Hi All,

 

For the last week or so I've been battling with that dreaded P2015 fault code.... I've got an Octavia VRS TDI 2.0 CR, FL CEGA engine, plastic manifold (for anyone trying to research) which I have managed to fix without removing the manifold, without touching anything but a few screws. I'm not going to lie, It's a pain to do, lots of swearing and cursing, lots of taking off / putting back on, but I have now had 2 free days of any pending codes or stored codes on my OBD reader, so i'm hoping its cured.

 

When you read online, P2015 repair brackets come in all shapes and sizes, and from loads of retailers. I ordered for X8R, it was a bit more expensive, but they give you a spare spring which is a bit of a godsend. 

"20 minutes to fit with basic tools"... Well, I wouldn't say either is true. 

  The problem that I faced is that on most of the VAG vehicles, the screws which bolt up the swirl flap motor have the heads facing the front of the car. However, my VRS has the bolt heads facing the engine block, and if anyone's even looked at it you'll be thinking that's no place you want to work in.

Link to bracket for plastic manifold: https://x8r.co.uk/audi-seat-skoda-vw-2-0-tdi-intake-manifold-p2015-error-motor-repair-bracket-fix

 

A mate recommended me one of these kits: Bahco BAH2058S26 . This is literally a LIFESAVER for this job! I cannot recommend it enough. Without it, I doubt I'd of been able to get mine fixed. It's also wothwhile ordering some spare T30 Torx bits and 4mm allen key bits, as you will need to "adjust" them as below.

 

 

Once the kit arrived, the bits were still too long to fit down the back of my engine. So I took an angle grinder to them and made them stupidly stubby. They're still usable afterwards, but they do end up tiny. So grind them down to fit, its a fair bit you need to remove. You can see in the photo with a bit in the tool, thats the normal length, and in the one with it down the back of the engine how much I had shortened it. 

 

Remove the top of your airbox, the bottom of the air box (allen key bolt, then pull off two rubber mounts below). Remove the air scoop (T25 torx x2), then remove the airbox assembly out the gap its in. I rested the top of my airbox on the battery box and it was plenty of space.

Take off your engine cover too. This is as much space as you can get to work in. 

 

In the kit with the bracket, you have two mounting brackets. Don't even bother trying to use the one thats not slotted, you'll never get the bolt out far enough with the engine there to mount it. Use the slotted option. When you set up the bracket, make sure the "hook" of the bracket mount is pointing downwards (if you imagine to hook it over the bolt from the top). 

  Mount up the slotted bracket mount so it's square to the outside and bottom of the repair bracket, and nip it up for the time being. 

 

Grab yourself a bit of string / cord / cable tie. Make a loop in the end of it and feed it between the manifold and the motor from below. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to grab it behind the motor and feed it on the actuator arm. Now, put a finger behind the actuator arm, push it as far forward as you can, then pull on the string forward to get it as far as possible forward (towards front of car). Then tie it off to something out the way. (I used a coolant return metal pipe on the front of the engine).

 

Now grab your tiny Bahco tool and your ground down T30 bit. You can fit it between the motor and the engine from the side where the air box was. Its a fiddle, but not impossible. Ratchet away and give yourself more thread than you think on the bolt. I just wound it until my tool bottom out on the engine. 

 

Feed your repair bracket in from below (manifold to motor gap at front). Feed it through so the hook mount points almost up to the sky, so you can slide the bracket in sideways to where it needs to sit. This is extremely fiddly, time consuming, upsetting and finger burning if your engines been running! I'd give yourself atleast an hour or two to get it sat right. 

