Volkswagon Passat Engine Light Continued.....

So, I checked the engine light and the code read Cylinder lean(fuel to air ratio low). With the mileage on the Passat at 98,000 miles my first change was the fuel filter. When I pulled it out I discovered that it was the original! The first filter I found was $38 way too much for my blood. I opted for the $9.00 version of the same filter. I followed the steps in the code reader and erased the codes. I thought good, problem solved. Then 2 days later the light came back on. I opened the hood with the engine running to listen for any air leaks.(Sucking Noise in the Intake)I heard a lot. So I undue the cover over the engine and follow the noise using my ears and fingers. I found the problem.....it was some vacuum lines at the rear of the motor that had gotten baked by the heat off the motor. A few feet of the right size vacuum hose for $4.50 and the problem was solved. Minor problems like this are spendy if you take your vehicle to a shop. If you are patient and trouble shoot yourself or even enlist a friend or even check the internet you can do a lot yourself and keep money in your pocket.

Here are some pictures of my 1977 GMC dually that I built in High School. My Mom and Dad were great supporters for this project. My Mom thought she was safe when she saw it trailered into our back yard. Little did she know, that 10 days later I would be driving it around the yard. My Dad and I learned a lot together throughout the following 2 years. I am forever greatful for the time spent with my Dad. My neighbor contributed alot of time, parts and expertise. It helps that he was an engineer for GM. If your have a wiring question, he will tell you what color the wire is and everything it goes to.

If You have a project and want to share, feel free to post. I bought it for $500 and tore it all the way to the frame and found it completely cracked in half in one spot. Welded up the frame and started putting on new/used parts. The only body parts used off of the old body was the right front fender. A lot of the parts were traded for or given to me. This was my first major mechanical adventure. It took me about 2 years and $6500 to finish.