What to look for when buying a 3.0 TDI

[OVI82]

Good afternoon guys.I am after a bit of info about the 3.0 TDI engine as I'm looking to purchase a 5-6 year Old B8 with around 80000.It would be great if I could gather as much info as possibille about this type of engine before going to test drive one of these.So what are the weak points on this plant??
What exactly should I look out for when test driving one??
The car would be a manual as I can't really stretch to the tiptronic at the moment.Also is there anything in particular that I should pay more attention to during the test drive given the mileage and the fact that it will be a 5 or 6 year old car??.I'm coming from an B7 1.9 tdi so the B8 would be a completely new experience for me aswel as the 3.0 engine.
Any input guys no matter how big or small would be greatly appreciated.I am looking at keeping the car for at least 5 years so it would be great to know exactly what i'm getting myself into.Thanks in advance(but please be quick guys before my other half changes her mind!!)

[fat controller]

I can't offer any info about the engine, but you will love the B8; a friend of mine has a late B7, and while it is a lovely car, the B8 is streets ahead in almost every area.

I'll watch this thread with interest, as I have a notion for a 3.0 in the A4 or an A6 next time round.

[bigslope]

I got my 2009 A4 3.0 Tdi in August last year and love it. So far I have had to get the EGR Cooler changed under warranty and also an indicator stalk.
Apart from this I have had no problem with the car but mine is Tiptronic.
You will love it. I got mine Revo remapped a few months ago and it transforms the car into a bigger beast.
Fuel I get around 32-36 mpg depending how i drive it and mine is an Avant.

Sorry I can't help any more. Enjoy if you buy it

[Audi.Quattro]

Similar gas, 33 to 36mpg, fantastic engine, mines still standard

[OVI82]

Thanks for your input guys.Fat controller, I was going to buy a newer B8 but a 2.0 tdi at first but just could not deny myself an awd drive car with a bit of grunt.Still be nice to hear from those of you out there driving a manual 3.0 tdi.I could stretch to an automatic but I would have to give up on the s-line package,and I'm not prepared to do that.Also do any of you guys know what would be the best time in the year to buy one of these(the winter will surely see their prices go up).Bigslope I see you bought yours in August....do they tend to be cheaper that time of the year.I have been watching autotrader for the last 3-4 months but prices have stayed more or less the same(winter months and that's probably why..).Thanks once again for all those who took the time to reply...much appreciated.

[theskyfox]

Hi, I've got the 3.0TDi in manual. Got it in 2011 new and haven't done a remap (not going to bother). The fuel economy for the size of the engine is pretty good, and the amount you burn will depend on how heavy your right foot is. The V6 is a beautiful engine and will give you many years of faithful service.

Things I can think of to look out for...(not exhaustive, but this is off head)

-Make sure the fuel flap lock isn't broken. Its very common to go. Lock the car then try to open it. If it opens, its busted.
-Make sure its been serviced regularly. I've been told that a poor servicing regime can cause issues on the timing chain tension. How you would detect this though I do not know
-Make sure the wheel bearings are ok, drive it and it should feel smooth
-If you are buying private, make sure the DPF is still there. You shouldn't see any smoke coming out of the exhaust.
-Make sure the service regime has been followed (this is printed in the handbook)
-Switch the air con on when test driving and make sure it works (this is true on any car, not specifically to this one)
-Wind all the windows down/up (again..true on any car in case a window regulator is busted)
-When you first start the car, see if any warning lights are on (engine mangement light etc)

Other general points...if you have 19" wheels on it the tyres are roughly £200 each to buy. I expect that being a secondhand car the previous owner will probably leave you little tyre tread and/or put some cheap tyres on just to sell it, so be prepared to splash out for new boots all round if necessary. Road tax is around £200 a year on it. Thats all I can think of right now..but hope it helps as a starter for 10.

-Andrew

[OVI82]

Creat info there skyfox,thanks for taking the time.How are you finding the manual box expecially moving off in first gear??Is the first gear only there to get you going or doest it also have a bit of power if needed(especially at roundabouts).I ask this because all diesel Audis that I have driven have a very short 1st gear if you know what I mean.....just to get the car going and then quickly into second.
What mileage is yours if you don't mind me asking.

