VW TDI Exhaust Pressure CEL

A couple of weeks back I had an issue with my car starting. It was a warm morning (mid-30s) and cooled down to throughout the day (down to mid-teens). I started my car fine and my 30 mile commit to work went like normal. When I left work I started the car, it ran for about 15 seconds then quit. I tried to start it and it wouldn't turn over, almost like the battery was dead. I tried a few more times and finally got it to turn over. It spun over acting like it was out of fuel. I finally got it to start but it ran rough. I held the throttle at about 1,500 rpm until it evened out and ran smooth. It did not throw any check engine lights, and it hasn't done this again.

After some research and talking with other TDI owners it seems to be an iced intercooler. At the time my car didn't throw any engine codes. However, a little bit of time before that the light came on for a day and then went off. Probably a week ago now the CEL came on and hasn't gone off. I had a friend run connect to it and this is what he got.

P047F: Exhaust Pressure Control Valve (A) stuck open

P048A: Exhaust Pressure Control Valve (A) stuck closed

P2271: Sensor signal biased/ stuck rich bank sensor 2

Could these three codes be related to an icing intercooler or something else?

I kind of figured the exhaust pressure valve is part of the EGR. Maybe ice has formed around the valve and held it open or closed?

He cleared the codes and they have not come on again. We will see how long they stay off.


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I would check your intercooler. I've had two friends with tdi that the intercooler was condensating and eventually cause problems similar to yours. The intercooler had a milky substance in it. Both of theirs was warrantied by the dealer

What years? How many miles?

I've been going to pull the piping and see if there is water in the piping, just haven't had time.

From what I've read it sounds like the intercooler piping had water in it, but I haven't read anything about the exhaust pressure valve.


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Just pulled the intercooler piping off, both silicone pipes on the bottom side of the engine on the passenger side and drive side and didn't get any water out of them. Only got maybe a table spoon of oil. Which I know isn't good but didn't get any water.


The oil only came out of the passenger side pipe.

Both are 2013 with less than 50 thousand miles.

Yeah mine is an 09 with 144k on it. Was told VW extended the exhaust pressure valve warranty to 120k. Either way I'm out of luck. Thanks though.

I think I can take it apart and clean it up.


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Funny that this just happened to me. I couldnt start my car and I was two hours from home. It was the first time I ever had to get something taken to the dealership. I'm going to pick it up today and I'm not looking forward to the drive home. Apparently vw has a fix for it but it doesn't really work that well, just a bandaid really. There are plenty of threads on this topic over on tdiclub. Mine is a 2010 with 72,000 btw, and this problem is present on all 2009-2014 models.

PSDEng said:

Funny that this just happened to me. I couldnt start my car and I was two hours from home. It was the first time I ever had to get something taken to the dealership. I'm going to pick it up today and I'm not looking forward to the drive home. Apparently vw has a fix for it but it doesn't really work that well, just a bandaid really. There are plenty of threads on this topic over on tdiclub. Mine is a 2010 with 72,000 btw, and this problem is present on all 2009-2014 models.

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From what I have read, because of the EGR, as the engine cools in lower temperatures condensation forms in the charge air piping. The condensation then forms into ice and can block charge air piping. Or the water can get into the engine and cause the engine to hydro-lock.

VW's fix for this is to install a new intercooler and piping, is it really solving the problem? No!

I pulled my charge air hoses yesterday and got no water out of it. So either it has burned off or I didn't pull the correct hoses. In any event, it has been plenty damp, to cold to warm and back to cold again since this happened to me the first time. I am baffled by this.

I cannot wait until VW has a fix for the emissions scandal and I can delete all of the emissions crap!

Both my friends had the dealer put new coolers in the first time and it just happened again. Both said screw the warranty and are now deleted with Malone tuning

I'm not gonna spend $2,200 on a Malone tune and an exhaust and have VW come out with a fix to the emissions problem and then tear it all off. I'll wait until after VW has a fix.


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You're correct on the causes of this issue. I pulled about 1/4 cup of water out of my hoses plus who knows how much that came of of my cylinders. I'm not sure if there will ever be an actual fix for the issue besides egr delete and a tune, I doubt they're that concerned since they don't cover it under warranty.

PSDEng said:

You're correct on the causes of this issue. I pulled about 1/4 cup of water out of my hoses plus who knows how much that came of of my cylinders. I'm not sure if there will ever be an actual fix for the issue besides egr delete and a tune, I doubt they're that concerned since they don't cover it under warranty.

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I'm talking a fix over "Diesel Gate" regarding cheating the emissions. Once they solve that problem my car will get deleted.

Then the icing intercooler and stuck exhaust valve will be solved.

Ah ok now we're on the same page. That's not a bad idea actually.