What is MY16 TDI Fault Code - "Cooling fan for housing" ?

[nsk_john]

Hi guys,

I just bought a VCDS cable and scanned the car. To my surprise, a few fault codes are presented in the auto-scan report.

All but one comes back again and again after clearing DTC.

The report looks like this:

Address 5F: Information Electr. (J794) Labels: None
Part No SW: 3Q0 035 846 HW: 3Q0 035 846
Component: MU-S-N-ER 820 0611
Serial number:
Coding:
Shop #:
ASAM Dataset: EV_MUStd4CDELP 001001
ROD: EV_MUStd4CDELP_VW26.rod
VCID: 6EFD3AD0B171734EBF-803A


Media Player Position 1:
Subsystem 1 - Part No SW: 3G0 919 605 D HW: 3G0 919 605 D
Component: ABT_Std-2_Nav H43 4060
Serial number:


Engine Control Module 2:
Subsystem 2 - Part No SW: 3G0 919 866 K HW: -----------
Component: MRM2 2015/16 --- 0420
Serial number: --------------------


2 Faults Found:
1559 - Cooling Fan for Housing
B126B 01 [008] - Electrical Failure
Intermittent - Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 6
Fault Frequency: 18
Reset counter: 48
Mileage: 8 km
Date: 2015.09.24
Time: 00:03:39

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone knows what this is?

Appreciate any input.

cheers

[DV52]

Hi guys,

I just bought a VCDS cable and scanned the car. To my surprise, a few fault codes are presented in the auto-scan report.

All but one comes back again and again after clearing DTC.

The report looks like this:

Address 5F: Information Electr. (J794)       Labels: None
   Part No SW: 3Q0 035 846     HW: 3Q0 035 846 
   Component: MU-S-N-ER     820 0611  
   Serial number:               
   Coding: 
   Shop #: 
   ASAM Dataset: EV_MUStd4CDELP 001001
   ROD: EV_MUStd4CDELP_VW26.rod
   VCID: 6EFD3AD0B171734EBF-803A


   Media Player Position 1: 
   Subsystem 1 - Part No SW: 3G0 919 605 D    HW: 3G0 919 605 D
   Component: ABT_Std-2_Nav  H43 4060 
   Serial number:      


   Engine Control Module 2: 
   Subsystem 2 - Part No SW: 3G0 919 866 K    HW: -----------
   Component: MRM2 2015/16  --- 0420 
   Serial number: --------------------


2 Faults Found:
1559 - Cooling Fan for Housing 
          B126B 01 [008] - Electrical Failure
          Intermittent - Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
             Freeze Frame:
                    Fault Status: 00000001
                    Fault Priority: 6
                    Fault Frequency: 18
                    Reset counter: 48
                    Mileage: 8 km
                    Date: 2015.09.24
                    Time: 00:03:39

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone knows what this is?

Appreciate any input.

cheers

John: hello . I've not seen the fault code before, but it reads fairly clearly as follows:

• It's most probably related to the fan that cools the electronics in the infotainment unit enclosure that lives inside the glove box
• The fault first occurred when the car had travelled just 8 kms. So it happened when the car was new (probably first leaving the factory)
• You can't clear the DTC because it has occurred on 18 separate times since the fault was first stored.
• The reset counter means that the car has to experience 48 problem free cycles before the DTC clears itself
• The priority rating of 6 means that it's not a crucial fault - VW's rating 6 means that the fault has a long term influence on drivability.

Clearly it's something that needs to be looked-at by your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer service manager because if left unattended, the increased temperature inside the infotainment unit will degrade the electronic components and eventually they will fail!

When you take back the car to your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer service manager, you might want to ask what manner of pre-delivery inspection was carried out.

I suspect that your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer service manager defines a pre-delivery inspection as a car wash and a smile as you hand over the bank cheque!!
Cheers
Don

[Eaglehawk]

Remember, don't mention "The Internet" when you talk to your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer. They will look at you as though you've offended their knowledge of their own car. I had this experience when I was trying to get the voice patch. (Not upgrade, not map version...)

[DV52]

Remember, don't mention "The Internet" when you talk to your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer. They will look at you as though you've offended their knowledge of their own car. I had this experience when I was trying to get the voice patch. (Not upgrade, not map version...)

Eaglehawk: very good point and thanks for the sage advice -It just makes me so mad when car buyers hand-over good money for a quality product and the delivery process is ignored by the seller. It happens so often that little to no pre-delivery checks are done on these new cars.

I'm not sure if VW dealers are particularly bad, but their practice is predicated on the assumption that buyers don't have the necessary equipment to check for DTCs. How difficult is it to run a quick check with ODIS for DTCs before the car leaves the showroom?
Cheers
Don
PS: I even had one dealer accuse me of voiding the warranty when I showed him a copy of a VCDS auto-scan report from a friend's new GTI that was full of DTCs. The poor misguided service manager had clearly decided that the best defence was offence! Needless to say that I wasn't distracted by his thinly veiled attempt to deflect liability for his omission, and I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed our consequential discussion which confirmed my car-wash-and-a-smile suspicion of what constitutes a pre-delivery check!

