Forge DV gone bad

[jojogoya88]

So as you all know ive been in shop mulitiple times....i got my fuel pressure sensor replaced, and thought that was going to make all better. So took car from service and it performed better but still not great, and then comes the stalling out. So bring it in again and they receive 3 codes all having to do with the diverter valve..

so since i have an aftermarket part they cant do shit, nor am i going to give them the go-ahead to fix it. Getting stock dv put in tomorrow and have the guy look at it..but just for reference 2 of the 3 codes were over boosting, and something with the wastegate..

I spoke to Forge a few days ago and goin to call them tomorrow to let them know what happens, but as far as my knowledge goes, maybe the valve isnt opening and closing, because boosting sucks and the stalling is bad too.

Forge can you elaborate on this please...let you all know what happens with the valve...and oh yeah i have spacer on it too...

[AudiWxGuy]

They should replace it for free...

[John1.8T]

did you install it or did you pay a shop to install it?

this is the first issue i've seen.

[viperdsa]

With all of the people running this valve with K04's and BT kits, if it's a problem it seems like it would be more common.

[jojogoya88]

I had it installed by a professional, who knows what exactly to do. If audi service had those 3 codes thrown that are directly related to dv, theres no chance it wouldnt be the dv...def is...they wouldnt lie

[John1.8T]

take out the spacer?

sound like there is a boost leak somewhere and it is related to the dv/spacer installation. its not too hard to mess it up - i wouldn't be surprised if it was a simple hose clamp or something...

[ed@mtl]

I have the Forge DV since they came out with it, without any issues. Do you have the spacer as well? That could be the problem.

[kristokes]

take out that spacer and make sure tha vacuum that connects to your intake manifold isnt leakin boost!

[Pat@Forge]

...So bring it in again and they receive 3 codes all having to do with the diverter valve..

...so since i have an aftermarket part they cant do shit, nor am i going to give them the go-ahead to fix it. Getting stock dv put in tomorrow and have the guy look at it..but just for reference 2 of the 3 codes were over boosting, and something with the wastegate..



Hmmm, on the surface of it none of the codes seem to have anything to do with the DV. A valve (functional or otherwise) cannot add boost, which is what overboost is, and shouldn't affect the wastegate at all. From what I'm reading here it seems that the dealership is trying to place blame on whatever they can to avoid doing more work.

...but if it turns out to be a problem with our valve we will take care of you. Refund, replace, etc...

[jojogoya88]

my car was replaced with stock dv this morning, turns out there was something wrong iwth the Forge DV...spacer was fine.

At the top of the DV near the grooved circular part, it was loose and i think he mentioned that there was leakage out of there...So we disconnected everything, put in stock dv, car runs perfect..

so im 100% sure it was the dv, so im gonna call up forge tomorrow to tell them about it..

[email protected] i ask to speak 2 you??

[jayuuey]

i had the same stalling issues with the forge spacer+dv. try removing the spacer and see if it helps. i would have tried this but i was really tired of having to remove+replace the dv trying to diagnose my issue. i ended up returning it. car has been back to normal with no issues since the stock dv was put back on.

[AudiWxGuy]

FYI...all the chip dealers I've spoke with have told me NOT to buy the Forge DV. They said the stock one used after 2007 is suffice. I'm not saying the Forge one isn't worth the money or anything. It seems like a fine product. I'm just repeating what I've heard.

[Mike@Forge]

Go back and re-read jojogoya88's post guys.

He clearly mentions that the cap of the valve was loose and leaking.

This is a fundamentally simple and easily corrected installation issue and nothing more.

It has nothing to do with ANYTHING related to the design, construction, or quality of the product.

EVERY single issue that has been brought up about our valve to date has been an installation error or something else entirely.

- Torn vacuum line (leak)
- Loose connection at the intake manifold (leak)
- Loose cap (leak)
- Hesitation issues as a result of cat-less downpipes and other fuel related concerns - NOT our valve

With the installation done properly and free of all leaks, there will be no issues with the valve and it will perform flawlessly.

[Pat@Forge]

Am I understanding correctly and it was the cap on the valves being loose that was the issue? If that is the case it isn't an indication of a design flaw, all mechanical DV's require that they are air-tight to function correctly.

In the 1.8T world this happens all the time after someone changes a spring or services their valve or opens it for whatever reason, they'll reassemble loosely and over time vibrations will work the cap loose enough to affect driveability.

It should be safe to re-install the valve with the cap tightened securely, some non-permanent thread sealer can be installed for peace of mind... one thing to check, there should be a very thin o-ring underneath the cap recessed into a groove in the valve body. If that isn't there there might be a slight leak no matter how tight the cap is.

Or am I not understanding what has happened?

[jojogoya88]

I am not too sure what you are talking about, nor are you guys sure what im talking about. All my mechanic said was that it came loose and that was about it, all vacuum lines were fine, everything checked out fine. Ive been driving around with stock dv for last 2 days and the car drives like ive never felt it before.

Now i dont know where to go with this problem, the only thing i can think of is sending the Dv back to you, you guys take a look at it, fix it or just give me a new one.....

