Driving on BAD MAF/Boost Leak, what are the repercussions?

[USAFS4]

Update: I decided to ship the car to Cali. I'll let JHM fix her real good when they build me a STG III

I've pulled the falling the codes, P1136 & P1138. My research has found that this is likely due to either a bad MAF or Vacuum leak. My gas mileage sucks! And obviously my power does also.

My dilemma: I need to drive across country soon. Do I

A) Drive the car 2500 miles, and fix it laters
B) Let the dealer replace the MAF ($250 MAF, $150 Labor, possible more if Vacuum leak $???) The replacement MAF is a Bosch, and I want to go STG III and will prolly need to convert to Hitachi then; meaning all of the cost is a loss.
C) Any quick fix I haven't learned of yet?

Basically, I need to know the damage I'm doing driving on a bad MAF/Boost leak? (I also recently had the O2's replaced, don't want to kill them early)

[Trigger Happy]

Pressure test and see if the boost leak is easy to fix. If it is fix it if it isn't your outta luck on that one. Have you tried cleaning your MAF yet?

[wesS4]

Try Cleaning your MAF. report back

[USAFS4]

Try Cleaning your MAF. report back

Cleaned the MAF sensor about 3/4 months ago. I'll check, but I'm betting it's still shiny clean.

[bigern45]

vacuum leak is bad . when car is in idle and not boost, youll be running lean.. then when in boost and is no longer a vacuum leak but boost leak youll be running rich...

[wesS4]

Cleaned the MAF sensor about 3/4 months ago. I'll check, but I'm betting it's still shiny clean.

I see... Get your car pressure tested ASAP and see if you can't find a boost leak somewhere.

[revhards4]

boost leaks are what blows turbo's so get that done asap!

[Jman25]

simple, check ALL!!!! the hose lines. I was having similar problems in my A4 ended up being the small hose line from the intake man. to the fuel regulator, my buddies S4 had the same hole in the same line, lots of heat and such, you can take some brake parts cleaner and and spray each of the connectors where the hoses meet with the engine running and if there is a leak the engine will bog down big time. Dont waist the money on the MAF since you have already cleaned it chances are it is a simple very small hose that needs to get replaced, just make sure you physically inspect and palpate each part because it took me a long while to find that the hose was ruined on my car until I grabbed it and it cracked in my fingers.

[USAFS4]

simple, check ALL!!!! the hose lines. I was having similar problems in my A4 ended up being the small hose line from the intake man. to the fuel regulator, my buddies S4 had the same hole in the same line, lots of heat and such, you can take some brake parts cleaner and and spray each of the connectors where the hoses meet with the engine running and if there is a leak the engine will bog down big time. Dont waist the money on the MAF since you have already cleaned it chances are it is a simple very small hose that needs to get replaced, just make sure you physically inspect and palpate each part because it took me a long while to find that the hose was ruined on my car until I grabbed it and it cracked in my fingers.

You wouldn't happen to have a Vacuum hose diagram? Can't find one.

[haus4]

After you pressure test, if your still having problems, then change the maf. A bosch maf is 140 bucks new. You can definitely put it in your self. If not I even have a spare bosch laying in my room I could sell you.

[koolkoreanked]

Pressure test NOW! lol as far as the mass air flow I've never had problems driving with it unhooked. The audis and VWs Ive played with run fine with or without the mass airflow.

[VinNyS4]

not to thread jack I but what code are you getting for your MAF?, i scanned my car and mine came up as signal to low. I never cleaned mine since I owned the car, should that help or just replace it?. Also I am going full stage 3 in about a month or so I dont want to buy a new bosch MAF, and then pay again to switch to the hitachi. If I clean it a still get a code and decide to get the hitachi with the wiring will it run fine even though my cars a 2000. Or will the ecu have to be tweaked for the hitachi.

[bigern45]

Pressure test NOW! lol as far as the mass air flow I've never had problems driving with it unhooked. The audis and VWs Ive played with run fine with or without the mass airflow.

WHAT??

[chriswstprt]

Pressure test NOW! lol as far as the mass air flow I've never had problems driving with it unhooked. The audis and VWs Ive played with run fine with or without the mass airflow.

don't know about you but any maf f.i. car i have owned or worked on needs the maf to work right.

[GarbatyA4]

if you have a boost leak, you don't want to run your turbo charger out of its efficiency range.

will help result in premature failure.

leak test it and fix it.

[koolkoreanked]

don't know about you but any maf f.i. car i have owned or worked on needs the maf to work right.

These cars run just fine without the maf hooked because there is a map sensor as well... Go unplug your maf and drive... Sure the car can't fine tune itself and sure it won't stop over boost but down the 1320 I've seen the same times hooked or unhooked. I got tired of my a4 eating up maf sensors so I just unplugged the last one that went out and drove... Now if the car only had a mass airflow meter then it wouldn't even start with it unplugged.

[USAFS4]

My car has always had a rich fuel smell since I've owned her. Think I've had an engine light on ever since as well(or after the chip which was first mod). That's 70k to 130k. If I had a boost leak I don't think I could have made it this far. Well no time left. She's getting shipped. I so wanted to drive her cross country and document it.

[rmamiye]

im having sort of a similar problem with my a4. i replaced the air flow meter but saw no improvement. i cant seem to find where my air leak is coming from.
my cat keeps glowing red, along with my turbocharger and my BRAND NEW coils went as well.
any ideas on what to do?