# 2001 VW Passat check engine light



## Starla2001 (Jan 18, 2018)

I am a new diy mechanic... The check engine light is on. Sometimes it flashes and sometimes it goes away. The diagnostic says that it is a cylinder misfire and the cylinder that is misfiring changes with each diagnostic but at some point each one has misfired. I have replaced the spark plugs twice and the wires twice and the light (and hearing/feeling it misfiring) stops for a few months but then starts up again. Any ideas what this could be? Have you experienced this before?


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

*Check cam chain tensioner*

It sounds like you have a bad cam chain tensioner. When I bought my 2002 Passat it had 206k miles on it and a nice check engine light that was on steady, but would flash under hard acceleration. One of the cam chain tensioners was worn, not putting enough pressure on the chain, causing it to slip. Have this checked out ASAP, as it could cause valve damage if it gets bad enough. 

- Jeremy.


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