I had my dealer pull codes for me and they told me that my secondary air pipe is cracked and the intake manifold is stuck and vacuum lines are breaking. Quoted me $2700 to fix everything. Should I replace the air pipe and see if that leak is causing the CEL to come on? Suggestions? Thanks guys.

 

~ $ 100 to replace all the vacuum hoses by yourself - and this amount is to keep them color-coded; if you go only with braided (oem) you won't spend more than $ 50.

~ $ 100 in gaskets + cleaning supplies:
Take your manifold out and clean it by yourself. At the same time you'll be "forced" to clean your Throttle Body as well.

~ I don't have a car with a secondary air pump, so I have no idea what's entailed regarding the cracked air pipe. However, it's gotta be rubber or plastic.
Do you have to pay their rent, or what's the deal with that OUTRAGEOUS quote?

 

Thanks Chefro,

I'm going to check the hoses this weekend. I've removed many an intake manifold on Ford Mustangs but wasn't sure how difficult it is on the Audi. I'm a little cautious about taking it apart because it's my daily driver and if I make a mistake it could get more expensive.

Has anyone else taken off their manifold and what would I be looking for?

 

well, I did
You'll have to buy new gaskets:
- intake manifold to cylinder heads x 2 (lower gasket) = $ 2.12 x 2 at ArizAutohaus
- upper to lower manifold x 1 = $ 9.71 at Ariz Autohaus
- Throttle body gasket - that's about $ 4-5 bucks (you may be able to find it at a local parts store) -> only if you choose to dismount it from the lower manifold

I soaked the manifold sections over night, so you may plan to do it over a weekend to do it "right".
You'll have to remove the whole manifold. You can't separate the upper from lower chamber, as it has 4 bolts that screw in upward.
In order to unscrew a couple of bolts in the front, the PS pump has to come unbolted to get it out of the way (without disconnecting the hoses). You'll understand better what I'm saying when you'll actually do this.
Here's a little help as I didn't take pics of the actual removal.

Found a pic with the PS Pump out of the way:
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good luck

 

how clever of the Germans....let's attach the upper manifold to the lower so no one can remove just the upper. Thanks for the help.

 

I would start by replacing the secondary air pump lines, which does not require the removal of the intake manifold (IIRC).

What do they mean by "the intake manifold is stuck"?

Bob

 

I'm not sure what they meant. They said the only way to fix the problem is to replace the intake completely and that it's a common problem on the 4.2's.

 

I call foul... The mechanism for the variable intake should be vacuum operated. So if you are having vacuum troubles.....? I'd find the changeover valve and test it.

However, the codes you pulled are Sec Air codes, so start there... look at the O2's too.

 

My answer didn't seem to show up on the thread, so here it is again: you can fix the manifold still in the car. Just pull out the bearings and hone them. The fron end bearings on the shafts are corroded.

 

Taking off the stuck manifold won't help anything.
On my 2000 4.2 I did this: Dismantle vacuum units brackets and plastic arms. Unscrew and pry out the bearing/spring holder enough that a puller can fit behind it. put back the center screw but not all the way in and pull against it until the bearing/spring holder comes off the shaft. pry out gradually as you pull so you dont bend the manifold wall. Once off, hone the magnesium bearing (I just put a twist of sandpaper in a drilling machine) until the shaft can spin freely in it. Lubricate and put everything back and Done!
Rocket seals had the 15*21mm shaft seals for $3.79, my old ones looked good but I bought new just to be sure to get it vacuum tight.