004120 - Intake Manifold Runner - need TPI 2016504

**mgcgill** · 23-08-2010,06:25 PM

Hi,

Try these from ElsaWin

M

**TheMatador** · 23-08-2010,08:22 PM

Brilliant - thank you

This explains a lot. The light comes on then goes off for a bit. The ball joints don't look worn out (I guess I should also eliminate stiffness) but its looking like either an E-regulator problem or a dodgy connection...

**a8 tech** · 23-08-2010,09:58 PM

replace the manifold and the motor

**TheMatador** · 24-08-2010,08:30 AM

Why? - there's nothing wrong with the car. Its running perfectly, fuel economy is normal - got 41.4mpg into work this morning. Doesn't look like a mechanical fault to me - looks like a sensor problem and I don't fancy spending £1200 to replace a £1 electrical component....

**TheMatador** · 12-10-2010,09:01 AM

Ok, had both manifolds changed out in the end. There was play in both so I figured the other would go in the not too distant future. Replacement parts had a different design on the linkage so hopefully this won't wear out so fast.

**wjam** · 08-01-2011,12:32 PM

I still can't believe the "advice" on these forums is to spend a load of money on something that shouldn't break so readily. This is a faulty design in my mind (along with the faulty IMV valves that Audi charge a whole high pressure pump for at 1200 quid). Criminal!

I just WD40'd mine and it works again although no doubt will throw another code in a while.

How come the manifolds need changing? Surely this is repairable? I mean a plastic housing a shaft and 3 flaps.... come on guys

If it is not repairable I will disconnect the rods and fix them in the open position. Is that what the unoccupied bracket is for ;-)

WJAM

**TheMatador** · 09-01-2011,10:59 PM

It is annoying - I changed them to get rid of the blasted MIL light. The linkage rods on both sides were very worn where they attach to the VDO positioner and the lower end on the valve actuator - nothing WD40 would fix unfortunately. It cost me £1200 all in for both sides including parts and labour. With a good mechanic you could do it for less - only took about 3 hours!

The alternative is to get hold of a VAS 6395A and recalibrate the positioner to accept a bigger range. It does a range check when you turn the ignition and if it doesn't find the closed position at 16% and the open limit at 85% (I think - or vice versa depending on the side perhaps) it throws an error to the main ECU and fails back to the open position.

If you could recalibrate that to 15% and 86% say that would sort it.

I dare say you don't even need VAS 6395 if you know what you're doing as all you're telling the positioner is how to interpret a 4-20mA signal from the ECU - i.e what position = 4mA and what =20mA and hence everything in between. There's probably other devices that will do it, you just need to know which ones and finding that out was going to take me a while

**wjam** · 10-01-2011,09:24 AM

I'd like to remove the whole damn lot. I still haven'y figured out how the BMW people don't have a MIL light..

Or perhaps with the motor disconnected from the flaps it will work OK.. and the problem is actually binding as opposed to slack.

How does the car know there is free play?

There is no sensor on the manifold.. just in the motor housing.. Therefore I assume it starts to draw excessive current and gives the 88% duty cycle error. If you had a lot of free play I'd imagine there would be sudden tight spots as it rotated causing over current momentarily

It should have no idea where the flap is in reality. Maybe if they are disconnected (And fixed in the opne position) the motor will whirr away to it's hearts content doing nothing :-) but thinking it has a purpose.

WJAM

**wjam** · 27-01-2011,11:31 AM

I found some info on a German forum
http://www.motor-talk.de/forum/abgas...-t2026011.html

To cut a long story short... and assuming you don't have gunked up flaps (i.e. they move freely) and the motor unit is working the whole issue is related to the wear on the connecting rod.

I had never actually removed the rod (and I have a spare), so i decided to take out the old rod and put in the spare. MIL light went out immediately and on VCDS the requested duty cycle and actual are now closely matched. We'll see if it lasts.

BUT

One German guy cut the rod in 2 and made a bracket to rejoin it (drilled a couple of holes in each half I think and joined it up). I assume , although not entirely clear from the post, that he drilled slots to adjust out the wear on the ball joints.

This to me is how the piece should be from the start. With 2 threaded ends and a linkage that would rotate to adjust (with lock nuts)

Ross Tech told me the error limit is 2% which is mighty close considering it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference if the flaps were 10% out, so one can only conclude that it 's a profiteering scam... Oh and the linkage is not available from Audi as a part.. just to back up the scam idea.

cheers

WJAM

**Skullcrusher** · 20-05-2011,10:07 PM

I`m sorry to bother you guys, but can i ask what age and milage you all had when this happened? And can anyone explain how it wears this quickly? I`ve got a April 2009 2.7TDI A6 Avant (yes; 1 Month out of warranty....) with only 41912Km (= roughly 26000Miles) on the counter. Which gave me this stupid error. Went to 3 garages, only, to find the connector rod came of the 1st cilinderbank manifold runner. Pushed it back in, I can´t feel any wear but I´m really annoyed with it.

Thanks,

Skullcrusher