WHy is my engine exhaust light solid illuminated

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kpiazzisi

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tampa, florida
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jetta 2006
For the past week my exhaust engine light has been coming on. Until today it would go off after about 30 minutes of driving by restarting at a light, or pulling over and restarting. Today however I can not get the light to go off. My 2006 TDI has 136K miles on it. The manual simply says that there is an exhaust failure. I pulled off the O2 sensor and cleaned it with wire brush, but that did not fix the problem. . The car is running fine and I do not notice any difference in performance. Can anyone give me some ideas as to what might be causing the light to come on and stay on?

TY
 

Joe_Meehan

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Ohio USA
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NB TDI, 2002.5, Silver
engine exhaust light

OK I give up. What is an Engine Exhaust Light? Do you mean it has a CEL (Check Engine Light)?

If so could you post the actuarial error code that you are getting.
 

kpiazzisi

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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
there are several engine lights for my car, they each indicate a different fault. Basically you have to refer to the owner manual and match the symbol that is appearing on your instrument panel with the symbol in the owners manual. The symbol that is illuminated on my instrument panel is an amber picture of an engine. I looked this up in the owners manual and it stated that the light comes on to indicate an exhaust failure. That's as specific and the owners manual get's. I was hoping that someone on the forum had more insight as to the cause.
 

compu_85

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Location
La Conner, WA
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... None :S
Could you take a picture of this light? As far as I know a 2006 doesn't have any extra idiot lights compared to the older cars, except perhaps a loose cap light.

-Jason
 

40X40

Experienced
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Location
Kansas City area, MO
TDI
2013 Passat SEL Premium
there are several engine lights for my car, they each indicate a different fault. Basically you have to refer to the owner manual and match the symbol that is appearing on your instrument panel with the symbol in the owners manual. The symbol that is illuminated on my instrument panel is an amber picture of an engine. I looked this up in the owners manual and it stated that the light comes on to indicate an exhaust failure. That's as specific and the owners manual get's. I was hoping that someone on the forum had more insight as to the cause.

There are more things that can go wrong with your car than you have lights for on your dash....

You must scan the car with VCDS, the resulting codes will point us in the right direction.

Has the timing belt been changed yet?

Bill
 

supton

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Location
Central NH (USA)
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'04 Jetta Wagon GLS
I think he means "emissions" light. Exhaust and emissions are kinda similar, if you think about it.

OP, there are so many things that can trip the CEL (or MIL). 5% of which might have something to do with the exhaust system; some of the faults might not even cause a rise in emissions. You will at the least have to have the generic OBDII codes pulled (you can go to Autozone for that, or get one of the Scanguage devices, or any other generic code reader), and from that you might be able to deduce what the fault is. But you will be better off pulling the codes with VAG-COM, as that can give far more detail. Even better is to go find a local TDI guru and let them diagnose the problem.

Lastly, these cars require (it is not optional!) to replace the timing belt every 100k. [Actually, on the PD motors I've heard to do them even sooner.] Number one problem on these cars is improperly done timing belts; and one of the worst places to go is the dealer, as they do relatively few of these jobs. There are some other routine maintance items (fuel filter every so often, the book says 20k but I've heard of many going like 100k!), diesel rated synthetic oil every 10k (505.01 or 507 rated, but go see the oil section if you want to see some real mud slinging).
 

kpiazzisi

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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
Autozone was of no help. They plugged their meter, but basically there was nothing he could tell me. I need to have it read using the VAG-COM. I changed the timing belt myself about a month ago. It was not that difficult. There is a youtube video that give you step by step intructions. The old but was in perfect condition. the idler pully bearing was the only thing that appeared worn. Thanks for the help
 

2004STARWARSTDI

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Oct 19, 2004
Location
LAKELAND, FL
TDI
2004 Platinum Gray GLS Jetta / 2006 Silver Jetta with DSG
exhaust light

Keith Scarborough in Valrico probably has VCDS/VagCom. I am having him do timing belt change on 04 Jetta with deluxe timing belt kit. Check my signature for VagTool locator.
 

MyAvocation

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Location
Hoffman Estates, IL
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2017 Passat SEL TSI
Supton is right.. The manual calls the CEL/MIL "engine emissions light", which is no surprise since OBDII is born of the emissions systems.
I know I'm sounding like a broken record to members, but for the OP's sake:
I guarantee you're timing is out of spec. Get with someone with VCDS to scan codes and check timing.
What are all of the parts you replaced during the TB job?
 
