Yesterday I was following behind a B-double (a semi pulling two full size
trailers) at around 100-110km/h.  I saw my opportunity to overtake safely
so I changed down to 4th and gave the old girl WOT. As always I was
rewarded by that lovely feeling of rapid acceleration, the B-double was
cleared and I was safely back onto my side of the road doing around 150
when I  changed up to 5th and backed off.  At this instant there was a FWOP
sound, followed by a sound that could only described as an elephant farting
and then the engine ran like sh.t.

I pulled off the road, the engine idled poorly while I let the hair dryer
cool down. After lifting the bonnet it was obvious that he plastic Bosch
boost recirculation valve had sh.t itself big time. The plastic end part
that accepts the vacuum hose had been blown off from the main body of the
valve and the guts of the valve were gone - nowhere to be seen.

I pressed the end cap back onto the valve, wrapped some spare vacuum hose
around it  to hold it in place and drove home the remaining 100kms with no
boost and woeful fuel consumption.

I replaced the valve today - $52. Those Bosch valves have a very short
lifespan - 6 months to a year on this car (9000T 2.0) , but I have never
seen one fail like this.   Perhaps Bosch are making the valves in China
these days?