VOLVO IS NO LONGER SWEDEN'S BEST SELLING CAR

VOLVO IS NO LONGER SWEDEN'S BEST SELLING CAR

It was just announced that the Volkswagen  Golf won car of the year in Sweden for year 2016. And yes, it's the  very Scandinavian country where the iconic Volvo brand topped car sales each and every consecutive year for the past 54 years . However, for the very first time in history or Volvo or rather more exactly the same number of  years, the German designed and manufactured VW Golf outsold the Swedish manufactured Volvo in 2016.  Volkswagen Golf's accounted for almost 6% of all new cars sold, whereas the combined sales of Volvo’s V70, S90 and V90 only  constituted a mere 5.7%. But this event of Volkswagen beating Volvo at sales is not entirely unique because it happened once before. Way back in 1962, the humble Volkswagen Beetle knocked Volvo off the top selling spot by outselling Volvo. Be that as it may, Volvo still retains the largest share of the Swedish Car market, sanding at roughly 22 percent, with Volkswagen in a close second position with approximately 16 percent market share.

The smokey Ford Kuga is on fire, literally!

Despite the fallout from its diesel emissions scandal, with its cheating  device, Volkswagen AG as a whole is bouncing back, regaining market confidence after  their pledge to focus on electric power in the coming years. VW Golf is Sweden's top seller and currently their most popular car.  The VW Golf sales are  closely followed by VW Passat as the fifth most popular car, followed by VW Polo as the eight most popular car, followed by the Skoda Octavia as Sweden's tenth most popular car.

Volvo has always been known to be a "very safe car" but the Swedes have lost their national pride when Chinese firm "Zhejiang Geely Holding Group" bought the  iconic Swedish brand —Volvo — in 2010. This is probably the real reason why Volkswagen is gaining ground in Sweden? 

"Talking about safe cars or rather unsafe cars. 

The fiery Ford Kuga and the fiery Ford Everest 

are probably the unsafest cars 

on the roads today".

Ford motor company has contacted all Kuga owners by post, urging them to book their fiery Kuga's into their workshops for a free maintenance check, but not explaining the urgency of the matter. No sooner have they done this, when four more Ford Kuga's burst into flames during the same amount of days. According to Ford, it appears that the issue is limited to their 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine but according to owners somehow their Everest is also affected. About a year ago a Ford Kuga driver was  burnt beyond recognition in Durban,  and to-date as many as 40 Kuga fiery incidents have been reported.


1) Ford Kuga owner leaps from burning vehicle in Durban.
2) A PE family is in shock when their Ford Kuga burst into flames.

3) Husband and wife watched their Kuga burnt out.

A all new Kuga hot-rod in full glory

Kuga with frostbite after bursting into flames

A fiery Ford Kuga making like a Volcano

Peculiarly most of the burnt-out Kugas are white in colour.

If it wasn't for the Original Ford Kuga Mag, this burnt out stack could easily
have been mistaken for a Volkswagen vehicle.

Virtually unrecognizable but is definitely a Kuga

From Ford to ashes and from Ford to dust.

It looks like a volcanic eruption but it's really a Ford Kuga

Ford Kuga front-end totally destroyed

However owner reports say that Fords bursting into flames is not limited to the Ford Kuga  EcoBoost Ambiente but rather prevalent on Ford Everest 3.0 SUV as well.  Ford motor company is facing a huge backlash and a potential class-action lawsuit over Kuga fires because Ford Kuga vehicles owners across South Africa are proressively growing concerned over the spontaneously combustion of their vehicles. Yet Ford Motor Company is still trying to dodge burning issue of recalling their Kuga range. The issue that VW went through during its emission scandal is going to be pale in comparison to what awaits Ford Motor Company because there was loss of life. The pics below are just some of the Ford Kugas that were engulfed in flames.

Ford Kuga making like a chimney

 A completely Toasted Ford Kuga

A Ford Kuga imitating a cable.