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kpiazzisi

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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
VAG-COM cable w/ software $32.00 brand new

I called a place in town who wants $85.00 to diagnose my problem. I told him I just wanted someone to read the error code and he replied " We don't just read codes and throw parts at a code, we diagnose, and it's $85.00 for a diagnoses." I love my car but hate all the snooty engineers/mechanics who act like I am driving a porsche.

I found a VAG-COM cable and software for a Laptop for $32.00. Will this work?

<Edit: Link removed>

I don't think it is my timing. My car has not lost any HP, if the timing was off significantly I think I would have noticed a loss of power. Nothing moved during my timing belt install. When I completed the job ALL the pulleys were in the exact same spot. The light did not come on until after a month or so of changing the belt. For a week or so the light would only come on once in awhile during the mornings when it was cooler out. After driving for a few minutes and restarting the light would go off. I am going to research the "Shudder Valve". I would like to know if the cable/software for $32.00 will work?

Thankyou
 
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dzcad90

Rolex & gin
Joined
Mar 15, 1999
Location
Joliet, IL USA
TDI
Jetta - 97 (RIP), '03 (Sold), '09
It's highly unlikely that will work. Most of the cheap cables communicate via tha K line only, which is how the older cars communicated (2005 and below for North American Golf/Jetta based cars..)

Your 2006 requires a CAN bus based interface, and as far as I know only the official Ross-Tech interface is supported.

The link posted above was for a counterfeit interface. I'm sure it was totally unintentional, however the posting of links to counterfeit Ross-Tech products is prohibited in this forum. Other sections on this board may tolerate it (I doubt it..) but I do not. The Ross-Tech folks are active members of this community and their support is unparalleled in the automotive diagnostic world. It's a complete disservice to them to allow links to counterfeit versions of their product to be posted on this board.
 
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JSWTDI09

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2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)

Maybe it will work - maybe not. However, you should be aware that you are buying a cheap Chinese clone cable and a hacked copy of an old version of Vag-Com. The real thing (from Ross-Tech or their dealers) is guaranteed to work and it comes with excellent support after the sale and free upgrades. Good luck getting any help for a $32 cheap hack. If it doesn't work, you are just out $32. A real VCDS (the new name for Vag-Com) might seem expensive, but it really is not when you consider what it can do. It's rarely a good idea to scrimp on your tools. There are probably people near you who have VCDS who could help, if you can't afford to buy it.

Have Fun!

Don
 

kpiazzisi

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Joined
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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
Does Ross Tech have a patent on their product? If not then it is simply competition in the market place. It is no different then Mechanic Shops giving you a choice to have your car repaired by them versus being limited to a dealership.

I mean no disrespect to Ross Tech. Until today I had no idea who they are. Apparently they are well guarded by certain individuals on here. I am simply a middle class individual trying to support a family and turning to this forum for reasonable cost effective solutions to help me fix my car. That's it. Yes a snap-on open end wrench is better then a Husky Home Depot brand. However, if you are not going to be wrenching every day, the husky wrench will probably tighten more bolts then most people will tighten in a life time.

There is a good chance that for $32.00 that cable will work for me. That beats an hour drive to a mechanic who may or may not charge me, and at the very least presure me into having him do the repair. I would be more then willing to pay a reasonable fee, but I think $85.00 to plug in a cable and read a code is rediculous.

I am sorry you are so offended that there is competition to your friends product. If he is willing to sell his cable for close to $32.00, I'd be happy to purchase it. Until then I'm going to take my chances with the 100% refundable CAN bus cable + software.

I just want to thank myturbodiesel.com for the detailed instructions (accompanied by step by step photos) of how to change a timing belt. That is the kind of support I like to see from forums. IMO It is about everyday individuals making otherwise complicated and expensive repairs affordable. None of this needs to be overly complicated.
 

tcp_ip_dude

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Location
Cape Fear area, NC
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Sedan
Does Ross Tech have a patent on their product? If not then it is simply competition in the market place. It is no different then Mechanic Shops giving you a choice to have your car repaired by them versus being limited to a dealership.

