Emissions light with glow plug fault

[bzoow]

My emissions light has been coming on intermittantly for about two years now on my 05 GT.
I have had the code reset and every time it comes up as no. 4 glow plug faulty. I had the glow plug replaced, positions swapped and all the plugs replaced a couple of months ago.
It was taking months between coming on (once it's on it stays on) but the last time it was reset it only lasted a day but now I know what it is I tend to leave it on and just carry on driving - it will be just my luck to have a real emissions fault one day though! .
I googled it and got a reference to a fault with the brake light switch (honestly!).
Anyone else heard this? I would like a sanity check before I buy anything else. Fortunately my local (non VW) garage resets mostly for free.

Sounds like a really dumb question but can anyone confirm if the GT TDi has a cam belt or chain? I had a letter from my VW dealer saying the belt needed replacing (about 60k) but I know they have sent those out to people with cam chains before so don't trust them at all.
Thanks.

[RUM4MO]

First, these 1.9TDI engines have belts that need changing at 60,000 miles or 4 years - which ever comes first, ignore this at your peril.

Brake pedal switch or brake light bulbs, these tend to make the "coil" light flash I think - but it is a possibility, just check the operation of your brake lights.

Why not just buy a cheap scan tool like the Gendan VAG-CAN one - its only about £40 delivered, that way you can keep a note of all codes logged and when they get logged - and clear them.

Guessing the way through some of these problems can get expensive!

[Gra-GT]

First, these 1.9TDI engines have belts that need changing at 60,000 miles or 4 years - which ever comes first, ignore this at your peril.

REALLY!!!??? I had a call from VW in December (when my car turned 4 years old) saying it was time for my cam belt to be changed, but when I looked in my service book, I'm sure it said it was 80,000 miles, not 60,000. So I left it, I've done 65,000 now.

As for the Emissions light, I had exactly the same thing a couple of months ago on my GT. Emissions light came on, and VAGCOM said it was an intermittent fault on Glow plug 2. Cleared the code and it hasnt come back since. I have heard of the brake light switch thing, but I would have thought the diagnostic tool would have said that, rather than glow plug fault. I would have a guess (although a very wild one ) that its just a dodgy sensor, if you have replace the plugs like you said.

[alexperkins]

VW have changed the guidelines on changing cambelts due to a high amount of belts wearing out a good few miles before the 80k mark. It used to be 80k or 4 years, now the books official line is 50-60k and 3 years to ensure optimum performance and safety.

[Gra-GT]

VW have changed the guidelines on changing cambelts due to a high amount of belts wearing out a good few miles before the 80k mark. It used to be 80k or 4 years, now the books official line is 50-60k and 3 years to ensure optimum performance and safety.

Pfft! How the hell are normal plebs like me supposed to know that sort of thing though! Surely most people will be going by the info provided in their service book

[RUM4MO]

VW have changed the guidelines on changing cambelts due to a high amount of belts wearing out a good few miles before the 80k mark. It used to be 80k or 4 years, now the books official line is 50-60k and 3 years to ensure optimum performance and safety.

Pfft! How the hell are normal plebs like me supposed to know that sort of thing though! Surely most people will be going by the info provided in their service book

I think that you will find that all any car manufacturer can be is revise the owner's operating pack - but that only covers new cars. In the case of "things" changing during the period that you have the car, if you use the same dealer and his service department, then they should advise you - as seem sto have happened in your case. What you have done is ignore timely VW dealer's service department - you do this at your own risk, but either way, I'd get it changed A.S.A.P.

Remember, your car's service book was only correct at its published date - thing do change as experience/feedback is gained, for any car or any other product manufacturer to keep you up to date would mean charging you for receiving updates - no one wants to pay for that either.

[jrw]

Sorry but I dont agree with you there - Most service depts haven't got a clue when it comes to mileage on things.

If you have had the car from new VW UK have a record of the owner so if there are any revisions to something as vitally important as this they should just write out to the customers advising of this. I got my car before Gra from the same dealer and they haven't told me anything about the cambelt needing doing at 60k not 80k like my service book says. There is also nothing relating to the belt being replaced due to age under the 2 or 4 years section of the service book.