Fortunately, and all thanks to God, that Volkswagen vehicles don't burst into flames as often as Ford Kuga's do. Below are some pics of Volkswagen vehicles that suffered the same fate as the cars above.

1) A Volkswagen Polo on fire in Bo-kaap, Cape Town
2) A Volkswagen Polo Vivo caught alight outside the Punjab National Bank in India.
3) A VW Polo hosed down by its owner.

A VW Polo caught alight on the south bound R102 in KwaZulu Natal 

A VW Jetta completely engulfed in flames in Verulam-KwaZulu Natal. 

A VW Polo taking time out.

In a certain sense  every car is a potential  / ticking time bomb, considering it is propelled by highly a inflammable liquid like petrol, or diesel,  or LP gas in the presence of engine oil, and other combustible materials like cloth, foam, pleather, rubber, PVC and paint. With a battery powered high current electrical system capable of igniting electrical fires, through arcing or an electrical short circuits acting as a trigger. And Fuel spillage from a burst pipe on a hot engine presenting another trigger amongst others. This can be equated to storing a box of matches with the gunpowder in the same keg, whiles we rolling on it. 

However, if safety standards are observed to the hilt, accidents will be reduced to an absolute minimum. Case in point, the Samsung S7 with its overheating and self-combusting properties has causes many a house to burn down and likewise many a car has caused its driver severe injuries some of whom burn to death.

VAG

VW DIY

In the not so distant pass, whenever something went wrong in your VW, Polo, Jetta, Passat,  Audi, Seat or Skoda,  you could do one of two things. Either  take it to a VW specialist to have it checked out or you could fix it yourself, if you are a hands-on, DIY kind of person. Nowadays the latter option has faded away into obscurity. With the stream of problems VAG cars are having, many of us are in the dark regarding repairs. We make educated guesses, replace parts by substitution, often costing huge amounts of money for repairs and the fault still persists. Below I have out-lined some of the problems I have encountered and with any luck shed some light on the problems you've been having with your VAG car. But before I go any further you may be itching to ask "What is a VAG car?"

Well, VAG stands for Volkswagen-Audi GMBH in Germany, also refers to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft or Volkswagen AG for short and Volkswagen-Audi Gelelschaft (Geleslschaft means Association). In essence, it's the same, exact and identical  group. And any car manufactured or sold by them is referred to as a VAG car. Amongst these are, VW, Polo, Jetta, Passat, Audi, Skoda, Touran, Tauareg, Beetle, Tiguan, Golf, Porsche, Amrok,  Rabbit, Bentley, Bugatti, Bora, Phaeton, Vento, Kombi, Transporter,  Lupo and the  Lamborghini, each one with a different engine with varying capacities with obscure three letter abbreviations like, BBX, AAF, AEX and APE amongst many others. However many of them have the same or similar Electronics Bosch Motronic system hardware with software ranging from ME 5.x to ME 7.x, with several support modules in common, networked to the OBD II / OBD2 (On-Board Diagnostic System ver. 2) or Can-Bus (Controller Area Network) standard.

The VW Polo 2007 with new Bluemotion technology can switch its engine off
when it comes to a halt, yet plagued by the legacy VW EPC light problem.

The idea behind this is so that only the  Volkswagen dealership technician are supposed to do the servicing and perform repairs to your car. The VW car manuals specifically discourages anyone other than qualified or trained mechanics /auto-electricians and technicians or mechanicians to perform servicing, especially changing codes and performing readiness test. Under the OBD II and Can-Bus standard, an ECU (Engine Control unit) interfaces with various other modules fitted in the car and controls and manages all sub-circuits. For example, Central Electronics Module, ABS module, Temperature Control Module, Speed-o-cruise Module, etc... When one of these modules detects a fault with one of its components, it registers a error in the non-volatile memory. Lets say you have a front wiper motor problem and it just wont work, but the fuses are OK. Even if you suspect the wiper motor as faulty and it actually is faulty and you replace it, the new wiper motor still wont work after its been replaced and switched on. You first have to clear the error or errors  from non-volatile memory with a diagnostic tool. Then and only then will it work.  