I'm not sure if they have a patent or not, but the point 'dzcad90' was trying to make is that most (if not all) of these knock offs is that they have used a 'hacked' older version of Ross Tech's software, which is theft of their intellectual property (software piracy).
 

dzcad90

Rolex & gin
Joined
Mar 15, 1999
Location
Joliet, IL USA
TDI
Jetta - 97 (RIP), '03 (Sold), '09
Does Ross Tech have a patent on their product? If not then it is simply competition in the market place. It is no different then Mechanic Shops giving you a choice to have your car repaired by them versus being limited to a dealership.
Whether or not they have a patent on their product I am unsure of. I do know that it is protected by copyright laws.

What I do know that they participate in this forum and are always willing to help folks out with issues that go beyond simply "Does our software work on your PC?" They often times do get into actual vehicle diagnostic issues. The Ross-Tech folks do not have to come here and help out, but they do. Why would they continue to come to a place that allows people to post links to counterfeit versions of their software. For what it is, it's cheap and counterfeit versions simply take money out of their pockets that they use to pay their employees, keep developing for newer cars, etc..

No offense to you was meant by deleting your link and such. The link to the item you provided was a copy of the hardware interface that activates the software for full use. The software one can download from the website, however without the proper "dongle" interface, the software is pretty much useless. I can fully appreciate that times are tough and getting the absolute cheapest tool to get the job done when you are likely only going to use it once or twice makes sense. However, we don't encourage the use of stolen tools to do that job.


Edit: Most people on the searchable VAG-COM list are on there because they want to help out a fellow VW'er. There's plenty of good ways to get rich, and scanning VW's for diagnostic trouble codes is not high on that list. Most of the time a smile and a handshake will get someone to tell you what the computer says is going on.
 
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UFO

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Jul 31, 2007
Location
A mile high
TDI
2001 Beetle
I find it difficult to believe the Autozone code reader did not tell you why the CEL was on. Or did you say they read the code, but wouldn't tell you?

I have a cheap code reader from Harbor Freight, and it will tell you the code that tripped the light. So if the code scanner is not reading any codes, I agree with everyone else that it's something deeper that only the Ross-Tech tool is going to tell you.

So buck up and get the right tool, or pay a mechanic to diagnose the issue. Either way, you've got to get to the bottom of it before it's too late.
 

kpiazzisi

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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
You are all very quick to judge and call this product STOLEN just because it offends you. If you have not personally purchased and evaluated the product then you are making a rash and uneducated opinion about a product you no nothing about. Maybe they actually improved on the product? I am not in a position to say they have, and you are not in a position to say the haven't. The add shows a CD that says "Disk" on it, so I do not understand the comment posted earlier about the cable being useless without being able to download software. The software is included.

Many products take ideas from other products. The Blackberry and the IPHONE are constantly trying to emulate and incorporate the best qualities of each others product into their product. That doesn't make it stolen.

If you are claiming that the outfit selling the $32.00 cable is violating copyright law, then where is the law suit? Is Ross-tech the only ones allowed to make a cable that goes between the interface on the car computer to a USB port on a PC. Are they even making the cable or is it outsourced overseas? My guess is that they probably order them in large batches from overseas. If that is the case then the quality of the cable itself may be similiar. Is Ross Tech the only company allowed to right a simple software program? The fact that there is no law suit tells me the answer to all these questions is NO. The intellectual property is apparently not unique enough to be protected either by copyright or patent otherwise the lawsuit would have been filed by now.

I don't think it really matters if you deleted the link to the product, because apperently the competition has figured out a way to make their product come to the top of the list when a search is done in google for Vag-com. Oh yeah, that just reminded me of another good point. Is Google a counter fit to Yahoo. Yahoo was a popular search engine before Google. I guess they are just a bunch of outlaws over there at Google.

-Just something to think about.
 

kpiazzisi

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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
UFO-

The autozone guy was very negative the whole time. He kept saying it's not going to work, but that he would try if I wanted him to. I want to say the code 1299 came up (not totally sure). I asked him what that meant and he said it was dealer specific and that a dealer had to read it. That's all I know.
 

Bob S.

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Location
Central MD.
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UFO-

The autozone guy was very negative the whole time. He kept saying it's not going to work, but that he would try if I wanted him to. I want to say the code 1299 came up (not totally sure). I asked him what that meant and he said it was dealer specific and that a dealer had to read it. That's all I know.
Sir, then the answer in your situation is simple. Take your $32 chinese knock off product and your car & go to the VW dealer to have them interpret the error code.
 

dzcad90

Rolex & gin
Joined
Mar 15, 1999
Location
Joliet, IL USA
TDI
Jetta - 97 (RIP), '03 (Sold), '09
You are all very quick to judge and call this product STOLEN just because it offends you. If you have not personally purchased and evaluated the product then you are making a rash and uneducated opinion about a product you no nothing about.
VCDS and VAG-COM is the acutal peice of software that is installed on your computer that actually processes the information that is received from the car over the interface cable.