[theskyfox]

Creat info there skyfox,thanks for taking the time.How are you finding the manual box expecially moving off in first gear??Is the first gear only there to get you going or doest it also have a bit of power if needed(especially at roundabouts).I ask this because all diesel Audis that I have driven have a very short 1st gear if you know what I mean.....just to get the car going and then quickly into second.
What mileage is yours if you don't mind me asking.

No worries. I do like the manual box, I've always liked the ability to control the torque to the wheels with the left foot. Yes the first gear is pretty short and it can be a bit of a stoccato movement from 1st, 2nd to 3rd. To tell the truth there is so much torque in there that if you did a fast and hard pullaway at a roundabout you could go straight from 1st to 3rd without any difficulties. I've had it a few times when picking up speed for A-roads where I've got up to 50mph in 2nd before dropping straight into 4th or even 5th. You learn the natural feel of it after a while and it becomes a reflex. I've just hit 30,000 miles and did a major service for just under £400 last week which is about £250 cheaper than what Southend Audi had quoted me on their own. (I shopped around with main dealer and local independents). My definition of a major service in this example is air filter, pollen filter, oil, oil filter, brake fluid, air con regas and MOT.

-Andrew

[bigslope]

.Bigslope I see you bought yours in August....do they tend to be cheaper that time of the year.I have been watching autotrader for the last 3-4 months but prices have stayed more or less the same(winter months and that's probably why..).Thanks once again for all those who took the time to reply...much appreciated.

No I had been searching for one for a few months and I spotted this just traded in to our local dealer so went and bought it. It is a lovely car.

[OVI82]

Also after a bit of internet cruising it appears that one of the common problems on these engines are the intake manifold swirl flaps breaking away easily.They are apparently not cheap to replace and most people have gone for some sort of repair kit.Has any of you guys experienced this issue on their 3.0 tdi B8,as most of the info on the Internet was about the B7 or the same engine but in the Audi A6.
Could someone please tell me how would I go about checking these flaps are operating normally and that they're not on their way out.I've got a test drive booked for the weekend and could really do with some feedback on this issue.Thanks in advance guys.

[aussiejock]

Both my intake motors failed at the same time (60k ish) but luckily they were replaced under warranty by Audi (£1800).

My warning light came on but this is sometimes not the case and you just don't know unless you scan for faults.

Always been a petrol / manual guy In the past but I'm now converted and would not go back - worth the extra money!!

Get an SE and throw on the S-line kit?

[OVI82]

Thanks for that aussiejock.Did yours show any other signs before they went pop??And do you really have to do something about these(replace or repair)or can the car be used with them broken(for a small period of time at least).
As for buying an SE and than retrofitting different parts to make it look like an s-line,no thank you.I have made that mistake once with the previous car and learned a very valuable lesson,which is to try and buy what I really want/like and not something that's say £1000 cheaper and than get loads of parts changed on it,remapped and so on.

[aussiejock]

I called Audi when the light came on and they dropped off a RS5 for me to play in for a week until they fixed it!

[Rothie]

Have the manual version, 2008 SE with just over 50k on it. Steering rack was replaced at 3 yr point (warranty scam ?!? Not sure). Had the fuel flap lock fail and a crack on the intake air flow monitor. All fairly minor.

keep the tyre pressures correct, have decent tyres on it. Fitted box from race chip.de 300bhp. Goes like a train. Bit short in 1, 2 and 3 but change down at 50mph !!!!! Did a twisty 10 mile road in 4th just to **** of son in Focus ST. He couldn't keep up.

runs down south? Mileage munching? Average 67mph - ave 42mpg. Not complaining. It wasn't bought for economy.

Hard to think what to swap it for eventually :),

[OVI82]

Cheers everyone.Looks like the fuel flap is a common one.Is just hard to find a decent one without paying a small fortune for it.Any other car sales websites that you guys know of.....mainly looking on autotrader.

[Boy]

Don't be put off by the fuel flap failure problem. It is only a £15 part and a 15 minute DIY job.

[gdallas]

my 58, 2009 model has had the right bank intake manifold intermitant fault since i bought it year and a half ago. Seems to be worse in winter for throwing the fault for some reason. Im told its not that bad an issue, but its around 800 bucks to reslove via audi. other than that. its been great.

[OVI82]

Cheers for that gdallas.Do you know if there is any other way to tell if these are busted,other than a warning light.I'm just worried that a dealer/seller could easily reset the light.Where are these manifolds located in the engine bay and is there any way I can inspect them myself??
I did go and look at one last weekend but the last documented oil service was at 56000 and the car was now on 84000 plus last owner only had it for 12 months so walked away from it.It's a shame because it was a really nice and tidy car.

