[Vwdiesel] mechanic in winston salem?

[James Hansen]

The Mass Airflow Sensor has a wire screen on it to protect the filament.  It
is not a filter, but does catch chunks if chunks exist in the airstream.
These cars seem to have an extraordinary ability to vacuum up small road
stones (fat sand) and collect them in the air filter box.  If the car does
not have the snow screen in the airbox, the tiny stones pollute the filter,
and if the filter is bad, or incorrectly installed, they carry on to the
turbo.  The order of things is snorkel, snowscreen, airbox, air filter, maf,
turbo, plumbing, intercooler, more plumbing, intake manifold, engine.  The
rubber hose from the airbox has the MAF in it, (or it is attached to the
filter box lid) and connects to the turbo with either a 8mm or robertson
fitting on a hose clamp.  Disconnect this, and you can see the turbo wheel
plainly.  sniff around Fred's tdi site for good pictures of a turbo wheel,
maybe search for turbo with foreign object damage, or FOD.  I remember being
in on the discussion about one years ago....

 

The dollar bill trick finds pulses in the exhaust stream that you may not
feel with your hand.  The exhaust pulses should all be even and synchronous.
If there is one strong one, or worse, an inversion where the paper is sucked
back hard onto the exhaust pipe, there is either one weak cylinder (cold
exhaust doesn't expand as much) or a bad exhaust valve that actually
interferes with smooth flow.   Either way, you have to allow some $ to fix,
or pass on the deal.  There's lots of cars out there, just not lots of what
you are after.  Just observe and think, and you'll be miles ahead of most
car shoppers.

 

Good luck Chris

-james

 

From: Chris Jude [mailto:vegbenz300 at gmail.com] 
Sent: January-25-12 7:06 PM
To: James Hansen
Cc: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] mechanic in winston salem?

 

A few questions for clarification.

What is the MAF filter?  mass air flow?  when you say the intake tract, do
you mean the intake manifold past the filter?

How do you look at the turbo vanes?  I haven't ever had a turbo before, can
you access this easily?  special tools needed?

What does it tell you when you get sharp snaps on the exhaust?

 

Thanks again,

Chris

On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 10:51 PM, James Hansen <jhsg at sasktel.net> wrote:

If it's been on gravel roads check the rear suspension bushings by grabbing
the tire and try to turn it forward and back with wheels on the ground- will
usually show off bad bushings.  Check the fronts in the same way.
Look for rust up behind the rear wheel by the fuel filler pipe.
Feel the exhaust pulses, hold a dollar bill against the flow, there
shouldn't be any sharp snaps pulling the paper against the pipe.
Examine the intake tract after the filter for dirt, look at the MAF screen.
If you see little bits of grit, look at the turbo vanes- the compressor
vanes should have smooth leading edges with good corners. If grit gets past
teh filter, you find the results at the compressor wheel.
Spare tire well shows off trunk leaks well, it gets rusty there from water
trickling down into it.
Pull a driver's sill plate off, and look under the floor mat- rust sleeps
here.
Check the intercooler, probably has lots of oil in it by now.

Lots more, getting tired... can't think
-j





-----Original Message-----
From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
Behalf Of Chris Jude
Sent: January-24-12 6:30 PM
To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
Subject: [Vwdiesel] mechanic in winston salem?

Is anyone aware of a good VW TDI mechanic in the Winston Salem/Greensboro,
NC area?  I am looking at a 98 TDI and am interested in getting a
professional opinion.

If not, any special suggestions on what to look for on a manual Jetta TDI
with 116K miles?

Chris

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