Advice on the 2.0 TFSi engine issues

[Gez79]

Some help please.

I'm trying to source a replacement car for my mother's ageing 2004 Audi A4 and her budget is putting her into looking at 2008 to 2009 A4's with the 2.0tfsi engine, 208bhp version.

I believe this engine has issues with oil consumption and also timing chains? Is it as bad as it sounds of will most cars of this age have had the issue sorted by now?

Is there a year where the problem was rectified from the factory? Is the 160hp 1.8T also affected?

And its the earlier 197bhp 2.0T found in the Golf GTi and Audi A3 more reliable?

Thanks

[randomeddy]

I can only relate my experience with this engine in my Passat.

I have nothing but good things to say really. Mine is on 180k now and runs very well. There are common issues, the cam timing chain got replaced when it started sounding like a diesel at tick over. The fuel pump cam follower should be a service item, cheap and easy to replace.

It does use oil, max to min on dipstick about 1ltr of oil in 2k miles. I think some Audis were heavy on oil consumption but they should have all been fixed now.

MK5 Gti forum is a decent place for info.

[mickyh7]

The Dealer where I bought my Audi, said they wouldn't stock a car with that engine.
Too many claims.

[stevemcs]

Its the 2.0 in the B8 A4 that had issues with oil consumption, most should have been fixed by now, the earlier ones (B7) suffered with oil pumps and balance shaft, the newer ones timing chains are still an issue as are the tensioners,

Its a nice engine but i wouldn't call it reliable, i would avoid the 1.8 and i would avoid the auto.

[Gez79]

randomeddy said:

I can only relate my experience with this engine in my Passat.

I have nothing but good things to say really. Mine is on 180k now and runs very well. There are common issues, the cam timing chain got replaced when it started sounding like a diesel at tick over. The fuel pump cam follower should be a service item, cheap and easy to replace.

It does use oil, max to min on dipstick about 1ltr of oil in 2k miles. I think some Audis were heavy on oil consumption but they should have all been fixed now.

MK5 Gti forum is a decent place for info.

Thanks, so I'm guessing that's the 200ps engine from the MK5 GTi?

[Gez79]

stevemcs said:

Its the 2.0 in the B8 A4 that had issues with oil consumption, most should have been fixed by now, the earlier ones (B7) suffered with oil pumps and balance shaft, the newer ones timing chains are still an issue as are the tensioners,

Its a nice engine but i wouldn't call it reliable, i would avoid the 1.8 and i would avoid the auto.

Cheers for that.

I'm trying to push her towards something else but she wants a similar sized car with around 180 to 200bhp and ideally 4 wheel drive. She's not a fan of SUVs, so there's not a lot of choice in the current used car market.

She's not in a rush so I'll keep my eye out for some alternatives.

[mickyh7]

Gez79 said:

stevemcs said:

Its the 2.0 in the B8 A4 that had issues with oil consumption, most should have been fixed by now, the earlier ones (B7) suffered with oil pumps and balance shaft, the newer ones timing chains are still an issue as are the tensioners,

Its a nice engine but i wouldn't call it reliable, i would avoid the 1.8 and i would avoid the auto.

Cheers for that.

I'm trying to push her towards something else but she wants a similar sized car with around 180 to 200bhp and ideally 4 wheel drive. She's not a fan of SUVs, so there's not a lot of choice in the current used car market.

She's not in a rush so I'll keep my eye out for some alternatives.

Seat Leon 150 petrol or 184 Deisel ?

[Gez79]

Needs to be petrol. She only does a few thousand miles a year.

She would consider a smaller hatch but definitely wants 4wd which is the main criteria that limits her options.

[Narcisus]

There is a huge thread on briskoda in the Octavia forum have a read of that before running a mile.

I had the 1.8 in a Scout. Lovely engine before it all started to go wrong. I got rid sharpish.

[aka_kerrly]

mickyh7 said:

The Dealer where I bought my Audi, said they wouldn't stock a car with that engine.
Too many claims.

Yeah right.
The 2.0tfsi or specifically the TSI engines have many variations and the ones used in the A4 are different to those used in the Mk5 Golf/ Audi A3.

As with most engines remember the Nikasil issues BMW had. The internet said every car would be effected, I had a few , never a nakisil issue on a engine on over 100k. A lot of failures are early in the engine life and you can't dismiss an engine where millions have been made because the internet has evidence of maybe a few hundred failures...

