Engine light
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
I had the same thing happen the other day, dealer said its common and to take the cap,off and put it back on again and the light should go out after 50 miles or so, it hasn't, gonna fill up with gas and see what happens tomorrow. Seems like if it isn't flashing then it's not serious, that's the impression the dealer gave anyway.
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
I had mine do that when I first got it took the cap off put it back on and it turned off for me. Just to be safe I would stop by a auto parts store and hook it up to the computer for free just to see what code is showing.
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 423
Likes: 4
From: Riverside, CA
I had this happen last year on a trip to Lake Tahoe. I had my laptop and VAG COM cable, so hooked it up and found evaporative system fault(or something similar). So I reseated the gas cap and cleared the fault and it has not happened again.
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
That's what I assumed I would have to do, I've never had a cel just go away on its own, they have always had to cleared.
Super Moderator
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 13,980
Likes: 124
From: SE Massachusetts, U.S.
Over the years, I've experienced this as well on all of my Audis at least once and most times it was an evap pressure error due to the gas cap not being tightly secured. The CEL always disappeared after some time on it's own after re tightening the cap except one time when I had to replace a bad cap that wasn't sealing properly. (Most CELs will eventually turn off on their own if the issue that generated a fault code is not ongoing or reoccurring, though the fault will be in the record unless cleared by the dealer or VCDS). I now always give the cap three clicks when tightening and it I haven't had that issue since.
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Mar 2000
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Congratulations, you now know even less about what the problem is... I hate to keep repeating this, but it's as true today as it was a decade ago Know the code(s)!!!!
For a $40K+ car, please just spend the few hundred bucks on a VCDS (new name for Vag-Com) setup and know what's going on with your car. Getting to do all the fun and useful system tweaks with it is gravy!
For a $40K+ car, please just spend the few hundred bucks on a VCDS (new name for Vag-Com) setup and know what's going on with your car. Getting to do all the fun and useful system tweaks with it is gravy!
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 308
Likes: 1
As an Engineer, I'm fully cognizant of Human Factors and The CEL--check ENGINE light-- has been a major gripe of mine for years. For drivers not understanding that this light indicates a problem with Emission controls and not necessarily the Engine, when the light goes on they think the engine is about to malfunction, quit or maybe even be damaged if you keep driving. I know of several people who have pulled their car to the side of the road and had it towed to a dealer--so as to not ruin the engine, when the CEL comes on.
With that said, if you leave the gas cap loose it will trigger the CEL, if one injector fails to fire one time, it will trigger the CEL as will a Spark Plug failing to fire one time. Usually, If the thing that triggered the CEL does not happen again for 3 Warm-up cycles, then the light will just re-set itself.
So first of all this warning should have referred to Emission controls and not the Engine. Also, the malfunction event should occur a few times, maybe 3-5 instead of just one single isolated occurrence, for the light to be triggered.
Rant Finished!
With that said, if you leave the gas cap loose it will trigger the CEL, if one injector fails to fire one time, it will trigger the CEL as will a Spark Plug failing to fire one time. Usually, If the thing that triggered the CEL does not happen again for 3 Warm-up cycles, then the light will just re-set itself.
So first of all this warning should have referred to Emission controls and not the Engine. Also, the malfunction event should occur a few times, maybe 3-5 instead of just one single isolated occurrence, for the light to be triggered.
Rant Finished!