Let me know what to do Forge, i mean maybe you guys never heard of a customer having issues with this product, and maybe i can be the first one. Now you guys know that forums go to an extent, especially the unkowledgable youngins like me. As far as ive explained maybe you guys have gotten the wrong idea. I say that where we should go from here is for Forge to check out the problem, and diagnose it (if there is any)....

I would feel really comfortable with that, let me know. Because i like your products, they seem of great quality, and i wouldnt want to become an ex-customer.

[Mike@Forge]

Maybe you're misunderstanding our position.

You mentioned that you removed our valve from your car and that the cap was loose and leaking.

The logical solution here would obviously be to reinstall the valve, making sure this time, however, that the cap is tightened securely and not leaking.

If the problem persists, we can certainly continue to investigate the cause, but having discovered a leak, the first course of action is to fix the leak and see if the problem goes away.

My point is that the issue you're experiencing with our valve is likely due to the leaking cap issue that you discovered.

This is the exact same situation that has occured with every other thread that has been started where our valve was perceived to be problematic.

Either a vacuum line was torn and leaking, a connection was loose (and also leaking), or there was some other issue that was solely a result of install error and most certainly NOT an indication of any sort of problems with our product.

In one thread, the driveability issue experienced that was believed to be related to our valve, was actually a software/fueling issue, having NOTHING to do with our valve whatsoever.

People are repeatedly mentioning that various "chip tuners" are instructing people not to buy our valve product because it is supposedly problematic, when the small number of issues are obviously not caused by any faulty element of our product.

Tighten the cap, reinstall the valve, and see if the problem goes away.

[ncttrnl]

My 007 piston DV leaked horribly from the side hose attachment. It took me forever to find it until I finally pulled the DV and pressure tested it outside the car. Turns out the side hose nipple is screwed into the body. I couldn't get it to seal so its been sitting in the bottom of my tool box until I can find an o-ring to fix it properly.

Does your DV have any similar connections? I'm not familiar with the 2.0T DVs.

[Six Speed Turbo]

Ive been driving around with stock dv for last 2 days and the car drives like ive never felt it before.



Does the car feel stronger, or does it feel weak? What exactly did you mean when you said this?

[07audi4]

My car was having very similar problems not too long after I installed the Forge DV. So I decided to pull and it out and try and figure out what was wrong. As soon as I got under neath my car and looked up at the valve I noticed that the valve had come unscrewed in half. I pulled it all out, threw some thread lock on it, cleaned things up a bit and re-installed it. Cars runs perfect. That may be your only problem...

[Pat@Forge]

jojogoya88,

Go ahead and send us the valve back so we can give it the once over. Also, if you could, try to get more concrete information from your mechanic, it might help us out with our inspection.

ncttrnl,

You can send the valve back to us to take care of the leak or if you feel comfortable doing so you can use a small amount of permanent thread sealer on the side port. This is what we use when assembling the 007 valves... apparently someone neglected to do so whilst putting your valve together.

[jojogoya88]

Thanks for the OK to send it in pat, but before i do that i will ask my mechanic for any more information. I will look at the dv tonight and inspect it to see if theres anyhting out of the ordinary.

but from what i remember, at the top of the valve there is a ring of dry black stuff going around it, dont know what that is could be dried up shmutz. but will take a look

Il Post back later

[Pat@Forge]

Hmmm, could it be oil that has seeped out of the leak?

[jojogoya88]

Wow reading over my Replies, i sound like an idiot..

Well, here i am 5 months later. I just looked over the Valve, found a couple of things...

-The valve itself was unscrewed a bit loose, however i opened it up and i think that "o-ring" (rubbery material) was off a bit. SO i repositioned it, carefully screwed it back on.

-That Dirt or grease around the valve i cleaned up, i think it might just be dirty grease, hopefully not a leak.


In a week or so im going to have it installed again with the extra vacuum line Forge provided, along with the spacer. Let you guys know how it goes.

[Pat@Forge]

Good luck. Let me know how it goes.

[4-tified]

Seems that inspection prior to release should be a priority for the Forge DV's.
The DV itself may work just fine, however, the assembly seems suspect.
Thus, it could still be called "problematic". Simply, a little bit of thread lock could go a long way to make the product less prone to issues related to assembly.

Part of the "quality" of a product is how well it is built, and how well the assembly of the product is done. Yes, it IS important.

[John1.8T]

I re-oil my Forge DV every time I change my oil. There are several rubber o-rings that need to be checked every so often.

[SounderMN]

I've been lurking on this thread, and have been deciding about changing from the stock DV on my car. I see the responses from Forge, and my impression is that they are pretty defensive about the piece they sell, especially Mike. What I hear is that there have been problems with the part, but NONE are the fault of Forge. It is apparently always the fault of the installer, or sort of just happens, and the buyer, should just fix the leak and stop complaining.