I've had the same results with my power steering which just wouldn't work after some work was done to my car and in the process the Power Steering Motor was disconnected. When it was reconnected the power steering was very stiff and difficult to steer. After going through the entire process of checking and back-tracking it still didn't work. Eventually, when the diagnostic tester was plugged in, two errors codes showed up. The first indicating that the +30V supply had dropped to an unreliable level and the second a power steering error. The first was because the battery was disconnected and the second was because the power steering plug was disconnected. After erasing the two error codes from the non-volatile memory, the power steering work perfectly normal.

I can assuredly say that I am not alone or rather that my car trouble is not unique, neither am I the only VW owner having car trouble (see previous blogs).  It appears that my 2007 Polo Classic Highline shares most of the problems listed below with my fellow VW owners. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of other  VAG car owners experiencing the same issues with their cars as I am experiencing with mine. Here are just a few of the problems that my fellow VW owners shared with me :-

"VW polo dashboard brake light stays on" / "EPC instrument fault indication light is on" / "VW polo warning lights on dashboard" / "VW  polo classic is showing epc light, starting and dying" / "polo dashboard controls" /  "VW  polo warning lights off power steering" / "warning light on dashboard" / 2007 volkswagen polo problems" / "audi electronic power control indicator" / "won't rev" / "VW Polo EPC Warning Light" / "golf mk4 dashboard warning lights" / "epc instrument fault indication" / "VW  door key problem" / "VW  polo accelerator position sensor (g79)" VW throttle body sensors"

NB! Fellow VW drivers found this site to be helpful and was interested in checking out the following sites as well.

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Should you find this blog informative or even help full in the very least, please recommend it to others and click on the g+ tag below. Thanks.

VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLES FITTED WITH CHEATING SOFTWARE

VEHICLES FITTED WITH VOLKSWAGEN EA 189 DIESEL ENGINE

The Volkswagen  emissions scandal, nicknamed "Dieselgate" is a controversy of global proportions, perpetrated by the largest carmaker in the world. And unless you've lived under a rock for the past three weeks, you would have heard it spoken about at breakfast diners, discussed in public transport on the way to work, lamented over by colleagues who recently bought a VAG vehicle, commented on at social gatherings and scandalized by the facebook and twitter communities.  To date Volkswagen AG admitted that 11 million vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2015, fitted with EA189 diesel engine are affected with "cheating software".  Global pressure is forcing Volkswagen to recall all affected vehicles to remedy the problem by the end of 2016. Currently all the affected models have been withdrawn from sale and includs the 2009-2015 range of  VW Beetle 2.0L TDI,   VW Golf 2.0L TDI,   VW Jetta 2.0L TDI,  Audi A3 2.0L TDI, and  VW Passat 2.0L TDI sedan and wagon, Audi A4 sedan and wagon, Audi A5 coupe, Audi Q5 2.0 TDI SUV, VW Tiguan SUV,  the Skoda Yeti SUV and Skoda Superb sedan and wagon, all fitted with the controversial 2.0-litre EA189 TDIengine.  However, the cars are safe to drive since they don't have safety issues. These vehicles are globally distributed as per the graphic below. As can be seen approximately half a million (482,000 ) of these suspect vehicles were sold in the USA and is also the place from  where all the hoo-haa, objections, opposition, protest, criticism and law suites originated thus far, even though the USA reneged from the Kyoto protocol as long ago as 2001 whilst under the Bush administration.    

Meanwhile, Peter Mock the managing director of a European non-profit clean-air organisation found discrepancies in the European tests on VW  Passat, and VW Jetta diesel vehicles. His organisation was  unsuccessful at convincing European regulators to emulate the higher and stricter U.S emissions standards for diesel automobiles. He then appealed to John German his American counterpart at the International Council on Clean Transportation to replicate the tests in the U.S., convinced that they could show Europeans it was possible for diesel cars to run clean. So in conjunction with the West Virginia University’s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions (CAFEE) -- contracted to the EPA-- they found emissions discrepancies between lab tests and road tests of Volkswagen Diesel vehicles fitted with the EA 189 Diesel engine. 

