Batvanio wrote:
> I haven't driven my 2004 Passat (4 -cylinder 1.8 turbo engine) for
> about a week, and today when I started it, the Check Engine
> (Malfunction Indicato) came on and after a few seconds the engine
> started shaking. The light flashes for about a minute or so, and then
> stays on. The car can still be driven but has no power (feels like it
> runs or 3 cylinders). Has anyone experienced this? Any suggestions?

I don't know too much about working on cars, so my guesses may or may
not be accurate to what's going on. Perhaps the turbocharger is
malfunctioning. Perhaps The spark plugs could need replacement.. There
are probably other things that I'm not thinking of.

I've found that it's very handy to have an OBD2 (On-Board Diagnostics
version 2) code reader. When your car's "check engine" light comes on,
you can plug the OBD2 code reader into your car's OBD2 port (on the
driver's side, usually beneath the steering wheel on the left) and have
the code reader read error codes from your car's computer. You can then
look up those error codes online to see what they mean, at a site such
as this:
http://www.obd-codes.com
Often, the error codes will just report a symptom (for example, fuel
mixture too lean), but that can at least point you in the right
direction for getting your car fixed.

OBD2 code readers are relatively cheap (hand-held ones usually cost up
to $40 or $50). For example:
http://www.amazon.com/Autel-MaxiScan...63512&sr= 8-1

Eric