Engine Light and other issues

Bluestone · Jan 4, 2022

So I tagged on to a thread regarding my alarm going off and also said I thought it was related to an engine fault I kept having, well today was the day it was booked in to be looked at and the dealer came up with a surprising problem!!

Basically the cat is faulty and needs replacing, this is what has been causing the engine light to come on and also the other systems (front assist, ACC etc) to stop working. I asked the dealer if this was a common fault and they said they've never known one to fail before on the Transporter base, plenty of DPF's but never a cat.

Has anyone had a cat fail under warranty?

Still not sure if this is related to the alarm going off but time will tell for that one!!

WelshGas · Jan 4, 2022

Bluestone said:
So I tagged on to a thread regarding my alarm going off and also said I thought it was related to an engine fault I kept having, well today was the day it was booked in to be looked at and the dealer came up with a surprising problem!!

Basically the cat is faulty and needs replacing, this is what has been causing the engine light to come on and also the other systems (front assist, ACC etc) to stop working. I asked the dealer if this was a common fault and they said they've never known one to fail before on the Transporter base, plenty of DPF's but never a cat.

Has anyone had a cat fail under warranty?

Still not sure if this is related to the alarm going off but time will tell for that one!!

Not common.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/search/288305/?q=Catalytic+converter&o=relevance

Ozzy Pete · Jan 4, 2022

Bluestone said:
So I tagged on to a thread regarding my alarm going off and also said I thought it was related to an engine fault I kept having, well today was the day it was booked in to be looked at and the dealer came up with a surprising problem!!

Basically the cat is faulty and needs replacing, this is what has been causing the engine light to come on and also the other systems (front assist, ACC etc) to stop working. I asked the dealer if this was a common fault and they said they've never known one to fail before on the Transporter base, plenty of DPF's but never a cat.

Has anyone had a cat fail under warranty?

Still not sure if this is related to the alarm going off but time will tell for that one!!

How many miles has your vehicle done?

Bluestone · Jan 4, 2022

Can't see any of these threads saying the cat actually failed? It seems as though most were attributed to other issues like the DPF or EGR? Also my Cat wanting light didn't come on, it was the engine fault light which came on.

Bluestone · Jan 4, 2022

Ozzy Pete said:
How many miles has your vehicle done?

22K

Ozzy Pete · Jan 4, 2022

Bluestone said:
22K

That seems awfully low for a cat to fail.

Bluestone said:
22K

Bluestone · Jan 4, 2022

Ozzy Pete said:
That seems awfully low for a cat to fail.

Yeah exactly, anyway they're replacing it under warranty of course but a bit worrying that a cat failed so new and such low millage!! Hence why I think the dealer said they've never had a cat fail under those circumstances

WelshGas · Jan 4, 2022

Maybe it’s a symptom rather than the primary cause.

Perfectos · Jan 4, 2022

Are they replacing the O2 sensor at the same time as the CAT ?

incorrect fuel mixture can cause (will cause) premature failure of a CAT.

it would be prudent to ask the question as the replacement may be damaged by the primary cause if it is not fixed (I.e what caused the original to fail)

edit

What Causes a Catalytic Converter to Fail?

Since there are no moving parts on a catalytic converter, you would expect they would be fairly durable and long lasting and they are even with all of the advancements in catalytic converter technology, they still fail. At Viper Motorsports in Weathe

www.vipermotorsports.com

Doug Curran · Jan 4, 2022

Bluestone said:
So I tagged on to a thread regarding my alarm going off and also said I thought it was related to an engine fault I kept having, well today was the day it was booked in to be looked at and the dealer came up with a surprising problem!!

Basically the cat is faulty and needs replacing, this is what has been causing the engine light to come on and also the other systems (front assist, ACC etc) to stop working. I asked the dealer if this was a common fault and they said they've never known one to fail before on the Transporter base, plenty of DPF's but never a cat.

Has anyone had a cat fail under warranty?

Still not sure if this is related to the alarm going off but time will tell for that one!!

When I finally received delivery of my 2005 AXE-engined Cali, I was plagued by a problem of a non-existent MIL light and further confused until I discovered that mine did not carry a DPF - as I had been told - but in fact was equipped with a catalytic converter. Further I found it had no O2 sensors attached, no pressure differential sensors - basically it was unconnected to most of the engines monitoring and feedback systems. While not a full mechanic, other than getting plugged due to excessive soot or raw engine oil, it is difficult to imagine one failing. I look to being educated.

Bluestone · Jan 5, 2022

There is always the possibility that it's a manufacturing defect which caused the cat to fail, sometimes it is the simplest answer, I feel we all have the tendency to look elsewhere, however, this is a two year old, relatively low (about 20K when it first appeared) millage vehicle which was properly serviced and ran perfectly - even with the engine light on.

At the end of the day it's a warranty issue and I can only trust the dealer that they have isolated the issue, the cat light wasn't on, it was the engine light and only intermittently so the dealer must have gone through fairly thoroughly what the issues were to be able to determine it was the cat causing the issues.

If there are other issues subsequently then it's still under warranty and it's not my daily, plus thankfully my local dealer give excellent service.

andyinluton · Jan 5, 2022

Could you clarify which light it was that actually came on?

Theres two engine management lights:
1 - "check engine" light shows the shape of an engine, & would normally indicate any problem with the emissions - shows if there is a misfire & other faults which could lead to a cat being damaged.
2- "glow plugs" light looks like a spring - normally comes on for EGR faults & the like

Bluestone · Jan 5, 2022

andyinluton said:
Could you clarify which light it was that actually came on?

Theres two engine management lights:
1 - "check engine" light shows the shape of an engine, & would normally indicate any problem with the emissions - shows if there is a misfire & other faults which could lead to a cat being damaged.
2- "glow plugs" light looks like a spring - normally comes on for EGR faults & the like

Check Engine Light but not continuously, intermittent

Just to clarify as I said before, the performance including MPG was not affected in anyway, no misfire or any other performance issues

Bluestone · Jan 5, 2022

WelshGas said:
Not common.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/search/288305/?q=Catalytic+converter&o=relevance

Yes, not common at all, I looked through all those threads and not one was for a Catalytic Converter failure, then I thought I would do a wider search on the net and can't find one single reference of a Catalytic converter failing on such a new vehicle. Not sure if it's nice to be unique!!

Been s shame with this one as I've had to have a battery replaced, waiting for the roof bellows to be replaced, all these engine light issues (which hopefully will be sorted now), hand brake cover needing to be replaced (done now). Still love it and a great vehicle - hoping my new T6.1 arriving in April will be a little better