00561 Mixture Control / Fuel Trim Adaptation - System too Lean or Rich
The engine is running with too much air for the fuel it is getting. An unmetered air leak downstream of the airflow sensor is the usual cause.
Can you drive it? The engine light will stay on and the car may run in a reduced-power mode. Read the freeze-frame data to see the conditions the fault was logged under.
The definition
00561: Mixture Control / Fuel Trim Adaptation - System too Lean or Rich.
What to check first
Cheapest and fastest checks first:
- Find the air leak first. Check the intake boots, the PCV system, the dipstick seal and the oil filler cap before replacing any sensor.
- Smoke-test the intake if you can - it finds in minutes what guessing takes weeks to.
- Only then look at fuel delivery and the airflow sensor.
Reading the code is the easy part
A code names the circuit that complained. What tells you why is watching the sensor behind it while the engine runs — and that is where a code reader stops and a diagnostic tool starts.
VAGPULSE reads every module in a VW, Audi, Skoda or SEAT — not just the engine — shows the live measuring blocks behind this fault, gives you the freeze-frame conditions it was logged under, and clears it once you have fixed it. It also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: service resets, coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing with your original file saved first.
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Prefer to work on your phone? The VAGPULSE Android app is a free download and its demo mode runs against a sample car with no hardware at all, so you can see exactly what it reads before spending anything. Reading your car with it needs the VAGPULSE cable, which comes with the licence.
Common questions
What does 00561 mean?
00561 means Mixture Control / Fuel Trim Adaptation - System too Lean or Rich. The engine is running with too much air for the fuel it is getting. An unmetered air leak downstream of the airflow sensor is the usual cause.
Can I drive with 00561?
The engine light will stay on and the car may run in a reduced-power mode. Read the freeze-frame data to see the conditions the fault was logged under.