a4 CEL

[thejimrose]

as said the ecu monitors a million variables. many not emissions related.
from fuel pressure to spark conditions to o2 sensors to MAF's. a scantool
will give you codes, and i always recommend a pre-purchase inspection by a
specialist.

also consider that there should be no mystery to why the cel is on ["the
light will not go away"] - that to me stinks of inattentive owners and
incompetent mechanics. they can't figure out why the light stays on? the car
will TELL THEM what's wrong.

i would bet it's either an o2 sensor or a MAF sensor. the good news is that
90% Of the cel codes are easilly remedied. beware the flashing abs or airbag
lights. THOSE are a pita. i would make sure whoever connects the scantool
tries to communicate with the abs and airbag computers. inability to connect
means they're F'd and the dash idiot lights could have been disabled [they
should all flash at startup].

also have the front end looked at - the control arms are failure prone on
these cars.

gl,
jim

I have been in the market for a 96-99 2.8L A4 for the past few weeks. Have
> called quite a few of the ads in my area (seattle) and it seems like every
> other car has a check engine light that will not go away. WTF is up with
> that? Usually, that is some emission control BS - O2 sensors or EGR - all
> of
> that garbage is dealer-only and will run $1-2k to fix... What I am
> wondering
> is why are these problems so common on these cars?
>
>