how to fix epc light on vw

How to Fix EPC Light on VW

If you're driving your car and the EPC light comes on in the dashboard, this can be important information your cars trying to give you. It may just be a light, but the EPC light can let you know a lot of things. Sometimes the EPC light can come on together with the engine light and this may give you some anxiety whilst driving.

If you do see this light flash in your Volkswagen, then you should pull over and get it checked before you continue driving because ignoring this can damage your vehicle if the problem is severe.

What is the EPC Light?

The EPC warning light is also known as the Electronic Power Control warning light is a warning indicator that indicates there's a problem with your Volkswagen throttle system. This can be the throttle pedal, throttle body, traction control, or cruise control. Your throttle system controls your engine's power by regulating the amount of fuel and air entering the engine. In your car, you can control your own engine by using the gas pedal also known as the accelerator or the throttle.

Sometimes the EPC light can show up together with the ABS light depending on the problem. Your VWs EPC is controlled by the engine control unit, brake control unit, transmission control unit, and the steering control unit.

If the EPC light comes on with the ABS light, there may be a problem with your wheel sensors. The ABS is part of your car's stability system known as the electronic stability control which monitors the wheels using sensors connected to each wheel. When the sensors notice a change in one wheel e.g. the wheels about to lock up, the ABS will apply the brake. The ABS applies brake pressure to each wheel just enough not to entirely lock up the wheel.

Why Does the EPC Light Come On

Since the EPC is integrated with a lot of systems in your car, it can come on with a lot of different lights which makes the problem harder to diagnose. If the EPC comes on, you may notice your car goes into limp mode. This happens when there's a problem with your car's computer. If it's unable to receive information from your sensors, it may restrict power to the engine which will limit your speed and power.

There are several reasons why the EPC lights will come on but it's hard to know for sure. Chances are that there's a problem with your speed sensors. There are speed sensors connected to every wheel which can calculate the movement and RPMs behind that wheel, and this gets sent to the anti-lock braking system. If one of these wheels isn't performing like normal or is moving too slowly, then the ABS will increase the traction on the wheels by applying the breaks. If there's a problem with the sensor connected to the wheels, then the ABS light could start illuminating along with the EPC.

Issues can include:

Throttle body failure
Faulty ABS Sensor
Failed brake pedal switch
Faulty ABS Ring
Faulty ABS sensor wiring
A failed brake pressure sensor
A Bad Engine Sensor
Internal engine problem
Power steering failure
Steering wheel sensor
Wiring issues

How to Fix the EPC Light

If you're worried that there could be a problem in your car, you can check some of the systems yourself. This can include the engine control unit, ABS control unit, steering control unit, and transmission control unit. A lot of the components may require an OBD2 diagnostics tool (View on Amazon) to read errors going on within your car. Most cars do come with this and they allow you to diagnose problems within your car.

When you see the EPC light come on, you can connect the OBD2 scanner to the OBD connector that is under the steering portion of most vehicles. Once this is done, you can switch on your car's ignition and turn all the other devices connected into the car. Once the computer and car are connected, press the Read button on the scanner so it can check everything going on in the engine control unit.

After the scan is complete, you can write down all the error codes that the scanner diagnosed. Then, use your car's manual to decode the problems. After you've decoded the problem and the problem is detected, you can take appropriate measures to solve the problem. This may require certain parts to be checked.

Making Sure the EPC Light Doesn't Come On

Since the EPC light comes on when there's failing components in your vehicle, it means that you'll likely have to visit the mechanic to diagnose this problem and get it fixed. If you want to make sure the EPC light doesn't come on again, you need to take care of your car properly by doing service maintenance. Failure to do this means that you'll spend a lot of money at the dealership often.

If you want to avoid engine problems and save $100s of dollars that you'll spend at the dealership, you'll need to service your vehicle often – you can use our mechanic-rated routine maintenance service manual to do this. It's basically what mechanics use to go through your vehicle to check if there are any problems that need fixing. As soon as they notice the most minor problem, they'll ask you to fork out some money even though it's a problem you can fix yourself in a few minutes – the manual will teach you how to maintain your vehicle every few thousand miles and it'll teach you how to fix minor problems that mechanics will ask you to pay for; saving you money in the long run.

A lot of our readers have this maintenance manual printed on their garage walls and a lot of them haven't visited the mechanic in a few years because they know what to do to avoid problems. All it takes is giving your vehicle a little attention every few thousand miles and you'll never spend money at the dealership again.

Can You Drive with EPC Light On?

In most circumstances, you can continue driving when your EPC light comes on. However, you should know that a lot of your car's systems rely on the steering and brake system and this could damage your engine. If this isn't working problem and you're unaware, your care won't be able to stabilize itself when it needs to, and you could end up in a serious accident if you're not an experienced driver.

It's best to stop driving your car as soon as you notice the EPC light comes on because this is tied in with a lot of systems. If you are driving in dangerous conditions, your ABS systems are needed to control the car for you because humans can't react fast enough. If you're close by a workshop, you should drive it and get the problem looked at because this can save you from further problems. But, in a lot of cases, the EPC light won't cause any problems to your car if you're driving careful but it's better to be safe than sorry.