Passat "Check Engine" light on

I don't know too much about working on cars, so my guesses may or may not be accurate to what's going on. Perhaps the turbocharger is malfunctioning. Perhaps The spark plugs could need replacement.. There are probably other things that I'm not thinking of.

I've found that it's very handy to have an OBD2 (On-Board Diagnostics version 2) code reader. When your car's "check engine" light comes on, you can plug the OBD2 code reader into your car's OBD2 port (on the driver's side, usually beneath the steering wheel on the left) and have the code reader read error codes from your car's computer. You can then look up those error codes online to see what they mean, at a site such as this:

the error codes will just report a symptom (for example, fuel mixture too lean), but that can at least point you in the right direction for getting your car fixed. OBD2 code readers are relatively cheap (hand-held ones usually cost up to $40 or $50). For example: Eric

These engines are troubled with bad ignition coils (coils on plug). They used to be covered by warranty. Check trouble codes or check igntion coils.

SFC

"Batvanio" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@h40g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

The cars with the bad ignition coils were covered by a recall back in 2003.

The OP's '04 engine wouldn't have been among them.

It could be build in '03 and sold in '04. However I don't know in what year the upgrade coils were mounted.

SFC

Check out the DTCs before you "ASSuME" that the coils are bad!!! I would think it is the beginning of the end for the coils too! ;-) Dealer will sell you some new coils at reasonable prices, so check with them before you purchase aftermarket coils.

I had to replace some coils on a 2004 Passat 1.8t. First one went, then another one within thirty days, so the other 3 got changed then.

JMHO

Do you know which models this recall is for?

S>>> Also there is ANOTHER coil recall coming out.

ah.. I have a 2009 Rabbit which I suppose is not in the recall then?

Eric

This is to inform you of an upcoming Emissions Service Action for ignition coils on some 2001-2007 model year Volkswagen gasoline engine vehicles in the United States and in Canada. We are informing you of this upcoming voluntary campaign so that you will be able to answer any customer inquiries that may result from internet and press coverage.

What is the problem?

Vehicles affected by this action may have ignition coils that could malfunction under certain conditions. If this happens, the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) will illuminate to let you know that the vehicle may experience some deterioration in performance. Please refer to your vehicle owner's manual for additional information when the MIL comes on, and if necessary, you should take your vehicle to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer for diagnosis and repair as soon as possible. In some cases, a malfunctioning ignition coil may cause a vehicle to exceed Federal and/or California/Provincial emissions standards.

What is the repair?

Dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the ignition coils in affected vehicles. This work will be performed at no cost to customers.

When will the repair be available?

While we do have limited quantities of most part numbers on hand to help address customer vehicles with immediate needs, the currently parts supply does not permit a full rollout to all affected customers at this time.

Because of this, we have established a dealer and customer notification plan based on the projected parts arrival schedule. This rollout will begin in October and will continue throughout the coming months, as follows:

? On or about October 23, 2009, the first customer mailing will begin. We estimate that this first mailing will contain approximately 90,000 U.S. customers and approximately 10,000 Canadian customers. These are customers who will be invited to their authorized Volkswagen dealer for the campaign inspection/repair.

? On or about October 23, 2009, we will also begin proactively notifying all other known customers about this upcoming campaign. These customers will be sent a second letter at a later date when sufficient part stock is available for their vehicle. The mailings will take place over the coming months, and will be grouped by engine type, model and model year as parts supply becomes available.

In other cases, a malfunctioning ignition coil will reduce engine emissions to zero :-)

Thank you all very much for the information. The problem is that I cannot wait for the recall to come (the car doe not run properly is in the repair shop now). Are they going to reimburce for the cost of repair? It is also not in the dealership service shop because ALL of the local dealership service shops have quite bad reputation...

With the last coil recall, the documents that I received said that people who already had to pay for replacements would be reimbursed. I believe that this would apply to work done anywhere, so long as you can provide documentation.

A phone call or email to someone at VW could probably get you a real answer. There's some contact info at

which might be ofsome use in getting started.

Thanks for posting.

My VW is a 2009, so it shouldn't be affected, but I'm surprised at the high rate of ignition coil failures in VW's cars. I had a 2001 VW GTI at one time, and this has been happening at least since then.

I wonder if VW will find ignition coil problems in 2008 and newer models..

Eric

If you're the original owner, or if during the chain of ownership each new owner sent VW the change of address form, you should get the recall notice soon, if you don't already have it.

Included will be a reimbursement claim form. You'll need to return copies of all documents related to the repair and payment.

There's even a Web site: