One of German car brands, Volkswagen ranks high in reliability. However, even a good rating doesn’t mean issues cannot spark across their systems. Among these, a particularly concerning one is described as “VW EPC light car shaking. ”
VW EPC light car shaking
One of the issues we see crop up in Volkswagen cars is EPC light lighting up and car shaking. These symptoms can be frightening, especially when we doubt our car already has some issues.
However, there are reasonable explanations for this occurrence.
Usually, these will stem from deeper issues within our car. Manifesting most frequently in car parts that dictate throttle power. Loss of throttle power can worsen our driving experience, affecting the car’s health along the way. [1]
What does the EPC light mean on a car?
The term EPC stands for Electronic Power control. This light on our car’s control board will warn us when there are issues with our Volkswagen’s throttle. There are myriad malfunctions it could signify.
Whether small or large, those issues should be properly looked into. Lack of action can result in large expenses for repairing the car. After all, that’s what the point of this warning light is.
VW EPC Light Car Shaking Reasons
There are various issues that can trigger the EPC light and the shaking of our car. Most of those eventually tie to throttle power, but it’s worth spelling out some common offenders.
That makes them easier to identify and resolve in due time.
Problems with the ignition coil
The shaking is most commonly associated with the ignition coil malfunctioning. This component’s malfunction will affect the engine, causing it to misfire. This can drive the car towards shaking.
When this problem crops up, you will also experience some other symptoms. The most noticeable being loss of power and bad response to acceleration. This cut in speed is apparent and should be taken as another warning sign.
Brake pads have uneven rear
Another car part that could play a role in this situation is brake pads. As one can assume, problems with braking can be felt in the rest of the car.
Although the system itself could experience only minor hiccups, the higher friction or more intense breaking could affect the car with different symptoms. This includes shaking and the EPC light turning on too.
The problem your brake pads may have is uneven rear. This is a problem that can manifest from a variety of factors but is most often associated with friction and loss of lubrication.
Often, we can spot it by paying attention to our Volkswagen car during braking. If it shakes and the braking feels off, there may be quite a reason for concern. [2]
Faulty fuel injector
Of course, we can expect fuel injectors to be implicated in certain issues due to EPC light’s association with throttle problems. A malfunction within those affects our combustion engine’s operational process, which dictates the car’s power.
Shaking is going to be the most noticeable with this issue. Starting as soon as you attempt to turn on your car. The combustion process will be skewed by the injector issues, leading to a poor start to our car due to improper injection. This can either be because too little fuel was injected or just bad timing of the whole process.
Related: Problems After Using Seafoam
VW EPC light and loss of power
The correlation between EPC light and loss of power isn’t accidental. As mentioned before, the EPC light directly indicates when something is off with our throttle.
Improper throttle can easily lead to our car having far less power. In fact, it’s directly related. No matter how strong our car is usually, we will suffer these effects regardless.
Of course, it will be even more noticeable in the more powerful cars as their initial power will be cut significantly. This issue asks quite a few questions. Most of which we will answer below.
Should I drive with the EPC light on?
Having an EPC warning light up and the following symptoms may invoke worry in many drivers. After all, when something’s wrong with our car, we will often harm its overall composure by running the car before resolving the issue.
This makes us ask whether we should drive with the EPC light on. No, we shouldn’t. Although you can still run the car and drive, it will be an inconvenient experience due to loss of power.
Driving under these circumstances should only be done to deliver the car to a nearby mechanics’ shop. [3]
Is it safe to drive with EPC light on
No, although we can run the car and control it well enough, especially if we are experienced drivers, it won’t do good to our engine. If the EPC warning light is on and we keep driving, our engine could get damaged.
Even if the issue didn’t initially stem from the engine, the strain we put on it would wear it down.
Volkswagen, and other cars with EPC warning lights, will often have a limp mode turned on after an issue is detected. This limp mode is made to reduce damage to the car at the cost of power.
Even though this makes our car technically safe to drive, the limp mode should be used sparingly.
What to do when your EPC light comes on?
The best thing to do is to stop the car at a safe location. If you are near your home or a mechanics’ shop, we recommend using the limp mode to reach them. Once there, it’s time to do diagnostics and checks.
Volkswagen EPC light repairs
Although there are a ton of factors that could trigger our EPC warning light, only some can be solved through DIY repairs. If none of the following solutions work, you should seek professional help.
Using scanner tools to diagnose the car
The first thing we can do is apply a scanner tool if we own one. These are made to be extremely simple to use, with manuals to boot. With the convenience afforded by the device, we should be able to cut down on possible factors if we do not resolve the issue completely.
All you need to do is plug the scanner tool into your Volkswagen vehicle and run the scan. The results will be shown as error codes specified by the vehicle system it’s used on.
