Volkswagen Repair: 98 passat engine light-2.8l V6 VW passat, obd ii, head gasket

Question
Hi,

My engine light is on I went to go get a diagnostic test don on it, but it said that the OBD II has a bad connection. I had the computer check and it pass the test and was not giving a bad code(mechanic talk and over my head) I tried telling the mechanic that I am smelling burning oil through my vents, but he said it was nothing to make the engine light come on. I asked a question to someone else and they said it could be a leak near the gasket or something or a (clogged breather???). I am looking for some one to narrow the problem and tell me about how much it will cost, because i will be going to a new mechanic and don't want to get ripped off.

Than you

Answer
Fred,
 Unless you have a bad ECU (unlikely) I would get it scanned again by a different shop.  Ask for the code(s) found.  You can look them up yourself at www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes.  If it is a volkswagen specific code, go to www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/volkswagen/.  Then you will have more knowledge about what fix the shop might be trying to sell you.

As far as the burning oil smell, you may have a leaky head gasket in the engine compartment, hard to say.  You may want to be sure it actually an "oil" smell; other possibilities are burning electrics and anti-freeze leaking into the heater core.

Rick