Imagine yourself driving peacefully aboard your Volkswagen Atlas and abruptly an engine warning light shows up on your dashboard ! The most common reaction is the fear of risking a major problem. To know what precisely this light corresponds to, you will have to learn how to read an Volkswagen Atlas fault codes, you may have previously heard of OBD system, this is precisely what we are going to speak about. Our writers have decided to compose this article to enable you fairly quickly find the origin of this default code and to give you peace of mind. To accomplish this, we will first take a look at the nature of a fault code on Volkswagen Atlas, then how to read an Volkswagen Atlas fault code, and finally how to erase this fault code to be able to turn off the light on your dashboard.
What is a Volkswagen Atlas fault code?
A fault code is a universal or standard code which is identical to all automotive companies , they are also known as DTC (Data Trouble Code), the goal is to be sure that any diagnostic OBD can translate them. They will be symbolized by a standard format, such as example: P0255. Each data will have a precise interpretation. Default codes are codes issued by the calculators of your Volkswagen Atlas. These ECUs will continuously monitor your vehicle’s emissions, pressures, mixtures and when the values exceed the limits set by the vehicle’s ECU, the fault code will show up. The advantage of knowing how to read a fault code on your Volkswagen Atlas is that you will have be able to access to precise data about your motor vehicle which will let you to discover what concern you are struggling with.
How to read a fault code on my Volkswagen Atlas?
In this second part we will now focus precisely on what brings you in this article, how to read a fault code on Volkswagen Atlas. To access this valuable data you will need to to get a diagnostic tool, also known as OBD 2, named after the socket on your Volkswagen Atlas to which you will have to connect. These diagnostic tools are freely available for purchase, you will be able to find some in Bluetooth version which connects to your phone and some standard versions with a reader associated to the socket, as far as price is concerned, you will be able to find models between 30 and 100 euros. Once you have obtained an OBD2 diagnostic reader, you will need to situate the diagnostic plug on your Volkswagen Atlas, it is based on the left side of your steering column on the lower part of your dashboard, behind a hatch. It is easy to locate because it is triangular shaped and has 16 pins. All you have to do is connect with your diagnostic tool to read the fault code of your Volkswagen Atlas.
How to erase the fault code Volkswagen Atlas
Finally, to finish this content, we are going to explain you the process to do to erase a fault code on your Volkswagen Atlas. Once you have navigated through the menus, you will access the list of active fault codes on your car. However, you will have to ask yourself an essential question, is it really useful to erase this fault code on Volkswagen Atlas? Indeed, erasing a fault code without solving the problem corresponds to burying its head in the sand. Moreover, the computer of your Volkswagen Atlas is made to take decisions depending to the data it collects, if an important fault code is on, it will likely adjust the engine general performance to protect it. So if you get rid of the fault code, remember to resolve the problem to which it is linked. Some OBD diagnostic tools do not allow you to do this. You have a dedicated navigation menu on most diagnostic tools that should allow you to clear this fault code on Volkswagen Atlas.
Whenever you have any additional questions about the Volkswagen Atlas, do not hesitate to consult our Volkswagen Atlas category.
