The Audi Engine Management Light: Fixing Audi Cold Start Issue
The Audi SQ5 is a high-performance SUV with a host of petrol and diesel options. One of the most popular engines is the 300-horsepower V6 diesel. The SQ5 is the perfect blend of performance, practicality, and luxury.
Audi designers deliver precisely engineered cars to their customers. Every part needs to work seamlessly at all times for peak performance, economy, and handling. Regular maintenance of your Audi SQ5s is very important, and you’ll need to keep a close eye on your service schedule to avoid costly repairs.
At JDK Automotive, a recent client visited us in their Audi SQ5 after a check engine light displayed on the dashboard – a common sight amongst VW-Audi Group vehicle owners. During cold days, the owner said it was difficult to start up too. With the potential long list of faults, our team of Audi specialists immediately began investigating all the causes.
There is always a risk that clients could end up spending a lot of money on complete engine rebuilds/replacements due to the nature of the issue. Especially if their particular SQ5 diesel V6 is rare and desirable. Fortunately, our client reached out to our team at the right time, as leaving it longer could have caused catastrophic damage.
With a host of parts including glow plugs, filters, turbos, NOx sensors and exhaust systems all playing a role in burning and managing the fuel, the check engine light may be due to an issue with any one of them.
Our expert Audi technician was on hand to quickly diagnose and repair the check engine light on our customer’s Audi SQ5. With a fault code scan, our technician narrowed down the possible root causes so that SQ5 could be back on the road in no time.
Finding the Engine Fault
As JDK Automotive are vastly experienced across all Audi models, our client visited our workshop knowing that their vehicle would be handled professionally. Our team was able to resolve the issue thanks to our decades of combined experience with diesel engines, and with our specialist tools.
Using the same equipment as the main dealer, our technicians read the fault codes to get to the root cause of the engine warning light quicker. We use Audi’s recommended ODIS tool to scan the vehicle’s computer system and understand why the check engine light appeared. This is a tool only available to Audi specialist garages like us at JDK Automotive.
Our specialist technician scanned the code which revealed a lot about the condition of the Audi SQ5 diesel engine. Several codes appeared on the scanner which we can use to help repair the issue for our customer.
The fault codes that appeared were:
- P226E00 – Particulate filter deteriorated/missing substrate (bank 2)
- P067600 – Cylinder 6 Glow Plug Circuit
- P103200 – NOx Sensor signal too high
- P157000 – Engine Control Unit Disabled
- P200600 – Intake Manifold Runner Control Bank 1 Stuck Closed
As Audi experts, the technician working on the customer’s car dived deeper into each system, testing components to see the possible root cause of every fault code. Checking live data helps see unusual patterns and numbers that are outside the usual permitted range. To perform a live data check, our technician took the Audi SQ5 out for a test drive and also ensured that there was no major engine issue. Luckily for our client, our technician discovered no major issue with the engine, and it did not require a replacement.
Instead, they found an issue with the glow plugs…
Diesel engines use glow plugs to help the vehicle start-up. Heating the initial fuel and air that enters the engine bay, glow plugs are particularly useful in colder climates, and as diesel engines rely on compression to work properly (opposed to conventional spark plugs in petrol engines). If the glow plugs fail, engine combustion might not happen efficiently causing hesitant start-ups – especially on a cold day.
Our technician found the cylinder 6 glow plug to be troublesome after they performed electrical testing. The faulty glow plug needed replacing and once replaced, the SQ5 engine could run smoothly again. Our client was taken through the diagnostics and fault-finding process, and they knew they were in good hands thanks to our dedicated Audi specialists at JDK Automotive who had seen the problem before.
How We Fixed the Glow Plug Problem
As with spark plugs, glow plugs need replacing at regular intervals to ensure they do not fail. Glow plugs are just one component out of many that should be changed often during regular servicing, and ignoring this could result in major and expensive repairs. Our technician knew from experience that the glow plugs had not been replaced in the Audi SQ5. Therefore we suggested that the customer have all glow plugs replaced to get their vehicle back working as it should.
We promise to only use genuine Audi or high-quality replacement parts during our services and repairs. A new set of genuine glow plugs were ordered from our parts network and delivered on the same day. This meant that the technician was able to replace the glow plugs immediately so we could quickly hand back the keys to the owner.
Once the glow plugs were replaced, our technician scanned and cleared the fault codes using the ODIS computer system and test-drove the car to make sure that the engine was back working optimally. After a successful test drive, our client came back to our workshop and drove away in their Audi SQ5 on the same day.
Same-Day Fix Means Happy Audi Customers
With our team of Audi specialists at JDK Automotive, we assign expert technicians to every job we do. A recent client visited our workshop due to an engine light warning on their Audi SQ5 2016, and we were on hand to quickly diagnose and fix the issue.
Our technician scanned the vehicle for fault codes and performed live data capture to understand the possible causes. It was soon found out that the glow plugs in their Audi SQ5 were at fault and needed replacing.
Using only genuine parts, our team quickly fixed the customer’s car and could get back on the road in no time. The new glow plugs will last for a long time before needing to be replaced again.
At JDK Automotive, we know all the ins and outs of Audi vehicles. Our team of specialists have access to advanced tools and equipment to solveany issue, whether big or small. We’re here to help.
No stone is left unturned when a customer visits our workshop. With diagnosis, costs, and repair procedures all discussed with the customer – we only begin work once they are happy for us to proceed.
At JDK Automotive, Audi customers have been relying on our expertise for years and know how quickly and effectively we help customers with their luxury and performance vehicles.
If you have an engine management light or need a routine service, our team is on hand to help. At JDK Automotive, your local specialist, we only have the best-in-class technicians and tools to help you get back on the road. Contact our team today and book an appointment for your Audi.
