Anyone know what a bellows boot is?

Hi all, Just got back from the dealer. He told me that I need a new bellows boot (I have a hole in the current one). I have a few questions: 1. He wants $330 to replace it. Is this a fair deal? 2. Can I do it myself (he is saying it takes three hours of labor to change it). 3. Will this affect the vacuum system in the car and trigger the Check Engine light? All help and input greatly appreciated. Ash

I believe the dealer is refering to the bellows, part # 996.107.237.51. This is part of the crankcase ventilation system, so if it is cracked it can cause a vaccum leak and throw a CEL. The part isn't much, so mostly you are paying for the 3 hours of labor. The bellows is part of the oil separator which is in a very hard to get to part of the engine, I don't think it is a typical DIY repair. I would ask the dealer why this isn't covered under the emissions warranty. The crankcase ventilation system is part of the engine emissions control. A crack or vaccum leak will affect emissions and should be covered under the 7 year emissions warranty. BTW, I had the same problem on my car and it took HBL 3 tries to fix it. So if that's who you are using, you may want to consider taking it somewhere else. Also, don't run the car hard until this is repaired. I made the mistake of tracking my car with this problem, thinking it was just emissions and the hot air escaping from the crack ended up scorching some wiring and burning through some other hoses, which ended up costing me over $2K to repair. Karl

Karl, Thanks for the tip. It is HBL who is doing it and I will ask them whether it is covered under the extended warranty. I wont drive the car hard, but I do have to take it up to Delaware this weekend. Hopefully that won't be a problem. Ash

Karl, If not HBL, then who do you recommend in the area? I live in McLean, so HBL was pretty convenient for me. Ash

I just had mine replaced last week! 31k miles and it was history. $19.84 for parts, 2 hours labor. Actual labor it took to install: less than 30 minutes.

Ash, if you get HBL to do it, just make sure the car is running right when you pick it up. In my case, they left one bank of the VarioCam disconnected and I didn't find the problem until I took the car to an independent shop after giving HBL 3 tries to fix it. Other dealer options in the area are Rockville or Arlington. If HBL won't do it under the emissions warranty, you can also get IMA in Merrifield to do the work. They will only charge for actual labor and their hourly rates aren't as high as the dealerships. Karl

Thanks for all of your help guys. I got an appointment with HBL on Monday to get it sorted. Hopefully they will hook it up on warranty (but the service manager isnt too excited to call for me). Karl, I will definitely go to those folks in Merrifield especially since they come recommended and their prices are straight. Thanks again, Ash

What are the symptoms of a bad bellows?

On my car I got a CEL and the DME went into limp mode, so the car was noticably down on power. You may also be able to hear a vaccum leak if the crack is big enough. When the dealer plugs in the PST2 it points right to the crankcase ventilation system as the problem and the bellows or oil separator are usually the problem. Karl

I thought that the car was a little down on power but I thought i was jsut imagining it. I guess Karl confirmed it. Thanks all. Ash

My 99 fell on its face at anything more than half throttle. I learned that the bellow was not cracked but had developed the ability to be sucked in under the clamp into the fitting thereby allowing a huge vacuum leak which in turn threw the CEL. My dealer took at least 3 trips to figure it out because it only happened under anything above half throttle. The computer showed a massive vacuum leak and the dealer checked everything including running leakdown and compression tests to pinpoint the leak. If it is cracked, you are down on power. I ended up replacing O2 sensors and the MAF in the meantime trying to get the car running right.

"Thanks for all of your help guys. I got an appointment with HBL on Monday to get it sorted. Hopefully they will hook it up on warranty (but the service manager isnt too excited to call for me)." curious on the outcome with the adventure with HBL

Karl, According to the parts list 996 107 237 51 has been replaced with 996 107 237 52. Perhaps the newer part is improved?

Hopefully, I'll have to go back to my invoices and see what part number they actually used as a replacement. The service manager told me that problems with cracked oil separator or the bellows were pretty common on 996s. Karl

I am glad someone brought this topic back up. HBL replaced the bellows and now is telling me that there is another vacuum leak that they need to diagnose in order to fix. They are saying that one cylinder bank is running 'very rich' according to the computer and that there 'may be a problem with my fuel distribution system'. They are also saying that I need a new MAF. I have lost confidence in them as they do not seem to know what the real issue is and are just throwing out a bunch of things now to try and pinpoint the problem. As none of this is being taken care of under warranty (they disagreed and said the only thing covered under extended warranty was the catalytic converter), I want to figure out the issue and get it resolved as quickly and as cheaply as possible and do not want the tech to 'practice' on my car. I can hear a hissing coming out of the engine on the opposite side (passeneger side) where the boot was replaced (I saw the torn one and it was a tiny tear). Need everyone's advice on how to deal with these guys or where to take this car to get it sorted. Thanks in advance. Ash

Why am I not suprised..... I would get an independent verification of the extended warranty coverage or lack thereof ..but first and foremost get it out of there!!!!(IMHO). Dependent on the warranty answer, there are a number of places in your area that can get it sorted out