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Root Cause of Software Problems Known?

1.6K views 18 replies 6 participants last post by  Atlant  
#1 ·
Hey. Hoping this finds people well. Did VW ever release information about what the actual root cause of all of the software and electrical system malfunctions is?
 
#6 ·
Recently it is the screen going blank
This can be caused by a weak 12v battery. Mine has gone bad at 2 years old twice now and causes a variety of strange things including a blank screen, without giving any 12v low messages even as it drops to 11.5v. The trick is to test it under load while disconnected from the car.
the tire pressure sensors appear to be overactive
Have you reset the TPMS under Vehicle-Tires? You need to do this anytime you change the pressure more than a few psi.
BTW does anyone else have incredibly squeaky brakes?
Mine have always been completely quiet, so they must have changed something about them. Or my semi-desert dry climate avoids the problem.
 
#7 ·
This can be caused by a weak 12v battery. Mine has gone bad at 2 years old twice now and causes a variety of strange things including a blank screen, without giving any 12v low messages even as it drops to 11.5v. The trick is to test it under load while disconnected from the car.

Have you reset the TPMS under Vehicle-Tires? You need to do this anytime you change the pressure more than a few psi.

Mine have always been completely quiet, so they must have changed something about them. Or my semi-desert dry climate avoids the problem.
Ugh. Back again. Never. Buy. A. Car. In. Illinois. Ever. We would have qualified for VW’s own buyback program in so many states- but VW is taking advantage of our lemon laws in Illinois. Honestly, I am starting to think this is another dieselgate (‘tainment gate?) and that ODIS is just not logging all the electrical/software errors anymore. I recently had wrong-way windows, stuck charger, failure to sense me in the seat, battery overheating… I caught a bunch of it on video and have timestamps, and they can’t find anything in the ODIS logs.
 
#8 · (Edited)
We have something like 16 - 20 service visits since July of 2023 now … we reported the blackout screen before it was formally acknowledged in recall .. we are still getting infotainment resets while driving and a slew of other things. We asked VW to share the ODIS logs with us and were informed that they are confidential - never shared with clients. What a shady business.

I have a theory. After much observation… I think many of the issues are linked to a faulty processor in or associated with the infotainment system. And I think VW may be deliberately not logging them.

Two dealerships have sworn for ages now that they cannot find the error messages related to the problems we report - even the original 919A stuff. We have dozens of videos now, too. And it is a safety hazard that I need to keep trying to capture this stuff on video. Something is super fishy and I am so exhausted by this whole thing.
 
#10 ·
I have a theory. After much observation… I think many of the issues are linked to a faulty processor in or associated with the infotainment system. And I think VW may be deliberately not logging them.
Then again…

Let's hypothesize a crashing processor. Maybe it's crashing because the processor fails, maybe it's crashing 'cause the memory fails, doesn't really matter.

The processor just crashed. It can log that it crashed and it might be able to log the proximate cause of the crash if it's something obvious like a memory parity/uncorrectable ECC error or a memory protection violation, but that's nothing like the sort of data you're expecting (saying that some subsystem in the car failed). I suppose the processor could write out a full memory dump and someone/something somewhere could analyze it, but it's a car, not a stock exchange and no one's going to invest the time, effort, and money to do that for every computer failure.

I think I agree that all of your problems may point to bad computer hardware but if that's the case, please don't expect detailed logs of why, e.g., the seat occupancy detector stopped working.
 
#12 ·
The first accessory I’d add to a BEV that uses a lead acid LVB, especially one experiencing anomalies, is a 12V battery monitor, and I’d pay a little extra for the BM300-Pro for its Bluetooth 5.3.

I personally would also carry a jump start pack large enough to be a Good Samaritan for most ICE vehicles like the NOCO GBX45 I carry today. Keep it where you can reach it in the passenger compartment because the tailgate might not open with a dead LVB. Know how to get into the car with the physical key.

I preemptively replace ICE batteries every five years. If I were leasing a BEV, I’d try to have it replaced free under warranty, ensuring the service department load tests it disconnected from the vehicle. If I owned it, I might do the same or if I felt it critical I might just replace it with an AGM or preemptively replace a less expensive battery every 2-3 years. YMMV.
 
#14 ·
The first accessory I’d add to a BEV that uses a lead acid LVB, especially one experiencing anomalies, is a 12V battery monitor, and I’d pay a little extra for the BM300-Pro for its Bluetooth 5.3.

