Key Findings from the Report

Hello everyone)

The desire to adjust the valve clearances had been there for a long time, but I just never got around to it. They can be heard slightly at idle, and this was somehow bothering me

I started looking up the procedure and clearance values in the manual, and I was surprised

It's only 0.1 and 0.18, which is really minimal. Well, if the manual says to do it, I'll follow it

Removed the cover

While at it, I checked the wear on the chain that I replaced half a year ago))

Just like new))

Set the engine to TDC (Top Dead Center)

And adjusted the valves according to the manual.

During disassembly, I noticed that the O-ring from the valve cover was worn out, so I decided to replace it

It's precisely these seemingly insignificant holes in what appears to be an unimportant part that cause uneven operation and insufficient power.

Seems like everything is put back together. Starting it up. It misfires, stinks (emits bad exhaust), shakes. Idle seems okay, but if I engage drive mode, it stalls. Looked under the hood again, everything looks good. I thought long about where I could have made a mistake and then noticed that the EGR valve (the yellow one in the photo)

can be connected to two identical connectors which are also very close together.

Both of these connectors are inconveniently located and difficult to reach. Connected it to another connector — everything became normal)

Regarding the valves: It's noticeably quieter now. However, the engine is jerking significantly. At idle, it's fine. But in drive mode, the problem is much more pronounced. The RPMs fluctuate.

I decided to check the compression

11 in all cylinders except for cylinder 3 where it was 10.5

Considering that I haven't replaced the piston rings, this seems like a good result)

Then I remembered how I described myself as a guru among Markov engines, and specifically the m-eu enginePim25

I disassembled everything again, readjusted it according to his instructions.

The valve chatter became audible again, but all jerking and fluctuating RPMs disappeared. Interestingly, there was a noticeable increase in power, almost surprisingly so. The car feels nicer to drive now. That's the story.