EGR Valve

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:54 am

Great news James Very Happy

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 11:03 am

woohoo, yep did the flywheel on the A6 at about 90k, it feels like the clutch slip but at the top end or under heavy torque load. the A6 one was £300 and the clutch was less than £100. Saves a big job!

Sounding like progress!

Ignition, keys and such like, hopefully that will be plainish sailing. when is this estimated to be finished?

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:52 pm

The new fuel pump may need calibrating to the ignition circuit with Vag-com but hopefully that will be all the electronic trickery required. The turbo was also decoked while it was off, but was pretty clean anyway.

Not too sure on a return date, depends a bit on whether the water pump is swapped too. I am on nights now until Sunday so am ok using my wifes car, and it's been five weeks tomorrow since it happened so I am in no hurry really. Hoping for a celebratory home-coming wash on Sunday Wink

Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:12 am

Didn't get it running yesterday Sad

Priming the fuel pump and bleeding in a totally new fuel system emptied the battery of charge, no surprise with it standing for five weeks I don't suppose. The garage are unsure whether it will run with the front off to test the new engine, as both the intercoolers and all the lights etc will be disconnected which may interfere with the engine management. Will find out later!

I would sooner hear the engine running before the front goes on, because while I'm sure the engine will be fine, if it isn't - I have a warranty on the engine, but will still be paying labour etc to have it removed Rolling Eyes

Thinking of the battery, last car I had stood up for five weeks (my Navara at the bodyshop) needed a new battery within a couple of weeks of it's return to me as the period of inactivity brought about it's demise. I bet history repeats itself .....

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:42 am

Car is all back together now, but still won't start Evil or Very Mad

It would appear to be a problem with the fuel pump which came on the engine. The pressure at the injectors is low, and when the ignition is on there is a buzzing coming from the pump which sounds like it is trying to prime the system by building up pressure in the fuel lines. It could be it needs 'calibrating' with the car's ECU as I have no idea whether this engine is from an A4 or an A6 - but according to a couple of Audi specialists locally this isn't necessary.

So today the pump from my old engine will be fitted and I will be crossing my fingers Wink

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 11:26 am

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 5:45 pm

Car is back Cool

Not driven it yet as I was working last night and they dropped it home about lunchtime. Will find out what it's like tonight, but apparently it goes as well as the old one Very Happy

Only downside is one noisy hydraulic Tappet Sad

I am unsure how much work was done to the engine prior to me getting it, but now it had at least one new cam. So it's probably safe to assume it has had one or more new Tappets too. If so then apparently it can take up to 1000 miles for them to bed in and become silent.

I will be speaking to the Engine Centre on Monday when I pay them Wink

so will inquire then. If it has a Tappet problem then I will be checking out the warranty Sad

Nice to have it back though, am looking forward to driving into work Wink

EDIT either the fuel pump that came with the engine was a duff one, or they are coded specifically to each car. As soon as my original pump was fitted it fired up straight away Very Happy

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 5:54 pm

Excellent news James Very Happy

I bet you're itching to give it a try and confirm that all is well - keep us posted with your findings.

What warranty have the Engine Centre given with the replacement lump? Not that you would hope to need it, of course.... Confused

And - dare I ask - what's the final bill going to be for this little lot? Shocked

Alan

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:02 pm

Thanks Alan Very Happy

Its 20k miles or 12 months.

Not had the final bill yet Shocked

Engine I believe was £1500 plus vat, fitting took a while with various complications such as swapping the sump and fuel pump etc. The garage are very fair so I know the bill will be fair which is all I can expect. I'll let you know Wink

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 6:21 pm

Real pleased for you James Very Happy

Enjoy your test drive mate thumbright

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 7:58 pm

Great news James, hope everything goes well and the Tappet quietens down, hope the bill isn't too harsh after everyhting you have been through.

Good news though Wink

Si.

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:57 pm

Good news. Glad to see you've got your wheels back. Remember to take it easy on the frosty mornings! Very Happy

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 10:50 pm

Nice one Mate Cool

Hope the noise quietens down and you can settle back to confident motoring again Wink

Could you not ask the garage for an account? ie monthly/weekly payments? might help break the initial cost down?

Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:53 pm

Ok have done a few trips in the car now, pretty happy but for a couple of issues:

1. Noisy Tappet; the engine had four new cams but nothing was done to the Tappets. Apparently it has been stood for a while and will take a few miles for the Tappets to settle. Time will tell here, but fingers crossed.

2. Cold Starting: Not good Sad

So going to fit the glowplugs from my old engine which will hopefully sort it.

3. Engine Fan: Seems a law unto itself Confused

4. DIS Fuel readings; reading low 20's Shocked

- Too early to tell if this is an accurate figure, hopefully it is just the DIS misreading. Anyone know if these need to be calibrated after new fuel pump etc ...?

Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:40 pm

A week down the line and a few issues have been resolved Very Happy

The Tappet is 90% quieter. Engine fan sorted, was a broken wire. The biggest change came from fitting the glow plugs and injectors from my original engine. Since then the cold starting is transformed and the engine runs much smoother and quieter.

It is however quite sluggish and still pretty thirsty averaging 25mpg according to the DIS. It is booked in on Thursday at an Audi specialist for a full VAG-com check-up and to have the fuel timing set to the camshafts, which I am assured will transform it.

My fingers are still crossed Shocked

Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:39 am

Fingers crossed for you too James... All that time and money and still not quite right Mad

Let's hope your local specialist knows his stuff and can get it sorted. Keep us posted,
Alan Very Happy

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:10 pm

WTF?