 I didn't manage to take any photos of this as I was fixing it by myself with all this COVID stuff going on, but the bracket needs to fit as close to the motor as you can get it. According to the instructions X8R give you online, they say the bracket should sit flush to it and be upright along the square edge. And whilst you're doing this, you can't see what you're doing, and you'll be going "Yeah right". The best way to do this is get the hook over the bolt you've un-wound, then you've got a bit of security that the brackets somewhere near where it needs to be. Grab your 4mm allen key bit and loosen off the hex bolt which mounts the mount bit to the repair bracket. This helps you be able to manipulate the bracket better. 

the bracket needs to be straight upright. It locates onto a casting on the motor, which helpfully you can't actually see. An camera phone is actually really helpful as you can get an idea of what you need to do. When the brackets in place (or where you think it needs to be), start doing up the T30 bolt whilst keeping your fingers on the bracket from the front to keep it upright. This is a fiddle, and mine took 10+ times to actually be in the right place. IF you feel the bracket "twist" as you do it up, it's probably not quite right. 

 

Once you do think its in place, and the T30 is done up, don't forget to do up the 4mm Allen head! 

 

Release your bit of string, and if it's like mine, it'll stay right forward. Give it a gentle push towards the engine to help set it. 

Grab your fault code reader, clear the fault code. Put your air box / air scoop/ engine cover back on and fire it up.

 

Now, the P2015 fault will register 3 "pending" codes before showing an engine management light on the dashboard. So you could think you've solved it and it'll come back.. (speaking from experience!) Drive it, turn it off, turn back on, drive it, turn off, turn on. Repeat the process at least 3 times. If you've got no engine management light on, just plug your OBD reader back in and check for any pending codes. If nothing there, you should be in the clear.

 

When I did mine, I managed to change my code from P2015 "intake manifold over rotated" to P2015 "intake runner position sensor bank 1c" because I'd fitted my bracket wrong. When I actually went under to check it one time, it had flexed out on the bracket arm. I'm not kidding, it's taken the best part of a week to try and get it right. It's not a quick job, it is a bit stressful, but just keep remembering this little bracket is saving you somewhere in the region of £700. 

 

I hope this helps someone out. I was determined to get the bolts out as I wasn't willing to pay someone to do it for me. Sorry for the lack of photos, but it's a bit difficult to picture anyway, and whilst having both ahnds full I couldn't manage any more! 

 

 

Over 25 years ago a petrolhead friend took a holiday in the USA and spent a lot of time in Sears & other DIY/tool stores, he brought me back one of those rathets as a present and it has saved the day many times.

 

I have a great big 35kg Bahco socket & spanner set in the boot amongst all the "get you home" kit and that has one of them in it as well but its shorter (same as the one from Sears), single ended and not cranked like yours.

 

Congrats on the repair!

Hi There, 

 

I'm just about to fit a bracket myself. I bought the slightly longer version of the bracket but have the same bolt arrangement as your self ie facing the towards the windscreen. Yours is better as it is effectively handed as it is threaded right through. Mine isn't as the thread is for forward facing only. I have just retjreaded mine has anybody else. Done the same...? 

Hi All just had a measure up and I don't think it will work. Obviously the machined part is me at to push against the arm to prevent over turning. To this extent I think that if your car has front facing bolts then the longer style will work fine. If like Rallen and myself you have the 3 bolts facing towards the bulkhead then you should opt for the shorter style. My advice would be look at the photos who are selling and make sure that it is. Mounted from the correct side. 

Sorry 'meant' 

Hi Rallen, 

 

Firstly Thankyou for the original post as it certainly encouraged me to go for it and install. I too had the plastic manifold and so the torx bts face the engine block. For anybody attempting make sure you purchase the smaller bracket. Also note the machined cut out faces towards the nearside wheel. Therefore just make sure the thread also faces the block. I didn't have the luxury of the bahco set. I instead cut the top off the T30 torx. Only I ground a smidge off each of the hex faces and fitted the torx bit in a 6mm ring spanner. 

 

I also modified the little bracket and ground a slot ensuring the opening faced downwards when fitted. 

 

When offering up as Rallen says make sure the Allen bolt supplied with the bracket is only loosely tightened this aids with the blind fitment process. 

 

Once in place tighten into place. It is very fiddly and will require patience and the odd walk away for a cuppa...... Persevering will pay off. I also didn't feel I needed to remove the bottom of the air intake box. 

 

I have never taken so long to loosen and tighten 2 bolts but saw it as a challenge. Good luck to anybody about to embark on the install. Thanks again Rallen....