Imagine yourself driving calmly on board your Volkswagen Golf 5 and abruptly an engine warning light shows up on your dashboard ! The most standard reaction is worries of risking a serious issue. To know what exactly this light corresponds to, you will have to learn how to read an Volkswagen Golf 5 fault codes, you may have already read about OBD system, this is exactly what we are going to take a look at. Our editors have chosen to publish this piece of content to enable you quickly locate the origin of this default code and to give you reassurance. To achieve this, we will first take a look at the nature of a fault code on Volkswagen Golf 5, then how to read an Volkswagen Golf 5 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 Golf 5 fault code?
A fault code is a universal or standard code common to all manufacturers , they are also named DTC (Data Trouble Code), the objective is to be sure that any diagnostic OBD can read them. They will be symbolized by a standard format, like for example: P0255. Each info will have a special explanation. Default codes are codes issued by the calculators of your Volkswagen Golf 5. These ECUs will constantly 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 benefit of understanding how to read a fault code on your Volkswagen Golf 5 is that you will have access to specific data about your motor vehicle which will allow you to discover what concern you are struggling with.
How to read a fault code on my Volkswagen Golf 5?
In this second section we will now focus precisely on what brings you in this article, how to read a fault code on Volkswagen Golf 5. To access this valuable info you will need to to get a diagnostic tool, also known as OBD 2, named after the socket on your Volkswagen Golf 5 to which you will have to connect. These diagnostic tools are easily 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 acquired an OBD2 diagnostic reader, you will have to identify the diagnostic plug on your Volkswagen Golf 5, it is established 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 Golf 5.
How to erase the fault code Volkswagen Golf 5
Finally, to finish this article, we are going to demonstrate you the manipulation to do to erase a fault code on your Volkswagen Golf 5. 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 advantageous to erase this fault code on Volkswagen Golf 5? In fact, erasing a fault code without dealing with the issue is like burying its head in the sand. Moreover, the computer of your Volkswagen Golf 5 is made to take resolutions according to the data it collects, if an essential fault code is on, it will likely adapt the engine general performance to preserve it. So if you get rid of the fault code, make sure to fix the issue to which it is connected. 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 Golf 5.
If you wish more tutorials on the Volkswagen Golf 5, go to our Volkswagen Golf 5 category.
