Hunting down FR 150 TDI surge issues

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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1,172
Welp, on the bright side it should be sorted for the foreseeable future
For sure - and it's fun to drive it again. Nothing quite like hooning it and still getting around 50mpg. I still haven't managed to find the limit with the rear ARB.

Mystery of the ages will be why the problem went away when I clamped the EGR vacuum line. It was something I found on the off-chance on YouTube and that's what convinced me it was EGR related. I should have been looking two feet away. Another one is why I seemed to be holding boost according to the boost gauge, but it was obviously losing some. That's the thing I suppose - you have boost leaks that set off CELs and you have boost leaks that make the car run lumpy.

When I have a stretch of time, I'm still going to attack the intake manifold as it definitely can't hurt to have the engine breathing better. While I was under the car yesterday, I got a good look at the allen bolts for the EGR cooler and the bolts that connect the lower EGR pipe to the cooler and they look to be in good shape. It'll be easier to get them off from under the car as you can actually see them - a couple of extensions on the ratchet should let me get to them - and then it's only three allen bolts on the cooler itself...

Nice to have the car feeling less of a POS... Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.
 
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