The link to the item for sale you posted said clearly that it includes the VAG-COM 805.1 software. If you aren't buying it from Ross-Tech or an authorized retailer, you aren't getting a legit copy of the software.
 

JSWTDI09

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Location
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2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
You are all very quick to judge and call this product STOLEN just because it offends you. If you have not personally purchased and evaluated the product then you are making a rash and uneducated opinion about a product you no nothing about. Maybe they actually improved on the product? I am not in a position to say they have, and you are not in a position to say the haven't. The add shows a CD that says "Disk" on it, so I do not understand the comment posted earlier about the cable being useless without being able to download software. The software is included.

Many products take ideas from other products. The Blackberry and the IPHONE are constantly trying to emulate and incorporate the best qualities of each others product into their product. That doesn't make it stolen.

If you are claiming that the outfit selling the $32.00 cable is violating copyright law, then where is the law suit? Is Ross-tech the only ones allowed to make a cable that goes between the interface on the car computer to a USB port on a PC. Are they even making the cable or is it outsourced overseas? My guess is that they probably order them in large batches from overseas. If that is the case then the quality of the cable itself may be similiar. Is Ross Tech the only company allowed to right a simple software program? The fact that there is no law suit tells me the answer to all these questions is NO. The intellectual property is apparently not unique enough to be protected either by copyright or patent otherwise the lawsuit would have been filed by now.

I don't think it really matters if you deleted the link to the product, because apperently the competition has figured out a way to make their product come to the top of the list when a search is done in google for Vag-com. Oh yeah, that just reminded me of another good point. Is Google a counter fit to Yahoo. Yahoo was a popular search engine before Google. I guess they are just a bunch of outlaws over there at Google.

-Just something to think about.
I fear that you are missing the point. There is no copyright on the cable - anybody can make a USB to OBDII cable. The software piracy is in selling a software product called "Vag-Com". This is where the theft of property comes in. Ross-Tech designed and developed this product, it is covered by many copyrights and hacking it to work with a non-Ross-Tech interface cable is not only illegal, it is immoral. Also many of these ebay (and other) sellers have been sued by Ross-Tech and they have been forced to "cease and desist" their sales. The suits are there, but the hackers are numerous and Ross-Tech is a small company.

BTW, their (Ross-Tech's) product is not a "simple software program" is the life's work of Uwe Ross and his company. How would you like it if you spent years developing and perfecting a diagnostic tool that can do things that even VW's $30,000 scan tool cannot do, and then somebody cracked your security code and starting selling it for $5.00 each. Software piracy is theft, no matter what you might want to believe.

There are competitive products (do a search for VAD Mobile), and Ross-Tech and the members of this board have no problem with that. The problem comes in when you sell another persons product as your own. Competition is fine (and welcomed here), theft is not.

A big part of the reason that your link comes up first when you search for Vag-Com is that Ross-Tech is no longer allowed to call their product by that name. It is now called VCDS. This was another copyright issue - it turns out the the Volkswagen Auto Group (VAG) will not allow R-T (and others) to use the acronym VAG in their product name. Ross-Tech abides by this legality, others do not. It's really that simple. If you want to support thievery, go ahead and buy whatever you want. Just don't complain when it doesn't do what you want.

Have Fun!

Don
 

kpiazzisi

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Joined
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Location
tampa, florida
TDI
jetta 2006
A lot whining about intellectual property. It sounds like VW decided rather then have a standard readable computer like most vendors, they would design it so that only their dealerships with their dealer tools could read the code. That way they could make sure they had the opportunity to bend people over once they got them at the dealership. The same thing is true with the specialized keys that only a few select lock smiths and the dealer can program. I believe there was a law suit against VW america over this issue. I am guessing Ross-Tech designed a reader and then VW felt they were stealing their intelectual property and now they can not use the term VAG-COM. Everybody whinning about intelectual property that threatens their ability to charge Joe Public outrageous fees.

So, If I can give them the middle finger with my $32.00 tool, I am all about that.
 
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