In December 2018, I bought my 2016 VW GTI. About a year ago, the EPC light would come on, and I would lose cruise control. But when I stopped the car and restarted it, the light would go away. After several instances of this warning light, I began buying premium gasoline, and the problem seemed to go away for awhile.
A few months ago, the EPC light came on again and then all the warning lights came on and off and off and then off, and I immediately drove it home. A couple of days later, the battery was completely dead, and I replaced it. Everything seemed fine for awhile, but then about a month ago, the EPC light kept coming back on no matter if I was moving or at a complete stop.
Today, when I started my car, the EPC light came on first and then an engine malfunction red light came on, telling me not to drive it. I turned off the engine and restarted my car, and everything was fine.
My understanding of the EPC warning light is that it could mean a number of things so it’s not all that helpful.
I’ve asked the dealership to look at it, but because they can’t replicate it right then and there, they have no idea. I suspect there’s something that’s causing the electrical system to freak out and then “reset” when I turn off the engine.
Is this something I need to be concerned about if everything goes away after I turn the car off and on again? If so, how do I go about getting this fixed, if it can’t be replicated on demand?