P2181 code, recurring Cooling system problem with check engine light

WILFREDOKANY

MEMBER
2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
2.0L
4 CYL
TURBO
FWD
AUTOMATIC
122,449 MILES

Vehicle is 2008 passat komfort with a 2.0TSI engine. Problem started with unidentifiable coolant leaks, stuttering engine after about 3 weeks of constantly topping up coolant, hard starting and then huge amount of white smoke on a particular morning Which fizzled away after after about 3hrs, for which I have changed some parts including
1:water pump
2: coolant temperature switch
3: radiator
4: water connector plastic to engine block.
Currently, car drives well but still has the check engine light showing.
I'm wondering if the head gasket has been the problem all along because the car was driven over 500 miles and temperature light was blinking but the driver didn't know what it meant. This was before I started noticing the coolant leaks.
Please I need your advice and also want to know how I can make donations with a master card. Thank you.

2 Replies

MHPAUTOS

MECHANIC
31,937 POSTS

First thing to do is get a scan done to read the fault codes, the check engine light is an indication that faults have be logged, with a petrol engine, you can get a head check done, this is a simple chemical test of the cooling system gasses to see if Co is present, if so a head problem will be indicated, start here. A cooling system pressure test will help locate any external coolant leaks as well.