Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 18:24:50 GMT From: ShazWozza <shaz_wozzanospamentspring.com> Subject: Where did the guts of my boost recirculation valve go?
Yesterday I was following behind a B-double (a semi pulling two full size trailers) at around 100-110km/h. I saw my opportunity to overtake safely so I changed down to 4th and gave the old girl WOT. As always I was rewarded by that lovely feeling of rapid acceleration, the B-double was cleared and I was safely back onto my side of the road doing around 150 when I changed up to 5th and backed off. At this instant there was a FWOP sound, followed by a sound that could only described as an elephant farting and then the engine ran like shit. I pulled off the road, the engine idled poorly while I let the hair dryer cool down. After lifting the bonnet it was obvious that he plastic Bosch boost recirculation valve had shit itself big time. The plastic end part that accepts the vacuum hose had been blown off from the main body of the valve and the guts of the valve were gone - nowhere to be seen. I pressed the end cap back onto the valve, wrapped some spare vacuum hose around it to hold it in place and drove home the remaining 100kms with no boost and woeful fuel consumption. I replaced the valve today - $52. Those Bosch valves have a very short lifespan - 6 months to a year on this car (9000T 2.0) , but I have never seen one fail like this. Perhaps Bosch are making the valves in China these days?