S16 cracked vacuum pipe. Oh what a difference!

I'd been thinking for a while my S16 just didn't seem to be going as well as before, wasn't sure if I had just gotten used to the performance.....

Yesterday I decided to see if I could see any problems with obvious things like vacuum hoses. I found a crankcase breather hose wasn't 100% attached so fixed that (not expecting any change). I then noticed what I thought was a crack in the rubber for a hose. Decided to trace where it went, and found what is shown in the pic!

The vacuum hose connects from the throttle body to a little device on the drivers side, which has some wires running to the injector rail, and another pipe running off somewhere else (disapears behind the power steering resevior). I don't know what it does, but reconnecting with a piece of bodgied up hose sure makes a difference performance wise!!!! I'm suspecting the pipe had a crack in it for quite a while before it completely snapped off.

The car is heaps more responsive now, and pulls a hell of a lot better in 2nd and 3rd gear. Much nicer to drive

Thought it might be worth mentioning for other S16 owners out there who may have a simmilar problem.

Tony.

Sounds like a fuel pressure regulator, but I'm not sure about the wires?

I've found a disconnected pipe under the passenger side wheel arch. It looks like the pipes are too short to reconnect easily, so i might stick another bit between em. Any idea what this pipe is (doesn't look critical...)?

Cubits said:

I've found a disconnected pipe under the passenger side wheel arch. It looks like the pipes are too short to reconnect easily, so i might stick another bit between em. Any idea what this pipe is (doesn't look critical...)?

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The pipe looks like the type used for windscreen washers.... Interestingly today I found out where the second pipe went. It goes through into the cavity behind the blinker. There is a big tapered plastic box that it is connected to. Found out because I had the headlight assembly out to see if there was anything I could do with the yellowing lens inside.

Tony.

Stuey said:

Sounds like a fuel pressure regulator, but I'm not sure about the wires?

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hmmm I think the pressure regulator is in the middle of the injector rail, this is I suspect something else. when you rev the car it actually ticks (you can feel it too). I think it has some sort of electrically controled valve in it. In the previous post I mentioned where (I think) the other hose goes. Looks like some sort of expansion tank......

I got inspired to try and do something about the headlight (from your light bulbs thread... was easy since I had the grill out to try and straighten it and buff the bumper after someone reversed into it

Tony.

Wintermute said:

Interestingly today I found out where the second pipe went. It goes through into the cavity behind the blinker. There is a big tapered plastic box that it is connected to. Found out because I had the headlight assembly out to see if there was anything I could do with the yellowing lens inside. Tony.

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Oh, well. I'll have another punt. This one's possibly the evaporative emissions control charcoal canister...

Stuey said:

Oh, well. I'll have another punt. This one's possibly the evaporative emissions control charcoal canister...

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Just did a google search (cause I wasn't sure what a charcoal canister does), and combined with the fact that when I sucked on the tube going to the canister I got petrol vapour, I'm tipping you are spot on. As for why the car is running better, I can only guess that the pipe being open to the atmosphere was somehow stuffing up the vacuum. Iether that or it was because I reset the ECU.......

Tony.