And when you last time checked PCV valve?

It is tip top?

Never, but I've only had the car a few months and it's not something I know anything about or even where it is.
Is this thread a good starting point? http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4826

Just google.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BmTyQsuW8U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzUjuXuip3E

http://www.getaboutauto.com/articles...ntilation.html

Well I've found it, but it's held in place by two, presumably original factory-fit, non-removable strong metal ties. :-(
These will need cutting off and replacing by reusable ones, so maybe another day if I can source ones of an appropriate size. (I don't think the plastic cable ties I have will be adequate. :rolleyes: )

You sure it's not the clips that squeeze together over a tang, if it is you can get them off with nail pliers or similar. There is a proper tool for them too, think what your looking at is the clic r hose clips. Just Google clic r pliers and you will see what I'm on about

Thanks, could be; I'll go and have another look. Never heard of Clic-R before. :o

Another tool for the collection I guess. :ROFL:

Edit: Yes, looks like a Clic-R, but the one underneath will be a swine to get at!
(Heads off to eBay to look at tool options...)

The clips i've cut off or removed i've replced with jubilee clips

I've ordered some Clic-R pliers and will also get some jubilee clips next time I pass my local DIY place. :cool:

I've cut them off before using good wire snips, cut the locking part right off.

My Clic-R pliers arrived today and as the rain finally stopped I've been out to investigate the PCV valve.

Undid the clip for the side connection easily enough and eased the pipe off, then with wiggling and brute force with pliers managed to move the clip underneath round until it was accessible and undid that too.

Removed the PCV valve and finally, now I could access it, undid the idiotically-oriented jubilee clip fixing the short flexible tube underneath to the metal pipe below it.

Took the valve apart, which needs care and a bit of force - I used a large flat-bladed screwdriver to lever open the catches a tiny bit at a time, working round.
Took the diaphragm out carefully and checked it was in good condition.
It looked fine though a bit oily so I cleaned everything thoroughly with white spirit and isopropanol and reassembled carefully. I then checked (by sucking/blowing on the ports in turn while covering/uncovering the other one) that it was working OK and not leaking.

Put it all back on the car, ensuring that both Clic-R clips and the jubilee clip were oriented for easy access in future. ;). Ran car briefly to check it was OK.

Time will tell I guess whether the problem is still there. :rolleyes:

Footnote on the Clic-R pliers. The ones I bought were pretty cheap and didn't work that well (at first), especially for reclosing the clips.
Looking at videos online and pictures of seriously expensive ones I could see that the blades were poorly shaped. They had been initially forged or stamped then ground to shape inadequately. Quickly fixed with a metal file.

For reference, if anyone else gets these and has problems, the pliers are asymmetric; one side is a wedge, the other more like a chisel.
The problem with mine was that the "outer" face was rather rounded, from poor finishing, resulting in a thick working edge of varying thickness that prevented them making a good contact in the right place on the clip. I filed them down giving good flat working surfaces with narrow (but not sharp) edges where they press on the clips. The chisel edge in particular need to be quite thin to work properly.