When to Sell 2014 Audi A4? Problems over last 1k miles

[skinny1998]

I have a 2014 audi a4 2.0t with almost 54k miles. Car is all stock, besides that I removed the 2 resonaters at 42k miles when I bought it for added sound.

In the past 4 months I haven't even put 1k miles and it's been in the shop at least 5 times for various reasons. I have been going to what I think is a great indie mechanic for a couple years, strong reviews in the community and never heard a bad thing about them, I've have a close family friend that has taken his 4 audis there for years and recommended me the shop when I first got my audi 2 years ago. They have been in biz for over 20 years and only do Audi/VW cars.
I am taking to another audi mechanic for a second opinion but the earliest they can get me in is end of next week so looking for advice.

Below are issues and parts replaced within the last 900 miles.

52.8k new High pressure fuel pump (went out on me in end of summer in high heat on highway, replaced with new OEM HPFP)
53.2k pressure boost sensor/wires replaced (squirrel or rabbit chewed thru the wires)
53.5k rough idle, PCV valve was shot and replaced - also replaced oil and oil filter
53.7k rough idle black smoke on cold start - Fuel injector in rear near gas tank replaced mechanic saw it spraying everywhere (first time my audi mechanic says he's seen this part/rear fuel injector fail in his 20 years)
53.8k miles really rough idle, wouldn't start, CEL flashing - car was misfiring, all 4 spark plugs replaced, all 4 ignition coils replaced (done last week) (had mechanic drive and inspect car for 2 days when he replaced the spark plugs/coils) said nothing was wrong everything looks good besides needing new brakes in the near future 20% left (also had him check timing chain and he said it has 60-70% left of life in it) This was done just last week
53.8k turned on car last night rough idle, CEL is on

I just ordered a diagnostic code reader last night should arrive today so not sure what the codes (will update later)

Due to travel/holidays and these issues I haven't gassed the car up in 2 months (use premium) and obviously haven't driven it so was curious if you think the gas may be bad / water in the tank. I do live in Colorado and it's snowing every week or so. Additionally and all these issues besides the HPFP have been rough idles, bad cold starts etc..

I am happy to hear people out and looking for advice but am wondering if any of you think I have a lemon and or if I should sell the car and move onto something new. I toggle with this thought everyday but with my experienced mechanic saying the car looks incredible, only having 53.9k miles, and regularly serviced I'm conflicted on what I should do.

All these issues in the last 900 miles have driven me crazy and make me nervous to drive it anywhere. The problems keep happening every week or so. Feel free to chime in and give me your honest feedback.

[k.sigota]

VCDS scans would help.

You said he checked the chain, but did he check the actual timing?

[DrGER]

Yeah, "just ordered a diagnostic code reader last night", some are better than others, especially with VAG cars. VCDS best, OBDeleven next, then a handful of VAG-aware handheld tools from Ancel, Foxwell, etc. Pass on Carista.

50K on the PCV is not unusual; I R&R'ed our PCV at around 55K 4+ years ago and have a spare ready for the next oil change.

Timing chain stretch is related generally to operating hours; at only 54K, this should not be a concern. VCDS has a real-time data measurement that is a good proxy for timing chain stretch (Camshaft adaptation phase angle, discussed over here: https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...ser-adaptation

Excessive engine oil consumption is also possible with these engines, and should be monitored closely. --g

[Theiceman]

i would say a lot of this is the same issue, your competent shop has not identified route cause.. i dont think its the car with a lot of issues, its the mechanic with a lot of attempts to fix it.

the following is all the same route cause

53.5k rough idle, PCV valve was shot and replaced - also replaced oil and oil filter
53.7k rough idle black smoke on cold start - Fuel injector in rear near gas tank replaced mechanic saw it spraying everywhere (first time my audi mechanic says he's seen this part/rear fuel injector fail in his 20 years)
53.8k miles really rough idle, wouldn't start, CEL flashing - car was misfiring, all 4 spark plugs replaced, all 4 ignition coils replaced (done last week) (had mechanic drive and inspect car for 2 days when he replaced the spark plugs/coils) said nothing was wrong everything looks good besides needing new brakes in the near future 20% left (also had him check timing chain and he said it has 60-70% left of life in it) This was done just last week
53.8k turned on car last night rough idle, CEL is on

[quikduk]

It may just be me and I am an A4 newbie but it sounds like the issues you are dealing with (past and present) are not fully resolved and may all be related. I wouldn't "junk it" just yet.

