Hello-

I have a 2003 Passat wagon, and have had no troubles at all so far. After I got gas on Wednesday, however, my malfunction indiicator light came on and has yet to go off. I read in the manual that sometimes the light will come on if the gas cap isn't screwed tightly til it clicks at least 3 times. I checked it and it was a little loose so I tightened it up, but the light has yet to go off. It has been extremely hot here in Wisconsin...Could the heat play a factor at all? I do keep the car in our garage most of the time and I am currently a stay at home mom, so I'm not out driving all that much.

I do have an appt. w/ the dealer for next week Friday( the soonest they could get us in) but I am a bit concerned about this and don't want to be driving around in 90 degree weather w/ a 2 and 4 year old if there is any chance we might get stranded! I am not, however,noticing any problems at all with the car and it does seem suspicious that this started immediately after putting gas in the tank. Has anyone else had this happen, and is there any way to check and see whether there really is a problem without paying dealer service prices??

Thanks
Steph

 

you wont get stranded
dont unhook the battery you could end up with more problems
it should reset on its ownafter a few drive cycles if not just have the code reset

 

Thanks, SwedishGP. We disconnected the battery for a bit and everything is just fine...The light went out and hasn't come back on yet (we've driven out of town and back since doing so, so I have to think that it would have come back on by now if it was something serious).

Thanks for saving me the time of taking it in!!

 

your one of the lucky ones

 

i never clamed it would damage the ecu
the throtlebody just somtimes loses its position and you need to reset its peramiters
i have a passat in my shop right now that i had to do this to after they put there own altenator in and it wont idle
reset throtlebody perameters
wow now it idles

 

we are both here to help people are methods might be diffrent
and i feel we are just geting in to a big flameover stuff insted of helping people
i just know that i have had many cars that do some funny stuff when you unhook the battery
i had a a6 that i had to recalibrate the fuel sending unit after they unhooked the battery
i just wouldnt want someone in here to endup with bigger problems than they allready have
and come back bitching at us