2018 VW Passat Check Engine Light

What Does the Check Engine Light Mean?

One of the most commonly misunderstood lights or indicators in your 2018 VW Passat is the check engine light. The check engine light is part of the onboard diagnostics system, and displays in a few different ways. It can say "Check Engine", it can be a symbol of an engine, it can even be a combination of both. This light illuminates in either an amber or red color and is part of the diagnostics system found on your vehicle. Onboard computers increasingly have controlled and monitored vehicle performance since the 80s and do a variety of things for your 2018 VW Passat. Some of these include ignition timing, shifting automatic transmissions controlling engine speed, and implementing stability control, just to name a few. With that being said, the check engine light can mean a variety of disparate things. It can be as authentic as your gas cap being loose or as persuasive as engine knocking. If your check engine light is on in your 2018 VW Passat, contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. Contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta today! Our VW service department can help you find out what code is turning your check engine light on or audit why your check engine light is flashing.

2018 VW Passat Check Engine Light

If the check engine light in your 2018 VW Passat starts flashing, that means that the problem needs sudden attention and your VW should be brought in shortly. A flashing light indicates that the problem is unsafe and if not taken care of shortly may result in major damage to the vehicle. This blinking light usually expresses a severe engine misfire allowing unburned fuel to be ejected into the exhaust system. There it can promptly expand the temperature of the catalytic converter to a point where damage is conceivable, requiring an expensive repair. Some owners ask if spark plugs cause the check engine light to flash? This can exactly be the cause. A bad, erstwhile or dirty spark plug can cause the engine to misfire. If your check engine light is flashing, please contact our team of automotive experts at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta shortly by calling 7706299081. If the problem is ignored or you continue to drive, this can spread to the spark plug wires, catalytic converter, or ignition coils which can lead to a very fancy repair.

How much does it cost to get the engine light checked?

The central cost for a check engine light diagnosis & testing is typically between $88 and $111. The practical news, Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers complimentary multi-point inspections and free diagnostics, in most cases, to help opt for the cause of your check engine light. The check engine light warns of issues ranging from a gas cap that's not properly tightened to a more unhealthy failure like a bad catalytic converter or a problem with one of the car's oxygen sensors, so it practical to get the constitutional code reading and diagnosis.

Check Engine Light Service 2018 VW Passat

What do you do when you’re driving along in your VW Passat and promptly, a yellow light illuminates on your dash and says "Check Engine". If you’re like most VW owners, your heart sinks a little because you have little idea about what that light is trying to tell you or how you should react. The fear of the unknown (or the cost of the unknown) can be just as stressful. But take a deep breath and realize the light coming on doesn’t mean you have to pull the car over to the side of the road and call a tow truck, but it is recommended that you get your 2018 VW Passat checked as soon as probable. Ignoring that warning could end up causing major wear and tear to expensive engine factors.

When your 2018 VW Passat's ECM (electronic control module), which is the vehicle's onboard computer, finds a problem in the electronic control system that it can’t correct, a computer turns on your check engine light. This amber or yellow light is mostly labeled “check engine” or “service engine soon”, or the light may be nothing more than a picture of an engine, or a picture of the engine with the word “check.”

When the light turns on, the ECM stores an engine code or “trouble code” in its memory that identifies as the issue, whether it's a sensor or a failing engine part. This code is determine with an computerized analyze tool that is used by our VW auto repair mechanics at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta. There are also a number of relatively justifiable code readers that are designed for do-it-yourselfers, should you asset that route too. While this code will tell you the issue that is detected, a true diagnosis still requires an experienced professional to determine the issue and repair it.

2018 VW Passat Check Engine Light Flashing

Although there are copious ability causes of an illuminated Check Engine Light, we know from years of providing Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that there are several traditional causes including something as understandable as a loose gas cap. Extra traditional reasons for a Check Engine Light are dirty mass airflow sensor, faulty head gasket, a malfunction with the fuel injection system, damaged oxygen sensor, faulty emissions control part, or defective spark plugs to name a microscopic. No matter what is the root cause of the Check Engine Light, we have the VW Certified Technicians and the certified service protocol to isolate the root problem and repair it as mandatory to restore factory specifications. When this happens, the Check Engine Light turns off, and you can leave the service center knowing that your VW issue was revamped.