Whistle blowers - John German (L) and Peter Mock (R)

After making their findings known to the EPA,  an investigation was opened against Volkswagen in May of 2014. The string of subsequent events just snow balled,  resulting in the forced resignation of Prof. Dr Martin Winterkorn CEO at Wolfsburg Germany. Termination of  Ulrich Hackenberg, engineer and former head  of R&D at Audi and  Wolfgang Hatz engineer and former head of R&D Porsche. Admission that Volkswagen cheated at emission testing and subsequent loss of 30 billion Euro market share in just two days of trading. Congressional hearings grilling of   Michael Horn, the CEO of VW's American division.

Volkswagen is the largest automobile manufacturer in the world with a global employee figure  of almost 600,000 people. Fines leveled at Volkswagen popping up all over the world could result in sequestration and add all these people to that already long unemployment line. But according to the new CEO Matthias Mueller while addressing more than 20 000 employees, he assured them Volkswagen will rise above the scandal. According to Michael Horn  when questioned by the House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee, he said that the "cheating software" was not a corporate decision but that of a  group of rogue German software engineers.

EPC HELP

EPC HELP Q & A

VW Beetle EPC problems. Audi EPC light, Audi Q7, Audi TT, car trouble, DTC, drive by wire, DTC memory, EPC, EPC dashboard light, EPC faults, EPC problem, accelerator pedal adaptation, Audi EPC Light problem, Audi Q7, audi TT, car trouble, crankshaft position sensor, drive by wire, dtc, DTC memory, EPC, EPC dashboard light, EPC faults, EPC problem, high pressure fuel pump, Limp Mode, throttle body, VW Beetle, wiring harness, O2 sensor,

Question?

My name is Lilian. I bought a 2001 Volkswagen Beetle a few months back. Now it loses power whenever that EPC light and check engine light switches on. Lately it happens more  often, so I switch it off and after a while start it again and it drives ok for only a few miles. I just cant go on like this, its upsetting to the point that I can cry. The VW Beetle club members say its the throttle body, so my friend replaced it for me.  It was really expensive from the agents so a got a used one from the junk yard. It fixed the problem, or rather so I thought because after about 200 miles the problem is starting again. Now I feel helpless. Pleeeez help me. Pleez Pleeez Pleez!

Answer!

Hi Lil sorry to hear about your troubles. As much as I would like to help you, you gave me way too little information to steer you in the right direction. A diagnostic scan of the VW would have really been helpful but since you don't have one, fixing it is going to mere guess work. EPC faults, can be solved by a process of elimination and since you replaced the throttle body and it lasted for 200 miles, without a problem, it is very likely that it was the throttle body that was faulty but the question is, did your friend do the adaptation so that the ECU can properly interface and control it? Sounds like this is your problem. You need to take it to a diagnostics equipt workshop to have the throttle body adaptation reset. I'm almost certain that would solve your problem.

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Question?

Me Zoe, I got Vw beetle, make power loss and make  EPC dashboard light on. I read  VW forum say was cause by brake light switch. I take my mechanic, he  say no fix, take  VW agents they recall VW Beetles with brake light switch problem. Me very lucky, VW agent replace it free but EPC problem no fix and now more worse. Happen every day. You me help. I you kiss.

 Answer!

Hello Zoe thank you, I am flattered that you want to kiss me. I have to tell you though, that the brake light switch has little to do with the EPC problem you are experiencing. The brake light normally has an influence on speedo-cruise and has nothing to do with EPC faults which are rather confined to the non-emission related components involved with fuel delivery and torque delivery. The variables are just too many to even guess what it could be. It could be one of many things that could be causing your problem. Even something as minor as a bit of dirt restraining your throttle control butterfly could cause a EPC problem.  Right now you problem could be anything from the crankshaft position sensor to the accelerator pedal position sensor. From your throttle body to the electrical connections, from your high pressure fuel pump to the ECU. I would suggest you have a  scan done then send it to me, perhaps we can try once again to define your EPC problem. I hope you understand my explanation. Cheers Zoe.