FWIW, mine (daughter's) is a 2011 A4 2.0T with +/- 72K on the clock now. It has had regular maintenance per the CarFax and has had some known items replaced already. So far, so good...and I am confident it will be reliable for many miles and years (power of positive thinking...).

Crossing fingers...JIC

Edit: You might need a more competent mechanic...

[AudiTLC]

Bad fuel might be partially to blame... is it possible the animal chewing damage is more than you thought? Maybe some wires are damaged that were missed?

The majority of your issues are with the rough/really rough idle. 4 of the 6 visits- same issue. So you are chasing this one problem.

HPFP is unfortunate, as is the animal chewing wires.

It really seems like you have one undiagnosed problem that needs to be resolved.
It also sounds like symptoms of a bad camshaft control valve
part # 06H109257C

easy to replace

[quikduk]

There you go. Consensus...sort-of. Per Audi TLC and others herein with way more knowledge, maybe replace that part yourself, check for any other damaged wiring and see first.

[skinny1998]

All - I appreciate your guidance, recommendations and thoughts on the above.

***UPDATE
Just got my code reader in (Ancel OBD 11) and ran the codes. 2 codes were detected. "P053F Cold Start Fuel Pressure Performance Bank 1" & "P2293 Fuel Pressure Regulator B Performance"

Interesting enough - back in Nov I posted a thread "P053F Code (Cold Start Fuel Pressure Performance) 2014 A4" and the result was that my mechanic replaced the fuel injector in the rear near the gas tank (see beginning of post 53.7k rough idle black smoke...)
He also replaced the Cold Start Valve. Curious to hear anyone's thoughts on this as 1 of two things come to mind. He put in a used rear fuel injector as he said he's never seen one fail in the past and was confident it wouldn't fail again. I wonder if this is the cause or if this isn't even the correct place to start in order to correct this rough idle issue.

Secondly, the P2293 code was also flagged just now, I am not sure if this was also the code that was shown when the above Cold Start Valve and rear fuel injector were replaced back in Nov 2022 when the car has 53,757 miles. It does have a one year warranty on both the parts.

If any of you have experience, feedback or knowledge of this situation I would greatly appreciate it. FYI, I still plan to take it to my new mechanic but am not sure if I should call up my current mechanic and let him know he probably fucked up...

[RPMtech147]

What is this "injector in the rear, by the gas tank?"

2.0T? If so, the only thing in the back is the tank and the two fuel pump/sender modules. Up front, High pressure fuel pump and 4 squirty bois.

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/P053F/001343

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index...5/P2293/008851

Sounds like your high fuel pressure sucks or you have electrical or more rat damage. Check the loom, around the rear of the head where it comes off the HPFP, follow it around to where it goes up under the wiper cowl, all the way to the DME box.

Pull the HPFP, check the follower(I don't see them fail much on TFSI cars), and the cam lobe if rides on for physical damage. If you can't monitor fuel pressure with your scantool, shotgun a high pressure fuel pump at it.

[skinny1998]

What is this "injector in the rear, by the gas tank?"

2.0T? If so, the only thing in the back is the tank and the two fuel pump/sender modules. Up front, High pressure fuel pump and 4 squirty bois.

I am not super versed but from my memory when this was replaced back in Nov, my mechanic told me there was 5 fuel injectors, 4 in the front on the engine and 1 in the rear near the gas tank. I may have mis heard him or misunderstood what he said. He also said he's never seen that fuel injector fail and replaced it with a used once since he was confident I'd never have the issue again. Here we are less than 2 months later throwing the exact same codes with the exact same issue, rough idle on a cold start and CEL 2 mins after it's on....

