2.7t APB engine, broken hard plastic line, help?

[emf]

Running across the top of cyl 4 (drivers side front) between the oil fill cap and the timing belt cover are two lines.
There's a rubber coolant(?) line that runs into some crazy metal piping that sits on top of the intake manifold,
and there's this hard thin black plastic line that runs in a silly curve from behind the ABS pump, under the coolant expansion tank,
over cyl 4, and then back toward the EGR area. I think this is a vacuum line because it went *HISS* at me when I accidentally
snapped it while assing around over there trying to get to a good place to replace my leaky coolant hose. *grr*

WTF is this line I broke?

And, great internet oracles, is there any known harm if I just replace part of this dumb plastic vacuum(?) line with
a sensible piece of rubber line? Alternately, what is this thing called so that when I have to track it down from the dealer I
don't sound like even more of a tardmonkey than I already am....

Thanks...

 

[Jack@European_Parts]

I think you are refrencing APB WTF?
Post an auto scan please.

Either auxiliary vacuum pump for booster or LDP circuit.

 

[Uwe]

Moved to General VW/Audi Repair.

How about posting a photo of the thing you broke?


-Uwe-

 

[emf]

Uwe: Can't (easily) post a photo, I'm afraid. The forum asks me for a URL to a photo, instead of letting me just upload one (newbie mistakes, probably) and I don't have a hosting provider set up.
BUT, Jack's tip turned out to be correct. it seems to be the line to the leak detection pump. It comes off the black plastic 4 way vacuum check valve at the back of the engine, and goes to a snap-in fitting hiding up next to the ABS pump. So, I have replaced this whole section of line with sturdy 5/8" gates fuel line, and I'm hoping that will be sufficient repair.

We'll see if it throws any codes once I get it re-assembled to the point I can start it again.

Thanks for the tip, Jack. I'll report back if my repair worked or not.

 

[Uwe]

Uwe: Can't (easily) post a photo, I'm afraid. The forum asks me for a URL to a photo, instead of letting me just upload one (newbie mistakes, probably) and I don't have a hosting provider set up.

http://imgur.com/ -- No Setup needed

See also: How to Post Pictures.

-Uwe-

 

[Jef]

You might be in the market for "Adhesive Lined Heat Shrink Tubing". When I worked at the dealer, the 2.8L V6 Passat engines had hard plastic tubing that became brittle after 4 or 5 years. Various repair work would require to move these hard plastic tubes only to have them snap off in hand... and they were not cheap.


I started using adhesive lined heat shrink tubing to repair these things. I had the shop purchase a few 4ft lengths of the stuff from Digikey.com I'd use a little bit of electrical tap to kind of hold the bits together then shrink/glue the pieces for the final repair.