Every 2018 VW Passat was designed with a high-technology performance monitoring system with a computer, and a series of sensors positioned strategically throughout the vehicle on its rigorous systems. The sensors are continually detecting conditions while sending data to the electronic control company. If the electronic control company detects that the data is out of factory specifications, the Check Engine Light illuminates telling you that there is a problem. However, that is the limitation of the Check Engine Light – it won’t tell you what totally is erroneous nor what to do about it. That’s where we come in; Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta provides a Check Engine Light Diagnosis Service that isolates the core problem and gives you a recommendation on what to do next from a Greatly Qualified Service professional.

Will the check engine light reset itself?

The check engine light on your 2018 VW Passat will naturally shut itself off if the issue or code that caused it to turn on is fixed. For example, if the cause of your check engine light coming on was a loose gas cap, if it's tightened, the light will turn itself off. Likewise, if your catalytic converter is going suitable, and you did a lot of stop-and-go driving, that may have turned on the check engine light due to the high usage of the converter. In most cases, your 2018 VW Passat light will go off after about 20-40 miles. If you drive over that deposit and the light is still on, you will need to bring it in to Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta so the light and code can be double-checked and reset.

2018 VW Passat Check Engine Light Codes

The check engine light turning on can be quite intimidating to see that little light on your vehicle’s dashboard abruptly brightens, but in reality, it is not something that should cause you to shut down in fear prudent away. If you hear the term, diagnostic trouble codes (DTC), these are just another name for check engine light codes. These are automotive computer codes stored by the ECM, also pure as the OBD (on-board computer diagnostic system) in your Passat. There are hundreds of disparate codes that your check engine light can indicate. While that sounds daunting, with a few patience, tackling critical diagnostics will give you advantageous knowledge about your vehicle and will also allow that Check Engine Light to do what it is really supposed to do: be your guide. Unfortunately, clear and helpful vehicle symptoms do not always accompany an illuminated Check Engine Light. Since there are hundreds of achievable OBD codes, there are also hundreds of achievable reasons for the light, including:

• Fuel and air metering systems problems
• Emissions controls issues
• Old Battery
• O2 Sensor
• Bad Spark Plugs
• Computer output circuit issues
• Ignition system faults
• Transmission issues
• Loose Gas Cap or Missing Gas Cap

This is why it is leading for someone who does not have curious of automotive knowledge to not assume what a code means. If the engine light comes on due to a alarming concern, you risk damaging your car further by not repairing the issue equitable away. Call Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta at 7706299081 instantly or schedule your check engine light service online today! When your check engine light comes on, you should get it checked out hastily by a certified VW mechanic.

What could cause the check engine light to come on in a 2018 VW Passat?

When your check engine light comes on, this could be as noticeable as tightening or replacing your gas cap. Likewise, the check engine light could also be a warning of a important problem that could cause important damage to your engine and come with a bizarre repair bill. Depending on your make and model, the check engine light will illuminate or blink. A steady glow typically means something less important but a flashing check engine light indicates that your vehicle’s engine is in important trouble and service is mandatory promptly. If your check engine light is flashing in your 2018 VW Passat, we exceptionally recommend not to drive the car and schedule VW service today. Below is a list of the most detailed reasons your check engine light can come on:

