Check engine light

Asked by Chris Dec 15, 2017 at 11:23 AM about the 1997 Volkswagen Golf 2 Dr GL Hatchback

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

So this is a weird one. I’ve had the mechanics and
minute lube hook up a diagnostics machine to the
car to try and figure it out but it wouldn’t connect.
After I’ve been driving my 1997 VW GOLF 2.0 and
the heat gauge gets to the middle bar, indicating
that the engine is warm, after a little while while in
3rd, 4th and sometimes 5th hear my check engine
light comes on. If I take my foot off of the gas and
coast for a couple seconds the light goes off.
If I’ve been driving down the highway my temp
gauge goes way down and my check engine light
doesn’t come on.
It happens more with city driving where it’s more
stop and go.
Any ideas on what it could be?
I’m thinking it’s the after market air intake that was
installed by the previous owner.

2 Answers

103,215

Are you retaining any OBD codes? If not, then use a code reader that can capture live data, and run it while driving, and see what code is causing the CEL to flash on.

45,825

Check your tempature sensor its liekly acting up. Also depending what engine you have this car may have a 4 point flange on the side of the engine under your throtle body (which is where the sensor is ) this flange is plastic and often cracks and causes sensor miss reads and leaks. Also a regular obd will not pick up the active data on these cars to well. find a shop with some ross tech software or go to amazon and pick up a ross tech dongel and scan it on your own with a laptop should give you more insight into your issue.

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