This is what is written on my invoice for what work was done when he replaced it:
"fuel injector 06h 906 031z"
"Cold Start Valve - Removed & Replace - Eng CD CPMB"

Maybe you can advise on the invoice above.

[RPMtech147]

...buffering.....

Ok, there is a fifth injector but it's under the throttle body. I've never messed with it, but I can only assume it's to spray fuel into the intake to slow down the carbon build-up...it could be a cold start injector, but that's really 80's style for cold start enrichment (My old TPI Trans-am had one)

[skinny1998]

What is this "injector in the rear, by the gas tank?"

2.0T? If so, the only thing in the back is the tank and the two fuel pump/sender modules. Up front, High pressure fuel pump and 4 squirty bois.

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/P053F/001343

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index...5/P2293/008851

Sounds like your high fuel pressure sucks or you have electrical or more rat damage. Check the loom, around the rear of the head where it comes off the HPFP, follow it around to where it goes up under the wiper cowl, all the way to the DME box.

Pull the HPFP, check the follower(I don't see them fail much on TFSI cars), and the cam lobe if rides on for physical damage. If you can't monitor fuel pressure with your scantool, shotgun a high pressure fuel pump at it.

Back in August 2022 HPFP was replaced after it went out on me. Car had 52.8k miles at this time. From Invoice "Direct Injection Fuel Pump High Pressure 06J 127 025L" Cost of part: $427.68 + labor

[RPMtech147]

Back in August 2022 HPFP was replaced after it went out on me. Car had 52.8k miles at this time. From Invoice "Direct Injection Fuel Pump High Pressure 06J 127 025L" Cost of part: $427.68 + labor

Then I'd strongly start looking at the wiring.

[redrackham17]

...buffering.....

Ok, there is a fifth injector but it's under the throttle body. I've never messed with it, but I can only assume it's to spray fuel into the intake to slow down the carbon build-up...it could be a cold start injector, but that's really 80's style for cold start enrichment (My old TPI Trans-am had one)

That is indeed the cold start injector. I highly doubt that is causing you this much of an issue. To be quite frank, if I were you, I would take this car out every once in a while, maybe twice a week or so, warm it up, and give it a good thrashing. At the end of the day, you're keeping a super low mileage, 8 year old german car in the Colorado snow and not letting it see sunlight much at all. Regarding your issues, I'd probably run a can of fuel injector cleaner through the tank. In sum, empty out this tank of gas, put in a near full tank of 93 Octane BP, Citgo, or Exxon fuel, pour in a can of LiquiMoly Jectron, and drive it like you stole it until the tank is empty. I had the same issues you did for a while. Did exactly this and the issue just went away. Given how you've kept the car, there could be debris or buildup clogging your fuel rails or the line itself at various points throughout the system. The car itself, as you describe it, sounds like it's in great shape and definitely not worth getting rid of for a new car payment every month.

[JLAllroad]

...buffering.....

Ok, there is a fifth injector but it's under the throttle body. I've never messed with it, but I can only assume it's to spray fuel into the intake to slow down the carbon build-up...it could be a cold start injector, but that's really 80's style for cold start enrichment (My old TPI Trans-am had one)

The 5th injector is for E85(ethanol) cold starts only, honestly I wish it was for carbon buildup, but no.

OP, are you running ethanol?

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[WHT13AR]

My dad lived in Colorado for 30 years. His SD sat outside and we were constantly chasing down chewed wiring. We started using a cotton minty rodent deterrent and it worked great. So I would start there and as mentioned, chase down wiring issues.

Also, depending on where you are buying your fuel, the alcohol/meth percentage can be very high, higher than advertised, and really mess with your fuel system. Ask me how I know. My dad was militant about where he bought the fuel for all his cars and HE never had an issue with any of them. My step brothers on the other hand would fill up anywhere and use the cheapest grade. We had to replace fuel pumps and injectors on their cars/trucks yearly.

[skinny1998]

The 5th injector is for E85(ethanol) cold starts only, honestly I wish it was for carbon buildup, but no.

