If you arrived on the VW Polo website because you searched for EPC, or EPC light or engine won't rev, then you have certainly arrived at the right place. There are several definitions for ECP, the first of which will be explained is Electronic Parts Catalog (EPC).
EPC stands for Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) and companies like Mercedez Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, Enigma, Attrakt among many, many others host computer based electronic catalogs of the individual auto parts and accessories that make up their engines, cars, tractors, specialized machinery and farming equipment etc. Restated, an EPC is catalog in electronic format much like CVS data or a database file or similar, that can be downloaded or is accessible online.
Then there is the second type of EPC - Electronic Parts Catalog (EPC) software. MultiCat and Msys.EPC are companies that specialize in the software that can display an exploded view of an assembled device. For example, the exploded view of an engine, or gearbox, or cylinder head, showing the individual bolts and nuts, flanges, hoses and brackets, etc. and their component part numbers.
Thirdly, there is also the Electronics Parts Catalog (EPC) which is an electronic list or database of semiconductor components, from diodes to transistors to integrated circuits to thyristors, etc... This EPC is often called and equivalents book or catalog and hosts the specifications of semiconductors from several manufacturers. A typical EPC is the RS Electronic Components and Tools Database. This EPC doubles up as the third type of EPC which is the Electronic Product Code. Component Product Codes look like, 1N4148 or BC337, MCP2515, TYN812RG, etc... for electronic components.
And finally, the Electronic Power Control (EPC) that freaks out almost each and every VW 1.6 Polo, Audi TT and Golf TDI, owner. Most vehicles with Drive-by-Wire (throttle control) usually have a Electronic Power Control (EPC) indicator lights on dashboard which lights up when there's a problem with the Drive-by-Wire system. This would involve the two accelerator pedal sensors G79 and G185 and in some cases the two sensors G187, G188 inside throttle control valve body - control actuator.
[As discussed in previous blogs] When the engine idles, neither the Throttle Valve Angle Sensor nor the Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor are monitored for faults by the ECU, as such, the engine does not respond to accelerator input but will limit engine to 1200 RPM.
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Both the accelerator sensors and the throttle valve sensors work on the same principle since all 4 of them are potentiometers. The input voltage is 5 Volts and the increments are in millivolts implying that there is an acceleration range of between 0 and 5000. Throttle valve angle sensor 1 and Throttle valve angle sensor 2, Accelerator position sensor 1 and Accelerator position sensor 2 sliders makes contact with the resitive track and outputs the appropriate voltage level to the ECU. These resistive tracks are prone to go faulty since they are gold plated contacts running on gold plated copper tracks etched on a PCB. Over time the contacts wears right through the gold and copper plating, only making contact with the bakelite or fibreglass substrate. This type of potentiometers are less reliable than ceramic thick-film potentiometers.
When the EPC warning light goes on and your acceleration goes limp and the engine won't revv-up there is an easy cure but there may be exceptions. Get the car home even if it means driving really slowly in "Limp Mode". Once home, disconnect the battery for about 15 minutes or so, but not more than 20 minutes then reconnect. NB! do not disconnect the Live terminal, disconnect the Earth terminal. If the battery is disconnected for more than 20 mins you will lose your radio settings since the radio also participates in volatile and no-volatile memory of the CAN-Bus. Reconnect the battery but make certain that the ignition is off. Once this is done, turn on the ignition so that the dashboard lights go on but do not start your car and DO NOT touch your accelerator pedal. After about 5 minutes the throttle body will aligns itself. After 10 minutes turn off the ignition, wait for 2 mins then start the car and let it idle for abut 2 minutes as well. By now, the EPC warning light should be off and the engine will rev as normal.You may have to to this twice. If this worked for you, please do give me some feedback with a comment.
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Hi Idid what u said,but the light EPC still on,I switch off the car,next day I try to take the car with my friend, my friend his Mechanic,but he dnt know much about electronic,so we try to take de car to someone who know about this problem,but on the road we was surprised by the EPC that it wasn't on ,but after 10minute EPC come back but when we switch off the car EPC come off and back again after 10minute or more,my friend siad maybe is the wires,but I dnt know...and thx
ReplyDeleteHi anonymous, so sorry that resetting the ECU didn't work for you. It is quite common that the resistor unit on the accelerator pedal goes faulty, if your car has Drive-by-Wire. I described it in one of my previous blogs. The accelerator pedal isn't cheap even though its just a chunk of plastic but it is the Drive-by-wire G79 & G185 that is expensive. Try replacing it.
DeleteVolkswagen Polo is compact and subtle but it doesn't mean that it compromises with the luxury.Its interior is comfortable and gives you a feel of being special.
ReplyDeleteComponent or end item comprising of a number of parts or sub assemblies put together to perform a specific function. It is amazing information but i think when a post is really good.
ReplyDeleteElectronics Assembly
So my Brand new Audi TT 2013 only had 3, thousand miles on it and the EPC went on, and the acceleration goes limp and than wont rev and stalls out on the Highway, I call my salesman he calls audi for a tow assistance. Mean time AAA get their and cant figure out how to get the Toe Screw in and for that matter either can I , Hot Tip, you have to screw it in counter clock wise, Really ? Wow that threw me but after all it is a german car. So i took a picture of my brand new car while it was on top of the tow truck, thinking about that great commercial , you know the one , where he has never been able to tow the audi, and laughing as my entire day was shot, 5 hours latter i was at the dealership and I thought I might hear someone say, Im really sorry about this , but the reality was ho hum , and I had to leave it for a week, as they dont know what EPC code it is and they handed me the SABB rental car as a token of their gratitude but honestly I would have like the owner or manager to just say they were sorry instead of all the Laughter of the EPC code. It was cool everyone had a good laugh about them towing the car that could not be towed and was told how kias can go 100.000.00 miles without a hitch. Really / somehow i thought this problem might have been taken care of in the 2012 or 2013 but it is very much alive, and so that brings me to the quick fix when it happens again, and I am sure it will happen again as the laughter was to great at the Audi Dealership to ignore . WHAT IS THE EARTH TERMINAL and how often can i plan on having to EPC myself and Limp mode sounds like a blast , especially on the turnpike, in traffic and all, but this is good info and I truly thank you for it, but the LEGENDARY AUDI QUATTRO is slightly retarded from the EPC VIRUS> Now i know what the rings stand for but I am not in the right frame to say such things. Sunny Side Audi stinks
ReplyDelete