[nsk_john]

Eaglehawk: very good point and thanks for the sage advice -It just makes me so mad when car buyers hand-over good money for a quality product and the delivery process is ignored by the seller. It happens so often that little to no pre-delivery checks are done on these new cars.

I'm not sure if VW dealers are particularly bad, but their practice is predicated on the assumption that buyers don't have the necessary equipment to check for DTCs. How difficult is it to run a quick check with ODIS for DTCs before the car leaves the showroom?
Cheers
Don
PS: I even had one dealer accuse me of voiding the warranty when I showed him a copy of a VCDS auto-scan report from a friend's new GTI that was full of DTCs. The poor misguided service manager had clearly decided that the best defence was offence! Needless to say that I wasn't distracted by his thinly veiled attempt to deflect liability for his omission, and I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed our consequential discussion which confirmed my car-wash-and-a-smile suspicion of what constitutes a pre-delivery check!

Thanks for the advice everyone. Unfortunately, service of VW dealers haven't improved much over the years. They forgot to remove suspension blocks on my last car, the salesman told me that wasn't a suspension block without a second thought when I went back.

Fan is relatively simple and reliable part, is it normal for the fan to fail in such short period after passing factory test?

[DV52]

Fan is relatively simple and reliable part, is it normal for the fan to fail in such short period after passing factory test?

John: Not sure if you are aware of what's called the "U" curve for component reliability. I apologise if I'm telling you something that you already know, but the "U" curve is normally portrayed as a graph with time on the horizontal scale and probability of component failure on the vertical scale. In essence, the graph demonstrates that the most likely time for component failure is immediately after manufacture and then after a period that is the useful life of the product. In the mid period of the "U", probability of failure is lowest (but obviously not zero). Warranty periods are meant to protect the consumer during the initial part of the "U". The spare part market is focussed on the latter part of the "U".

Of course, every component in the infotainment box is subject to failure, but my amateur experience with repairing electronic devices has been that generally, well designed electronic circuits suffer minimally from failure of passive/active electronic components (perhaps with the exception of low grade electrolytic capacitors). Whilst I admit that this is a gross generalisation, I reckon that it's the electro mechanical components that are more likely to fail in modern electronic products (i.e. motors that rely on physical bearings and especially in a car, ciruit board and wiring connectors).

Bear in mind that the fault in your autoscan might not be the actual fan. It could be a faulty temperature sensor, or some part of the switch-on/off control circuit for the fan.

But all this is of little significance in your case ( except perhaps as an intellectual exercise). The fact is that there is a worrying error message on your new car that should have been picked-up by the dealer as a pre delivery test. Rectifying your dilemma is easy - you just need to make your problem, the problem of your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer. That is the reason why there is a warranty period.
Don

[nsk_john]

Just couldn't accept the fact that I have received two brand new and faulty Volkswagens in a row. A bit relunctant to let them take it apart. I genuinely hope this is just a software glitch and the error code will go away in a few days.

[DV52]

I genuinely hope this is just a software glitch and the error code will go away in a few days.

John:It is possible that (as you say) it "is just a software glitch and the error code will go away".

But, may I invite you to consider the evidence in the error message as an indication of the probability that that this will happen:

1. The fault was first logged when the car had travelled 18 kms
2. From the time of the first error message, the fault has been re-logged 18 times. I don't know how far your car had travelled when you made the autoscan report, but you can do the math to determine the frequency per km travelled, or the days elapsed per fault.
3. The error message says that the DTC will not reset until there has been 48 trouble free cycles of the car

Sounds like a long time to wait to validate your desire- sorry for being so blunt

The other advantage of taking the problem to the dealer now is that the fault is present, so the warranty claim is evident. If the fault becomes truely intermittent, then it will be difficult for the dealer to validate the warranty claim with VW Australia. Worst case scenario is that the fault does clear and that it re-appears in earnest after the warranty period - not good!

Conclusion (IMO) - take the car back to your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer and exercise your right under consumer law! I suggest that you express an appropriate amount of indignation (to the dealer) given the events to date
Don

[nsk_john]

The other advantage of taking the problem to the dealer now is that the fault is present, so the warranty claim is evident. If the fault becomes truely intermittent, then it will be difficult for the dealer to validate the warranty claim with VW Australia. Worst case scenario is that the fault does clear and that it re-appears in earnest after the warranty period - not good!

Conclusion (IMO) - take the car back to your friendly (but sadly, incompetent) dealer and exercise your right under consumer law!
Don

Don,

You are right. The car should be sent to the dealer when the fault is still on surface. I will update their finding later.

Thanks again for your insight on the report.

Cheers,
John