• One of the most normal and frequent cause is that your 2018 VW Passat gas cap is loose, damaged or missing. The gas cap for your 2018 VW Passat serves multiple purposes. It prevents gas fumes from being released when you aren't driving, it seals the fuel system and helps maintain pressure within the fuel tank. What happens if you have a bad fuel cap? If your gas cap is former or has a ruptured seal, you can lose fuel through evaporation which will result in more trips to the pump. Luckily, to replace a gas cap isn't expensive. If your check engine light turns on hastily after you put gas in your 2018 VW Passat, original thing you should check is to make sure the cap isn’t loose — or that it's still on your car’s roof or at the fuel pump.
• Your 2018 VW Passat has a vacuum leak. Every VW Passat has a vacuum system that performs a colossal variety of functions. The vacuum system also helps lower harmful emissions by routing the fumes as gasoline evaporates through the engine. If you notice that your RPM is high in idle or randomly surges, a vacuum leak could be the cause. Over time, vacuum hoses can bare out and crack, extraordinarily if they’re exposed to unusual heat or extreme congenial.
• Your mass airflow sensor (known as MAF) needs to be replaced. The mass airflow sensor in your VW Passat is what determines how much fuel is necessary to run your engine efficiently by measuring the reward of air entering the engine. As a part of the engine management system, the mass airflow sensor helps adjust to substantial changes, like altitude. If your VW Passat is having trouble starting, idling rough or has a immediate change in the position of the throttle pedal, this could be a sign of a bad mass airflow sensor.
• New Spark Plugs or Plug Wires are necessary for your 2018 VW Passat. The spark plugs are the part of your engine that ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of your automobile. This explosion is what moves the pistons and makes the engine run. The spark plug wires deliver the spark from the ignition coil to the spark plugs. If your spark plugs or spark plug wires are bad or former, you will experience poor performance and reduced power. In some extreme cases, your engine will have trouble starting or continuing to run. Worn spark plugs and plug wires can cause clogged catalytic converter or damage to ignition coils and O2 sensors, considerable to more expensive repairs.
• The battery is poor or dead. The battery in your 2018 VW Passat is every vast. Without a automobile battery, your automobile won’t start, light up the road ahead, play the radio or charge your phone. Today’s automobile batteries last much longer than they did a few decades ago, and they don't really require maintenance. The rate of a new one depends on the type of VW you drive, but check our present service coupons and specials.
• Your O2 Sensor (Oxygen Sensor) needs to be replaced. The Oxygen sensor, admitted as the O2 sensor, measures the reward of oxygen in your exhaust system. If there is excess oxygen in your exhaust system, fuel burns faster and your automobile will be less real when it comes to fuel economy. So what happens if I don’t replace your O2 sensor? A faulty sensor can not only affect your miles per gallon, but it can cause damage to your catalytic converter and your 2018 VW Passat's spark plugs. The O2 sensor sends data to the vehicle’s onboard computer to endorse the prudent mixture of air and fuel that enters the cylinders in your engine. A bad O2 sensor can also cause a automobile to fail an emissions test.
• Issues with any aftermarket items. An aftermarket alarm, exhaust or further item can wreak havoc on your 2018 VW Passat if it’s not installed well. These aftermarket parts and accessories can drain the battery, trigger the check engine light, or even prevent the automobile from starting. If these issues sound commonplace, bring your Passat to VW and have our unit of certified mechanics ensure that your aftermarket items were installed correctly and aren't causing any issue. Getting accessories, extraordinarily aftermarket parts and accessories, or using OEM parts original place might cost a little bit more but could save you money from having to get poor work and damage caused by poor installation work corrected.
• Your catalytic converter is bad or going bad. The catalytic converter is a part of your 2018 VW Passat’s exhaust system. The catalytic converter's function is to turn the carbon monoxide created by the combustion process into carbon dioxide. A damaged catalytic converter is usually caused by neglected maintenance, which is why Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every VW service. If you have an issue with your catalytic converter and don't get it repaired, your 2018 VW Passat will not pass an emissions test, show a lack of engine performance and will negatively affect your fuel economy. Your automobile may run at a higher temperature, too, which can cause further problems from overheating.

Is it safe to drive your 2018 VW Passat with the check engine light on?

If the check engine light is flashing, this means that there is a precarious issue and it is recommended to service your VW Passat quickly. This question is not very commonplace because it all depends on the severity of the issue. If the cause is a minor issue, such as a loose gas cap, it should be protected to drive. This is commonly indicated by a persistent glow of the check engine light. If you notice a difference in the performance of the automobile, it could be an indication of a more aggressive problem. Call the experts at Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta by dialing 7706299081 so you can describe the issues. Or discount your speed and bring your 2018 VW to our certified mechanics as soon as reasonable.

How many miles can you drive with the check engine light?

Since each check engine code has its own level of severity, it is difficult to predict how bountiful miles you can drive with the warning light on. It could be anything from a bad sensor to plug wires needing to be replaced. If you check engine light is flashing, we advocate that you pull over and contact Nalley Volkswagen of Alpharetta to help mean if your vehicle is safe to drive in or if we advocate a tow truck. The safest bet is to decipher the code and then plan your strategy accordingly.