I personally would also carry a jump start pack large enough to be a Good Samaritan for most ICE vehicles like the NOCO GBX45 I carry today. Keep it where you can reach it in the passenger compartment because the tailgate might not open with a dead LVB. Know how to get into the car with the physical key.

I preemptively replace ICE batteries every five years. If I were leasing a BEV, I’d try to have it replaced free under warranty, ensuring the service department load tests it disconnected from the vehicle. If I owned it, I might do the same or if I felt it critical I might just replace it with an AGM or preemptively replace a less expensive battery every 2-3 years. YMMV.
Helpful tips! Thank you! Have always wondered how to be a good samaritan with my BEV, too !
 
#16 ·
Here is a recent DTC log from my car scanner when everything was working fine. Note it shows some at Odometer: 1048574 km so it clearly is buggy since I was at only around 53000 km. Predicting errors in the future?

Code:
DTC report
Connection profile: Volkswagen EV MEB: ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.6, ID.7, ID.Buzz, Enyaq, Elroq, Q4 E-tron, Q6 e-tron, Cupra Born, Cupra Tavascan, Porsche Macan EV, etc.; Ford Explorer EV, Capri EVDate: 7/16/2025 2:28:33 PM
============================
OBD-IIOBD-II
DTCs: 1
----------------------------
524112 [0x07FF50] Archive (inactive)
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
============================
19. CAN Gateway19. CAN Gateway
DTCs: 20
----------------------------
1049259 [0x1002AB]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 4
Odometer: 50369 km
Date, time: 2025.05.18 14:27:47
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
2502759 [0x263067] Archive (inactive)
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 4
Odometer: 50369 km
Date, time: 2025.05.18 14:27:40
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
8397569 [0x802301]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 5
Frequency: 7
Unlearning index: 36
Odometer: 1048574 km
Date, time: 2025.05.30 14:28:35
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
8471814 [0x814506]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 255
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 47776 km
Date, time: 2025.03.09 21:59:33
Status: Test failed (current drive cycle), Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
8540417 [0x825101]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 4
Odometer: 50368 km
Date, time: 2025.05.18 14:27:21
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
7467521 [0x71F201]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 47776 km
Date, time: 2025.03.09 21:40:11
Status: Test failed, Test failed (current drive cycle), Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
7467522 [0x71F202]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 47776 km
Date, time: 2025.03.09 21:40:11
Status: Test failed, Test failed (current drive cycle), Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
8491266 [0x819102]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 1
Frequency: 255
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 47781 km
Date, time: 2025.03.10 19:30:29
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
219136 [0x035800]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 5
Frequency: 11
Unlearning index: 255
Odometer: 47781 km
Date, time: 2025.03.11 15:02:20
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
219139 [0x035803]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 5
Frequency: 30
Unlearning index: 255
Odometer: 48838 km
Date, time: 2025.04.12 14:02:45
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
9371914 [0x8F010A]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 255
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 47776 km
Date, time: 2025.03.09 21:42:58
Status: Test failed (current drive cycle), Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
8515600 [0x81F010]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 3
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 36
Odometer: 52444 km
Date, time: 2025.07.11 20:16:02
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
12400 [0x003070]
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
2244723 [0x224073] Archive (inactive)
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 4
Unlearning index: 36
Odometer: 49415 km
Date, time: 2025.04.28 11:41:17
Status: Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
2240769 [0x223101]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 2
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 47776 km
Date, time: 2025.03.09 21:40:14
Status: Test failed, Test failed (current drive cycle), Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
8516881 [0x81F511]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 2
Unlearning index: 36
Odometer: 51741 km
Date, time: 2025.06.20 00:53:15
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
8516896 [0x81F520]
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
8516869 [0x81F505]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 84
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 48404 km
Date, time: 2025.03.26 17:29:52
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
8516866 [0x81F502]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 36
Odometer: 52444 km
Date, time: 2025.07.11 20:16:02
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
8398626 [0x802722]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 4
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 11
Odometer: 50890 km
Date, time: 2025.05.31 16:22:47
Status: Pending, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
============================
09. Onboard supply control unit09. Onboard supply control unit
DTCs: 1
----------------------------
15401472 [0xEB0200]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 3