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Question?

Hola mi amigo, tengo un problema en el polo de mi mujer, y es que se queda al arrancarlo por la mañana del garaje o cuando esta una tarde entera como hoy en la calle que ya hace freskito, como si no subiese de revoluciones,como muy flojo, si le aceleras lo calas, o aveces hace pequeñas detonaciones por el escape, esto le dura unos 20 segundos y ya se espavila. Es un polo 1.4i 80cv, tiene 20milkm, y no ha tenido otro fallo. Posibilidades? 1º Yo creo que puede ser sensor de temperatura de inyeccion, aunque me funcione bien la abuja que mide la temperatura del agua?. 2º bobina? No se que mas podria ser, en dias normales, o si lo arrancas despues de 3 horas o 10 minutos ya va perfecto. Le meti el VAGCOM y no me dio ningun tipo de error. Espero vuestras respuestas

Answer!

Hola a ti. Primero quiero  decir, hablo espanol un poquito pero voy a probar ayudar. Sin error del VAGCOM es mas dificil decir. Apuesto a que es problema de encendido pero dudo es la bobina si le dura de problema porque es solo 20 segundos.  Posiblemente son los bujias o la RON de gasolina no es correcto o tienes agua en la gasolina. Pequeñas detonaciones por el escape no es normal especialmente baja 20milkm. ¿qué pasa con su recien garantía?

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Question?

Hello there, I hope you can shed some light on my problem, I'm having a mini crises with my Seat 1.8L Toledo. The EPC light came on yesterday, but when I turned the engine off and restarted, the EPC light went off and everything was fine until this morning. On my way to work  the car had a jerky/shudder and at that very moment the TC and EPC light came on and I lost power so that it would only rev to  2500 rpm. As a result I limped home them  I plugged in my VAGCOM. Very surprisingly there were no faults. So I decided to take the Toledo back on the road but when I turned on the ignition, the EPC/EM/TC lights came on. So once again I plugged  in my VAGCOM and the DTCs listed below was present. So I cleaned the Throttle Body and  checked the Throttle Body on group 060 and the adaptation field was showing 'ERROR'. What do I do now because I'm totally stuffed and need  a quick fix. Any light you can shed on this problem would be much appreciated.

VAGCOM: Chassis Type: 1M - Seat Leon/Toledo

Scan: 01 02 03 08 15 17 19 22 35 36 37 46 56

VIN: VSSZZZ1MZ3R1XXXXX Mileage: 164400km-102153miles

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Address 01: Engine Labels: 06A-906-032-AJQ.lbl

Part No: 06A 906 032 MJ

Component: 1.8L R4/5VT 01 0003 

Coding: 11510

Shop #: WSC 80179 

VSSZZZ1MZ3R1XXXXX SEZ7Z0C2XXXXX

4 Faults Found:

17967 - Throttle Body (J338): Fault in basic settings 

P1559 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

17987 - Throttle Actuator (J338): Adaptation Not Started 

P1579 - 35-00 - - 

17579 - Angle Sensor 2 for Throttle Actuator (G188) Implausible Signal 

P1171 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

17951 - Angle Sensor 1 for Throttle Actuator (G187): Signal too Small 

P1543 - 35-00 - - 

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Answer!

