Polo - Exhaust Emissions Warning Light problem

[akh49]

I have a polo 1.4 SE Sept 2002 - I have had problems with the exhaust emissions warning light(EEW), together with the EPC light coming on for quite a while now.

First of all both the EEW & EPC come on together, whether coincidence or not nearly always at the weekend when I cannot get into a garage! When I next go to use the car usually the EPC light has gone off and within a day or so so has the EEW. I have never noticed any problems with the driving, until yesterday/today.

I have taken into the garage numerous times and last year, after many times not being able to pinpoint the problem, as the lights always seem to go before I can get to the garage, I was told it was the lambada sensor 1, which I got fixed.

Within a few months the same was happening, again everytime I get to the garage it has nearly always gone off. Last time I took it to my usual VW garage a couple of months ago and due to them keeping me waiting and making me late for work I never got the outcome of the diagnostic, despite several phonecalls asking for this.

I took my car for its service in Sept to an independent small garage specialising in VW/Audi, told him of my problem, he did a diagnosic, but as the light was not on nothing came up. After the service he test drove my car and said he could not see a problem, but told me if the lights came up again or I noticed anything different when driving to come back in.

Well last weekend the lights came on again and off again by monday so did nothing. During the past week once or twice I have noticed slight differences when driving, times when it seems a bit chuggy (not sure how else to describe) when moving off and in lower gears, and when stopped sometimes felt a slight judder as the engine turned over.

Yesterday lights came on again and due to my now feeling these differences I decided to take it in tomorrow, if I can get in. Today I had to nip out and the EPC had gone out (as usual) but the EEW light was still on and after a few minutes it started flashing (blinking), which has never happened before. My daughter looked up in the manual and it says "blinks - if the catalyst can be damaged by misfires".

The driving seemed worse today, I kept expecting it to stall or stop, but it didn't. When I went to drive back although it blinked for the first few seconds, it then changed back to the EEW just being lit again and didn't seem quite as bad driving as earlier.

I intend to try and take it in tomorrow, but am not hopeful of getting into either my local independent, or if I have no choice my local VW garage.

Has anyone had any similar problems or can give me any advice on what the problem might be and how much it might cost to fix.

Is it likely to be the same lambada sensor problem again or something else?

Sorry its so long but I wanted to give as much info as possible.

Thanks

[Crasher]

A fault code read should give you a code so we need to know what that is. What is the cars engine code and how many miles has the engine covered?

[akh49]

Hi and thanks for replying

I don't know what you mean by fault code read. I just know I get warning light, as stated. Where would I find the car's engine code?

The car has done just under 30,000 miles.

[Crasher]

A fault code read is what the mechanics do when they say they are doing a diagnostic check, at least I hope that is what they mean. Your engine (the car must be a 9N round headlight model, the new for 2002 shape) has quite sophisticated OBD (On Board Diagnostic) abilities and an EPC (Electronic Performance Control) and engine MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) indication must leave a fault code in the engine computer memory. The engine code will be on your log book and in the front cover of your service book as well as on the sticker on the boot floor, it is probably AUA or AUB. The version of the car is shown in the chassis number, for example wvwzzz9Nz2Rxxxxxx.

[akh49]

Hi again

You have the right version as the chassis number is similar to what you quote but I can't find the engine code in the front of the log book, just lots of groups of letters/numbers, ie 9N1, 1G4, Polo A04, COMFO, BBY GET, etc, but not the ones you quote.

Will look in the boot tomorrow if I get a chance.

Thanks

[smokey0123]

Your engine code is BBY

[akh49]

Your engine code is BBY

Thanks

[akh49]

I found the read out from when the garage looked at it in sept but it makes no sense and the garage wasnt sure either - he just game me the print out.

1 fault found:

17550 - load calculation cross check - lower limit exceeded

P1142 - 35-10 - - - intermittent

readiness 0000 0000

Doesnt make any sense to me but I googled the first bit and found several things:

Possible Causes



Mass Air Flow Sensors (G70) faulty
Intake Air System faulty/leaking (false Air)
Throttle Pedal faulty
Throttle Body dirty/faulty

Possible Solutions



Check Mass Air Flow Sensors (G70)
Check Intake Air System
Check Throttle Pedal

Check Throttle Pedal Position Sensor (G79)
Check Throttle Pedal Position Sensor 2 (G185)


Check Throttle Body

Check Angle Sensor 1 for Throttle Actuator (G187)
Check Angle Sensor 2 for Throttle Actuator (G188)



Check Engine Control Unit

I am not sure whether this is relevant to my car, but I have printed off to take to the garage, cant get an appointment today, but have left it in the hope he manages to look at it!

[akh49]

Update

Just been rung up by garage saying its ready, he said it was ignition coil and would cost me £82 - don't know whether thats a good price, but sure it would have cost much more had I taken to VW garage.

Picked up this afternoon and seems to be running fine now. Apparently the original fault mentioned above is still showing on the diagnostic report, but as there are many things it could possibly be and it doesn't seem to be causing me any problems at the moment he concentrated on the major problem that came up at the weekend. The mechanic has just told me to keep an eye on it and if the lights come on and I notice a difference in how the car runs come back and see him.

[aaronon]

I got this problem yesterday on my November 2005 polo (new shape polo) and I took it to a garage today. . . he said that light could mean anything and so he did a diagnoses and said that it could be the O2 sensor.

He turned the light off (reset it on the dash) and said if it comes on again I would need a £100 sensor.

I'm so upset as I got the car serviced last week at a price of £142 and they didn't spot anything.

I'm hoping the light doesn't come on again.

[Crasher]

Yes he is right; lambda sensor failure is common on these. Don’t necessarily get upset with the other garage, the fault may not have been there a week ago, if it wasn’t they would not spot it. Garages aren’t psychic and it won’t have cost you any more.

Can you post the code? It will come on again.

[aaronon]

The light came back on mine. . .so i've booked the car into a garage on friday to have a new sensor fitted.

I'll give the price when I have it done as a future reference for people who get the issue.

[vwpolo2002]

Hi, I have a 2002 1.2 Polo and the exhaust emissions warning light has been on for five days. It has come on before but went off after a couple of days. Is it indicative of anything being seriously wrong or can I keep driving without huge concern. Would take it to the garage straight away but I am strapped for cash so would like to avoid if at all possible!
Would appreciate some advice!

[Crasher]

It may be any one of many problems from a cheap sensor to an expensive catalyst BUT if you leave it you may cause damage to something that is OK now, please get it fault code read.

[dwalker01]

i had the same sort of problem with the engine juddering, turns out i needed 2 new spark plugs and a coil pack. and as for the lights, i too have a problem but they always come on when the tank is getting low, first came on though when i put in what turned out to be dirty fuel from sainsburys, i have been told that this problem will go away in time as the last of the dirt moves through the system.

[JUV]

Always best to get the fault codes read, though. We've had ours come on three times, first was the catalytic converter gone (yes, pretty bad news), second was the EGR valve failing, and then finally the "flow to the EGR valve too low" - which turned out to be just a "gunked up" pipe (to use the garage's technical term) which took about a minute to fix.

If the light's on, there will be a fault code stored that's worth knowing about, even if it's since gone off again.

[Crasher]

If the light is on, there is a fault code at home.