Lower inlet manafold replaceent - eeek

[Andrew]

Hi Everyone

Thanks so much for the really quick responses, really appreciate it. It seems the cost quote was a bit of Chinese whispers from my mum - the car is in Dublin and I'm in London so she had spoke to the mechanic before me and got a bit muddled up. Look like the lower manifold is E554.00, so plus labour comes to about E1000 in total. He also said about getting the gasket (upper to lower), but I'll mention about the misfires and the injectors. My biggest issue now is getting a manifold. Audi Ireland won't give him the part number and say it will take 10 working days to get a manifold, which leaves me without a car over Christmas (i'm going to Dublin for Christmas on Thursday). I've spoken with TPS (courtesy of Peter Norris Audi) and they have said 5-7 business days (though it is cheaper here - E371.26 plus vat). Might any of you know where I could try to source one at short notice?

Cheers

Paul

Good Morning,

Glad to see the costs are falling more into line with expected.

To reiterate my earlier point. You will probably find the car quite usable over the Xmas period and no desperate rush to sort anything. (I drove my FSI for 3 years with non functioning flaps, as other members have on here.). Is it not a case of your mother panicking over the EML appearing? Can you not ask someone to verify usability with a test drive?

Strange behaviour of Ireland Audi not give the part number of the manifold, it's no secret and I am befuddled that the mechanic could not simply look it up. It is item 2 on ...

https://audi.7zap.com/en/rdw/audi+a2/a2/2003-248/1/133-133005/

The TPS quote is in line but maybe worth asking Crewe Audi on the forum here for a quote, you might shave a few pounds off.

My advice is not to be rushed into anything, and take your time to research the fault on here, there is good chance you will not need a new manifold.

If time allows I will comment further later.

Andy

 

[Nye]

Sorry to hear of your woes Paul. I've just been through this saga and it's not cheap. I needed a new manifold because the plastic lever arm that turns the rod, to which the flaps are attached, was broken, as well as the vacuum actuator rod. I found a used manifold on ebay (P.N: 036133204F by the way) which I eventually got for £99 and needed a thorough clean. I bought the gaskets (03C129717C & 036129717K, £5.09 & £5.48 - autodoc) but then decided to pay a garage to do the work, for which they estimated 3.5 hours. If it's just the vacuum actuator (036129061A) that's broken then you may get away with just replacing that, if the stuck flaps can be freed.

 

[Incredypaul]

Thanks Andrew, Nye, much appreciated. Apparently TPS Manchester have one in stock so they might be able to sort me out. I'll also ask my mechanic about driving it as it is - it may be that the car is apart and not drivable, but I'll see what he says. When I spoke with him this morning he said that the unit had broken and that when they did a further inspection they saw that the flap inside the manifold would not open properly and was seized. It also seems that although the timing belt was replaced 3 years ago, the water pump was not replaced at the same time and is leaking too (he would have expected the water pump to be done at the same time).

Paul

 

[Andrew]

Hi Paul,

If the mechanic is looking at the flaps then the intake system is disassembled and the car certainly not drivable! At this point I think you just have to go with the flow of events, purchase the TPS part and have the mechanic finish the job.

I would be interested to hear if the mechanic reporting 'unit had broken' to mean not functioning or parts physically broken (common). The flaps sticking is very common, caused by carbon build up that eventually impinges on the flaps causing seizure, and normally the root cause of FSI input manifold failures. Cleaning the manifold of carbon will free them but functionality depends on other parts working, but with this route the part is still used and a new part guarantees a long life and is it cost effective to pay for a mechanic's time to do the cleaning.

Yes, it is normal to replace coolant pump when doing timing belts.

Andy

Edit: Ask the mechanic for the old manifold as I may be interested in purchasing (dependant on answers to above questions).

 

[Incredypaul]

Hi all


Thought I'd give you an update. Managed to get the part from TPS (and gaskets) and got them to Dublin by midday yesterday. Despite asking the mechanic if he needed anything else (and having flagged the injector seals) he said no. I was therefore quite disappointed today when I got an update that they couldn't finish the job today as they need seals and can't get them until the New Year; so no car for Christmas

Thank you all so much for all your input and advice, it was absolutely invaluable!

