challenge is more likely than not the dreaded EPC light that triggers at the most inopportune times. The EPC circuit has several sensors that feeds into the ECU among them Hall sensors. From my experience hall sensors tend not to like heat, even though their specification sheets rates them above the requisite heat range.  

This datasheet gives you a good idea of a hall sensor's specifications 

Hall sensors are pervasive throughout modern day cars. Hall sensor, aka Magnetic sensors essentially converts magnetic pulses into electrical input signals for processing by electronic circuits. Magnetic sensors are solid state devices meaning there are no mechanical moving parts inside, its all electronics taking place in a sealed chip of silicon, making them immune to vibration, dust and water. This makes them popular choice by electronics designer engineers for several types of application ranging from  distance sensing, to velocity sensing, to position sensing, to  speed sensing, to directional movement sensing etc.

Hall sensors are used for angular position sensing of the crankshaft to determine the firing angle of the spark plugs. They are used for magnetic position sensing in EGR systems. They are used for wheel speed detection for the anti-lock braking system - (ABS) and speedometer. Throttle bodies with DC motors use hall sensors for position sensing. Hall sensors are also used to determine the position of the car seats and locking of seat belts. Hall sensors are employed in automatic transmissions as magnetic neutral position switch, as actuator sensors, as speed and direction sensors, for gear detection and clutch position sensing. Hall sensors are used as engine speed sensor and also as the vehicle speed sensors.  And the list goes on.

The following images depicts a hall sensor replacement inside the distributor of and Audi 5-cylinder engines 2.0 - 2.3. As can be seen the the wires have distinct colours , the red wire is +5V / 12V supply, the black wire is negative / ground and the yellow wire is the output of the hall sensor / sender.

There is space under the black plastic holder where the wires connect to the hall sensor.

Multi purpose hall sensor for automotive use, but the military spec hall sensor is a better option

The sensor is replaced, solder joints covered with fiber glass sleeving then epoxied into place.

Hall sensor plate reassembled

Hall sensor assembly fitted into distributor housing

As I mentioned in a previous blog, Hall sensors don't like heat and tend to malfunction when they get too hot. My first experience with hall sensors were when I was working as an electronics engineer for A Television and Video repair company. A video machines that employed a hall sensor in its take up clutch stopped working due to overheating.  By squirting the hall sensor with a blast of servisol rapid cooling spray, it started working again. I repeated this exercise a few times to make certain that the hall sensor was the culprit, after replacing it, the machine worked just fine. 

Then I also had a problem with my Opel Kadett 1.8 GSI  when driving in peak hour traffic. It would switched off and refused to start.  But after allowing the engine to cool, it started just fine and would be perfectly ok for days until I got stuck in bumper to bumper peak hour traffic again. The dealer had a field day with my car, telling me that they repaired a bad earth under the dash board, only to find out in peak hour traffic that they misdiagnosed. Then I was told that the loom was replaced, then I was told the ECU was replaced and finally that a hall sensor inside the distributor was replaced. This fix the problem once and for all. The images above is for the same symptoms on a Audi  2.0L 5 cylinder.  As perfect as hall sensors are for most applications, where there is excessive heat, they will misbehave.  Perhaps hall sensors mounted in heat intensive spots like the engine speed sensor, should be designed with a heatsink or have its own cooling fan. This advice is as relevant for current model cars as it was for the Audi 2.0L 5 cylinder.

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

The Volkswagen Polo Vivo is undoubtedlty the most popular, as well as the  best-selling car is South Africa. Looking at the top ten vehicles sold in South Africa, VW Polo Vivo takes first place, the Volkswagen Polo takes third place and the Vw Golf takes tenth place. Looking at the frequency of problems encountered with Volkswagen vehicles  in general, it appears that the VW Polo 2002-2009 models are far more reliable than the VW Polo 2010—2016 models. These models are prone to EPC problems and several Polo owners have complained that they encountered EPC problem with their cars with as little as 700km on their clocks.

The most troublesome generation 5, VW Polo seem to be the 2011 model, but the 2012 model takes the cake for the annoying knocking sounds coming from the suspension when going over speed bumps and pot holes.  But this knocking sound isn't unique to the Polo 2011 and 2012 models, it also affects the Golf Mark 7, the Volkswagen Transporter T5 and Polo GTI, etc.

It seems that somehow the strut mount bolts in the engine bay of these Volkswagens haven't been torqued properly. The rattling and knocking noise coming from the shocks occurs when driving over pot holes  or over speed humps, especially when the shock is fully extended or when driving slow.  In some cases the noise comes from coil-over assembly. These coil-overs squeek and creak at random and sometimes the rear ones squeak worse than the front ones. We found by removing the damper adjustment knob and tightening the 17 mm nut in the middle of your strut top,  and   holding the centre with a 7 mm allen key,  the noise is  somewhat reduced but is very disconcerting since these models are relatively new cars. 

Its probably best to re-torque these nut between 45-60 ft/lbs with a correctly  calibrated torque wrench. In my opinion there should have been a total recall on VW Polo 2010—2016 models for this problem. 

Loss of Power

LOSS OF POWER

On Sunday past, whilst taking my family for a drive along our scenic coastline on the Western Cape, I happened to see no less than three Volkswagen cars, each being loaded onto a roll-back. A VW Polo Vivo in Muizenberg, an Audi S4 in  Fish Hoek and a VW Scirocco in Scarborough. I couldn't help but feel awkward about my own Volkswagen Polo because after all, three out of three vehicles on the roll-backs were Volkswagen manufactured cars. I would have felt loads better if at least one of them were a Toyota or a Ford or a Honda. Understandable there are a lot more Volkswagen vehicles on the road than any other make, hence the higher failure rate.  

