Volkswagen: Passat v6 backfire problem, vacuum hoses, oxygen sensor

Question
I have a Passat from 2000. It has a v6 engine and a manual transmission. I have a backfire problem and the  engine warning light flashes from time to time. This happens a quite a lot, expecialy in high gear. And also it has lost a bit of its power. When I start the car it also says to check the emissions. I would be very grateful if you could tell me what might cause this.

Regards,

Bogdan.

Answer
Hi Bogdan,

Three apparent items come to my mind:

1) A clogged air filter
2) Bad spark plugs
3) A bad Oxygen sensor


Try replacing these items in the order above, and you should be OK.   Also, double check all the vacuum hoses and make sure nothing has come loose.

Good Luck

Ron