Serpentine belt went in next.

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With everything cleaned up and "spiffy", I HAD TO open up and check the intake manifold before installing it.
It turned out that it was coated in oil, although not in a horrible shape. It too got a nice bath after only 15k miles... With everything tight now, with new seals everywhere and new oil valves + "pcv" valve, I hope that the engine will stay clean for some longer time.
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Getting really close... I'm modifying a bit the "breather" set-up, which hopefully I'll finish tomorrow, but other than that I'm very much so ready to fill her up with coolant, PS oil and transmission fluid.
By the weekend she should be on her wheels so I can torque the control arms bolts and nuts.
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The bank2's breather hose snapped on me - it was very brittle anymore.
So I had to modify it instead of spending anymore upwards of $ 95 for a damn piece of plastic. The end going into the air box had the locking ring broken ever since I got the car, but I got bye with it. Now I tightened it with a piece of wire... (I know...I'm a cheap bastid).
The brake booster's line is still ok, but I replaced the other sections between the vacuum pump and breather hose (one whole piece - found @ O'Reillys for GM trucks; it fits perfectly), and between vacuum pump and manifold (with a simple L-shaped elbow and two pieces of hose.
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The engine is ready to fire up, which I'm going to do before installing the downpipes - see how it sounds:

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I also replaced the transmission filter and pan gasket, and I need to finish filling her up with ATF.

 

[youtube]izfWaY561OE[/youtube]

 

I was so excited...
The next day (Monday) I had a day off so it gave me a chance to take it for a 20-ish miles ride.
It runs excellent on the road - got it up to 75 mph and the engine sounds pretty smooth and is perky to respond, even though it idled abnormal (somewhat "subdued" and misfiring-like). The CEL came on, but I wasn't too worried - was thinking it may be some vacuum leak from not connecting something right.
However...yes, there's a however.
In my way back, the speedometer quit working... I had to reinstall the VAGCom (I reinstalled the Windows last year and I kept dragging the reinstall since I had no CEL problems with the car). Yesterday I had off, so I had time to set it up and scan it.
The scan returned some curious results - which ALL are related to SENSORS...

*16504 (P0120) - Throttle Position Sensor (G69); Circuit Malfunction Intermittent
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*16786 (P0402) - Exhaust Gas Recirculation; Flow Excessive Detected
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*16885 (P0501) - Vehicle Speed Sensor; Range/Performance
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*17914 (P1506) - Throttle Idle Switch (F60); Intermittent; Does Not Open or Short to Ground
(Bentley site: Closed Throttle Position Switch)
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MMMMMMMMM...me thinks that I either screwed up the power connectors (although I labeled some of them when disconnecting, or there's a Ground somewhere that I forgot to connect (is it even possible?).
I will take the air intake box out and check every connectors around the TBody, but this is really strange since I had no previous DTC codes under "Engine" controller -never, ever.
Also wanted to share it, since it's my own freaking making and not let the "audience" think that everything was rosy and I'm this "great" DIY-er with ...faultless work...LOL
I'll update again after I'll try to figure out wtf is going on...
I would be doomed if I have to buy all of those sensors...

 

Well, I started by disconnecting the battery.
I checked all the power connectors and ALL were going to their matching sensor... It was no real doubt in my mind that I made a mistake - since I took a long time to figure out how to reconnect'em - but you never know.
Actually all the connectors are matched somehow, either if is just a 2-pin connector, 3-pin connector, or matching the securing notches and tabs on the connectors...
In any event, I ended up double checking them, just to make sure it's not that the problem.
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I took out the Vehicle Speed Sensor (G22 in Bentley), cleaned it, regreased it and got it back in. At least for this one I could have never plugged in the wrong connector, since its power connector's supply is the longest one coming from the harness bulk on that driver side. It's impossible to plug in a different connector... Anyway, it was a good occasion to jot down sensor's part number.
(012 409 191D)



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After that, I checked both valves by the MAF (N18 and N156) and everything seemed ok.
I put everything back together, reconnected the battery and started the car....still idling like crap and CEL came right back on. I unplugged the MAF sensor for "fun" and the car died.
Plugged it back in and I also turned around the blue/black little check valve (which I replaced with a new one), thinking that maybe I installed it bacwards.
Well, the car started idling a little better and the CEL disappeared!..WTF?
So I took it for a ride (about another 20 miles) and everything was ok, although the idle is still twitchy...
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When looking through my Audi folder, I just came across this colored vacuum diagram:
I saved some while back from one of the forums. In all the honesty I can't remember where I found it, so I can rightfully credit the person who generously posted it.
When looking at it, even though it says for "manual transmission", I noticed that the black vacuum line - labeled as "Atmospheric Pressure" - goes to the Air box.
I plugged mine in the throttle body and the one coming through the firewall in the air box. I guess that's what I'm going to change tomorrow, see if the idle goes back to normal, as it did run before the engine pull.
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I really hope that will conclude solving this weird problem, although I'm still flabbergasted why in the world the VSS quit reading, rendering the speedo dead...which by the way is back to normal!
Will update tomorrow.
The world of Audis is so much fun, isn't it?