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VR6 Engine tech / Re: Exhaust leak on cold start
« on: November 27, 2016, 06:34:22 pm »
...and for the sake of completeness, the part number for said plug is n-011-910-4
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VR6 Engine tech / Re: Exhaust leak on cold start
« on: November 24, 2016, 04:15:37 pm »
It appears that there was indeed a plug there previously. Looks like I need to track down something called a freeze plug.
Don't just love it when guys reply to their own posts?
Don't just love it when guys reply to their own posts?
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VR6 Engine tech / Re: Exhaust leak on cold start
« on: November 24, 2016, 03:27:44 pm »
Finally found a good photo of the rear of the engine. The hole corresponds to what little I can see with a mirror and by feel.
It looks like it ties into a chamber that goes back to the kombi-valve so I think I'm the right track.
So what is this hole and why is it leaking?
It looks like it ties into a chamber that goes back to the kombi-valve so I think I'm the right track.
So what is this hole and why is it leaking?
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VR6 Engine tech / Exhaust leak on cold start
« on: November 24, 2016, 03:22:02 pm »
I noticed a horrible noise when I started my van on a recent trip. Something like a loud rumble. The noise always happens when the SAI pump comes on during a cold start although I believe I have heard it when running the van cold. Pump runs ok and isn't the source. Combi seems to be ok.
I tracked down the source and it appears to be coming from near the exhaust manifold. I can feel the rush of air but haven' taken apart all the bits to get a good look at it and it' tucked back behind the engine. It seems to be coming from the hole in the photo or another one near it. It's not coming from the exhaust header. If i cover it with my finger, the noise goes away and the engine idles normally.
At first I thought it was a bolt that fell out but this picture was taken a few years ago when I had the valve cover off. Is there a slug that might have fallen out here? Another orifice that may be the source of the leak?
I tracked down the source and it appears to be coming from near the exhaust manifold. I can feel the rush of air but haven' taken apart all the bits to get a good look at it and it' tucked back behind the engine. It seems to be coming from the hole in the photo or another one near it. It's not coming from the exhaust header. If i cover it with my finger, the noise goes away and the engine idles normally.
At first I thought it was a bolt that fell out but this picture was taken a few years ago when I had the valve cover off. Is there a slug that might have fallen out here? Another orifice that may be the source of the leak?
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VR6 Engine tech / Re: What else should I do at the same time?
« on: May 08, 2016, 07:47:35 pm »
Shop around. You can do much, much better than ECS's prices.
Check your alternator. Mine went at 115k.
You might as well replace the ball joints and tie rod ends.
All the bushings are probably shot as well.
Get some silicone hose and replace every rubber and/or cloth hose that still exists in your engine. Even the 90 degree bends.
Yellow oil filler tube. (it will snap in two)
Cam sensor seals
Cranskshaft seals
Intake gasket
Valve cover seals (the rings for the spark plug holes)
Inspect the water pump. I would just replace both of them if you're going all-out. O-rings at the very least
Coolant temp sensor
While you have them out, check the radiator fans. They have a tendency to disintegrate at 100k-120k miles.
REINZOSIL
Hi-temp paint (For the valve cover. You do want it looking fresh, Riiighhht???)
Oh, and bolts. You're gonna need bolts. Lots of bolts. VW uses the stretch variety. Don't reuse the old ones if it says 'must replace' in the Bentley.
At the very least:
Axle bolts (12 total)
Thermostat bolts (you'll probably strip them)
Ball joint bolts
Flywheel bolts (not sure about these)
There are a few more that I can't remember at the moment.
Save yourself some work. Before removing the engine, take off the valve cover and get a camera down into the lower chain area. You should be able to see the lower sprocket and (hopefully) determine if the guides are broken, the sprocket is showing signs of wear, etc. You might be able to save yourself a lot of work. I fully expected to see a black gummy mess but my engine was very clean. Full tear-down averted!
Check your alternator. Mine went at 115k.
You might as well replace the ball joints and tie rod ends.
All the bushings are probably shot as well.
Get some silicone hose and replace every rubber and/or cloth hose that still exists in your engine. Even the 90 degree bends.