Hi Wayne, I'm glad to see that you uploaded your scan. Since the rest of your electronic modules have "No fault code found" beneath them, it essentially means that they are all OK. And seeing that you own a VAGCOM, I take it for granted that you may have had prior DTC which you erased. Erasing DTCs are OK but bear in mind that you also erase all values learnt by the ECU associated with your driving style including adaptation values.  The throttle body therefore needs to be re-adapted every time codes are cleared or control module  or battery power is disconnected. As the automatic adaptation software procedure runs, the control module learns the full range of throttle positions. So from what I can see above, the Idle Speed Control Throttle Position cannot be determined which could mean adaption needs to be done, or that the potentiometers in the throttle body may be near end of life. Overtime the slider wears through the carbon track so it makes intermittent contact and stymies the ECU. But before we condemn the throttle body, I need you to disconnect your battery at the earth terminal so that you can hard reset all the electronic modules. Make certain that the ignition is off  then reconnect the battery. Redo a scan and if all goes well, you will once again see your original 4 faults and 1  additional fault that looks something like "Supply Voltage Terminal 30: Signal Outside Specifications - attery/Generator supply faulty". This is absolutely normal because the ECU detected that the battery was disconnected. Plug in VAGCOM switch on the ignition but do not start the engine. Select VAGCOM 04-Basic Settings - which displays the Measuring Value Block screen. Select Measuring Value Block 060 (or 98) which displays the Basic Setting Value Block screen.  Channel 4 will display the word“Running” and other channels will display  the state of the throttle valve angle sensors but will change as the throttle is actuated by the ECM.  Please do not touch the throttle pedal nor turn  ignition key off during the adaptation because the throttle body adaptation relearn process is essential and may prevent the engine from starting if interrupted. If the adaptation was successful, Channel 4 will have changed from “Running” to “OK”. Display 3 would read "idle" and 1 & 2 display voltages levels, normally less than 5 Volts.  Logout, turn the ignition key off and wait about 1 minute seconds, to ensure that adaptation settings are saved then start the car. If however, it still shows "error" inspect the throttle body actuator connector contacts for damage or corrosion and make certain its contacts are secure then try to set adaptation again. If it still shows "error" clean the throttle body and check for wiring harness between the throttle body and the control module. Retry adaptation once again. As a last resort replace the throttle body because the potentiometers cannot be replaced as a separate item nor is it available for sale as a separate item. I hope this helps.

Volkswagen Electrical Problems

Volkswagen Electrical Problems

Electrical problems will invariably affect each and every new Volkswagen vehicle on the road today.  Generally, electrical problems are relatively easy to trace and repair, if you know what you doing, but it can be a nightmare when the faults present themselves as intermittent, especially considering cars have now gone CAN Bus, LIN Bus, Byteflight, MOST, Flexray, Zigbee, etc. VW EPC problems tend to be seriously intermittent, making every VW with an EPC issue a real bitch to diagnose.  Of late, more and more VW cars seem to be having EPC trouble among other bizarre electrical problems and very surprisingly, the VW service centers seem unable to repair them. 

Virtually everyone I know who has had an EPC issue, had to take their cars for repairs at least three to four times for exactly the same fault.  There are also numerous VW, SEAT, SKODA and Audi owners, who spent enormous amounts of money on replacement of "EPC issue causing components", yet the EPC faults remain. Essentially they lost money but I normally say they didn't loose money but bought experience and they paid dearly for it. Then there are others who are still waiting on the VW service agents / or some mechanic for their EPC problems to be solved after several months, a year and in some cases even longer.  

There was a time when virtually every electrical issue or loom (wiring harness) problem was associated  with the  FIAT brand. People even ascribed a nomenclature to FIAT - "First In All Troubles". However, it seems like Volkswagen  subsequently bought that patent, and now owns all right to it.

Electrical problems have never been as common place as they are today.

Let me give you an example, the wiring harness between the alternator and  the a  high voltage fuse box mounted on the battery of the VW Beetle has a tendency to melt or it just start to burn. It's a very well known problem and is also really common. It the  main reason that so many Beetles have burnt to a crisp. The Beetle wiring harness running between turn signals / headlights and the ECM is also troublesome -intermittent. The wiring harness resistance between the injector and the ECM changes over time from 1 ohm to above 30 ohms. The wiring harness resistance between the alternator and the battery also increases due to failing fans thus causing excessive current draw resulting in the wiring harness  over heating then melt.

