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Hello All,

So I am currently down in the middle of France with my BlueGT and today I have had some issues!

Firstly I noticed that the fuel consumption was very poor this morning and also the start/stop system had deactivated and threw up an error warning. Then after another start up the engine warning light had come on on the dash and after I scanned for faults with the Carista device I always have in the car I think I have a bad oxygen sensor? What do we all think? Do you all agree looking at my codes etc?

Anyway I took the car out this afternoon after clearing all faults and it was all back to normal for a good 30 minute journey? Can the o2 sensor go bad intermittently or gradually?

I’ve probably got another 600 miles left to do during my holiday so [emoji1696] it will hold out until I get back to the uk!

Can I drive it if it goes bad again and stays bad??


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I forgot to mention that I did disconnect and reconnect the plugs to both oxygen sensors before driving it this afternoon? Could it have been a bad connection caused my issue??


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I'd think that maybe you are using a very low ron number of fuel or using a fuel with a higher level of bio stuff in it - does that sound possible, I know France does have that available, but your engine should be happy enough with it?
Maybe throw in some higher ron fuel?
What did the Lambda sensor 1 connectors look like, I have never had any trouble with them as they are normally well designed and manufactured?

Bottom line, if you don't heavily load that engine for long periods it should not do it any permanent damage, it is not as though you are throwing lots of extra fuel into the cat - even if you were, it would be cheaper suffering a cat failure in France and driving it home than getting it replaced in France - that is not based on personal experience, but the experience of a friend with a blown SAAB 9-5 turbo, who turned down the place his European motoring cover from RAC took his car to, and got it taken, at the end of their holiday, to the port and collected in UK by RAC and rescued to his house in Scotland, saving over £1000 by doing that, robbing froggy garage!!

Good luck!

Edit:- does your European motoring cover provide you with the ability to get an associated patrol to fit a new S1 and only charge you for the part, in which case buying a new sensor from a VW dealer could be your way out of this, then contact the UK based support for that motoring cover provider. I think "too lean" means that the Lambda probe is demanding too much fuel for the basic part of the fuelling equation as its aged and is slow to respond to the changing exhaust gas condition, so the engine ECU is turning the adaptive part (trim) of the fueling equation down beyond where it would expect it to do, ie outside its normal operating window.

Another Edit:- maybe Google these fault codes and consider what the responses are as it seems it might not be quite as simple and straight forward as I have suggested!

Thanks for reply!

So I’ve just been on a 60 mile journey today and it has been absolutely fine and I’ve been doing up to 57mpg?

I am wondering if it has something to do with the rain as when it happened yesterday I was driving in severe heavy rain? Is there anything under the car that could have got water in it? Fuel pump connections or anything that throws up a fault when it gets very wet? Bad connection?


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Or just "one of these things to get you wound up when well away from home"?

Stay lucky until you get back home!

Yes quite possibly!!

Just to make you worry for the rest of the holiday.. [emoji17]


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I have an ex-work friend that when he tales his car to South of France, he spends the few weeks before the trip worrying about strange noises!
I used to have an amazing VX Cav GSI 4X4 and one year in hot weather in Northern France I found that I could hardly turn the ignition key, so during the day kept towels etc over the steering wheel area. When we got home, I nothing about it, but days before taking it back to France in hot weather, I panicked and bought a new ignition lock - obviously as time was tight, not the same lock number as the original, and fitted it - so had no more problems, but I should wised up and sorted that out as soon as we got back after the first problem time, and by doing that I could have waited until VX had supplied me with the correct match lock numbered unit!

Ha ha! Bloody cars!

So I’ve done another 80 miles today and all completely faultless!

So who knows!!


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So on our 350 mile haunt home today I have expereinced the dreaded engine light again!!

I’ve worked out it seems to do it when the engine is cold and the outside temperature is pretty low? Any ideas. I’ve added the codes from the scan again, different to last time?!?


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