Inlet Manifold & Swirl Flap - Stepper Motor Mounts

[Enormouse]

Hello All,

My first time here, something the www cannot provide an answer for so hoping somebody can provide.

The image shows a pair of aftermarket inlet manifolds for a 3.0 V6 diesel from 2009, a common lump found within the Audi range throughout the '00s.   

Each manifold is provided with a set of three screws which are surprisingly coarse and have unusually sharp-to-the-touch threads.

The stepper motors each attach to the bolt holes marked by red arrows, these holes are parallel bores i.e. they have no threads.

My hunch is that the screws are a form of self-tapping version, although they do not provide any flutes for waste material hence my decision to ask my questions here.

Is it usual for the holes to be unthreaded?

Are the screws indeed self-tapping?

On that basis, I assume I simply line up and drive the screw in to secure the motor.

Any insightful knowledge on this matter gratefully received.

Thank you.

 

[Stevey Y]

3 hours ago, Enormouse said:

Hello All,

My first time here, something the www cannot provide an answer for so hoping somebody can provide.

The image shows a pair of aftermarket inlet manifolds for a 3.0 V6 diesel from 2009, a common lump found within the Audi range throughout the '00s.   

Each manifold is provided with a set of three screws which are surprisingly coarse and have unusually sharp-to-the-touch threads.

The stepper motors each attach to the bolt holes marked by red arrows, these holes are parallel bores i.e. they have no threads.

My hunch is that the screws are a form of self-tapping version, although they do not provide any flutes for waste material hence my decision to ask my questions here.

Is it usual for the holes to be unthreaded?

Are the screws indeed self-tapping?

On that basis, I assume I simply line up and drive the screw in to secure the motor.

Any insightful knowledge on this matter gratefully received.

Thank you.

 

Hi, yep self tappers, the body units are plastic so if you take your time and don't get them in at an angle they should be fine, its just a cheap way round putting in brass inserts.

Steve.

[Enormouse]

Most grateful for the reply. With brass inserts for the covers I'm baffled to why the motors didn't also deserve them. I suspected they were self-tapping but didn't want to go ramming screws in and risk the manifolds cracking where there are no flutes in the screws.

To ensure straight entry, I'll do this on the bench with a motor as the guide before fitting the manifolds and making the job awkward. I assume that once tapped they can be removed and replaced without issue.

Thanks. Forums do work!

[Enormouse]

The plot thickens.

With manifolds changed and new stepper motors the car still reports 'end of travel not reached' errors for the inlet mechanism.

VCDS can reset it but the fault remains and the engine light inevitably comes back after three starts.

From what I can determine, there is no error in installation or setting up.

Any further assistance to eliminating this annoying fault gratefully accepted.

[Stevey Y]

5 hours ago, Enormouse said:

The plot thickens.

With manifolds changed and new stepper motors the car still reports 'end of travel not reached' errors for the inlet mechanism.

VCDS can reset it but the fault remains and the engine light inevitably comes back after three starts.

From what I can determine, there is no error in installation or setting up.

Any further assistance to eliminating this annoying fault gratefully accepted.

Hi I don't know which diagnostic platform you are using but it may well be the new motors need re adaption/relearning, this enables the new part to relearn its operating values it would appear that anything on these cars that has a butterfly in it needs this process, my neighbour fitted a new throttle valve to his old VW Polo which then idled like a bag of bolts until we did a reset on the body and after that it runs like a sewing machine.

Steve.

[Enormouse]

5 hours ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi I don't know which diagnostic platform you are using but it may well be the new motors need re adaption/relearning, this enables the new part to relearn its operating values it would appear that anything on these cars that has a butterfly in it needs this process, my neighbour fitted a new throttle valve to his old VW Polo which then idled like a bag of bolts until we did a reset on the body and after that it runs like a sewing machine.

Steve.

Thanks for the reply.
I was thinking that and thought I'd already done that with VCDS software which my son borrowed from a friend. We'll give it another go and look for some way of training the motors, funny thing is that the car runs great, but the engine light is an automatic MOT failure, regardless.

 

[Rick81]

1 hour ago, Enormouse said:

Thanks for the reply.
I was thinking that and thought I'd already done that with VCDS software which my son borrowed from a friend. We'll give it another go and look for some way of training the motors, funny thing is that the car runs great, but the engine light is an automatic MOT failure, regardless.

 

Have the light switched off . Remove the flaps inside the manifold . But leave valves there in place so no one will no . It's only an emissions thing . 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Rick81

[Enormouse]

15 hours ago, Rick81 said:

Have the light switched off . Remove the flaps inside the manifold . But leave valves there in place so no one will no . It's only an emissions thing . 

The light only switches off for three starts then comes back on.
We've solved it today. A Chinese replacement stepper motor was the problem, I put the old motor back with the new linkage and the fault disappeared.