My price through Carson was 7% cheaper, plus very reasonable shipping. You need to setup an account and then email him to get a discount. I've been dealing with Carson for several years now (different locations). He's always been very helpful.

 

What is the point? Is he hiding those good prices from other people, wasting our time in the process?

 

I tend to go Audi OE these days, and usually with AudiUSAParts like Mishar--responsive, answer questions well, flexible, etc., plus just over the state (sale tax) line and still close to me for shipping times.

But, if I want to get something $ cheaper, then I usually look at Rock Auto or AutohausAZ. Thus: http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...20Vent%20Valve AZ also has the $75 and up free shipping, so often some minor add on gets you there. Among the online places, they seem to come up with decent name parts (including OES), and like Rock Auto typically tell you the supplier.

As you say meanwhile, the world's most expensive PCV valve. More Art in (Over)Engineering German precision stereotypes. For something like that (it works or it doesn't... and not hard to replace) on an older Audi I'll often try OES or something close and Euro sourced, especially if any budget factors.

 

I tend to agree with you about going Audi OE on most my purchases. I saw Rock Auto had the same valve as Auto Haus for ~$52, but to be honest, I never heard of URO before. The other reason I decided to spend the extra for OE was I'm planning a road trip this weekend and wanted to be sure whatever I got would work, as it getting close. Carson said he had it in stock and could ship it out right away.
As far as pricing and requiring the account, I wonder if dealers have to be a little careful on how they sell things on the internet? I imagine that Audi tries to protect their individual dealers territories.

 

Info on who Uro is: http://www.uroparts.com/uro/site/about

At least 3 dealers sell via Internet in a systematic way: AudiUSAParts (aka Sunset in Portland OR), genuineaudiparts (aka Audi San Diego), and jimellisaudiparts (Atlanta). At least one of them does it via an eBay presence too. ECS Tuning also pretty likely gets their OE parts from some dealer in the background since they offer quite a bit, but they sell closer to list typically than AudiUSAParts or genuineaudiparts. Jim Ellis usually seems at or close to list, though sometimes I see less. They use a more EKTA parts style listing and have parts #'s directly, while the other two use a more buffered casual user friendly interface but with less detailed info.

Prior to internet, I also used Prime Audi in greater Boston, f/n/a Clair, typically by phone. I still would today, but for shipping distance and delay, and now Portland OR is a lot closer. For that matter even a local dealer who sold me the A8 and my prior A6 is on the internet some (Rector), though not in an organized way like the others.

Net, all seems fine and legit. I think some are just well ahead of many others and have thought about it like as more of a primary distribution channel and more independent of the usual window trade to the indy mechanics or the dealer's service dept.

 

Thanks for the info. Sounds like Uro may even make the Audi branded valve. Since they are an oem supplier, they should have good, or similar quality. I'll have to keep them in mind.
I used to use Clair parts, until their number changed and I couldn't find them anymore. From your note I see they changed their name, which explains why I couldn't find them. My mudflaps on the A4 were from Clair. First thing I did with that car, along with some winter tires. ...that was along time ago.

 

Changed out the PVC valve. It did NOT make a difference. It may even be worse. It actually stalled out once. Unplugged the MAF and it started and ran OK. It still got an ESP fault. I'm not sure what the connection is there?
I notice the mass air reading was bouncing all over when the engine was chugging. 3 all the way up to 24 g/s. when it settles down some, 3 to 6 or 7g/s. Multiple misfire faults, no rich or lean, but I didn't drive it down the road at all. Does it sound like an MAF problem?

 

If open loop (not plugged in) it runs reasonably well, but closed loop it has issues, that seems like a big pointer toward the MAF. It sounds like you have found the measuring block for it. Thus, if it is drivable when warmed up, maybe take it for a run with a co pilot (or do the recorded data session feature). The rule of thumb is you should see a peak flow in grams/second of 80% of rated HP. I don't know your motor HP rating off hand, but on my old 300HP A6 4.2, that meant I should see 240 g/s. When I suspected my MAF, in fact I found a peak read of low 200's as I recall (best seen shortly before the 1-2 or 2-3 shift points with pedal floored). After an MAF change I saw easily past 250. Thus diagnostically I confirmed it. Yours sounds much more basic here in terms of really bad running cold, but this sort of approach is how you could test it to not just throw $ at it. If it reads erratically though (and not just low), I guess there is still a question of whether that is the problem or just a symptom of some other intake system issue.

As another scenario, it could be a bad 02 sensor or some such too (more of the "loop"), but you would think you would be getting codes for that. Consider it, but offhand doesn't seem to fit.

Last, as I think it through, still be careful you don't have a big vacuum leak after the MAF. That could explain the bad running if the MAF is seeing too little apparent air and then leans back, but then with it unplugged and in open loop the ECU just feeds it an estimate of fuel from basic RPM and such and it then runs reasonably. You say it reads rich though, so that doesn't fit this. Nonetheless, I would go over the air lines really carefully at each clamp point, the suck valve (if D3's still have them--that Y shaped valve toward the brake booster), etc. Maybe simply pull any larger vacuum line and temporarily plug to isolate any vacuum leak possibility. Up to you, but the MAF is a fair amount of $. If you do go that way, see if maybe they still have "rebuilt" ones. That's what I got for my C5. It's still a new sensor; it's just stuck in a re-used air tube housing. It meant a difference (back 5+ years ago) of like $150 vs. $400+.

 

MP4.2+6.0, Thank you so much for taking the time to help out. You are a wealth of information. Where are you located? If I'm ever there, I'll buy a beer... or 2.
I looked and listened again for a leak and could not see or hear anything. I did however find a little rubber 90° piece. It's approximately 0.5"x 0.375". (I know it's actually metric). It was sitting on top of the middle belly pan. The walls look too thin to actually be a vacuum fitting though, plus it's dusty inside. I just can't see where it came from.
I did notice that the new PVC valve is still exhausting a little air from the lower of the 2 vents. MAF sensors have come down in price $160 OEM, $120 Bosch - Rock Auto. .....Not much more than a PVC valve.

 

You're welcome. In SF Bay Area.

Rubber part sounds unrelated. If thin wall, maybe something like a water drain nipple, though I would think those would be further back than mid belly pan.

Given again the cold temp running problem and overlap w/ vacuum and such, consider blocking those hoses temporarily if you don't go down MAF road. At that price, I might well anyway, and my own experience suggests they may lose some performance over time even w/ just normal conditions.