Advice needed - Nox sensor + DEF 20km left no start - Malone Stage 2 - Passat 250k kms

jimmyto

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
Location
Oshawa
TDI
Golf TDI 1.9 Diesel
Hello,

I'm looking for your advice. I have a 2013 Passat with 250k kms. I used to drive 120kms every day to work; now I barely put 300-500 km every month since I work from home due to Covid. VW did software emissions upgrade at 190k kms. At 200k kms Turbo failed and it was replaced under warranty as well as DEF heather. NOx failed about a year ago when Covid started. I cleaned the sensor but no luck it looks like it will need a new one and they are not cheap $800+. About a month ago, my low DEF light came on. It's now warning me that I only have 20km left before I can't re-start. I've always purchased AdBlue at VW but this time I bought certified petrolium xxx 2.5 gallons DEF at local Petro Canada. I drove about 50km past two days and low DEF light is still on. I bought another 2.5 gallons DEF and top it up this AM. Light is till on. I tried the turn key for 2 min options to reset light, no luck. I just parked the car inside the garage.

My questions are:

  1. Short term solution. How can I resolve the low DEF/no start engine in 20 km issue?
  2. I've been thinking about Malone stage 2 tune up for a while now. Cost of replacing a NOx sensor + DEF/tank/sensor issues are pushing me in this direction. I live in Durham region. Any suggestions of a knowledgeable and fair priced Malone 2 mechanic?
Thank you all for your feedback!
 

derek5120

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Location
Arthur Ont.
TDI
2003 jetta GLS
When you say Malone stage 2 tune up do you mean as a performance improvement or are you wanting to emissions delete the Passat?
Also your def level sensor has likely went dead, you could try and find someone the clear the code for you. If it’s a hard code then it will likely come back.
 

viperius

Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2020
Location
Ontario
TDI
13 Passat SEL
I had 10km till not start in red, the Adblue tank was full, it was originally at the dealer and they could not solve the issue. So I had no choice but to drive home and park it.

On the drive home, it flashed "No start" in red on the dash then flickered and went back to normal. no warning lights.
Not saying this will work for you but I read that a handful of 2013's have a glitch in the programming that cause this to happen.
 

jimmyto

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
Location
Oshawa
TDI
Golf TDI 1.9 Diesel
Hello. From all the reading I’ve made on this topic, it looks more likely to be a faulty DEF sensor. It could also be a problem caused by a faulty NOx sensor. All I know is that the car is inside my garage and I have 10 km left before a no engine start. I think the extended emission warranty is done since I have 250k km on it and modifications were done at around 162k kms. The DEF tank was already fixed/replaced a few years ago for a defective heating element. Right now I’m trying to clean the NOx sensor. I’ll book and appointment and drive it to the Pickering dealership. Hopefully the DEF light will reset once I hit 0 km countdown like other Passat drivers experienced. It would have been nice to have tool to reset it prior to.
 

jimmyto

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
Location
Oshawa
TDI
Golf TDI 1.9 Diesel
When you say Malone stage 2 tune up do you mean as a performance improvement or are you wanting to emissions delete the Passat?
Also your def level sensor has likely went dead, you could try and find someone the clear the code for you. If it’s a hard code then it will likely come back.
A delete.
 

jimmyto

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2006
Location
Oshawa
TDI
Golf TDI 1.9 Diesel
So here’s an update on my situation. I called the VW dealership and they said that I was now out of extended emission warranty.

With regards to NOX sensor, I removed it and cleaned it with a carburetor cleaner from Canadian Tire. I then let it sitting in a Lucas fuel/injector cleaner solution for 36h. I re-installed it and the error code is now gone “permanently”.

When the DEF/0km no re-start light came on, it reset on its own back to 50km. I drove the car again down to 0km and it won’t restart now. Car is park inside the garage now. I ordered VCDS Ross Tech and it should here tomorrow. Hopefully resetting the light will work using VCDS. If not, I will need to replace DEF quantity sensor.
 

Flyboy777

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 5, 2016
Location
Huntsville, Ontario
TDI
2012 VW Passat TDI W DSG
I’ve got a 2012 passat that had the “emissions modification“ and my warranty is up. I tried extracting the nox sensor but it was really in there, and I was unable to extract it so I left it , I’d heard the coke up with carbon and cleanung them with carb cleaner works. Luckily both nox and adblue tank were replaced under the extended warranty Later. That was 2+ years ago and I’m now at 240,000 km and the CEL’s are back and my warranty is DONE AND IVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS BS the car is in for a Malone stage whatever to disable the scr and nox system and I’ll be glad to say goodbye and not have to worry about a no start popping up. The fuel economy and performance improvements are a bonus. It is no wonder diesels never caught on in North America the emissions systems are too fragile to be reliable over time.
 
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