Many of our customers ask us about the mysterious EPC warning light and what it means. With questions like- Is it dangerous to drive my car while the EPC warning light is on? Will it damage my car? Is it expensive to fix?
We decided to write this article to help you better understand, what the EPC warning light means and what you need to do when it illuminates on your dashboard.
Your Volkswagen or Audi or any other V.A.G cars are monitored for optimal performance by a number of sensors that send information to the cars computer management system. When an error is captured by any of these sensors, a warning will usually illuminate on the dashboard in a form of a warning light. When the EPC warning light illuminates, usually some other dashboard warning likes such as ABS, Engine Light may also illuminate.
What does the EPC Light mean?
EPC stands for Electronic Power Control and when this light illuminates, your car may start showing signs of “loss of power”. This is by design, as the cars’ computer goes into “Limp Mode (safe mode)” to try eliminate any catastrophic damage on your car. The EPC monitors and controls multiple components, therefore to understand what is the real cause of the problem, you will need your car to be scanned for error/trouble codes to pin point the exact problem with the system.
Can You Still Drive With The EPC Light On?
When the EPC warning light is on, your cars’ performance is limited. The EPC manages multiple components such as braking and steering. Sorting it out as soon as possible will not only save the engine, it can also save you from major accidents as the braking system may also be compromised. It is important that when the EPC warning light illuminates on your dashboard, you get a mechanic as soon as possible to diagnose and fix the issue as soon as possible.
To your relief i hope, in most cases, the EPC warning light will not cause damages to your car if you are driving it. However it is not recommended to drive it because it can affect your braking (ABS) and other systems,
Summary And What You Should Do Next?
- You should always get a mechanic as soon as possible and should not ignore the problem.
- If the EPC problem is not fixed as soon as possible, it may cause accidents.
- The EPC warning light won’t cause any major damage to your car.
Michanic sends highly skilled and qualified mobile mechanics to your home or office to help you with issues like these. Our mechanics have hand held diagnostic computers that they will plug into your car to assist them in identifying the exact problem. You will receive a full diagnostic report that will include the scope of additional work if required.