Anyone else have a NOX sensor go bad?

tc1uscg

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Location
Pluto
TDI
SOLD TO VW
Had a nox sensor replaced under warranty.
Same here. @ 26k miles. Needless to say, confidence level of the car dropped to around a high 7, low 8. Sadly, w/92k miles on my 09 Jeep and 140k on the 02, I have more confidence in the 09 not to break down in the middle (short of running out of gas) of nowhere then the VW. Thanks to it's Russian roulette attitude with it's turbo issues. :rolleyes:
 

Noodle1969

Active member
Joined
May 12, 2013
Location
Ontario Canada
TDI
2012 passat
Interesting..i had the engine light come on in my car the other day today the ad blue warning came on..but theres still lots in it..i took to dealer he said he believes its nox sensor..i asked about the ad blue he says its tied in somehow....hmmm...never said anything about cost..i habe the 120,000 km b to b warranty..they have to order the parts...im not paying $500 dollars for this part...the car only has 67,000,km...but the car keeps telling me in 300 km i wont be able to start it again. Really? Lol..
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Interesting..i had the engine light come on in my car the other day today the ad blue warning came on..but theres still lots in it..i took to dealer he said he believes its nox sensor..i asked about the ad blue he says its tied in somehow....hmmm...never said anything about cost..i habe the 120,000 km b to b warranty..they have to order the parts...im not paying $500 dollars for this part...the car only has 67,000,km...but the car keeps telling me in 300 km i wont be able to start it again. Really? Lol..

It is illegal for the car to operate outside of the EPA's emissions regulations. If the NOx sensor is malfunctioning and the computer can't control what is happening with the emissions equipment, then you get a "no start countdown," which gives you, the operator, a chance to correct the problem. Remember the AdBlue controls NOx, so the NOx sensor is part of the AdBlue system.
 

Seacoasttdi

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Location
Cape Ann, MA.
TDI
13 Passat 6M
Replaced mine @17.7k. Covered under warranty. It had thrown a Nox code in January that was cleared when they did the turbo flash. The NOX sensor replacement followed an issue with bad fuel that gelled.
 

Seacoasttdi

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Location
Cape Ann, MA.
TDI
13 Passat 6M
I believe the Ad Blue system also experienced freeze up somewhere, tank, lines, which may have contributed to the blinking CEL. The freeze point of DEF is +12 F.
 

Noodle1969

Active member
Joined
May 12, 2013
Location
Ontario Canada
TDI
2012 passat
Ya..thats why they sent out a recal abiut adjusting the pressure in turbo or something to accomodate the cold temperature...so the dealer called..part is in already...its covered..if it wasnt he said would have been $1200...ya my faith in my german car just droppped several percentage points...i dont have to do emissions tests where i live so it would definately be disconected if it went after warranty...the adblue is just for emmisions anyways...so much for saving by buying diesel..lol
 

Rico567

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 13, 2003
Location
Central IL
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
I ended up having what they termed a "rear NOx sensor" replaced about a month ago. The car had been driven in below zero temperatures, and I got the MFI warning that the car wasn't going to start in 200 miles because the AdBlue was low, plus a steady CEL. The dealer diagnosed it as the NOx sensor on a Friday*, had to order it in over the weekend, and replaced it the following Tuesday. This was all done under warranty (we're stlll under B-to-B) and everything has been fine since.

*NB: The AdBlue (DEF fluid) level was fine
 

Deepwater6

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2014
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2012 Passat SEL Premium
It is illegal for the car to operate outside of the EPA's emissions regulations. If the NOx sensor is malfunctioning and the computer can't control what is happening with the emissions equipment, then you get a "no start countdown," which gives you, the operator, a chance to correct the problem. Remember the AdBlue controls NOx, so the NOx sensor is part of the AdBlue system.