Frequency: 6
Unlearning index: 26
Odometer: 48568 km
Date, time: 2025.03.29 16:10:47
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
============================
03. ABS control unit
No DTC found.
============================
04. Power steering
No DTC found.
============================
05. Authorization system for access and starting the engine
No DTC found.
============================
06. Front passenger seat
No DTC found.
============================
08. Heater and climate08. Heater and climate
DTCs: 1
----------------------------
524112 [0x07FF50] Archive (inactive)
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
============================
15. SRS
No DTC found.
============================
16. Steering column
No DTC found.
============================
23. Increased braking force
No DTC found.
============================
2B. Steering column lock (UDS)
No DTC found.
============================
36. Driver seat adjustment
No DTC found.
============================
42. Driver door electronic equipment
No DTC found.
============================
44. Power steering
No DTC found.
============================
52. Front passenger door electronics
No DTC found.
============================
5F. Electronic Information System 15F. Electronic Information System 1
DTCs: 1
----------------------------
04112 [0x001010] Archive (inactive)
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear
============================
69. Trailer functions
No DTC found.
============================
6D. Tailgate/Boot lid
No DTC found.
============================
75. Emergency Call and Communication Module75. Emergency Call and Communication Module
DTCs: 1
----------------------------
1375744 [0x14FE00]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 1
Frequency: 255
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 1048574 km
Date, time: 2025.06.27 13:33:14
Status: Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear
============================
BB. Rear door behind driver (UDS)
No DTC found.
============================
BC. Rear door behind passenger (UDS)
No DTC found.
============================
C0. Actuator for exterior noise (UDS)
No DTC found.
============================
C6. High-voltage battery charger (UDS)C6. High-voltage battery charger (UDS)
DTCs: 3
----------------------------
1055489 [0x101B01] Archive (inactive)
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear
----------------------------
3280899 [0x321003]
Status bits: 1
Priority: 6
Frequency: 1
Unlearning index: 40
Odometer: 48055 km
Date, time: 2025.03.15 12:50:46
Status: Test failed, Pending, Confirmed, Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
----------------------------
14750981 [0xE11505] Archive (inactive)
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
============================
01. Engine (EVO/29bit)01. Engine (EVO/29bit)
DTCs: 1
----------------------------
17182 [0x00431E] Archive (inactive)
P0798 Pressure regulator 3: malfunction in an electric chain; Pressure control valve 3 electrical fault in the circuit
Status: Test failed since last DTC clear, Test not completed during this operation cycle
============================
0051. Electro-engine (29 bit)
No DTC found.
============================
008C. Battery management system (29 bit)
No DTC found.
============================
CA. Sunroof control module (29 bit)
No DTC found.
============================
CE. Electric drive 2 (29 bit)
No DTC found.
============================
D6. Headlight control left 2 (29 bit)
No DTC found.
============================
D7. Headlight control right 2 (29 bit)
No DTC found.
============================
8105. DC Charger (29 bit)
No DTC found.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Thanks for sharing — this really illustrates for me how chatty these systems can be. I asked GPT to help me make sense of the content, and here’s the gist:
  • Most of the codes are CAN Gateway chatter (modules briefly losing touch, often from small 12V voltage dips).
  • The SOS/eCall module shows an ongoing, high-frequency fault — a known weak spot on the ID.4.
  • The onboard supply control unit has some confirmed errors, usually tied to 12V stability.
  • The high-voltage charger logged a confirmed hiccup, worth watching if charging issues crop up.
  • The generic “engine” fault (P0798) is just a false translation artifact in EVs.
  • The 1,048,574 km odometer entries are a diagnostic bug, not real mileage.
GPT emphasized not to read these as predictive of failure - you noted that everything is fine —and I know perfectly functioning systems can still throw this kind of noise. But the scan does highlight how sensitive the platform is to 12V health, and how often the eCall module shows up as a weak spot.

Does this square with what you were expecting or interpreting from the scan?

..
I work on software for a living- so I understand the need for chatty logging systems - they are ideal. I wonder how these would compare to other cars’ logging systems - are all logging systems this chatty with errors that actually do correspond to real weak spots in the vehicles’ designs?
 
#18 · (Edited)
Does this square with what you were expecting/interpreting from the scan?
Yes. I especially agree about 12v stability being a major problem causing many/most errors that we see. I have a Bluetooth monitor on my 12v battery recording voltage at all times and have documented in threads here the large number of problems it causes as it drops to 11.5v before it wakes up and recharges it. Mostly when cold <10F. It gets abused by these drops and if yours is >2 years old I would suspect it causing your screen blanking problems as I mentioned way back in post #6 here. Warning: dealers are no good at testing the 12v properly. Edit: and the car will have these strange problems without ever putting up a 12v low warning.