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Malfunction lights, random and confusing. Suggestions?

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Cambonius

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So I bought a used 2005 V8 Touareg from a private seller. It's honestly been flawless and runs amazing. Checked at the local VW dealer and the owner had regular scheduled maintenance at all intervals. So I know it's been well taken care of. Anyway this has been happening; Randomly the ESP light will be on on the dash, then it will flash brake failure. Then exhaust workshop will come up and my transmission lighting on the dash will be completely orange and doesn't show what gear I'm in etc. Then I'll turn it off and it goes away and may not do this all over again for another week or so. Here is what it shows. Strange it will come and go. At times it even says, airbag failure or Brake failure. Shifts fine, only once has it seemed like it won't shift to another gear, but turning it off fixed that. Any ideas??
 
#4 ·
Possibly a duff battery. If it is the original, I would change it.
 
#5 ·
A large number of seemingly completely unrelated problems usually turns out to be a problem with the computer(s) and the computers often get upset/confused when low voltage happens. If your '08 still has the original battery it is now 6 years old. Only the rarest OEM batteries last that long. In this situation the battery always should be the first thing to check/change. If it hasn't been changed already it will soon need to be changed.
 
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#7 ·
dragline1570 said:
Sorry but it has been said a thousand times, but with out the code for what is actually causing the warning light to come on it is all guess work.

Have a scan done and post it


regards
Drag
Click to expand...
The Battery is also very much a potential cause as suggested by others.
Remove it and have it carbon pile load tested and that will tell you the condition of the battery. If in any doubt replace it but i would still scan it and at the least clear the faults even if they are in the background.

Note My rear battery is still the original (8 years) but i am waiting for it to fail. At least in a V10 i dont get stuck with a failed battery if it packs it in

regards
Drag
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
I believe the battery was replaced under the front seat last year, so the seller informed me. Is there another one? I'll probably just take it in to have it scanned anyway, about do for oil change etc
 
#9 ·
I believe there is but one battery for the V8. Since that has apparently been replaced it might be a good idea to check all the electrical connections from the battery (including ground) for looseness. If that doesn't help you'll have to do a Drag suggested and get a VCDS (Vag-Com) scan done
 
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Discussion starter · #10 ·
Fourdiesel said:
I believe there is but one battery for the V8. Since that has apparently been replaced it might be a good idea to check all the electrical connections from the battery (including ground) for looseness. If that doesn't help you'll have to do a Drag suggested and get a VCDS (Vag-Com) scan done
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. I need to do it soon for sure. Now it keeps popping up brake failure (although brakes seem to work fine and fluid is topped off) and then when that warning comes up and the exhaust workshop it shifts really strange, almost like it doesn't want to shift. This goes away sometimes after sitting. I hit a bump going unit a Parkin lot today and it set off the brake failure, exhaust failure and air bag failure. Then I turned it off and it wouldn't start, kept saying apply brake and I was. Something's seriously messed and it's frustrating. Problem is my nearest VW dealer is 200 miles from here.
 
#11 ·
Cambonius said:
Thanks for the input. I need to do it soon for sure. Now it keeps popping up brake failure (although brakes seem to work fine and fluid is topped off) and then when that warning comes up and the exhaust workshop it shifts really strange, almost like it doesn't want to shift. This goes away sometimes after sitting. I hit a bump going unit a Parkin lot today and it set off the brake failure, exhaust failure and air bag failure. Then I turned it off and it wouldn't start, kept saying apply brake and I was. Something's seriously messed and it's frustrating. Problem is my nearest VW dealer is 200 miles from here.
Click to expand...
Yep your gunna keep guessing till you get some more info


regards
Drag
 
#13 ·
I'm not sure just where Vernal UT is but there are lists of people with VCDS on this forum and on TDI club.com. It is very likely that you will be able to find someone much closer than 200 miles to assist.
 
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#14 ·
Fourdiesel said:
I'm not sure just where Vernal UT is but there are lists of people with VCDS on this forum and on TDI club.com. It is very likely that you will be able to find someone much closer than 200 miles to assist.
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He is way too far east for me to go do a scan for him. Vernal is kind out in the middle of no where really compared to SLC.
 
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#15 ·
OP, do yourself a favor and buy a inexpensive car computer scanner from an auto store to get an initial sense of what's going on code-wise. From there, you'll know what the deal is and you can post codes on this forum/research codes to figure out what's happening.

BTW, what year and month was your car manufactured? You'll find this info on the driver door panel.
 
#17 ·
In what way is this question connected to the subject of the current thread of: Malfunction Lights, random and confusing?
 
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Discussion starter · #18 ·
FIXED

Guess I should have replied that I fixed this issue. Well, VW did. It was a short in the electrical that runs along the door trim on the driver side. Everytime I stepped on it it caused the truck to go haywire. But they fixed it and perfect since.
 
#19 ·
Exactly where on the door trim? I was having very similar issues and odd random lights and failures. Then swapped batt and alternator and it hasn't happened since, but since it was random, I'd like to know more about this just in case.

Thanks.
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
Timco said:
Exactly where on the door trim? I was having very similar issues and odd random lights and failures. Then swapped batt and alternator and it hasn't happened since, but since it was random, I'd like to know more about this just in case. Thanks.
Click to expand...
The dealer said it was just under the plastic door trim, where you step to get inside the truck. If you want I can send a picture of the area
 
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