Mr Muscle oven cleaner trick

[mattbarber]

Hi all,

Was wanting to ask anyone else's experience with the Mr Muscle oven cleaner in the turbo trick.

My Passat 1.9 AWX is fine, but did do it on my mums Mk4 Golf 1.9 TDI 130ps 6 speed manual - A life of short journeys, and 43k miles from new... since we drove it out the showroom in Hamburg back in 2000.

The EGR valve is only lightly grubby and fully clear. It's been going into limp mode for ages now, and after a long run on the M4 a while ago, went into limp again whilst coming off the slip road.

So, I tried the Mr Muscle hack 3 weeks ago, and it did free up the actuator nicely, and no limp mode since...and I've driven it a fair bit in the last 3 weeks. Bottom end is much better. I should think there is a stored over or underboost code, but I'm yet to have it read. There has never been an engine management light ever.

I realise it's not a cure as such, but I'm about to get the car as my mum now can't drive a manual due to arthritis in her left knee bless her, but if I give the car a life every week and start using it more, will that prevent limp mode again do you think?
I'm also aware of doing the trick multiple times can kill turbo oil seals, so I don't really want to do it again if I can help it.

I'm guessing ultimately that the turbo would need to be removed and replaced, or at least stripped down and properly cleaned. For what it's worth I did chuck a shot of Millers in the fuel tank last week.

I'm doing the fuel filter tonight as that...I'm sure, is the original factory one.
By the way, the cambelt never got changed....for 17 years! (5 years ago now)