OP, are you running ethanol?

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Correct. That’s the 5th injector my mechanic replaced along with the cold start valve.


I use 91 premium as in Colorado not any gas stations I’m aware of have 93.


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[skinny1998]

That is indeed the cold start injector. I highly doubt that is causing you this much of an issue. To be quite frank, if I were you, I would take this car out every once in a while, maybe twice a week or so, warm it up, and give it a good thrashing. At the end of the day, you're keeping a super low mileage, 8 year old german car in the Colorado snow and not letting it see sunlight much at all. Regarding your issues, I'd probably run a can of fuel injector cleaner through the tank. In sum, empty out this tank of gas, put in a near full tank of 93 Octane BP, Citgo, or Exxon fuel, pour in a can of LiquiMoly Jectron, and drive it like you stole it until the tank is empty. I had the same issues you did for a while. Did exactly this and the issue just went away. Given how you've kept the car, there could be debris or buildup clogging your fuel rails or the line itself at various points throughout the system. The car itself, as you describe it, sounds like it's in great shape and definitely not worth getting rid of for a new car payment every month.

My dad actually mentioned something along the lines of this yesterday. He said it sits around, gas is 2 months old and the cars only seen 150-175 miles in the last 2 + months. He said let’s go get some fuel cleaner, warm the car up and drive it like we stole it. Push thru all the shit that maybe sitting in the lines, injectors, exhausts etc

I’m very curious in this idea and am planning on doing exactly what you said to see if that’s the issue.


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[RPMtech147]

That is indeed the cold start injector.

Neat. Learn something new every day. I've never had any reason to mess with it.

And the other thing I forgot to mention, if you have low low-pressure fuel, you'll have low high pressure fuel. Some of them have LPF fuel sensors, I cant remember if the early or late ones had them, but it's nice when they do because you can monitor low pressure without installing a gauge. I've changed many faulty low pressure fuel pumps because of high pressure fuel faults across all brands, especially Audi.

[MongoMcG]

The problem may be deposit build-up choking the fuel supply. Averaging less than 10,000 miles per year the car leads a pretty sedentary lifestyle, and it is possible the fuel arteries are gunked up with deposits. Fuel evaporates as the car sits and the solids are left behind. A tank or two with Lucas fuel injector cleaner or Liqui Moly Jectron might be the statin pill needed to unclog the arteries.

[Theiceman]

"squirty bois"

i actually did laugh out loud.

[redrackham17]

He said let’s go get some fuel cleaner, warm the car up and drive it like we stole it. Push thru all the shit that maybe sitting in the lines, injectors, exhausts etc

I’m very curious in this idea and am planning on doing exactly what you said to see if that’s the issue.


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If I were you I'd listen to your dad. He's got the right idea and I think most of us here agree that you're hurting that nice car from the inside out by letting it sit in the cold with animals chewing on its wiring and two month old fuel sitting in the lines. In regards to the 5th injector, here's something that I never see people talk about on this forum. E85 is actually an excellent detergent for cleaning carbon deposits, etc (it is however rather harsh on plastic and rubber components; hence, since your car is a FFV, it has a metal intake manifold and not the black plastic). If you fill it up with high quality 93 and Liqui Moly Jectron and drive hard until the tank is empty, it may be worthwhile to fill up on a half tank of E85 and thrash the car with that too. It's never good to keep something in the engine absolutely dormant.

[JLAllroad]

If I were you I'd listen to your dad. He's got the right idea and I think most of us here agree that you're hurting that nice car from the inside out by letting it sit in the cold with animals chewing on its wiring and two month old fuel sitting in the lines. In regards to the 5th injector, here's something that I never see people talk about on this forum. E85 is actually an excellent detergent for cleaning carbon deposits, etc (it is however rather harsh on plastic and rubber components; hence, since your car is a FFV, it has a metal intake manifold and not the black plastic). If you fill it up with high quality 93 and Liqui Moly Jectron and drive hard until the tank is empty, it may be worthwhile to fill up on a half tank of E85 and thrash the car with that too. It's never good to keep something in the engine absolutely dormant.

