ESP not working 2002 Passat 1.8T

**jamessmith26** · 03-11-2011,10:21 AM

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could help with a problem I'm having with my 2002 Passat 1.8T. A few weeks ago I was accelerating fairly hard & the ESP suddenly kicked in for a brief moment. It was like someone had hit the brakes for a split second - the car then continued to drive normally but the ESP light is now permanently illuminated. Shortly afterwards (say 10-15mins) the exhaust warning light also came on.

The ESP light has stayed on & the ESP definitely is not working. The ABS however is working fine. Other than that the car feels fine.

A colleague of mine at work has a diagnostic computer & managed to get some fault codes off the system (detailed below). He then erased the faults. The exhaust warning light has not illuminated again but the ESP light came on a few seconds after the car was started.

Fault codes:

Engine - 16486 - Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70) Signal too low – static – no indication on display

ABS - 18265 - Load Signal: Error Message from ECU: P1857 – static – No indication on display

I'm guessing that the air flow sensor is the cause of the exhaust light - if it comes on again I will change the sensor. I am also guessing that the ABS ECU error is causing the loss of ESP.

Question is - what do I do next?! I have a basic knowledge & skill with simple mechanics (servicing, changing brakes etc) but I am by no means a mechanic & even less as auto-electrician! I am also on a budget however so a cheap solution would be preferred.

If anyone can offer a further insight into this then it would be very much appreciated. If it proves too complicated or costly then I can live without ESP but obviously I would prefer it to be working.

Thanks in advance,
James

**jamessmith26** · 07-11-2011,10:58 PM

Update - The exhaust light came back on the next time I started the car.

If anyone has any advice or can point me in the right direction then I would be really grateful!

Cheers