[mickyh7]

aka_kerrly said:

Yeah right.
The 2.0tfsi or specifically the TSI engines have many variations and the ones used in the A4 are different to those used in the Mk5 Golf/ Audi A3.

As with most engines remember the Nikasil issues BMW had. The internet said every car would be effected, I had a few , never a nakisil issue on a engine on over 100k. A lot of failures are early in the engine life and you can't dismiss an engine where millions have been made because the internet has evidence of maybe a few hundred failures...

Fair enough, it was only the Audi version he was talking about.
And the company, had lost money more than once on that particular model, so it was good business sense.

[stevemcs]

aka_kerrly said:

Yeah right.
The 2.0tfsi or specifically the TSI engines have many variations and the ones used in the A4 are different to those used in the Mk5 Golf/ Audi A3.

As with most engines remember the Nikasil issues BMW had. The internet said every car would be effected, I had a few , never a nakisil issue on a engine on over 100k. A lot of failures are early in the engine life and you can't dismiss an engine where millions have been made because the internet has evidence of maybe a few hundred failures...

The chain driven engines seem to give more trouble than the belt driven one

[randomeddy]

Gez79 said:

randomeddy said:

I can only relate my experience with this engine in my Passat.

I have nothing but good things to say really. Mine is on 180k now and runs very well. There are common issues, the cam timing chain got replaced when it started sounding like a diesel at tick over. The fuel pump cam follower should be a service item, cheap and easy to replace.

It does use oil, max to min on dipstick about 1ltr of oil in 2k miles. I think some Audis were heavy on oil consumption but they should have all been fixed now.

MK5 Gti forum is a decent place for info.

Thanks, so I'm guessing that's the 200ps engine from the MK5 GTi?

Yes 200bhp one.
Had mine re-mapped ages ago, now about 240 with 300 ft lb of torque.
It will never be classed as fast because it is old and heavy but I still enjoy it and it almost puts a smile on my face.

[Abdul Abulbul Amir]

randomeddy said:

Gez79 said:

randomeddy said:

I can only relate my experience with this engine in my Passat.

I have nothing but good things to say really. Mine is on 180k now and runs very well. There are common issues, the cam timing chain got replaced when it started sounding like a diesel at tick over. The fuel pump cam follower should be a service item, cheap and easy to replace.

It does use oil, max to min on dipstick about 1ltr of oil in 2k miles. I think some Audis were heavy on oil consumption but they should have all been fixed now.

MK5 Gti forum is a decent place for info.

Thanks, so I'm guessing that's the 200ps engine from the MK5 GTi?

Yes 200bhp one.
Had mine re-mapped ages ago, now about 240 with 300 ft lb of torque.
It will never be classed as fast because it is old and heavy but I still enjoy it and it almost puts a smile on my face.

Better off using engine codes

The mk5 gti used the ea113 engine. These are belt driven...there is also a chain between the cams. These need the cam follower changed periodically

The 208bhp is the gen2 ea888 engine. These are chain driven and burn oil.

[Stever750]

Narcisus said:

There is a huge thread on briskoda in the Octavia forum have a read of that before running a mile.

I had the 1.8 in a Scout. Lovely engine before it all started to go wrong. I got rid sharpish.

It was all due to a crap tensioner design, you'd only realise yours had failed when on startup it failed to pressurise properly and the chain would jump over the cam sprockets. VAG have some time ago changed the design of the tensioner so that this should no longer an issue.

Regards burning oil, I've had 3 cars now with the EA888 engine, and none of them have consumed anything other than normal amounts of oil, ie very little indeed. My mk2 Pre FL vRS Octavia was more like a 2 stroke however.

[Narcisus]

Stever750 said:

Narcisus said:

There is a huge thread on briskoda in the Octavia forum have a read of that before running a mile.

I had the 1.8 in a Scout. Lovely engine before it all started to go wrong. I got rid sharpish.

It was all due to a crap tensioner design, you'd only realise yours had failed when on startup it failed to pressurise properly and the chain would jump over the cam sprockets. VAG have some time ago changed the design of the tensioner so that this should no longer an issue.

Regards burning oil, I've had 3 cars now with the EA888 engine, and none of them have consumed anything other than normal amounts of oil, ie very little indeed. My mk2 Pre FL vRS Octavia was more like a 2 stroke however.

Agreed my 280 Superb doesn’t use a drop.