I've seen VW Polo and VW Passt headlight wiring harness melt. The connectors tend to melt due to the type of plastic used and can be traced back to either arcing / overheating of the the bulbs or shorting out of deteriorated wiring. VW Passat coil pack wiring harness also prevents the car from starting and when water enters the wiring harness in the cowl area beneath the windshield,  it caused a short that normally damaged / corrodes the electronic control module. 

Both the Volkswagen CC and the Golf Mk5 GTI now seem to have throttle body wiring harness issues causing the EPC light to switch on and make the car go into limp mode. But there is no fault code that tells you the wiring harness is faulty or intermittent. Another VW CC harness problem to be on the lookout for, is the trunk lid harness that physically breaks over time  due to opening and closing of the trunk. A common problem on VW Pasat is the ignition wires that breaks inside its insulation, resulting in misfires.  VW sells a six pin throttle body sensor connector kit with yellow wires (below) that needs to be spliced onto the wiring harness to circumvent EPC issues when presented with wiring harness / G187 & G188 DTC errors.

Throttle body rewiring kit

Audi throttle body connector kit.  The wires kinda looks like single mode optical fibre cables along with  fusion splice protection sleeves

VW also sells a  six pin accelerator pedal  connector (below) that needs to be replaced as a solution to EPC problems when presented with wiring harness and G79 & G185 DTC errors. There is a likelyhood that this culture of poor quality wiring harnesses has spilled over into all the other VW models as well. To make matters worse, the newest mania among vehicle makers like Honda, Subaru and Toyota  for example,  are to use eco-friendly soy-based insulation wire for their engine wiring harnesses. VW's, Audi and Porsche, uses a soy based wire sheath to encase the engine harness. 

The six pin throttle pedal connector the goes intermittent causing EPC problems.

As a result, rats and squirrels are attracted by the aroma of the wiring harness and nibbles off the tasty insulation causing the bare wires to short out. Apparently these soy-based wire coverings are totally irresistible to rodents. As proof to this, several VW owners who have had electrical problems with their cars have vacuumed rats nests along with dog food chunk from their engine compartments. Others have removed several hands full of hazel nuts shells from their air filter boxes  that squirrels made their haven.  

Replacement six pin connectors for VW Audi SEAT and SKODA

Be that as it may, modern day car soy based car components are not a first, during World War II, some U.S. states used soybean fiberboard for their license plates, which proved extremely popular among goats that made a feast out of them. All I can say is, that VW service centers are going to make a small killing by replacing wiring harnesses of the millions of VW on the road today. Personally, I think you whole biodegradable "go green thing" , "eco this eco that" is overrated and is  getting out of hand. 

Some time back, some Dummkopf  -Dr. Dieter Zetsche- at Mercedes Benz decided that all Mercedes Benz cars manufactured during 1992 – 1996 should be fitted with biodegradable wiring. This leap toward eco friendliness by Mercedes Benz was well-intended but those wiring harness prematurely disintegrated due to engine heat and caused untold electrical problems. VW should in fact take a lesson out of the Mercedes Benz's annals.

See the cracks and the brittleness of the wire insulation after just a few ears of use

However, there is a DIY remedy for biodegradable, rodent enticing soy flavoured wiring harnesses.  Honda Acura Acura supplies a genuine-OEM rodent-deterrent duct tape, which is treated with capsaicin, - super-spicy red-hot chili pepper compound - that deters rodent.  Wrapping you VW wiring harness before rats discover your car is the way to go. Enough said, so let me return the subject at hand. 

Spicy anti rodent insulation tape,

In the not too distant past, Volkswagen Jetta models manufactured between  January of  2005 and January  of 2006 were sold with a "defective door wiring harnesses". It wasn't that the harness was defectives in the sense of not working but rather the harness was made too short. As a result, thousands of Jetta owners were experiencing similar problems as the harness started to chafe and disintegrate through regular use.

