Hi all,
So this project is just about wrapped up! I'd been having intermittent errors indicating something wrong with the fuel/air ratio, so my immediate thought was "boost leak." I dealt with a 30FF underboss fault on my N54 engine, so I'm somewhat familiar with chasing down boost leaks. The faults I was getting were 2774, 2C57, 2906, 2BC1, etc.
So, using a Home Depot 2" to 3" rubber coupling, 2" PVC endcap, and air fitting, I rigged up a quick pressure tester. Sure enough, I heard air rushing out near the bottom of the intercooler and felt around until I figured out the rubber flex hose had come dislodged and popped out. I reseated it, but it's possible the retaining features have become damaged or the C-clamp has become deformed. If it happens again I'll have to inspect the mating faces and see what's gone wrong.
After reinstalling the hose that had popped out, I needed to reinstall the plastic undertray. It had been torn up in one corner from some kind of impact, so this was a good time to repair it using safety wire. I'm not exactly a pro at this technique, so go easy on me!
It came out OK though.
In other news, the steering wheel wasn't quite horizontal while driving straight on the freeway. That was an easy fix by adjusting each tie rod the same amount until the car drove straight again.
Another minor project I did was to remove water spots on the windshield. They wouldn't come out with simple Windex, so I used McGuire's water spot remover on a cheap Black and Decker orbital buffer. It took probably 15 minutes and the glass came out perfect. I may have to do the other windows now that I've seen how well it works!