You don’t want E85 sitting in the tank, it’ll separate and become waterlogged.

I wouldn’t touch anything other than top tier fuel in this one until everything is rectified.


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[redrackham17]

You don’t want E85 sitting in the tank, it’ll separate and become waterlogged.

I wouldn’t touch anything other than top tier fuel in this one until everything is rectified.


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True; I forgot that he doesn't drive it too often. Half a tank always goes by within two or three days for me so I guess I kinda imagined in my head that he'd just run through 5 or 6 gallons in one long drive or something. Thanks for catching that

[skinny1998]

True; I forgot that he doesn't drive it too often. Half a tank always goes by within two or three days for me so I guess I kinda imagined in my head that he'd just run through 5 or 6 gallons in one long drive or something. Thanks for catching that

So an update here: Took this to another indie mechanic, and this group seems extremely dialed in (the cleanest, most knowledgeable mechanic/shop I have ever seen). They do anything from scheduled maintenance, to writing custom tunes, builds, etc... and only do audi, vw and porsche.

They found a serious issue in my A4. They are quite surprised to have seen this, especially on an A4 with 53k miles, regular maintenance done, and not driven hard. The timing chain still has plenty of life left in it, however the camshaft phase position for intake camshaft doesn't look good. They are recommending an entirely new Timing Chain Replacement with Cam Cover Seal for $4200, I have quoted what they found and wrote to me below. Please feel free to chime in and let me know your thoughts.

"Engine is running very rough. Has had another shop replace a bunch of parts including ignition coils and spark plugs. MIL has not been flashing. Lets get this figured out and repaired." (this is what I let them know last week when to schedule an appt that happened today" below is what they updated me on their findings)

"Update at dropoff: Vehicle has been running well for the last 4 days or so. Vehicle only runs rough when started cold. Runs fine when it warms up. Seems to be starting fine as of recently. Check service records on passenger seat. Went out to vehicle when it was cold in parking lot before starting & connected scan tool & checked faults - Found fault stored for Cold Start Fuel Pressure as well as Rail Pressure too low stored as sporadic in ECU. Pulled up data of vehicle & found fuel rail pressure to be drastically under provided specified rail pressure (measured 0.72MPa vs specified 6.2MPa). Started vehicle & noted vehicle to start normally. Was not able to reproduce customer concern. Checked camshaft phase position for intake camshaft & found cold phase to be -3.85 degrees. Max allowable spec is -4.00 degree. Road tested vehicle & verified fuel pressure in vehicle was within normal limits & vehicle drove normally. Checked cam phase with engine hot after road test & found phase to be -4.48 degrees, which is over max allowable specification. Pulled vehicle into shop & shut vehicle down & monitored high side fuel pressure after hot shutdown - high side fuel system holds pressure normally. Fuel pressure rose quickly to well over 8MPa two shutdowns back-to-back. Inspected engine & found no visual malfunction/abnormality with fuel system. Camshaft girdle is beginning to leak oil. HPFP was recently replaced by another repair facility in attempt to repair drivability issue which did not fix vehicle. Cold start injector was replaced by another repair facility - did not fix issue. PCV Diaphragm was "repaired" with an aftermarket repair kit by another repair facility - did not fix issue. Recommend replacement of timing chain along with re-seal of camshaft girdle to correct customer concern. Recommend replacement of PCV/Breather Valve while apart due to valve being disassembled/modified with aftermarket parts."

[JLAllroad]

So an update here: Took this to another indie mechanic, and this group seems extremely dialed in (the cleanest, most knowledgeable mechanic/shop I have ever seen). They do anything from scheduled maintenance, to writing custom tunes, builds, etc... and only do audi, vw and porsche.

They found a serious issue in my A4. They are quite surprised to have seen this, especially on an A4 with 53k miles, regular maintenance done, and not driven hard. The timing chain still has plenty of life left in it, however the camshaft phase position for intake camshaft doesn't look good. They are recommending an entirely new Timing Chain Replacement with Cam Cover Seal for $4200, I have quoted what they found and wrote to me below. Please feel free to chime in and let me know your thoughts.

