i finally built up the courage to DIY and take the intake manifold off. i was plagued with a P2015 fault and i didn't want to pay another $1k+ to get the damn thing replaced. the last manifold lasted just over 13 months before failing. i had a shop do the work and did carbon cleaning at the same time.
speaking of which....i thought the shop was reputable, as they also work on very expensive Audis/Porsches, but it appears i got screwed... not only did they fail to inform me that the newest revision was incompatible with my car because my fuel rail is too old, they actually put in an aftermarket brand instead of OEM (they still charged OEM price!!). i can't find any VW markings on it, and the runner sensor on the side just has "made in china" on it -- it's not even branded!! figures why it failed so quickly.
anywho, a new fuel rail is not cheap. it's almost $500. sooo, i took a chance and bought a used one off ebay. similarly...i'm taking a chance with a new Febi intake manifold instead of OEM.
project needs to take a pause because i don't have a 24mm socket to turn the engine....so once that arrives i'll do some DIY carbon cleaning. one of the nipples are broken off one of those intake divider things, so i got one as well (why are these things so expensive?? it's $30 each).
all in all, if you were hesitant to attempt this job, don't be. if you can put on an air intake, you can do this job. i was heavily encouraged when i found a video of someone taking the manifold off in 10 minutes, unedited.