'99 Bug, a few codes!

[draco24433]

Hello,

I am new beetle owner. I just purchased a used '99 2.0L Beetle and noticed that when I turn on the vehicle, the "check engine light" does not come on. Needless to say, I plug my OBD2 scanner out of curiosity and got 4 different codes and no "check engine light". The codes were the following:

P0117
P0140
P0301
P0341

My question is, can the "CEL" be disable and if so, how? I don't think the light just burned out, it's possible but just unlikely. I believe it was disabled or the bulb taken out on purpose. Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Alex

[SilverSportNOLA]

Well .... I am quite sure the "bulb" is a surface mounted LED, so burning out would not be so likely, and removal would require teardown and desoldering the tiny LED.

Well lets see about those codes.
P0117 is Engine Coolant Temp.Circ Low Input
P0140 O2 Sensor Circ.,Bank1-Sensor2 No Activity Detected
P0301 Cyl.1 Misfire Detected
P0341 Camshaft Pos. Sensor (A) Circ Incorrect allocation

The third one may not leave the light on ... sometimes the misfires will blink the light when they are happening. All three of the others should leave the light on. The temperature one is probably a bad temp sensor .... the black ones did have an early failure in high numbers. The O2 sensor one ... well it needs to be replaced, the Other I am not sure of, but could be either a misaligned timing belt or failing cam position sensor. Hopefully you can go back to the seller on these.

[El Subcomandante]

have you tested the gauge panel to see if its working fine? there is a way to do it with vagcom..

[draco24433]

Thanks for the replies,

Well, out of all of these codes, the only one I believe is the camshaft position one. The vehicle runs fine. In the morning, the blue temp light comes on and when the car gets warm it goes away. All the other light in the dash do work. I believe that if the car has a misfire you can hear the misfire at the exhaust. Correct me if I am wrong. The vehicle idles perfect. The only thing is that it has a light knock in the engine. I just filled it with higher octane fuel to see if it is that. Any othe other ideas as to why the "CEL" does not work? BTW, How do you test the Gauge Panel?

[SilverSportNOLA]

There are a few temp sensors. Look at the one we all have replaced (not sure the exact location on the 2.0), if it is black, it is probably a problem, if green it has been replaced and the code was not cleared ... the ECU will keep codes stored in it even when all is operational again and the light goes out. The misfire, that may have happened once or twice so light wouldn't stay on. The O2 would surely keep the light on, unless the wiring harness was broken and repaired and again the code not cleared. So that leaves you with the CSPS ... hard to say. I can tell you how to surely make the light come on, just unplug the MAF and start the car up ... the light should come on.

[draco24433]

Do you know where thge Temp. sensor is that I have to look for? I have no idea where it is at.

[SilverSportNOLA]

I think on the 2.0 it is near where it is on the 1.8T ... it is in the space over the tranny between the engine and battery/airbox. There are a few there .... but the one you are looking for has 4 pin connectors on it when you take the wire harness off of it. Follow the hose from the top of the radiator that goes into the back of the engine ... it is along that hose.

[draco24433]

OK. I'll take a look and let you know.

[Mr.Yellow]

My autoshop class has the OBD2 but it dosent have the german softwear. you are the luckyest!