[gdallas]

Well its possible they could reset the light. But if it’s a dealer, and the faults occurs within warranty then they will replace the whole manifold for you. Others have had this done on here. Not sure if the dealer would let you, but you could always hook in your VCDS, if you don’t have one highly suggest you get one. You would first off be able to scan for faults (do this after the test drive) as there doesnt have to be an engine managment light on to throw a fault on the manifold. If none are found great, might mean the car has no issues or it might mean the fault is intermittent, like mine! Then perform an “output test” on the intake manifold via the vcds and get someone you trust to look over the engine bay to observe the behaviour of the rods connecting the two actuators to the flaps. They should be fluid in movement, if ones jammed, like my right one on occasion you will see an awkward movement, jittering like.

Hope this helps

[neebsta]

Check around the wings for corrosion, seems a common fault on B8s. I have one currently that has had the issue fixed, also went and viewed a 3.0 tdi quattro at some Mickey Mouse dealer in Bury that had a car with the very same problem present. So on a straw poll of 2 from 2.

Other than that, have a look at an A6 3.0tdi. I'm sure you'd get a better value car.

[G-Force]

Hi OVI82,
Interesting thread you have started here..... I am picking up a 2008 A5 3.0TDi sport tomorrow, buying it from Peter Vardy comes with a 2 year warranty on all sports and prestige cars. I will ask if the swirl flaps would be replaced under warranty.
The car is reasonably priced so we shall see how it goes......
Glen

[OVI82]

Gdallas,neebsta and G-force thanks for your replies.Gdallas could you please let me know where I could purchase the VCDS "device" from as I'm not very clued up on what that is exactly(my old 1.9 B7 didn't ask for anything).Great info on the wing corrosion neebsta,this has now been added to my check list.You're absolutely right about the A6 as there are quite a few in my price range so I'm keeping my options open,however still prefer the looks of the A4 over the A6.The problem with the A6(in my opinion)is that the 2009 facelift model is actually the same car from when it was first introduced back in 2005,whereas the a4 would be a newer generation audi since it was introduced in 2008(or i could be totally wrong in which case I will shut up).G-force,I would really love to get in an A5 but it would be impractical for me and the wife(hoping for our first small family member to arrive soon).I will probably post the same question over on the A6 part of the forum and see what the guys over there have to say.Have any of you guys out there have any experience with the A6(C6) facelift model vs the A4 B8 both with the same 3.0 tdi engine??Hopefully I will be going for a test drive in an A6 on Saturday.The only other thing that I could do with a bit of info on is the timing chain and how it's not a "serviceable item".As I'm looking to keep the car for a long time would it be wise to get that replaced at say 100000 miles or is it best to just leave it(don't fix it if it ain't broke).Again any info guys no matter how small is very welcome indeed and gets added to the "check list".Thanks in advance.

[G-Force]

It surprises me that VAG seem to have the same curse as BMW with the swirl flaps, I had a 530d m sport previously and although a straight six it still had the same problem.... With potentially the same outcome if it went wrong!
OVI, I am lucky enough to have a second car for the kids/dog. I was looking at the A6 avant too but all day every day at work I drive about the country in the car myself... No point in running about in a huge big A6 when I. Can hoof about in the A5.
Missus has a Kia sportage for the family stuff :-)
I wish I had spent a bit more time researching tho as I thought the 2008 A5 had the troublesome cvt gear box with the autos. I have deliberately opted for the manual to do away with the issue, I did see a previous post saying it was a different auto box on the Quattro ... Do'h
However.... I can't wait to get rid of my 3.0 XF..... What a pile of s***e that thing is.



