Think about yourself driving calmly on board your Volkswagen Passat 8 and abruptly an engine light appears on your dashboard ! The most standard response is worries of risking a major trouble. To know what exactly this light corresponds to, you will have to learn how to read an Volkswagen Passat 8 fault codes, you may have already heard of OBD system, this is exactly what we are going to focus on. Our writers have chosen to write this content to help you quickly discover the source of this default code and to give you reassurance. To get this done, we will first look at the nature of a fault code on Volkswagen Passat 8, then how to read an Volkswagen Passat 8 fault code, and finally how to erase this fault code to be able to turn off the light on your dashboard.

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What is a Volkswagen Passat 8 fault code?

A fault code is a generic or standard code which is identical to all automotive companies , they are also named DTC (Data Trouble Code), the goal is to guarantee that any diagnostic OBD can translate them. They will be symbolized by a standard format, such as example: P0255. Each info will have a precise explanation. Default codes are codes issued by the calculators of your Volkswagen Passat 8. These ECUs will constantly monitor your vehicle’s exhausts, pressures, mixtures and when the values exceed the limits set by the vehicle’s ECU, the fault code will appear. The advantage of understanding how to read a fault code on your Volkswagen Passat 8 is that you will have access to specific data about your motor vehicle which will enable you to understand what trouble you are standing in front of.

How to read a fault code on my Volkswagen Passat 8?

In this second section we will now focus specifically on what brings you on the website, how to read a fault code on Volkswagen Passat 8. To access this valuable info you will need to to buy a diagnostic tool, also called OBD 2, named after the socket on your Volkswagen Passat 8 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 acquired an OBD2 diagnostic reader, you will have to identify the diagnostic plug on your Volkswagen Passat 8, 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 Passat 8.

How to erase the fault code Volkswagen Passat 8

Finally, to finish this content, we are going to explain you the process to accomplish to erase a fault code on your Volkswagen Passat 8. 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 important question, is it really useful to erase this fault code on Volkswagen Passat 8? In fact, erasing a fault code without resolving the trouble corresponds to burying its head in the sand. In addition, the computer of your Volkswagen Passat 8 is made to take resolutions depending to the data it records, if a crucial fault code is on, it will possibly adjust the engine overall performance to preserve it. So if you get rid of the fault code, make sure to resolve the issue 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 Passat 8.

If you need more guides on the Volkswagen Passat 8, go to our Volkswagen Passat 8 category.