Yellow oil filler tube. (it will snap in two)
Cam sensor seals
Cranskshaft seals
Intake gasket
Valve cover seals (the rings for the spark plug holes)
Inspect the water pump. I would just replace both of them if you're going all-out. O-rings at the very least
Coolant temp sensor
While you have them out, check the radiator fans. They have a tendency to disintegrate at 100k-120k miles.
REINZOSIL
Hi-temp paint (For the valve cover. You do want it looking fresh, Riiighhht???)
Oh, and bolts. You're gonna need bolts. Lots of bolts. VW uses the stretch variety. Don't reuse the old ones if it says 'must replace' in the Bentley.
At the very least:
Axle bolts (12 total)
Thermostat bolts (you'll probably strip them)
Ball joint bolts
Flywheel bolts (not sure about these)
There are a few more that I can't remember at the moment.
Save yourself some work. Before removing the engine, take off the valve cover and get a camera down into the lower chain area. You should be able to see the lower sprocket and (hopefully) determine if the guides are broken, the sprocket is showing signs of wear, etc. You might be able to save yourself a lot of work. I fully expected to see a black gummy mess but my engine was very clean. Full tear-down averted!
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Turns out it was just a fuse. #8 controls the left side markers. I somehow missed the fact that the front light was out as well. I think I missed the break in the fuse the first time I looked because of the shade of red that the plastic is made of. I'm color blind and some reds really make things hard to see. Grrr...
After a lot of digging and troubleshooting I discovered that the backlight for the cluster is also fused to the left side marker circuit. The fast flash I noticed a while back appears to be a symptom of the root cause. Something in the wiring was/is shorting and caused the bulb to appear faulty and eventually led to the blown fuse. I'll deal with that one later.
Thanks for the help. I was sorely tempted to track down a euro switch to have a nice neat fog light controller. Maybe on the next dash rip-apart session...
After a lot of digging and troubleshooting I discovered that the backlight for the cluster is also fused to the left side marker circuit. The fast flash I noticed a while back appears to be a symptom of the root cause. Something in the wiring was/is shorting and caused the bulb to appear faulty and eventually led to the blown fuse. I'll deal with that one later.
Thanks for the help. I was sorely tempted to track down a euro switch to have a nice neat fog light controller. Maybe on the next dash rip-apart session...
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Interior! / No backlight on cluster
« on: February 24, 2016, 10:11:21 am »
Started happening a month or so ago. I *think* i coincided with a fast-blink on left turn indicator but can't be sure. That problem is intermittent and comes up with temperature or moisture changes (can't tell which one yet).
All gauges appear to work correctly. Dials light up. I took the cluster out to replace what I thought was a burned out bulb but found that all the back lighting is LED. Dimmer has no effect -- no intermittent flickering or signs of life. This leads me to suspect a voltage regulator in the cluster. Anyone have a similar issue?
2002 EV
All gauges appear to work correctly. Dials light up. I took the cluster out to replace what I thought was a burned out bulb but found that all the back lighting is LED. Dimmer has no effect -- no intermittent flickering or signs of life. This leads me to suspect a voltage regulator in the cluster. Anyone have a similar issue?
2002 EV
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Rialta and other Class C based on Eurovans / Re: Rialta Ball Joint Replacement. How to?
« on: July 19, 2015, 12:06:12 pm »
Procedure is the same as a Eurovan. Look for videos on YouTube. I used a second set of stands and a steel pipe to take the load off of the upper control arm. No need to loosen the torsion bar if you go that route. The EV specific joint puller would have made the job easier but I managed with just the loaner C clamp style press from the local auto parts store. Use lots of PB Blaster to remove and lots of hand soap to install. The lower joint bolts are 'Must Replace' items that don't come with the ball joints. I re-used mine until the local VW dealer got some in stock. You will need a 14mm triple square bit to remove them. A 3/8" socket (bare) will work in a pinch but you will probably end up stripping them a bit.
