Exhaust Emissions Warning Lamp

[MediaAssassin]

Apologies if this is answered elsewhere, I'm new to the forum world and am finding my feet.

I've recently bought a 2004 (53) V6 4Motion with a brand new MOT.

The car has been fine for the week I've had it, but today it felt like it misfired (although I did accidently select 6th at about 30MPH) and soon after the emissions warning lamp started flashing.

It went out after a while, then before I could get home came on again, flashing at first then permanently.

The book says to take it straight to a dealer, which I will do obviously, but does anyone have any suggestions as to what it could be ?

[mjgdunne]

I would guess that its the lambda sensor something similar happened to me.

[v6dub]

Same happened to me last week, when i was driving it, it started to judder, i took it in to have it scaned and they picked up that a lambo sensor had stoped working.

My car is in for the lambo sensor change today, but some one told me, that it maybe the coil pack aswell. lets hope not yeah.
I will get back to you with how much i payed, and stuff like that.
but it is not a big job to do,

[MediaAssassin]

Thanks mjgdunne and v6dub for your comments.

I'd read some stuff here and elsewhere since (mainly to do with similar problems on Polos) and it pointed towards being the Lambda sensor or the coil packs.

My local VW dealer are telling me that they won't even be able to run the diagnostic til after Easter, which isn't great. It's fine to drive apart from at low revs under heavy load, but I don't want to do damage to anything and create additional problems down the road.

If you could let me know what it cost to get fixed that'd be all good, I'm under extended manufacturers warranty but the paperwork for the transfer is still with the warranty company so at the minute i'm kinda swinging in the breeze and uncertain whether i'll have to fork out then reclaim !

[v6dub]

My garage have just done some test with there VAG com and they run a test on the lambo sensors and they came back working ok, but they picked up a misfire on cyclinder 5 which points to coil back and i am having it changed now, not sure of the price but i will get back to you late today.

[MediaAssassin]

Cheers for the heads up on the vag com results and that it wasn't the lambda sensor.

Was it the coil pack and if so was it pricey ?

I'm booked in for a 30 minute diagnostic thursday at the local VW dealer, until then I'll just take it easy with the right foot and coast her about.

[v6dub]

Well i have just been talking to my garage, thay told me that as there is only one coil pack which supplys all cylinders which i know but they only found out yesterday, they told me that as i was only having trouble with cylinder 5, that it would not be the coil pack and have changed the HT lead and plug, on that cylinder.

[MediaAssassin]

That's interesting for sure, looking at other posts the spark plug and HT lead are something that has worked for some but not for others.

I'm due a service imminently anyway during which the plugs should be changed, but in the meantime I may have a poke about with my HT leads tonite if theres any daylight left after work.

I did have a look under the bonnet last night, and despite always having been clued up and hands on with my 2 Mark 2's and my Mark 3 the engine bay on this baby is like trying to read chinese !

If only Haynes made a manual...

[Crasher]

Check the pipe from the EVAP canister on the driver’s inner wing, along to where it becomes a convoluted section. With the engine running, see if it sucking air in around a split in the convoluted section.

[v6dub]

hey Crasher the other day i have to take out my screen washer bottle and i have to move what i think is that EVAP canister that your talking about, so that could make the car judder and misfire?