Flashing Light On Dash ??

[Azza71]

HI, i was driving my t4 tdi transporter yesterday when a warning light started flashing on the tacho back ground it looked like a glow plug symbol (curly bit of wire )flashed on and off all night .but hasnt today.
I called my local dealer while driving he told me it is a warning of bad or dirty fuel???.
CAN ANY ONE TELL ME IF THIS IS CORRECT OR NOT.
THANKS

[vwguru]

sounds like a faulty brake light switch to me. the next time the light is flashing check your brake lights, or just get it scaned for fault codes.

[ozjimbo]

I had the same problem with my T5 while on holidays on Kangaroo Island. it was intermittent over a 2 day period (3 months ago), appearing when the car was first started, then hasn't appeared since. I put it down to a glitch while travelling over rough corrugated roads. There was a post some time ago on the Brickyard, suggesting that it was a sticking turbo. Haven't been to a dealer yet for the read of the error codes.
Cheers,
Jim

[Seano]

Azza, it is what VW calls the 'Check Engine' light. It'll come on for many a reason but mostly electrical. And as the VW guru says....the most common reason is the brake light switch which is located directly over the brake pedal.

If the CE light is flashing then the easiest (but not definitive) way to check if the brake light switch is the culprit is to check whether your brake lights work.

If the switch doesn't work then do a search of this particular forum for 'brake
light switch' and you should find a switch rebuild post I wrote in the last couple of years - follow that (very easy) and the switch will work forever. The wasteful alternative is to by a new switch (about $20).

[Azza71]

thanks, you guys got it,checked today as light was flashing all morning and yes no brake lights...thanks Seano for the post.

[jets]

The same thing happened to me many years ago while I was holidaying in Tas. I had an auto at the time on which once the switch is gone it locks the trans in park. To get it going again I had to fiddle with the switch or pump the brakes vigorously. I ordered a new switch from Jacksons in Launceston but did not fit it straight away as the one in the van was now working perfectly again.
Back in SA it started playing up again so I decided to fit the new switch. After taking out the switch I realised the new one was different, don't you love that.
After taking the new one back to my local dealer it appears that the part no, on the VW screen, for my car at least, is wrong. My '01 has a 4 term switch & the one I bought in Tas was a 2 term. Watch out for this if you decide to buy a new one.

[Silver Caravelle]

Dear all,

This might assist. I had the same thing occur on my T4 Caravelle, particuarly in cold weather. The switch shaft (where it rests on the brake pedal arm) gets a little sticky. Apply a little grease on the shaft of the switch. When applying the grease, manually push the switch shaft in and out a number of times with your finger to work the grease in. The switch may be fine from then on.

Regards,

Scott