"Engine is running very rough. Has had another shop replace a bunch of parts including ignition coils and spark plugs. MIL has not been flashing. Lets get this figured out and repaired." (this is what I let them know last week when to schedule an appt that happened today" below is what they updated me on their findings)

"Update at dropoff: Vehicle has been running well for the last 4 days or so. Vehicle only runs rough when started cold. Runs fine when it warms up. Seems to be starting fine as of recently. Check service records on passenger seat. Went out to vehicle when it was cold in parking lot before starting & connected scan tool & checked faults - Found fault stored for Cold Start Fuel Pressure as well as Rail Pressure too low stored as sporadic in ECU. Pulled up data of vehicle & found fuel rail pressure to be drastically under provided specified rail pressure (measured 0.72MPa vs specified 6.2MPa). Started vehicle & noted vehicle to start normally. Was not able to reproduce customer concern. Checked camshaft phase position for intake camshaft & found cold phase to be -3.85 degrees. Max allowable spec is -4.00 degree. Road tested vehicle & verified fuel pressure in vehicle was within normal limits & vehicle drove normally. Checked cam phase with engine hot after road test & found phase to be -4.48 degrees, which is over max allowable specification. Pulled vehicle into shop & shut vehicle down & monitored high side fuel pressure after hot shutdown - high side fuel system holds pressure normally. Fuel pressure rose quickly to well over 8MPa two shutdowns back-to-back. Inspected engine & found no visual malfunction/abnormality with fuel system. Camshaft girdle is beginning to leak oil. HPFP was recently replaced by another repair facility in attempt to repair drivability issue which did not fix vehicle. Cold start injector was replaced by another repair facility - did not fix issue. PCV Diaphragm was "repaired" with an aftermarket repair kit by another repair facility - did not fix issue. Recommend replacement of timing chain along with re-seal of camshaft girdle to correct customer concern. Recommend replacement of PCV/Breather Valve while apart due to valve being disassembled/modified with aftermarket parts."

Rule of thumb is over -5.00% and even then generally not an emergency unless you have an old(er) style tensioner, a thorough shop would inspect via the port on the cover.

I agree with the PCV, use OE from FCPeuro only, I would have said this earlier had I known it was not only a non OE repair but an aftermarket diaphragm replacement, sigh, this is a 15min DIY, I can help if needed, I’m in SW Denver.

Camshaft correlation will definitely mess with your hpfp fueling/timing, some have luck with replacing camshaft position sensor and/or Camshaft Adjuster Magnet.

4K for a timing job is insane.


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[redrackham17]

4K for a timing job is insane.

If nothing else, this. Most you should be paying for a full timing service even at a reputable indie is $1800 or so.

[DrGER]

What @JLAllroad said -- Camshaft adaptation phase angle greater than 5 degrees is an indication to inspect the chain tensioner extension (that is, how many notches are visible), since that is the component that fails (or in this case runs out of throw to adjust chain tension), not the chain itself. Odd that the shop "road tested vehicle & verified fuel pressure in vehicle was within normal limits & vehicle drove normally." Replace the dodgy PCV with OE 06H-103-495-AK ($163 from vwdirectautoparts.com) and have someone actually look at the timing chain tensioner extension. Agreed that $4K for a timing chain service is absurd -- might as well have a local dealer do it (get a quote from a VW shop, too, since similar 2.0T engines power VW models). --g

[AudiTLC]

If nothing else, this. Most you should be paying for a full timing service even at a reputable indie is $1800 or so.

Maybe I should be looking for quotes from shops rather than doing it myself.
Parts alone for a timing job and cam tray reseal and a few ancillary parts I have going is $1300.