The leading causes of this issue can then be reviewed by referencing the error codes.
There are always ample choices of scanner tools to find. Whether in stores near you or through Amazon, you can find good and useful tools. Pick among those with the highest number of scan options.
We recommend checking out the following one.
- 【Great Ideal For Every Car Owner】Prefect choice for your father, husband, brother or boyfriend. EVERY CAR OWNER WILL NEED IT! It comes with...
- 【 Read & Clear/Reset Engine/ABS/SRS/Transmission Diagnostic Scan Tool 】LAUNCH CRP123 OBD2 Scanner can test Engine, Transmission, ABS and...
Physical check
The unnoticed damage to the car can be another factor in the EPC light turning on. We can find these with a physical check. There are a few problems that commonly affect EPC light.
Check the brakes and brake lights. The lack of lubrication could be the simplest cause, but others are worth looking out for.
Brake lights should respond correctly, lighting up as soon as you step on the brake. However, delayed or unresponsive lights could indicate an issue with the brakes. If lubrication doesn’t help, we will need to take further steps toward fixing our brakes.
Lastly, we should check for debris and the accumulation of carbon. These factors will usually be found on the throttle body, stifling the connections between our Volkswagen systems.
Clean the connections thoroughly, eliminating any hint of problematic materials within.
Check the pedal
Your acceleration pedal could also be the source of issues in this situation. A bad connection between the pedal and the remainder of the throttle system will lead to intense shaking of the car as it fails to read a proper signal from the pedal.
Make sure the pedal isn’t blocked or impaired in some way. If it’s poorly affixed, the same issue could crop up. Take an ample look into the matter before proceeding with other solutions. [4]
Though keep in mind that certain electronic issues could also appear in relation to the pedal issues. In this case, we will need to apply more complex fixes.
Bring the car to a professional
The final solution is contacting a mechanics shop about the problem. If none of the previous solutions worked, you should report it to the mechanic. This could help them figure out the problem faster and apply the required fixes without hassle.
However, this will lead to extra costs for the repairs. Not everybody is keen on those pricey fixes, but they can sometimes be required.
Although certain people are capable enough to DIY a whole car repair, there’s no need to be hasty. It’s better to have a healthy car than cheap repairs.
VW EPC light on then off
While the EPC light being turned on is troublesome, having it flash on and off can be just as much of an indicator of problems. The issues will usually come from a failing sensor on our car.
If you experience no other symptoms, this could be the obvious factor to consider and resolve.
VW EPC light reset
- Sometimes, the problems with Volkswagen EPC light can be quite simple to resolve. By following these steps, you may be able to solve the problem fast:
- Start the car normally
- Start the car for the second time
- When the engine starts, push the gas pedal to the floor
This sometimes manages to restart the sensor properly, making it respond correctly to the state of our throttle system. However, at other times, it may require some extra look into electrical connections.
Volkswagen EPC recall
Volkswagen has faced a few recalls related to EPC warning light problems. The affected cars included:
- Volkswagen Jetta 2014-2015
- Volkswagen Beetle 2014-2015
- Volkswagen Beetle Convertible 2014-2015
- Volkswagen Passat 2015
- Volkswagen Golf/GTI 2015
The concerns were raised due to the fuel smell within the vehicle. With the drop of pressure in the fuel rail, the EPC warning light would activate, telling the driver about the fuel rail issues. [5]
Drivers were instructed to take the smell of fuel and the EPC warning light turning on as warning factors.
Upon detecting them, Volkswagen recommended visiting a qualified workshop immediately to diagnose and confirm the problem.
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VW EPC light car shaking
As you can assume, this recall stems from throttle issues. Indicated by the fact that the EPC warning light got turned on. Similarly so, shaking could end up being one of the symptoms.
Shaking itself comes from improper acceleration most of the time, as a way our Volkswagen reacts to irregularities in operation. Which is why it’s so commonly associated with the same problems EPC light covers.
VW EPC light car shaking cost
While it’s good to know how to go about resolving the problem and how to identify it, knowing the price will come into play too. Understanding the costs of maintenance is a good practice in general, but these situations can be exceptionally fruitful.
| Car part | Cost |
| EPC warning light | $124 to $214 |
| Fuel injector | $35 and $220 |
| Brake pads | $150 and $300 |
| Ignition coil | $22 and $127 |
Conclusion
Ultimately, we should do everything within our power to act out on warnings provided by our car.
The warning light we get from EPC is just one of our available warning systems. However, in the case of car shaking, it’s going to be the most important one.
Those willing to solve their issues with the car should take on the problem immediately. Either solve it themselves through various DIY solutions or drive the car to a professional.
However, do make sure to drive the car the least amount you can to ensure it won’t be damaged further through the internal operation.
