MAF and Air Filter Box

I just get a new MAF for my Jetta TDI 2000 (60,000Km).
We loosed all engine power during a trip to Charlevoix, Quebec.
Not the best place to loose all your power (lots of hill running on several km with 10 to 14% inclination).

I get the MAF replaced at Baie St-Paul (about 100Km from Quebec City),
the first thing that the mechanic did was to place a screw on a hole at the bottom of the air filter box.(This hole is used for water evacuation)
Lot of sand was present in the Air filter box.
The mechanic confirms me that having sand in the air filter box could damage your air filter and the MAF.
The mechanic told me that they do this modification on every new TDI VW.
Did anyone ever heard anything about blocking this
hole in the air filter box ?

The engine performance is better with the new MAF.

I'm trying to get a refund from my dealer for the
MAF...

Regards,
Michel
Please forgive my English, I'm French speaking

do you mean the small hole at the bottom of the airbox? that hole is there to drain any water that gets as far as the airbox. Plug the hole and I would think you increase your chances of water ingestion.... ie hydrolock.

Correct me if I am wrong people, as I am just relaying info gleaned from those more knowledgable on tdiclub.

I do believe that little hole in the bottom of the airbox is for draining any water that might have gotten into the box. I doubt that hole is letting in more sand than the regular airbox inlet.

[ July 03, 2002, 20:39: Message edited by: Boundless ]

mforbes:
Do your self a big favor and check the "snow screen" on my 99 golf with 42k miles the screen was so cloged that it sucked the gasket on the tube into the air box into the air box. If yours is cloged the engine is going to pull air into the filter any way it can get it,in your case thru the drain hole. As MOGolf pointed out there is a bypass flaper valve to let air in,however the spring on that valve is very strong and before it opens the engine is going to pull a substantial vacuum in the intake system to get air including the drain hole. I was shocked at the difference in performance of my engine after cleaning the snow filter. If it's like the 99.5 Golf it located behind the the drivers side headlight,and slightly to the right. Remove the panel behind the headlight (used for headlamp replacment) use a mirror and a flashlight to observe. Or if your mechanicaly profficient remove the air box and pull the air box inlet tube out and check the screen. Its worth the effort.
Don H

You're right in the filter box the hole is for water evacuation.
In my case we were able to observe sand accumulation in the bottom of the air box.
According to the mechanic the sand could damage the air filter (creating holes in the filter)and the MAF.
The mechanic mention me that he close this hole
on every air filter box for TDI.

I was at a 4th. of July party yesterday and learned that the MAF problem is not a TDI problem but a VW problem. My friend has a 2000 Jetta VR6 and he is on his 2nd MAF and the check engine light is on again. He assumes the same thing. $300.00+ a pop.

ALL VW MAF's are the same piss-poor quality. 2.0 MAF's are by far the most replaced, followed by TDI, and 1.8T/VR6 MAF's.

Good news,
VW Canada decided to pay for the MAF replacement on my TDI 2K...even if my warranty was over.
They paid for 90% of the amount of the bill ($627 CAN), this is quite good and fair.
It's seem that mentionning that we know that lots of TDI users on this forum experienced this problem put some pressure on them.
I still believe that the MAF is too fragile and costly.