2.0tfsi Low Oil Pressure at Cam Adjuster

[Dscott16]

Hey everyone
Have a B8 A4 with the 2.0tfsi. This is the first Audi I've ever bought and the first I've worked on( I usually work on powerstrokes and ls motors).
I got this car from a neighbor with what i thought was just a chain rattle that turned out to be a camshaft adjuster rattle.

Ive replaced timing chain and tensioner, cam bridge, camshaft, and adjuster valve. Timing is Dead on. Oil and filter were along with these parts.

Issue right now is when the engine is cold and I start to rev it I hear the cam rattle and the EPC light comes on along with a P0011 code. As the engine warms up I stop getting that rattle and the cam timing stays fixed at 28 degrees.

I decided to pull the adjuster magnet and manually depress the adjuster valve and sure enough when its cold I can get the camshaft to adjust but when its hot I can depress the valve and nothing will happen.

So my question is, is there anything between the cam bridge and oil pump that will restrict oil volume on these motors?

[Theiceman]

sounds like a bad spool valve. take a pic of the spool valve with the magnet removed and post it .. it should all be perfectly flush, if there is a piece pushed out towards you its bad. Sounds like the spool valve is bad and it is over advancing the timing at idle.

[Ejad]

Heres an image of what the center "plunger" on the spool valve should look like


This is what it shouldnt look like, notice the center "plunger" protudes outward

[Dscott16]

sounds like a bad spool valve. take a pic of the spool valve with the magnet removed and post it .. it should all be perfectly flush, if there is a piece pushed out towards you its bad. Sounds like the spool valve is bad and it is over advancing the timing at idle.

Heres an image of what the center "plunger" on the spool valve should look like


This is what it shouldnt look like, notice the center "plunger" protudes outward

Spool valve is good. Forgot to mention I threw another one in just for kicks. My original one is functioning and the center isnt pushed outward.

When I manually depress the valve nothing happens which would lead me to believe its an oil volume issue

[Theiceman]

you can actually run the engine and press that spool valve with no magnet in place without oil spraying every where ?
?

[stepheniewilli]

I have exactly what you're looking for

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[Smac770]

I suspect the default state of the plug is flush. When the N205 activates and extends the magnet, it pulls the plug outward. If the plug is projected out by default, it means the mechanism to pull it back to default state is no longer working and the system will be over advanced when it doesn't want to be. Pressing the plug inward is likely an invalid state. This is all speculation.

[Theiceman]

Actually smac there is a Pin on the magnet side, when the magnet is activated it pushes the pin out is how i thought it worked.

[Ejad]

yes its essentially a solenoid actuator. When magnetized it pushes a pin which in turn pushes the center of the spool valve in.

[Smac770]

Ok, so the protrusion that comes out of the N205 is not the magnet itself to pull the plug, the protrusion is pushed out by the magnet inside the N205 to push the plug in. It's been a long time since looked at this and going off too much memory. It's noisy as hell, that's the one thing I do know I remember correctly. :-)

I wonder what a popped out state reflects; what has gone wrong inside. Because installing the N205 then is going to push it back flush. I assume a popped out one, though you can push it back flush, then cannot be pushed in further.

[Dscott16]

you can actually run the engine and press that spool valve with no magnet in place without oil spraying every where ?
?

Thats correct.
There isn't much at all coming out. Its way less of a mess then it should be.
Its almost funny how little its getting up there considering i'm not getting any oil pressure messages and still have about 20psi at idle.

[Theiceman]

Sounds like your oil pressure is fine something else is happening. I wonder if your oil screen or check valve in the cam bracket his come apart and it is jamming a passage way. Or if it's that stupid check valve under the head.

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[Dscott16]

sounds like a bad spool valve. take a pic of the spool valve with the magnet removed and post it .. it should all be perfectly flush, if there is a piece pushed out towards you its bad. Sounds like the spool valve is bad and it is over advancing the timing at idle.

Heres an image of what the center "plunger" on the spool valve should look like


This is what it shouldnt look like, notice the center "plunger" protudes outward

Sounds like your oil pressure is fine something else is happening. I wonder if your oil screen or check valve in the cam bracket his come apart and it is jamming a passage way. Or if it's that stupid check valve under the head.

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Didn't know there was a check valve in the head. Guessing that would mean the head has to be pulled to change it?

Pulled the bridge already to check that check valve. It was free and shop air flowed through it fine.
My original cam bridge had some pieces missing but most of the screen was there. Didn't find any signs of the screen in the spool valve or cam adjuster.

[Theiceman]

Yeah there was a post here about a guy that had a bad one see if you can find it. I'm not sure the symptoms

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[Dscott16]

Alright wanted to update this and not leave a dead thread. Ended up just selling the car sadly. But kept in contact with the new owner. The new VW cam bridge I installed was somehow bad. A local dealership replaced the cam bridge and all was well

[Theiceman]

Alright wanted to update this and not leave a dead thread. Ended up just selling the car sadly. But kept in contact with the new owner. The new VW cam bridge I installed was somehow bad. A local dealership replaced the cam bridge and all was well

well it certainly sounds like we were all over it,, that check valve is inside that bracket.