Frankly, I don't think I'll be buying a Forge DV if I end up getting an aftermarket piece. The reason is that it seems pretty obvious to me that there is a quality control problem, and they don't seem to want to fix the problem. If there are so many people complaining that the cap comes loose, ... um, guys, look at your manufacturing process to see what could be improved! Don't tell everyone how wrong they are! Maybe before it leaves the factory, you should put some permanent thread-locker on the unit. If that would solve the problem, do it! What could it cost? 30 cents per unit? When the design of a device requires an air tight seal, you should ensure it leaves the factory with an airtight seal that will remain air tight.

Mike: "It has nothing to do with ANYTHING related to the design, construction, or quality of the product. EVERY single issue that has been brought up about our valve to date has been an installation error or something else entirely."

Actually, Mike, this IS an issue with the quality of the product. If you deliver a valve that works loose, requires maintenance or repair to function properly, or isn't working as it was designed after some period of time... there is either a quality of manufacturing or a design problem. You guys should fix it. Then, you wouldn't have to monitor these forums defending your product. I suggest a conversation with your manager of manufacturing quality. If he/she continues to deliver products with flaws, you need a new QA manager.

Don't believe me? It definitely cost you at least one customer... me.

[John1.8T]

I've been lurking on this thread, and have been deciding about changing from the stock DV on my car. I see the responses from Forge, and my impression is that they are pretty defensive about the piece they sell, especially Mike. What I hear is that there have been problems with the part, but NONE are the fault of Forge. It is apparently always the fault of the installer, or sort of just happens, and the buyer, should just fix the leak and stop complaining.

Frankly, I don't think I'll be buying a Forge DV if I end up getting an aftermarket piece. The reason is that it seems pretty obvious to me that there is a quality control problem, and they don't seem to want to fix the problem. If there are so many people complaining that the cap comes loose, ... um, guys, look at your manufacturing process to see what could be improved! Don't tell everyone how wrong they are! Maybe before it leaves the factory, you should put some permanent thread-locker on the unit. If that would solve the problem, do it! What could it cost? 30 cents per unit? When the design of a device requires an air tight seal, you should ensure it leaves the factory with an airtight seal that will remain air tight.

Mike: "It has nothing to do with ANYTHING related to the design, construction, or quality of the product. EVERY single issue that has been brought up about our valve to date has been an installation error or something else entirely."

Actually, Mike, this IS an issue with the quality of the product. If you deliver a valve that works loose, requires maintenance or repair to function properly, or isn't working as it was designed after some period of time... there is either a quality of manufacturing or a design problem. You guys should fix it. Then, you wouldn't have to monitor these forums defending your product. I suggest a conversation with your manager of manufacturing quality. If he/she continues to deliver products with flaws, you need a new QA manager.

Don't believe me? It definitely cost you at least one customer... me.

If one were to put permanent thread lock on the cap of the valve - it would not be serviceable. The valve does require regular maintenance and those who buy the product need to realize this.

Unfortunately some people expect to just install these parts and forget about them. All of the problems that have been discussed HAVE been the installer/owners fault by neglecting regular service.

Anyone who thinks they can just install an aftermarket DV and forget about it clearly has no idea how much work that part is going through every time you drive your car. It is different than the stock version and does require maintenance.

If you cant handle taking apart the DV, re-oiling it and re-assembling it... don't buy it. Simple. I haven't had a single issue with my Forge DV and they have a long history of making excellent products for our cars. Its unfortunate that they are getting beaten on this from blind "enthusiasts" who apparently have not done the research before buying the part.

[4-tified]

If one were to put permanent thread lock on the cap of the valve - it would not be serviceable. The valve does require regular maintenance and those who buy the product need to realize this.

Unfortunately some people expect to just install these parts and forget about them. All of the problems that have been discussed HAVE been the installer/owners fault by neglecting regular service.

Anyone who thinks they can just install an aftermarket DV and forget about it clearly has no idea how much work that part is going through every time you drive your car. It is different than the stock version and does require maintenance.

If you cant handle taking apart the DV, re-oiling it and re-assembling it... don't buy it. Simple. I haven't had a single issue with my Forge DV and they have a long history of making excellent products for our cars. Its unfortunate that they are getting beaten on this from blind "enthusiasts" who apparently have not done the research before buying the part.

If all those conditions exist in order to have a working DV, I think that was the posters point. HE WON'T buy it.

Also, IMO there can be a better way to make the unit.
2 clips on the side of the DV where it comes apart will hold it in place until it needs service. A device shouldn't be coming apart well before it's service is due. If it does come apart that quickly then there IS an issue or design NOT user error.
Simply, you don't have to use permanent thread lock. There is plenty of variety with thread lockers that will hold steady yet still be easily removable.

You don't build a customer base by telling the customer, "if you don't like it then don't buy it." BTW, I'm not paraphrasing APR, I'm paraphrasing you.[:p]

[John1.8T]

It just shocks me that I'm hearing complaints from a great product.

I used a couple drops of blue threadlock on the cap and it held for 8-10,000 miles every time. Just because its stronger than stock doesn't mean that it doesn't require maintenance [:)]. Sure it could have a better design but this works if installed properly.

[INTEGRATION]

Maybe the addition of a washer (rubber/poly) would help it keep its seal? Like John mentioned above- you wouldn't want to threadlock it...just in case.