However, I instinctively pulled over for a chat with the driver of the Scirocco to inquire about the problem. It's owner Gwendaline. apparently parked her car to go for a walk on the beach and when she returned, had difficulty in starting her car. When it finally started , the whole car shook like her washing machine does in its spins cycle.  According to her, the Scirocco  is  really an excellent car with very few issues other than regular EPC light issues; and that its 18 inches tyres are a bit expensive. So we started talking about the EPC - Electronic Power Control and she seems really knowlegeable about it.  Our conversation went something like this.

Electronic Power Control

The EPC warning light, is just an indicator light powered by the Electronic Power Control circuit. Most people are under the impression that it indicates that there is something wrong with the engine when it light up. But this is not exactly the case, because the EPC light does come on when a brake light is fused or the fuel tank cap isn't properly closed.  When The EPC warning light flashes or stays on, it merely alerts the driver to a problem that may exists in your Volkswagen's throttle system. The throttle system encompasses  the throttle body, the throttle control motor, the accelerator pedal, the drive-by-wire electronics, the traction control, the cruise control, the stability control, the fuel delivery system and even the braking system and all their sensors, etc.. 

What does it mean when the EPC warning light turns on in a Volkswagen?

The throttle body motor opens and closes the butterfly valve located on the intake manifold which regulates the amount of air that goes into the engine, in relation to the position of the accelerator pedal. Implying the higher the air flow into the engine, the more fuel the ECU injects, thereby increasing  or decreasing the power output of the engine. When a problem is detected in the throttle system, a signal from one of the sensors triggers the  ECU into illuminating  the EPC  warning light. 


The Electronic Power Control (EPC) is just a part of the Engine Management System, which in turn is part of the overall On-Board Diagnostic II system. Normally when the a problem is detected that causes the EPC light to turns on, it also sends fault codes to the dashboard module or gateway module, vehicle model dependent. These fault codes can be retrieved by an ODBII scanner / smart phone, which are key to isolating the area of the throttle system that has failed. Most EPC light and ESP light problems will limit your Volkswagen's output power, commonly known as "limp mode".  

It is advisable that when either the EPC or ESP lights turn on, the problem associated with it be repaired timeously. A Volkswagen in limp mode should not be used to run errands, and since the car has sufficient power to drive it to  dealership or mechanical repair shop, it is best to do so. Normally once the fault / problem is remedied the EPC or ESP light will turn off. However, there are hundreds if not thousands of Volkswagen owners who have taken their Volkswagen cars into dealerships for repair, only to encounter the same EPC / ESP problem a day or two later.  Some of them suffer with EPC problems for months and I personally know of someone who had an EPC problem for more than a year. That's enough to drive the sanest person nuts.

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My W Polo classic 2003 model's EPC light is on and there's no acceleration. My VW Jetta's dashboard displays the word  EPC, now it has no power. My VW Golf diplay the letters Epc, what can I do?  My VW Golf IV cluster shows both epc and esp and it won't revv up, nor go more than 70 km/h. My VW Sirocco 2017 model's epc light has come on again. My car's EPC light is on and I don't know what to do?  

Is EPC safe?

IS EPC SAFE?

The Electronic Power Control Circuit with its EPC light virtually has every motorist annoyed globally. Most motorists seem to be up in arms over this "idiotic warning light". Yes, this is exactly what several clients have called it because they believe manufacturers added it into cars as  a "cash cow" measure, which the dealer will reset by just pressing a button and charge then through there noses. This is really not the case because there are so many dealer's mechanical workshops that have no idea how to fault find nor repair and EPC fault. Motorists have even gone as far as saying the the EPC circuit is an unnecessary addition, as the tried and tested Otto Cycle internal combustion engine has worked perfectly for at least a hundred years without it.  

Without question, the EPC light is probably the most misunderstood dashboard light plaguing motorist the past two decades. However the EPC circuit is in fact a safety feature that few seem to appreciate. But is doesn't work in isolation, it is a sub circuit of a the ECU circuit. The ECU overseas the running of the running of engine at its peak whereas the EPC circuit is specific to the torque circuit - whatever propels the vehicle and safely stops the vehicle!

For example, in older cars that used a physical cable to control the throttle; it was prone to fray and could easily get stuck whist driving at high speed. This actually happened hundreds if not thousands of times, hence an alternative was imperative. When releasing the accelerator pedal with a frayed cable the engine would remain at a high rev and make braking difficult if not impossible. Restated, an accident in the making. This will never happen with cars fitted with EPC because it uses drive by wire - which in effect is an electronic throttle control,

Some Volkswagen vehicle problems makes driving in traffic very difficult let alone dangerous due to loss of braking & steering assistance. Case in point, when the ABS warning light comes on, its more often than not a melted fuse located on the battery cover that dies from metal fatigue or caused by faulty  or  intermittent connection on the wheel rotation sensor wiring.  Or if one of the brake light burns out, the EPC circuit would determine that the car is not in a "roadworthy condition" and instruct the ECU to disables propulsion so that the necessary repairs can be effected.

The EPC circuit monitors several sensors and when anyone of them go out of whack, the EPC kicks in, to the rescue of the driver by sending the car into limp mode. Admittedly not everyone shares the sentiment that "limp mode" is a safety measure because if appears to causes more feelings of frustration than feelings of safety. There are tens of thousands of motorists who would testify to the latter, myself included. I experienced  loss of power whilst driving on the freeway with a large trucks behind me, that almost wiped me out if I hadn't swerved out of its way just in time.

I'm almost certain you've had a similar experience with your Volkswagen. My sister had such an experience with her grandchildren in the car ad she swore she would never drive a Volkswagen again.