Driving into work this morning at 0630 am and the car starts to lose power, and although it sounds ok refuses to rev above 2500 rpm. I limp into work (again) and turn it off. Try to restart and I just get a nasty knocking from the engine. So i ring the RAC and go through the whole palava about trying to arrange recovery, them sending the wrong truck etc etc and it gets recovered to my garage.

They had a quick look this afternoon and it appears the idler pulley on the timing belt has fallen off!! Evil or Very Mad

Hence engine is mostly likely chewed itself to pieces. Again. Second time in about six weeks! I mean WTF?!

It is of course still under warranty, so I spoke to the Cardiff Engine Centre prior to the car actually being recovered and he wanted me to take it straight there but i refused. I want my local garage to look at it and establish the facts first. My worry is this: the Engine Centre will doubtlessly want the engine returned to them for any work, but given that first impressions at least they can't be trusted to tighten the timing pulley I am pretty reluctant to trust them with my car at all!

Will find out more tomorrow I guess.

Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:48 pm

Can't believe this, really feeling for you James.
After the new fitment I'd thought you cracked it
and now this....
Shocked

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:34 am

Words fail me Sad

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:01 pm

Ok after a car free day yesterday (I needed time out Sad

) I spoke to Cardiff today. They 'suspect' that the bolt for the idler pulley has broken. They said it was replaced with a new one but he states that he has seen a few do it lately, and I think I have heard of these issues before ...?

Anyway I don't really have much choice but to give them the benefit of the doubt on this. If I could prove that it failed due to their incompetence then I would refuse to let them do the warranty work and would pursue my costs through the small claims court. The car is being collected tomorrow, and I have told them in no uncertain terms the condition my car is in and what will happen if it doesn't return that way!

He said it may be ready Tuesday Shocked

But I can't see it myself and told him to take his time and do it properly this time. I told him I wasn't impressed with the current engine due to the oil pressure concerns, and nor did I want the old engine back due to the outstanding broken valve gear lost in the oilways.....

So we will see Wink

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:13 pm

i will get details of my case for you James, but the idler collapsed in mine, not sure if it was the bolts themselves but i wil check tomorrow for you..

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:16 pm

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:51 pm

Jesus Christ, did you pi55 on a gypsy recently!

This is awful James, i do hope Cardiff sort this out for you, i know it's of no great consequence but at least it is covered under their warrenty, after all this waiting this goes and happens, really feel for you buddy, hope this sorts itself quickly and you are right to let Cardiff sort the damage out, if it all goes to pot again you will have a case against them, if you had let someone else do the work it would complicate matters down the line.

Finger crossed for ya pal.

Si. Wink

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:25 pm

The car was collected by two polish blokes on the back of a Transit Shocked

Must have been well overweight.

Diagnosis is the bolt on the idler pulley had broken. Apparently it will be ready tomorrow and returned on Thursday, thats all I know for now.

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:29 pm

Fingers crossed. Been through this with the Landy. Cambelt broke, had idler belt, tensioner, all 8 pushrods done at great cost. Then 2 weeks later the belt snapped due to a counterfeit part :S Its incredibly frustrating as you know but chin up.

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:35 pm

Glad it's not just me then ...... Rolling Eyes

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:26 am

Can't believe this has happened again! Shock

Had the idler pulley bearing collapse on my 80 Avant at 170k. Luckily the garage spotted it when it was in for the timing belt replacement. It was close to shearing off.

Keep us posted. You're due a run of good-luck in 2009 considering the hassle you've had.

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:18 pm

Yeh roll on 2009 ..... lol

The bolt has been drilled out and the cams and followers replaced and the car is now running sweet apparently. There is an issue with the engine reving, in that it seems to hesitate when you rev it from tickover. It's only momentary but is quite noticeable. This is the primary reason I had it booked in for the full VAG-com tune to set the fuel pump timing before the bolt broke again.

However the Engine Centre have said they suspect it is a worn turbo ..? Does this ring true for anyone? My experience of blown turbo's is that they either work or not, there's not really any 'wear' issues. My local garage have said they think it is fuel pump timing and not the turbo. So again I have conflicting advice! The Engine Centre are currently testing the heads, and if that doesn't shed any light they are going to conclude the turbo is on it's way out. If so, they say they have another turbo they will try.

I am quite keen to get the car back as if there is a turbo fault I would sooner investigate and sort it myself. Will see what tomorrow brings, but they are implying the car will be ready for collection on Mon/Tue. Means I have to go to Cardiff which is a bit of a pain, but on the plus side I will get to see the car at their premises so can discuss any issues directly.

Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:26 pm

Hi,

Awful story, hope it gets sorted ASAP and permanently. The problem doesn't sound (to me anyway) like a turbo issue, At idle the turbo is unlikely to be spinning and it takes longer than a hesitation to get it moving, could be fueling or the cam timing is out. Worth asking the question as they have been working on the cams, etc.

Pete

Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:03 pm

Getting right f***ed off now Sad

Was hoping to go to Cardiff today to pick the car up ready for Christmas. It has had a full VAG-com scan and all fault codes eliminated. Both the heads have been checked and the fuel pump and cam timing all set, but it's still not running right.

The chap from the Engine Centre has been very helpful and still thinks it is probably a problem with the wastegate on the turbo, but the specialist he has been using with the VAG-com has put a stethoscope onto the fuel pump and reports that sounds noisy. Both are well known issues with this engine.

My argument has always been "Well it was alright before" which it was, as my last engine was a cracker and went really well. However as has been pointed out to me often when things are changed it can have a detrimental effect on other things, which I can begrudging accept. In fairness to the Engine Centre I feel they are making every effort to sort the problem, but they are obviously pretty stumped which is why it's taking so long.

Apparently there is a chance it may be back next week, but realistically I have prepared myself for it being into the New Year now.