[Vwdiesel] VW's parts availability

[James Hansen]

So here's a cute one I thought I'd share.

Finally, I get around to pulling the intake off the 97 Passat to clean it
and to inspect the EGR valve as it seems to be leaking.  Sure enough, the
hole to atmosphere so the diaphragm can move is slobbering foul goo, and is
probably the source of the foul diesel smoke odor we've been smelling inside
the car on cold starts. (There was a hood sealing foam gasket missing) Fine,
the EGR is permanently crimped, so over the shoulder it goes, and go bleed
for a new manifold.  No biggie, other than the cost *coff*, $508 CDN at my
"dealer wholesale" price level.  Hmm... well, we're keeping the car till the
wheels fall off anyway, so what the hell, sez I, and call up the friendly
neighborhood dealer, (only a leisurely 8 hour drive away).  Great, order it,
plus a couple sundry trinkets I've been putting off, and am told, Oh, that
has to come from Tronna, so it's 5 days minimum, they won't air freight out
of the Tronna depot any more.  Okay, the car is on jackstands in the shop,
IN FRONT of my stock car, which I'm rather set on painting and getting ready
for the season, so that's two full spots in a two spot shop, and the dead
horse is at the front with the engine open. great. No pushing that outside.
So, tinker for a couple days, do other stuff, not that that's ever lacking.
Call dealer back today looking for parts, eight working days from the
original order date, and told that the backorder will be RELEASED on that
part on Apr 20, which would mean another 5 day shipping wait after that
even.  So what, are they waiting for the boy scouts to send their recycled
aluminum foil in to cast another manifold? Sheesh!

So, clean this one up, it has to go back on, five hours of scratching,
digging, spraying, passing out from solvent, etc... Man was it ever plugged.
I easily took two cups black goo out of there.  Anyone that thinks EGR is
good on a diesel was dropped as a child.  So with things clean, I evaluate
the egr, man it's leaking BAD. It's leaking a steady stream of solvent from
just the parts washer solvent flow directed at the inside of the plunger
shaft bushing, almost no pressure at all.  So, drill and tap the EGR
pressure equalization/exhaust/sludge drain hole to 1/8" fine pipe thread,
and put in a hose barb, so I can vent the sucker out the bottom of the car.
Not that the thing is going to admit much carbon from now on anyway...
Cleaned the intercooler too, and with the new 2-1/2" exhaust pipe with one
flowmaster muffler at the rear it should REALLY sing now. Next stage,
injectors and a chip...

So, what kind of shitty parts supply is this?  First time I have ever run
across this bad a service from ANY parts seller, and there are no other
manifolds available from the other suspects I know and deal with either.
Man, GMC dealer can get me an obscure early corvette cast iron performance
exhaust manifold here next day service, and the volks dealer can't supply an
obviously consumable part. Go figure. Heck, the John Deere dealer got me a
release bearing for a clutch on a 1937 John Deere BR in ONE week a number of
years yeara ago.

Oh, and consumer's reports really rated the new volks stuff poor too, mostly
over the 1.8T coil issue.  Boys in the fatherland better wise up, or go back
to making 411's, and 412's.
-James


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