I have an S5 vert completely stock.

My 6 ports don't open anymore, happened 2-3 weeks ago.

If I jam them open, is it ok with the engine. I mean, it won't run poor at low RPMs ?

Other question, if one of the 2 actuators is jam, will it jam the other one ? Because the one near the firewall seems ok, but not the one in the front....

Thanks

 

There's a good trick to see if your actuators work, simply put grease on the shaft and rev the engine. If they work properly the grease will have been moved.

Removing them isn't a problem, you'll even gain a few hp but you will lose some low-end torque and drivability.

 

That only works on s4's where the rod retracts into the actuator. In the s5's the rod is pushed out of the actuator.

If one of them is jammed, the other one will still work as normal. I would take the bad actuator off and see if the problem is with the actuator or if the sleeve is stuck, then try to fix the problem. If won't cause the car to run badly, but it will be slower below 3800.

 

I'll take a look at my actuators for sure...

For now, is it ok to run a little bit poor at low revs ?

 

Its fine to run it with stuck open actuators. People that are too lazy to fix theirs do it all the time. Mine was like that when I bought it. It won't cause any harm, just lower the power under 4k and hurt gas mileage some.

To test the actuator, put a vac line on the air line going into it. Blow really hard and you should be able to open it. If its bad, I think I have a spare I'll sell you for cheap.
Also, see if you can easily move the thing that the actuator was connected to. If not, you will probably have to remove the LIM to free up the sleeve.

 

Thanks alot for the advice, but what is the LIM ?

 

Lower Intake Manifold, it's the part of the manifold that the actuators are connected to and that is bolted to the block.

 

Update :

My sleeves are ok, they turn really smoothly.
My actuator, I don't know. One gets stuck after 10 minutes or I have to blow till I become red and see stars to make it work. But after the first time, it works really fine till 10 minutes after... do I have to change it ? The other one seems really fine.

That brings to me to another question : I do we check if the 6-port system works fine ? I mean, can we just look at the actuators and rev up the engine, or we actually have to drive it ?

Personally, I woudn't see any logic if we'd have to drive it... but why woudn't I see my good actuator work...

Please, I'd like to understand !

Thanks !

Nic

 

I believe that on s5's you can just rev the engine to see if they work since they are run form a constant air source (air pump). On the s4's you have to have a load for them to work.
To me, it sounds like a bad actuator. It should work all the time reliably, and shouldn't take a huge amount of effort to open it. You can look around junkyards and whatnot for them. I couldn't find any s5 actuators in my garage, but that doesn't mean its not there. I'm in the process of cleaning it out, so if I come across it I'll let you know.

 

Update : everything is back to normal. The power at high revs is back.

Just had to play and grease my actuators to loose them...

But I still don't see them open when I just rev the engine. My theory : pressure has to build up for the actuators to open. When we just rev the engine, that pressure is not there...

Anyway, I'm happy again !!!

Thanks for your help !

Nic

 

That's true for S4's only, the series 5 are activated by an air pump which as nothing to do with load.

 

If you have any problems with your actuators I got some in my garage. Just tell me and I will bring it to you at the KK.

 

Thanks

 

I've seen them open while just revving the engine. Just a few weeks ago.

 

That's weird guys, cause I really see a difference while driving...

satanicmechanic : S4 or S5 ?

 

i have been running with my ports closed for a while now . i like the nice low end torque. but i kinda platue in power at 3 then it picks back up at 4. i didnt realy mind . its been like that for a while cuz i am doing a tii swap . they open at 3rpm so that the air fuel mixture isnt rich when the 2ndary injectors kick in. in lame-mans turm any way.
your fine with them closed if you dont mind running rich. wont hurt anything. running lean would hurt things more then running rich would.

 

ok, I'm confused.

In my test drive, I really felt the difference after 4k. It had alot more power then before, seems like it was healthy again. But you're saying that I should see the actuators open... and I didn't !

Gone look again tomorrow... I want it to run perfectly.

 

They are not activated by the air-pump. They are activated by solenoid air-valves which get their pressure from the air-pump... .

The computer opens them based on load and RPM. They WILL NOT actuate in neutral. Nor will VDI.

 

I didn't know the computer considered rpm AND load though.

 

Hehe. Sorry..

 

So... my S5 engine would be ok ?

 

How did you test your actuators? Just by moving them?

This is the typical answer for how to test them: Get some twist ties (like you would get with garbage bags), twist one on each actuator rod (pretty tight) and push them all the way down to the actuator. Go for a "spirited drive" and check them afterwards... they should have been pushed up the shaft.

However, if I remember right (my car is kinda torn apart right now)... the actuators push out, not pull in... .so... I'm not sure what good that'll do. I hope I didn't just feed you a bunch of BS.

 

Yes, s5's push out, s4's pull in, so that won;t work for him.

 

Just push the ties agaist the manifold rather than the actuators, it's the same just in reverse. I don't see why nobody though of this yet but then again it's been almost a week since I saw my engine.

 

Cool. thanks for the confirmation on that... I suppose you could set up some sort of wire-tie on the crank part of it and when it gets bent, you'd know.

But, since I'm all out of useful information, I'll get bent myself.

Edit:
Here's a pic of my 6pi as they are right now..

There's a lip/stopper for the crank lever, just put something on there so that you know when the lever hits it.