hello, hope you can offer me some help and advice.

Driving my 54 plate Fabia VRS, en-route to the MOT I thought I'd warm up the engine so took it for a spin. About 400m from the test centre gave it a boot and BANG, plume of smoke and engine driving on safe mode. Thought I'd go ahead with the test anyway and suprise suprise it failed. I guess (& hope) this is a boost pipe popping off as I gather after a cambelt change the pipe is liable to pop off until cable tied back on. Ive done a search and gather it may have popped off at the bottom which is "in the bumper"??? The top piping looks fine. I assume I take the plastic tray under the engine off and the pipe should be easy to spot?

Secondly, the headlights are too low. Ive adjusted them as high as they can go using the in car control knob but are the light clusters adjustable? Ive done a search and it sounds like they can be vis a VAGCOM thingy??? Is there not a manual adjustment? The lights have been rubbish, especially after I lowered it 35mm on EIBACHS. MOT chap says the beams need to be about 10mm higher.

Ive got 7 days to sort these for a free re-test so any help would be appreciated. Cheers. Olly

As long as they are holgens they have the standard headlight adjustment screws on the back.

The bang was almost certainly the boost pipe coming off.

Sounds like an easy fix to me

I think Halogens are easy to adjust manually. I seem to remember ages ago reading lots of threads about Eibachs and Coilovers really cocking up the auto-levelling mechanisms on the Xenons, but I can't remember anything more about it than there is an issue with that combination.

I have to say that I laughed out loud as I have soooo often done something similar to what you did, only for me to make something happen, so you're not the only one. I hope it is just a loose hose. If you are a Freedom member you can post things like this in the Tech section and genuine VAG Mastertechs will help diagnose your problem, or you can just wait for MoggyTech to help you out :yes:

hello, hope you can offer me some help and advice.

Driving my 54 plate Fabia VRS, en-route to the MOT I thought I'd warm up the engine so took it for a spin. About 400m from the test centre gave it a boot and BANG, plume of smoke and engine driving on safe mode. Thought I'd go ahead with the test anyway and suprise suprise it failed. I guess (& hope) this is a boost pipe popping off as I gather after a cambelt change the pipe is liable to pop off until cable tied back on. Ive done a search and gather it may have popped off at the bottom which is "in the bumper"??? The top piping looks fine. I assume I take the plastic tray under the engine off and the pipe should be easy to spot?

Secondly, the headlights are too low. Ive adjusted them as high as they can go using the in car control knob but are the light clusters adjustable? Ive done a search and it sounds like they can be vis a VAGCOM thingy??? Is there not a manual adjustment? The lights have been rubbish, especially after I lowered it 35mm on EIBACHS. MOT chap says the beams need to be about 10mm higher.

Ive got 7 days to sort these for a free re-test so any help would be appreciated. Cheers. Olly

Bring back the 'GOOD OLD DAYS' when a MOT person corrected ,minor faults like these,then issued a certificate ,and just mentioned it in passing,and was rewarded with a fiver or two in his pocket!!. Nowadays the 'Mechanic' heads for the failure button on a Computer smiling , and starts adding up mentally how much money could be made on this failure!!

Edited 7 March, 201016 yr by AndyPandy

ooo i had my lower boost pipe pop off out the bottom of the intercooler. you should be able to see it if you look down past the fuel filter below some where. and yeah when you take the tray off its next to the wheel you wont miss it!

the two teeth on mine were half worn down and if yours are replacing it will set you back about 76quid plus vat. a god damn joke considering the top one is twice the length and costs 23.40 plus vat!! it was rather fiddly to get the new one in both ends. goodluck!

Bring back the 'GOOD OLD DAYS' when a MOT person corrected ,minor faults like these,then issued a certificate ,and just mentioned it in passing,and was rewarded with a fiver or two in his pocket!!. Nowadays the 'Mechanic' heads for the failure button on a Computer smiling , and starts adding up mentally how much money could be made on this failure!!

Not true, he normally heads for the failure button, thinking what a waste of time it is. If it isn't done the way that VOSA say it should be done, the testing station could have its license revoked and he'll be out of a job. Especially if the man from VOSA is parked up the road, checking the test progress on his lap top and is readying himself to check the car that has just been tested.

Thanks for the replies, thats what I like about this site, useful helpful members.

The lights are halogen so I'll take a closer look for the manual adjustment, as far as the boost pipe goes I'll bit spitting teeth if its split and gonna cost me £76 for the lower section!!! Fingers crossed a 2 pence cable tie will do the trick.

Happy days...took the bottom engine cover off and yep the bottom boost pipe was hanging off. Cabled tied back on in minutes and all sorted.

The headlights got adjusted by the garage muppet in seconds after he'd told me last time he'd spent 10 minutes "trying everything" and having no luck. Havent tried them in the dark yet to see if theres much difference.

On the plus side MOT for £35 which is cheapest I can find it down my way.

Is it worth cable tying the boost pipes prior to a remap?

Bring back the 'GOOD OLD DAYS' when a MOT person corrected ,minor faults like these,then issued a certificate ,and just mentioned it in passing,and was rewarded with a fiver or two in his pocket!!. Nowadays the 'Mechanic' heads for the failure button on a Computer smiling , and starts adding up mentally how much money could be made on this failure!!

Not always the case im an MOT tester and theres an option on the computer called PRS, which lets you carry out minor adjustments such as headlamp aim, i always do this, dont see the point in failing a car on headlamp aim if it can be corrected.

On the plus side MOT for £35 which is cheapest I can find it down my way.

Where was that please? Help out a yokel!

A jubilee clip on all hose joins would not be a bad move, just in case.