I would like to see the official wording on this from VW if this is true and I will be having a few words with them to. I will phone up VW UK and find out as my car has done 55k and coming up to 5 years old on the orginal belt.

Also my mother in law has just bought a mk6 golf and the guidlines for the 4cyl diesel in that for the cambelt is 100k so how is this so?

[alexperkins]

Cambelts on the new golfs run under different specifications as it is a different type of engine.

The guideline for all polos, lupos, mk4 golfs, passats etc is 60k or 3-4 years now. I used to work at VW, and it was sent out as a massive update to us. As for records of ownership, letters arent always sent as its generally up to the dealership you purchased it from to send the letters, not VW UK.

[RUM4MO]

Sorry but I dont agree with you there - Most service depts haven't got a clue when it comes to mileage on things.

If you have had the car from new VW UK have a record of the owner so if there are any revisions to something as vitally important as this they should just write out to the customers advising of this. I got my car before Gra from the same dealer and they haven't told me anything about the cambelt needing doing at 60k not 80k like my service book says. There is also nothing relating to the belt being replaced due to age under the 2 or 4 years section of the service book.

I would like to see the official wording on this from VW if this is true and I will be having a few words with them to. I will phone up VW UK and find out as my car has done 55k and coming up to 5 years old on the orginal belt.

I'd imagine the TSB or whatever VAG call these things, are sent out to the VAG dealer's workshops for their use! If like me you don't want to use a VAG dealer to maintain your car, then you have dropped out of the sevice loop and are not contributing to "its upkeep" in any way. Anyone going down that route is well advised to make sure they pick up any hints of changes - not too easy!! This is not a "VAG only" trick of the trade, when the early Ford CVH engines started to break their belts back in 1980's, a friend that always bought his Fords new from a local Ford Agent, got them to maintain and repair his car, and he knew nothing about cars at all, was righly shocked when he tried to get that Ford Agent to seek redress for fixing his wrecked engine when the belt "went" - their answer went along the lines that "you didn't ask us to replace the belt". So, not only did Ford not care that they had changed the service requirements of this item, but their agents did not think to pass this info on to the owners and advise them when this should happen. In VAG dealer's case, I'd be amazed if they were not telling people that used their service department that a belt change was needed - this job is a revenue generator for them in hard times and it helps avoid losing customers to other marques when their engine gets trashed.

[bzoow]

See original post

FYI I had my belt changed on Monday at 66K for £195+VAT inclusive Parts and labour.

Engine warning light reset (for free - again!) and has come back on after two days.

Thinking of buying a Gendan code reader but unsure if it's better to get the VW specific one or the GCR05 so I can use it on the wife's Mondeo as well (same price but the VW one reads more codes). Alternatively, splash out on the VW Pro reader that does it all (at £127) - any views?

Can I buy a diagnostic cable for a 2005 GT without buying software as well? I guess the Gendan dual K version is not suitable?

Thanks,

[Gra-GT]

VW have changed the guidelines on changing cambelts due to a high amount of belts wearing out a good few miles before the 80k mark. It used to be 80k or 4 years, now the books official line is 50-60k and 3 years to ensure optimum performance and safety.

I rang VW UK about this mate. Trying to find out what their official standing is on this, and the blokey told me that for my engine it is definetely still 80k and 4 years.

@bzoow - sorry for the thread hijack dude

[alexperkins]

I meant to write petrol engine cambelts lol, but again it is dependent on the engine code etcetc

[RUM4MO]

I meant to write petrol engine cambelts lol, but again it is dependent on the engine code etcetc

Unless things have changed, I thought that the 60,000miles or 4years applied really only initially applied to the TDIs and in particular the PD ones due to the higher loading on the cambelt drive train, it was only to stop confusion that it was rolled out across the entire engine range to avoid confusion for customers, which was handy as lots of the smaller petrol engines seem to have started to wreck their engines about this miles/years period. My Passat B5 has the Audi 2.8 V6 engine that was originally meant to run for 90,000miles before needing a new cambelt, but when I asked, I was told that this engine had also been dragged into the 60,000mile or 4years change period as well!