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[G-Force]

Well today was pooh,
Was all ready to pick up the Quattro and then got a call from dealer saying the engine management light has come on and they have ordered an EGR valve...... With my spare time I decided to phone Audi and see what record they have of servicing within their network.... Was a bit shocked when they told me it hasn't been back to Audi since purchase.... Hmmmmm, may have to start looking for a different car.. Nappy starting to fill up :-(


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[gdallas]

Doesn't mean it hasn't been serviced tho mate. Check the log book

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[G-Force]

Took car for a test drive today anyway and rule book went straight out the window... Said vehicle is sat ticking on the drive just now.... What a bit of kit the 3.0tdi and Quattro system is :-)


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[bigslope]

Took car for a test drive today anyway and rule book went straight out the window... Said vehicle is sat ticking on the drive just now.... What a bit of kit the 3.0tdi and Quattro system is :-)



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Good man, you will love it

[Audi.Quattro]

Oh yeah, the test drive. Hard to say no after that

[G-Force]

OVI82
I was in a similar dilemma with a newer 2.0 or the 3, if you are in any doubt at all then take a 3,0 out for a run and you will struggle to back to a 4 cylinder..... You really get spoilt for torque... As stated earlier you get used to the feel of the manual and I rarely use all six gears... You can get lazy and go from 1st to 3rd and straight to 6th..... The first two gears are very short but by god you can get going quick if you hoof it through the box.. I have been fortunate to have owned 3.0 litre diesels for the last 14 years so enjoy the lazy style of power delivery.
The right car will come up.... Your gut will tell you when you have found the right one.... A contributing factor for me buying the car from Peter Vardy was the 2 year warranty, hoping to not use it but I feel better for having it.
Good luck with the hunt


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[Rothie]

Took car for a test drive today anyway and rule book went straight out the window... Said vehicle is sat ticking on the drive just now.... What a bit of kit the 3.0tdi and Quattro system is :-)

Racechips dot de :) 300bhp in a minute or so. Mucho fun

[skymaster]

I have had a 3.0 TDI S line in manual for over two years now. Still totally love it. I had a long chat about the swirl flap issue with the manager at my local Audi dealership. He said they get a few in for it and advise doing the pair rather than just one. He seems to think that they are less likely to go if used (as in open and closed) a lot... he said low rev driving (easily done with this much torque) isn't ideal for them hence why they go... just his opinion of course.

Mine is a 2008 model and one of the very very first B8s. I had the lower suspension arms replaced as they were wearing at 35k :-(. Fuel flap also done. If you have keyless entry and start then the door handle sensors on early cars are total tat and will all need replacing with the new modified part. I did mine as a DIY job and it worked a treat. Sadly four sensors don't come cheap!

I have had mine re mapped by Revo and it's an awesome beast. Still not great off the mark but between 40 and 80 it's acceleration is flippin awesome.

My only current concern is the clutch and DMF. Currently the car feels pretty lame when pottering around at low speeds and I think the clutch could be on it's last legs. I guess a revo didn't help. Interestingly Audi don't offer this engine with a manual box any more.

I believe it's a 60/40 split with 60 going to the rear wheels. When you are really pushing it hard you can really feel the power going to the rear wheels and it gives more of a RWD feel than the older B7 quattros. S line suspension with a set of 19 inch rims will see excellent handling at speed.

I had a flat tire recently and was going round a bend at around 60 MPH... it felt weird but the car maintained total control which severely impressed me. I pulled over and the tire was shot....

[OVI82]

Hi guys.Again just want to say a big thank you to all of you who replied so far.I did manage to go for a test drive in an 3.0 tdi A6 Le Mans over the weekend and just could not resist the temptation and bought it.Only drove it about 100 miles or so and have already bought all the filters from Audi which I will be replacing this weekend.Price wise it was a lot cheaper than an equivalent A4.It's also a manual.I must say I'm very impressed with it and I believe(judging only from a test drive I've had in an equivalent A4)they are slightly better put together.Just as I thought the first and second gears are basically just to get the car rolling,but once you put your foot down in 3rd that v6 just comes to life.It also has most extras fitted like heated seats,sat nav,parking sensors,ami and so on.The only one that I really wanted and the car hasn't got is either a B&O or Bose sound system.I must say I was shocked when I found out that I had to buy 9 litres of oil for an oil change of which 8.2 litres will be used for the oil change itself and the rest kept for top ups.That's a lot compared to my previous A4 1.9 which only needed 3.8 litres.Luckily Halfords had a good deal on Mobil1.This is also my firs Quattro and I'm really liking how it puts the power down.Although it's been on long life service so far with Audi I will be replacing the oil every 5000 miles and the other filters every 10000.Once I've had the chance to give it a good clean and wash I will be posting a few photos.Once again thanks a lot guys.

[bigslope]

Congratulations on your new car, now hop it to the A6 forums lol.

:o