[skinny1998]

What @JLAllroad said -- Camshaft adaptation phase angle greater than 5 degrees is an indication to inspect the chain tensioner extension (that is, how many notches are visible), since that is the component that fails (or in this case runs out of throw to adjust chain tension), not the chain itself. Odd that the shop "road tested vehicle & verified fuel pressure in vehicle was within normal limits & vehicle drove normally." Replace the dodgy PCV with OE 06H-103-495-AK ($163 from vwdirectautoparts.com) and have someone actually look at the timing chain tensioner extension. Agreed that $4K for a timing chain service is absurd -- might as well have a local dealer do it (get a quote from a VW shop, too, since similar 2.0T engines power VW models). --g

Got it thanks, I will call them tomorrow and see how many notches are visible in the chain tensioner extension. For my information - what is the number that I should be concerned about?

Also, assuming that the leak seen in the camshaft girdle is an immediate / must fix/concern? Correct me if I am wrong.

[Theiceman]

timing is not causing your issue .. I get that out of phase pulses from the hpfp can cause issues but not at the numbers they are throwing .. that's an expensive parts cannon..

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[skinny1998]

What @JLAllroad said -- Camshaft adaptation phase angle greater than 5 degrees is an indication to inspect the chain tensioner extension (that is, how many notches are visible), since that is the component that fails (or in this case runs out of throw to adjust chain tension), not the chain itself. Odd that the shop "road tested vehicle & verified fuel pressure in vehicle was within normal limits & vehicle drove normally." Replace the dodgy PCV with OE 06H-103-495-AK ($163 from vwdirectautoparts.com) and have someone actually look at the timing chain tensioner extension. Agreed that $4K for a timing chain service is absurd -- might as well have a local dealer do it (get a quote from a VW shop, too, since similar 2.0T engines power VW models). --g

Just spoke to the mechanic and he said 4 teeth are showing on the timing chain tensioner.

[DrGER]

Just spoke to the mechanic and he said 4 teeth are showing on the timing chain tensioner.

Spec is 7 or more teeth/notches visible according to VAG: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VME...YZGOmbyH9/view
Hence your low cam phase angle value. Your timing chain is not the culprit here. --g

[skinny1998]

Spec is 7 or more teeth/notches visible according to VAG: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VME...YZGOmbyH9/view
Hence your low cam phase angle value. Your timing chain is not the culprit here. --g

Thus you wouldn’t recommend the timing chain replacement and cam reseal?


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[JLAllroad]

Thus you wouldn’t recommend the timing chain replacement and cam reseal?


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A bad PCV can cause cold start and running issues as well as oil leaks given that it regulates crankcase pressure/vacuum.

Personally I would start there, order an OE from FCP euro and DIY.

I would clear all of the codes and put some top tier fuel in and give the car a good drive as the timing chain values you are seeing will not cause the other issues.

Report back if anything comes back.


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[DrGER]

As long as the OE PCV/oil separator sold by FCP is made by Hengst, this would be a good low-cost replacement: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/aud...er-06h103495ak --g

[MyDimeIsUp]

As long as the OE PCV/oil separator sold by FCP is made by Hengst, this would be a good low-cost replacement: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/aud...er-06h103495ak --g

Wow. I went from AE to AK in March of 2021 and it was $187, now it's going for $110 and that's with all the inflation! Definitely would start with doing the PCV. I've heard nothing but bad things about aftermarket PCVs. OE Hengst is the way to go.

[JLAllroad]

As long as the OE PCV/oil separator sold by FCP is made by Hengst, this would be a good low-cost replacement: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/aud...er-06h103495ak --g

The Audi PCV is Hengst, both my old AE and new AK were both Hengst/Audi branded.

Apparently FCP hasn’t updated their AK picture.IMG_8585.jpg


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[Seal1968]

Listen to these guys...that shop is trying to rip you off. I assume the tensioner is the latest revision, if so, still have lots of miles before that job is done. Try the PCV valve as stated and report back.

FYI...The Audi dealer only quoted me @ $3K Canadian for an OEM timing job, including coolant flush and oil/filter and inspection. (and they replace everything)

[skinny1998]

Did confirm the tensioner is the updated version.

That sounds good to me - I ordered an FCP euro PCV valve and will replace it when it arrives


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