does anybody know how to get this thing open? I have a idea, but my "bash it with a rock 'medieval'" technique would only make more of a mess.. The AAR is frozen open....

You can take a hack sawl and cut through on either side of the radiused lip where it crimps onto the plastic top, peel it back and then you can remove the guts. Pop it back in and bend the edges back down. The outside carrier piece is not air tight and doesn't need to be (the inner guts is where it seals).

don't open it.

soak it REAL GOOD in a real penetrating oil like PB Blaster and exercise it periodically on +12VDC. that should loosen it eventually if it's going to be at all serviceable.

i've always thought dunking it in an ultrasonic cleaner oughtta free up the carbon too, but none of my cars have AAR's so that'll have to be an exercise for someone with access to a frozen part and an untrasonic tank...

hmmm....intresting. sounds like a Dorm room operation? my mom actually has a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner i might be able to grab....she's not usin it

Give me a hint, what is an AAR?

QUOTE (ArtechnikA @ Mar 7 2005, 03:55 PM)

i've always thought dunking it in an ultrasonic cleaner oughtta free up the carbon too,

carbon??? sure looks liek rust to me

Here is an AAR. Aux air regulator, when the engine is cool this unit provides extra air until engine warm up. there is a heater in the unit that runs off of power, it takes 5-10 minutes for the heater to then close the valve. If the heater is bad, the valve may still work off of heat from the engine itself, but a lot slower.

A faulty valve may be gummed up, or the heater coil is damaged. Someone posted an overhaul procedure with pictures and such. You do have to take it apart to fix it beyond it being sticky. Though it was Brad Anders, but I couldn't find it on his site. but here is a diagram of that unit.

Ok, the Auxilary Air Valve by another name. If you live in a warm climate, you could just block off the hose to the intake and be done with it. Otherwise you can attempt a repair, penatrating oil, and tapping the valve might work it free.


good luck.

i think i am just going to buy a 1.8 AAR off of ebay and mod it to work in my car.....i dont like spending so much time into something that looks and works like garbage anyway

Interesting. That's nearly identical (if not exactly identical) to the AAR used on automatic transmission Type 3s, which is similar to the MT cars, except the MT cars didn't have the electric heater. It just sat in the case dipped in engine oil.

There's nothing much magical in them. The top is a barrel valve that's a very snug fit in the case. The shaft goes through a couple of bushings and is slotted on the bottom end. A bimetallic coil engages that slot and is fixed to the housing at the other end (usually with an adjustment slot). The heater just ensures the coil gets hot enough to turn the shaft to the point where the barrel valve closes completely. The bimetallic coil expands and contracts based on temp, turning the shaft (and thus the barrel valve).

I disassembled the one on my MT Type 3 recently, as it was stuck closed. After a couple of tries, I've almost got it working. It doesn't quite close completely. The barrel valve was the stuck bit. Pulling it out and cleaning it and the housing it fits into and adding some lubrication got it to the point where I could turn the shaft. Put the whole thing in the freezer for an hour and you should be able to blow through it easily. Point a hair dryer at it for a while, and it should close to the point where you can't blow through it. Even with no electric connection, it should eventually close completely. The heater just speeds up the process, and makes sure it works even if the outside air temp is very cold.

Other than cleaning it, there's nothing in there to fix, really.

You could block it off, just that the ECU will be pouring extra fuel until the head temps come up, dunno if it is a lot or a little bit of fuel washing your cylinders clean. YMMV. I would do that as a last ditch resort. But what can I say, I have my cold start injector disconnected (never is that cold here for startups).

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 7 2005, 04:29 PM)

You could block it off, just that the ECU will be pouring extra fuel until the head temps come up, dunno if it is a lot or a little bit of fuel washing your cylinders clean. YMMV. I would do that as a last ditch resort. But what can I say, I have my cold start injector disconnected (never is that cold here for startups).

well i actually have the same thing. my cold start injector "fuel line" was hooked to the end of the AAR....so it didnt work....where should it connect to? forgot all abotu that bugger. rigth now, i have to turn the car on and keep my foot on the gas for like 2 minutes so it idles...or i can jack the regular idle up to like 1200RPM or so....i like the first option better as I liek the low idle sound anyway

Cold start valve should be hooked up to the passenger side fuel rail, me thinks. Shouldn't have fuel going to the AAR - BOOM!

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 7 2005, 04:38 PM)

Cold start valve should be hooked up to the passenger side fuel rail, me thinks. Shouldn't have fuel going to the AAR - BOOM!

yeah.....a complete air routing botching.....before i dug in (and before my dad thought i knew what i was doing) I was wondering why the car hissed all the time...kinda a low sound hiss, but it was all of these serial air lines making a zig-zag pattern, ending at my cold start valve.

and beginning at some thing (still dont know what it is.....)....i'll take a picture if i find some time.

I used a screwdriver as an improvised chisel to pry back the lip of the housing where it folds over the "lid". I was able to pull the lid, complete with valve and bimetallic spring, out. Some Liquid Wrench, a little twisting with a screwdriver (use the slot in the bottom of the barrel valve), and it was freed up again. I crimped the lip of the housing over the lid in a couple of places, then used RTV to seal the rest of it. I don't think that really mattered, though--I don't think the valve mechanism is actually open to the inside of the housing.

--DD

You have two hoses going to your cold start valve:

1.) comes from the plenum or aircleaner to the AAR and then to the big fitting on the cold start valve. This is the extra air.

2.) comes from the driver side fuel rail (where you would normally tap in a guage for pressure measurement) to the fuel inlet of the cold start valve. Dis one is da fuel.

I have an brand new NOS AAR that I bought off ebay about a year ago. It was advertised for a VW and for a 914 1.7. I paid $156.00 plus shipping for it. It turns out being slightly different than the one for a 914. I've since been told that it is for a type3 VW. The only visual difference is the size of the vaccume hose attachment thingees. They are a little smaller and the angle between the two is slightly different

914 AAR is on the Left part #022 906 045
VW AAR is on the right part #311 906 045

Picture 2

Don't bother wasting your time messing around with those
old AAR valves. I tried to fix a couple of them with poor results.
Just try something like this (ford bowl vent solenoid) or similar
and wire in a toggle switch and operate it manualy.
I have mine hooked up to my SDS system wich runs it automatically.