This is why the NOx should be covered 100% under our 8/80 warranty on emissions. The more I look into this, the TDI is far more expensive to own/run/maintain than gasoline engines.
 

pipewhiner

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Location
NY
TDI
2013 Passat
I just had the NOx sensor replaced. Check engine light and the near concurrent 200 mile to no start warning. Bill was $702 but covered under extended warranty
 

IXLR8

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2003
Location
Cushing, ME
TDI
12 Passat Platinum Gray, 02 Golf Black, 01 Jetta Black
I just had the NOx sensor replaced. Check engine light and the near concurrent 200 mile to no start warning. Bill was $702 but covered under extended warranty
Do you have the part number for the sensor?
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
He means that the countdown and the CEL appeared at nearly the same time.
 

stephane

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2004
Location
Canada
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE
Had a nox sensor go out on me as well. Had the countdown but no CEL. After reading the codes with VCDS, found the nox sensor error.

Got both of them pulled and cleaned. Problem seems fixed for now...price for the sensor is $690 plus shop time to install. Cleaning...just under $100 :). With all these nox sensors going (even the VW dealers hate these things), when is VW going to fix it and recall...main problem is them getting gunked up with soot.

I'll try to keep you posted on how long these last. I'll be doing a cross country trip in a few days so will be putting on some miles on it soon...hopefully without any countdown's anymore.

If you have the time and the patience, pull them and clean them before spending money on new ones. I have 95,000km on the vehicle so no longer under warranty.
 

lmgray

New member
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Location
New Hampshire
TDI
2013 Passat
mine failed at 35,760mi

I got a CEL at 35,760mi -- NOx sensor -- dealer replaced it under warranty. I was told it was badly caked with soot. I asked and they said they'd seen a bunch of these and were thinking it had to do with bad winter here in northern New England. I asked if it might just be that 2013's are getting to the point mileage-wise that they're starting to have too much soot built up and he shrugged... I asked what the warranty is on the replacement and was told 1 year, but he added that if these keep failing at a high rate, they would likely "take care of me" if it was past 1 year -- whatever that means?
 

PacoTDI

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Location
Quebec,Canada
TDI
Passat TDI 2013 SE
Got CEL today for NOx sensor, iam at 110,000Km so warranty is long gone. Took it out sprayed it with carb cleaner until i could see true all the holes , took hair blower to dry it out and reinstalled. Reset CEL with OBD2 , so far so good.
Be careful use a 22mm open socket and heat with torch arround sensor before disassembling.
Good Luck worth the try.
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
Got CEL today for NOx sensor, iam at 110,000Km so warranty is long gone. Took it out sprayed it with carb cleaner until i could see true all the holes , took hair blower to dry it out and reinstalled. Reset CEL with OBD2 , so far so good.
Be careful use a 22mm open socket and heat with torch arround sensor before disassembling.
Good Luck worth the try.
good to know its cleanable, where is this sensor located?
 

MB2VW

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2000
Location
Lighthouse Pt., FL USA
TDI
2015 Passat SEL,
Since my purchase of my 2012 Passat TDI, used at 22,293 miles in May 2015, I too have had issues with the NOx sensor. Below is my history of flags I cleared vs time and date:
Date Milage Code No.
5/23/2015 22660 15733 - SCR NOx Catalyst Bank 1 - P20EE 00 [236] - Efficiency too Low
8/26/2015 25483 18627 - NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] - Electrical Malfunction18627 **&** NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] P20EE 00 [172] - Efficiency too Low
9/5/2015 25920 15733 - SCR NOx Catalyst Bank 1 - P20EE 00 [236] - Efficiency too Low
9/9/2015 26222 18627 - NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] - Electrical Malfunction18627 **&** NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] P20EE 00 [172] - Efficiency too Low
9/21/2015 26687 18627 - NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] - Electrical Malfunction18627 **&** NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] P20EE 00 [172] - Efficiency too Low
1/2/2016 29653 18627 - NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] - Electrical Malfunction18627 **&** NOx Sensor 1 Bank 1 - P2200 00 [096] P20EE 00 [172] - Efficiency too Low
The September readouts that popped up frequently was during my attempts to clean the sensor. As you can see I had a good 3+ month run for 3k miles before it popped up again on a recent 500 mile weekend trip.

Yesterday I performed my 30k oil change and reset the code. I'm hoping the fresh oil will calm this down. The care was service by a VW dealer before my purchase, but I can't vouch for the oil used then. I opted to use the Quartz INEO Long Life ACEA/API 5W-30.

