Exhaust warning lamp

[Mystery]

Hi Guys,

I have a Mk5 Golf. The exhaust warning lamp just came on in my car. The engine seems to be running fine though. Can anyone tell me how long I can drive the car before fixing it? I dont want to drive far, but I do need to get it to the mechanic.

Also any suggestions on what could have caused this and roughly how much it will cost to fix. Unfortunately the warranty doesnt cover the exhaust.

[DeanB]

Split vacuum hose, faulty exhaust sensor, few things it could be. Get it scanned for a code, by a dealer or independent, no other way to really tell what it is.

[Mystery]

It's been a frustrating experience so far, but I took the car to a VW dealership where they ran a diagnostic on the car. It seems that the engine coolant temperature sensor and the map controlled engine cooling thermostat have circuit issues. It says that it's an intermediate problem (whatever that means!). I have read a few threads on other VW forums and found that many people who experienced the same thing, it started with the fan running really loud, even when the engine isnt really hot. Mind you, I raised a concern with my mechanic and they told me not to worry, that it's normal. Clearly not!

I tried to get an estimate out of the mechanic of how much this will cost, he hesitated, I pushed... Rough guess about $800.00 :S Now, I've read that sometimes it's the large fan that is the cause of the problem, or a coolant leak or could be that the temp sensor is closed. . Apparently, the sensor is in a hard to get to spot, so they'll have to take the car apart to clearly test what the exact issue is.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me how much I can drive the car before it causes serious damage. I need to drive approx 64km tonight and tomorrow. Is that too risky??? Again, when I asked the mechanic, he said he didnt know... Grr!