I used the harbor freight ball joint separator with some grinding of the opening as well. http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html
Their long handle wrench set came in handy too. http://www.harborfreight.com/11-piece-metric-highly-polished-long-handle-combination-wrench-set-47067.html
I used the harbor freight ball joint separator with some grinding of the opening as well. http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html
Their long handle wrench set came in handy too. http://www.harborfreight.com/11-piece-metric-highly-polished-long-handle-combination-wrench-set-47067.html
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Show off your projects here! / Re: Installing solar batteries on EVC plastic pop-top roof?
« on: July 07, 2015, 07:18:04 pm »
I only have one panel so far. It's been up there for 6 months and I haven't any significant signs of deformation. I taped mine down with 3M tape and dicor-ed the edges. Not as pretty as yours but it's flat and secure. I will likely install a second 50W on the opposite side of the van later on.
I'm consistently seeing 4-5A being generated under direct sunlight. ANY shade cuts the output down to a fraction of that. By having a second panel I hope to alleviate some of the shade effects. I was also planning on having a second 100W panel that I could store in the van and lay it on the ground as needed. Under ideal conditions, a single panel is barely enough to stay ahead of our usage pattern loads.
I think that for the amount of money I spent on this project, a smaller, dedicated trickle charger may have been a better option. The alternator does a MUCH better job at charging the batteries. The inner nerd gets a warm fuzzy when I see the charging light on so I guess it was worth it.
I'm consistently seeing 4-5A being generated under direct sunlight. ANY shade cuts the output down to a fraction of that. By having a second panel I hope to alleviate some of the shade effects. I was also planning on having a second 100W panel that I could store in the van and lay it on the ground as needed. Under ideal conditions, a single panel is barely enough to stay ahead of our usage pattern loads.
I think that for the amount of money I spent on this project, a smaller, dedicated trickle charger may have been a better option. The alternator does a MUCH better job at charging the batteries. The inner nerd gets a warm fuzzy when I see the charging light on so I guess it was worth it.
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Show off your projects here! / Re: Replacing EVC skylight with Fan-Tastic vent
« on: July 07, 2015, 04:34:24 pm »
I think that was pretty clear from the photo showing the clearance. The message was aimed at others without clearance issues.
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Show off your projects here! / Re: Installing solar batteries on EVC plastic pop-top roof?
« on: July 07, 2015, 02:01:12 pm »
I installed the same panels on my rialta. Write on my blog page: http://hbrialta.wordpress.com. Completely different installation but someone may find it useful as the components are more or less the same.
If you haven't already figured out how to fish the wires, take a look at this: http://gpelectric.com/products/cable-entry-plate
If you haven't already figured out how to fish the wires, take a look at this: http://gpelectric.com/products/cable-entry-plate
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Show off your projects here! / Re: Replacing EVC skylight with Fan-Tastic vent
« on: July 07, 2015, 01:56:31 pm »
For anyone else thinking of doing this, take a look at the maxxair versions of these fans. More expensive plastic pieces but you can leave it open in the rain. I have two on my Rialta and I'm glad I upgraded.
http://www.maxxair.com/products/maxxfan/maxxfan_deluxe_manual.php
http://www.maxxair.com/products/maxxfan/maxxfan_deluxe_manual.php
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VR6 Engine tech / Re: High-output alternator
« on: June 04, 2015, 01:49:16 pm »
The only step up to the stock eurovan alternator that I've seen is the 150A one that's in the Rialta.
http://europarts-sd.com/alternator-150amp2001-2003.asp
http://europarts-sd.com/alternator-150amp2001-2003.asp
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VR6 Engine tech / 24V Tensinoner Failure
« on: May 19, 2015, 11:12:45 am »
I didn't record the sound this makes when the engine is running but was able to replicate it manually. If you hear this tak-tak-tak noise, your tensioner is failing. Change it!
https://youtu.be/Aq5UspKoxeQ
Here is the difference between the failed tensioner and a new one (dry).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-n8zI9IO7A
Sorry, forum won't allow direct video links (yet?)
https://youtu.be/Aq5UspKoxeQ
Here is the difference between the failed tensioner and a new one (dry).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-n8zI9IO7A
Sorry, forum won't allow direct video links (yet?)
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