Check Engine Light On After Start?

Hello,

I'm having a problem with my usually reliable Passat; the engine check light keeps coming on.

Vehicle data:
VW Passat 3C5, manufactured in June 2006 (model year 2007).
2.0 TDI with DPF, 103 kW (140 hp), engine code: BMP.
No chip tuning or other modifications to the engine.
Mileage: 160,000 km

'About 6 months ago, the problem started. Shortly after starting the engine, the warning light comes on again and stays on. I have an old VAG-COM 311.3 at home, and I hoped it would show me the error code. Unfortunately, there's nothing in the fault memory. When I try to clear the fault memory (even though VAG-COM says it's empty), the warning light goes off again. However, this state doesn't last, and after a few days, the same phenomenon occurs.'
I then went to the 'friendly' mechanic, and he read the error codes (without my being present) and informed me that three glow plugs were defective.
I then exchanged them again after another two weeks and was optimistic that this would be the end of it.
Unfortunately, that's not the case; the check light keeps coming on repeatedly, and only clearing it with VAG-COM seems to help, but only for a few days.
I don't consider the glow plugs themselves to be defective. Is there a known location where cable breaks commonly occur? According to the workshop, the control unit could also be faulty. However, speculation doesn't help me, and replacing parts without a proper diagnosis is not an option for me (yet).

Best regards,
Frank.

Quote:

But guesses are useless to me, and simply trading based on suspicion is not an option for me (yet).

Okay.

If you plan to keep vehicles from the Volkswagen Group for a longer period of time,
You need VCDS. There's no way around it if you don't want to visit the every so often.

Perhaps you didn't replace the correct three GSKs, and one of them is still faulty?
Were all the ones that were "developed" a nice, dark black, or was there one that was brown?
And that's right: buy the selection program!

Quote:

Did you not swap out the correct 3 GSKs and is one still defective?

To my knowledge, faulty glow plugs in that vehicle do not affect the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp), but only trigger an error code in the control unit.
Something else is going on.

Hi there,
The car is a 2007 model. Therefore, the error memory and any other necessary data from the control module (MSG) can only be read using a sufficiently up-to-date version of VCDS.
With version 3.11, you're not just going to get enthusiastic reactions because of its widespread use in the copier environment; it's like trying to tighten screws with a pipe wrench.
You can find the VCDS, for example, here: http://shop.dieselschrauber.de/
hg
Herbert.

Hello,

First of all, I acquired the version completely legally. It was quite expensive back then, but I bought it together with the whole family because everyone in the family drove VAG vehicles, which made it affordable for me.
I believe that I was one of the first people to own this software and hardware back then.
However, I am extremely disappointed that no truly good offers are being made for long-standing customers. Because of this, I currently refuse to pay such a high price again. But that's not the main issue right now.

Of course, I replaced ALL the spark plugs, not just the ones that were indicated as needing replacement.
I now have the opportunity to read the error codes through a contact. Despite replacing the glow plugs, three faulty ones are still being displayed. I replaced the 'glow time control unit' today. Since the error never appeared immediately after clearing it before, I unfortunately can't report on whether this was successful or not yet. But I will definitely test it thoroughly at some point.

Regards,
Frank.

Hello Frank, I find your opinion that such a diagnostic tool is a "lifelong investment" quite strange.
In the meantime, quite a few things have changed in that area.
It's already a stroke of luck that VCDS doesn't incur any update costs; you won't find that anywhere in the professional diagnostic equipment sector!
If you purchased the old VAG Com for many vehicles, then it has probably already paid for itself.
Anyone who invests a multiple (10 to 50 times) of the original equipment cost into a Bosch, Gutmann, or Sun xyz system, which is calibrated using similar or identical testing methods, and then spends a few hundred euros annually on updates, will understand my point.
Cheap OBD scanners that can only clear error codes and reset the service interval... I'll just leave it at that.
VCDS is an investment that pays for itself after just two "repaired damages." The knowledge it provides is invaluable in any case.
Wish it for Christmas... Ho Ho Ho.

I bought my VCDS here in 2005 as a VAG-COM 409 HEX*CAN USB interface. Since then, I've received free upgrades to the latest versions. So, it was essentially a lifetime purchase.
I am quite certain that if I had purchased a 3.11 interface compatible with a 2007 MJ before, I would have received the same support, perhaps for a small additional fee.
- Castle -
hg
Herbert.

Hello,

Here's a quick correction:

Quote:

However, I find it extremely unfortunate that no truly good offers are being made for our first customers.

According to our customer database, you are NOT a customer. You have also not taken advantage of the option to enter your VAG-COM/VCDS serial number in your user profile.
Customers receive support. You are free to contact the original seller. If it was a reseller from eBay, they will likely be able to answer all your questions about your TDI in detail.

Quote:

Because of that, I am currently refusing to pay such a large amount of money again.

No one is asking for that either. But weren't you the one who wanted help here? VAG-COM 3.11, well, guess what the version numbers indicate – it's from November 2003, so it's 10 years old.
It's not surprising that software from 2003 might not display the error codes of a vehicle from 2007. By the way, such shortcomings are also typical characteristics of cheaper VAG-COM/VCDS imitations; this is a fact, but I don't want to imply anything.

The VAG-COM and VCDS software updates have always been free of charge, so the fact that you are still using a version from 2003 makes me wonder.

Best regards, Rainer.

Frank wrote to me that he is not a customer of mine and that he doesn't want a support key to solve his problem, so I wish him all the best.