How to Fix EGR System Issue on a Volkswagen Transporter T6
The Volkswagen Transporter series is one of the best in the world when it comes to the commercial vehicle segment. The van is reliable, powerful, and spacious. In other words, it has all the ingredients to be called one of the best in its class.
We say that even after comparing the strengths of its main rivals. The Mercedes Vito, the Ford Transit, the Toyota Proace, and the Vauxhall Vivaro are all capable commercial vans. The VW Transporter repeatedly comes out top in various industry reviews for reliability and space. Two of the most crucial factors for business owners when deciding on a van. After all, an unreliable vehicle means more time off the road; more time off the road means business profits are impacted.
You would expect the VW Transporter commercial van to beat its rivals by a fair margin, especially in the reliability department. But what if the Transporter starts giving you trouble, even when you have been vigilant with maintenance?
The van drivers we help at Fitch Autos are usually concerned and stressed when they are faced with unexpected vehicle problems. Not because of the vehicle, but because they don’t want to let their own customers down. But that’s the joy(?) of running your own business. Somedays are excellent, while others are worth forgetting.
Unfortunately for our client, the day that was worth forgetting came too soon.
Mr. S came into our garage with his Volkswagen Transporter T6, complaining about an engine warning light in the dash. The illuminated light could mean many things, so we asked the client to give us a bit more detail.
Matt Fitch, our senior Volkswagen technician, listened to Mr. S’s complaints and started to formulate a map in his mind to tackle the repair.
He learned that the client’s van was repeatedly going into limp mode and it was also losing coolant.
The interesting part was trying to find out the relationship between the two symptoms. That seemed like the fastest way to reach an effective solution.
Faults Found
Matt started the vehicle and one by one he checked all the faults in Mr. S’s van.
First, he inspected the Transporter to confirm the warning signal. Sure enough, he could clearly see the check engine light illuminating the dash. Then it was time to inspect the coolant levels. Luckily, they were also at the minimum level.
The last thing to check was the van going into limp mode. For that, Matt took a quick round in the vehicle and the test run confirmed Mr. S’s last complaint.
Once Matt confirmed all the complaints, he started to formulate a plan of action. But before he could think about the repair, he had to find the core of the issue.
Therefore, our Volkswagen specialist initiated the 15-step diagnostic procedure.
Diagnostic Procedure
All the technicians working at Fitch Autos use the 15-step diagnostic procedure to help them do their job better. The process involves checking and rechecking each symptom to finally reach the bottom of the issue. It allows our experts to reach the conclusion much more efficiently.
Matt followed the same protocol and started his work by following the 15-step diagnostic process.
The first thing on his to-do list was to scan the vehicle for fault codes. Our VW technician had to do this, regardless of the issue. But the check engine light meant that the error code scan was completely necessary to reach the problem area.
The search turned up two relevant fault codes:
- P046C – This code indicates a problem in the vehicle’s EGR sensor A circuit.
- P0401 – This code indicates that there is an insufficient flow to the EGR system.
The codes opened up the picture for Matt, and he realised the source of the problem. If two fault codes were pointing in the same direction, it meant that the issue must be hiding somewhere in that system.
Therefore, our Transporter T6 VW specialist started with system checks by reading live data coming in and going out of the component. He also applied the basic settings to the system to ensure accuracy. Luckily, the EGR system was working fine – it was sending and receiving relevant data. However, the readings were slightly out of the normal range. There was not enough change in the readings to indicate a major fault.
Usually, that happens when there is a blockage in the EGR system.
Matt found the component triggering the check engine light and the limp mode. Now, the only thing left was to find out the reason for the coolant leak.
Therefore, our VW technician carried out a coolant system pressure test. But he could find no external leaks inside the engine bay. The pipes were fine, the radiator was functioning as usual, and the fan was working as well. The only plausible explanation was that the coolant was leaking somewhere inside the engine.
Interestingly, the coolant also passes through the EGR valve and goes through to the EGR cooler. It seemed that the two problems were linked with each other, otherwise, nothing else could explain the coolant leak.
Matt wanted to confirm this, so he removed the pipe coming out of the EGR valve. Sure enough, there were remnants of coolant inside. Suddenly, all of our technician’s doubts turned into facts.
The EGR cooler was leaking coolant because it had a crack. Whereas, the EGR valve had soot inside, causing the blockage and signalling the check engine light.
Matt had found the source of both major problems without wasting much time.
All that was left now was to initiate the repair.
The Solution
Our Volkswagen specialist started the repair by removing the entire EGR valve unit. The valve, the cooler, and all connecting equipment were discarded. Next, Matt cleaned up the area, so there are no further chances of blockage in the future.
Afterward, our specialist installed a brand-new EGR unit and refilled the coolant. He started the vehicle and tested the coolant levels at different intervals. There was no change in the coolant levels while the van was stationary. So, Matt had to inspect the vehicle by giving it a test run.
The road test went smoothly, and the Transporter T6 did not show any signs of malfunction.
As a result, Matt cleared all the fault codes from the van and handed over the vehicle back to a delighted Mr. S.
Summary
A stressed Mr. S came into our garage, worried about the warning light in his van’s dash. Matt, our VW specialist, suspected multiple issues were at play. This was confirmed by his thorough systematic evaluation of the problem.
Matt found the source of the problem, changed the required parts, and delivered the vehicle back in a day.
The fix Matt put in place for the Volkswagen Transporter T6 is a testament to his skill and knowledge of German vehicles. That was the reason why our technician was efficient and effective with the repair.
At Fitch Autos, we are not only VW experts but specialists in all German marques. When you come to us, you get our years of expertise and our commitment that we will give you great value for money.
If you want to experience our exemplary service, you can call us at 01543 401 254 and learn more about Fitch Autos from our experts.