My initial response was to buy the expensive sensor, but as I've read that cleaning may solve the issue, and oil could be an issue. The car consumed 2.25 gallons of Urea in around 7500 miles.

I will post if and when these errors pop up again.
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
the one by the exhaust throttle, good to know its cleanable and accessible:D
 

1gunther1

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Location
Alexandria, VA
TDI
2013 Passat SEL 2012 Passat SEL
I also got a NOx sensor failure. It happened with only 33,745 miles. Cost to replace was $1,035.92 at VW of Alexandria.

I agree with the comments that should be a warranty fix. Not feeling the VW love right now.

Anyone have any luck getting any $ back from VW North America? If so please post some tips!! :)
 

AtlantaRene

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE DSG w/Sunroof and Nav
This appears to be tracking thread on NOx failures. 2012 Passat SE TDI w/48,000 mi. My car is also in for a NOx sensor, it's being replaced today under 80K mi emissions warranty.
 

1gunther1

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Location
Alexandria, VA
TDI
2013 Passat SEL 2012 Passat SEL
This appears to be tracking thread on NOx failures. 2012 Passat SE TDI w/48,000 mi. My car is also in for a NOx sensor, it's being replaced today under 80K mi emissions warranty.
Can you share how you got this covered under warranty? My dealer (Alexandria VW) says the NOx is not one of the covered parts. Any help will be much appreciated!!
 

AtlantaRene

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE DSG w/Sunroof and Nav
Can you share how you got this covered under warranty? My dealer (Alexandria VW) says the NOx is not one of the covered parts. Any help will be much appreciated!!
The dealer volunteered to do it under the emissions warranty and for that I am grateful.
I am not an expert on this and I understand that there may be some variation state-by-state. I will reference what I know from the State of Georgia. The EPA requires an emissions warranty of 8 years/80,000 miles on all cars sold since 1995. It includes parts and labor on "certain" emission components, the car may need to be unmodified, and it depends if your state requires you to maintain the emission system. I have yet to check the documentation that came with my car; however, here is a reference from the EPA that might apply, it suggests a verification procedure and recourse too. http://www3.epa.gov/obd/pubs/420f15035.pdf
Good luck in what you find.
 
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AtlantaRene

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE DSG w/Sunroof and Nav
Can you share how you got this covered under warranty? My dealer (Alexandria VW) says the NOx is not one of the covered parts. Any help will be much appreciated!!
I just realized that the exhaust system is complicated on the car. To avoid confusion, I want to make sure that we are talking about the same repair. I have the invoice in front of me it states as follows:
REPLACE NOX SENSOR/MODULE
995846​
03L-907-807-AD CONTROLUNI​
The discussion states "replace nox sensor with module"​
So even though the statement says replace NOx sensor, the part number may refer to a "control unit".

I hope this helps.
 
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1gunther1

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Location
Alexandria, VA
TDI
2013 Passat SEL 2012 Passat SEL
My invoice has the exact same numbers and description. I have written VWNA to see what they have to say. But so far nothing but crickets :(

Yes it helps. Thank you for the reply :)

Anyone else with any tips on how to get VW to cover this known weakness would be much appreciated!!
 

Fixmy59bug

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, NV
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SE
For everyone asking "Why is the module being replaced if it is saying the sensor is faulty", well... The sensor is calibrated to the module and they are only sold as one unit.



That's also the reason it lists for $528
 

AtlantaRene

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2012 Passat TDI SE DSG w/Sunroof and Nav
@Fixmy59bug: Thanks, I was wondering.

I noticed that the part 03L-907-807-AD and it replaces part number 8K0-907-807-E. I was wondering if this was an indicator if the part was redesigned/revised. Is the NOx sensor problem localized to the earlier model years?
 

mountain-valleymotors

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Location
Harrisonburg Virginia
TDI
2013 Passat TDI
No I didn't put together a DIY but it is really very simple. Just unscrew the sensor and then I sprayed the holes with starting fluid (Mass Air Sensor cleaner would work too) until it sprayed out all of the holes evenly. Then screwed it back in and cleared the code.
 
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