2003 Jetta 1.8 GLS MIL indicator

the MIL indicator came on a couple of days ago. It’s not blinking so I don’t believe it’s the cat converter. However, I’m not sure what would cause the light to go on.

I have less than 55K miles on it and have followed the scheduled mtc. Any ideas on what could cause the MIL to turn on?

There are a great number of things that will turn on the light ranging from a loose gas cap, lost compression, contaminated MAP sensor, and many more. Go get the codes read and search the code online or post here for more help. Some autoparts places will read the codes for free. I’ve also read that some may loan scanners out.

Autozone pulled the following code: P2181. Low engine coolant, failed radiator or water pump or ECT sensor are the probable causes.

I checked the coolant level and it’s within the thresholds in the manual. Any idea on how expensive the causes may be to fix

One possibility is a stuck open thermostat.

Is the temp gauge running where it normally does?

Open loop operation runs rich until engine warms up & the ECT closes.

Closed loop happens when the engine temp hits approx 140 degrees & the ECT signals for the computer to fine tune engine operation.

As rripstop mentioned do a search on the code