Common experiences included loss of power to the door controls, failure of the power window controls, failure of the power mirror controls, failure of the fuel tank latch release, failure of the boot lid release. Other weird experience included loss of audio to the speakers, a tripped air bag light on dashboard, when locking the door with the key fob remote the radio to turn on, or the key fobs just doesn't work, also having to recharged the battery continually because it runs down overnight. The interior door-open lights wouldn't turn off  and neither would the buzzer, the sunroof opened randomly. The turn signal in the side mirror stopped flashing and neither would the hooter work but would beep at odd times when you least expect it.  The windshield wipers worked occasionally and the car alarm would trigger unexpectedly and repeatedly.

In fact most VW Jetta owners complained about loss of some or all of the controls located on the driver's door.  These  faults weren't confined to the driver's door, because it was purely a matter of time before the the passenger door also developed a short or an open circuit in  one or more of its electrical circuit. The only way to remedy the problem was to replace the  broken harness with a genuine VW replacement which turned out to be some 80 mm longer than those fitted in the Jettas doors.

VW Jetta Front door replacement harness

A class action suit was leveled against Volkswagen alleging that they knew the door wiring harnesses were deliberately  made too short at the time these Jettas were sold. It was further alleged that Volkswagen shortened the harness by 80mm was  so that they could save costs, which  would ultimately lead to premature breaking of the door wiring harnesses boosting replacement harness sales.

However, most other Volkswagens electrical problems can possibly be traced back to a a troublesome ground. Water somehow enters the ground wires, in the cowling below the windscreen traveling inside the wire insulation resulting in corrosion. Always check the ground connections located  under the battery tray, or ground connections underneath the air cleaner box, or located inside the windshield wiper cowling or in the engine compartment, or the ground connections on the steering column or behind instrument cluster.   Covering the ground connections with battery terminal grease should offset the corrosion, if any, Remember poor ground connections, can cause a multitude of problems if it they become loose, can cause anything from cam sensor codes, to instrument cluster problems like erratic speedometer display, to misbehaving fuel gauge, to a dead gear indicator light, to non operational windshield wiper,  to a flickering digital clock , etc. 

Volkswagens that are equipped with air conditioning  are subject to high ambient temperatures which often causes the battery to get drained whenever the radiator fan kicks in at full speed with the ignition shut off.  Under high heat conditions, the gas pressure of the refrigerant can activate the A/C high pressure switch, triggering the high speed radiator fan relay to activate the cooling fan. Volkswagen has subsequently recommended a replacement fan relay switch with other minor modification of the A/C high pressure switch wiring, to solve this problem.

Replacement Radiator fan control switch

Whenever your VW misbehaves and you cannot put your finger on it, the best thing to  do is to investigate every ground lug on every bit of the engine wiring harness that you can get at. Loosen it, cleaned it with a  wire brush and some emery cloth and if needs be replace ground lugs that are corroded and possible even the screw/ nut. Don't forget to retorque the nut to the requisite tension. It may even be beneficial to add a second heavy duty ground strap to decrease resistance if any. Heavy duty welding cable from a welders supply store is far more  tolerant to vibration than your average cheap jumper cable wire. Starting difficulties can often be traced / associated to a poor ground connection. 

Remember when repairing wiring harnesses that soldering is not the recommended nor the appropriate method of repairing  it.  Solder joints are not flexible and tend to break after  while due to vibration.  Always use insulated crimp lugs and bullets like these below on connecting terminals especially at ground distribution points.

Lugs, bullet and spade connectors for repairing ground connections.

There is a tendency among car manufacturers to  miniaturize the physical size of electrical connector contacts and thereby the oversize of the connector. The problem is that the surface area of contact is remarkably reduced and are thus prone to intermittent contact under vibration. This has now become very evident on the wiring loom connectors that interface with the throttle body and the accelerator pedal to the point that they need to be replaced when they go intermittent. Don't bother to spray them with contact spray, just replace them. they are cheap enough to buy rather than suffer constant EPC issues and they are even available on Amazon, ebay, DHgate, and other online auction.

@DomLittlewood I need your help on a case I have with Volkswagen. A Brand new Volkswagen Polo numerous electrical problems & now caught fire

— Deano Luke (@95deanluke) August 30, 2016