Couple of pics of the source of my expensive and car free Christmas...I'm sure I'll learn to love her again...eventually!

Best

Paul

 

[Incredypaul]

Hi Paul,

If the mechanic is looking at the flaps then the intake system is disassembled and the car certainly not drivable! At this point I think you just have to go with the flow of events, purchase the TPS part and have the mechanic finish the job.

I would be interested to hear if the mechanic reporting 'unit had broken' to mean not functioning or parts physically broken (common). The flaps sticking is very common, caused by carbon build up that eventually impinges on the flaps causing seizure, and normally the root cause of FSI input manifold failures. Cleaning the manifold of carbon will free them but functionality depends on other parts working, but with this route the part is still used and a new part guarantees a long life and is it cost effective to pay for a mechanic's time to do the cleaning.

Yes, it is normal to replace coolant pump when doing timing belts.

Andy

Edit: Ask the mechanic for the old manifold as I may be interested in purchasing (dependant on answers to above questions).

Hi Andrew, I'll keep the manifold and let you know its condition once I know - if there are any particular questions you would like me to ask, just let me know.

Paul

 

[Andrew]

Hi Andrew, I'll keep the manifold and let you know its condition once I know - if there are any particular questions you would like me to ask, just let me know.

Paul

Hi all


Thought I'd give you an update. Managed to get the part from TPS (and gaskets) and got them to Dublin by midday yesterday. Despite asking the mechanic if he needed anything else (and having flagged the injector seals) he said no. I was therefore quite disappointed today when I got an update that they couldn't finish the job today as they need seals and can't get them until the New Year; so no car for Christmas

Thank you all so much for all your input and advice, it was absolutely invaluable!

Couple of pics of the source of my expensive and car free Christmas...I'm sure I'll learn to love her again...eventually!

Best

Paul

Thanks for posting, good to know the ending or in this case the half-time score.

What a fiasco, if the mechanic had done nothing as I said in all likelihood you would have had a usable car for Xmas and have it fixed at your leisure in the new year. After you asked the mechanic 'should I obtain new injector seals', (£35 about) with a reply of 'no' and it turns out he did is beyond words, and you left without a car over Xmas, I sympathise. I would not be 'quite disappointed' but furious and asking for keys to the courtesy car, but i expect things are a bit more laid back in Dublin.

Andy

 

[Andrew]

Hi Andrew, I'll keep the manifold and let you know its condition once I know - if there are any particular questions you would like me to ask, just let me know.

Paul

Thanks again for coming back to this. The question to ask is 'will a thorough clean put it back to rights and if anything is obviously broken?' With the track record of the mechanic I would be dubious of any answer, but in all fairness it may be possible not to tell in its seized state. Even if it is broken I am still interested for the education of dismantling it; I would of course pay the cost of postage and packing.

Andy

 

[A2Steve]

I haven't read all of this thread, but in all fairness to the mechanic, he's unlikely to know whether it's intact if it's seized open/shut. When compressing the actuator you are looking for all flaps to be moving, straight, moving at the same rate and to the full range of motion (they don't close the inlet ports off completely).

 

[Andrew]

I haven't read all of this thread, but in all fairness to the mechanic, he's unlikely to know whether it's intact if it's seized open/shut. When compressing the actuator you are looking for all flaps to be moving, straight, moving at the same rate and to the full range of motion (they don't close the inlet ports off completely).

I said that??? - Andy

 

[A2Steve]

I said that??? - Andy

Sorry Andy, as said I hadn't read the whole thread but was trying to offer some advice regarding inspection. Having removed around 10 lower inlet manifolds, it's surprising the great variance in condition.

 

[Andrew]

Hi Andrew, I'll keep the manifold and let you know its condition once I know - if there are any particular questions you would like me to ask, just let me know.

Paul

Another point struck me today. I don't know if you are aware/already considered/in hand / but with the injectors removed it is a rare opportunity to have the injectors sent away to be cleaned and tested. This is considered good practice and costs about £100 and takes 3 days but no idea if this would upset your schedule for return of the car. I have a vague memory of the injector specialist might do a deal on the seals.

Andy