2006 A4 Cab 3.2 FSI Fault: "P0366 Camshaft Position Sensor B Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1)"

[Nemo71]

Hi All

My 2006 plate A4 Cabriolet 3.2FSI has begun to idle (very slightly) rough, and loses a little power under load (it seems to miss, or hit a flat spot occasionally). It also has once or twice made a loud clicking/clattering sound from the engine when it has just started - this sound stops and (stays stopped) as soon as I touch the accelerator. The car has done 147k miles.

I took it to the local garage (not an Audi specialist) and the diagnostic tool gave the following error code "P0366 Camshaft Position Sensor B Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1)"

I'm not very technical but I swapped the two camshaft sensors around which were easy to reach on the top of the engine and I still got exactly the same fault.

Any ideas or advice would be much appreciated - TIA

[Crasher]

Very likely the timing chains are at the end of their adjustment and need replacing.

[Nemo71]

Many thanks for the quick reply

Sounds like I'll need to take it to an Audi specialist: will it be easy for them to confirm the timing chain replacement diagnosis at the garage? And if this is the case is there a ballpark estimate for repair costs...

Final question - do I need to get this done ASAP (as it's not really causing me any major problems at the moment) or can I leave it?

[Crasher]

Difficult to say without hearing it, you get the best feel for how bad it is by listening to the racket they make when starting up after an oil and filter chnage, if the blood drains from the mechanics face you know it is time. The main part of the job is a timing chain kit which will cost you around £750 BUT this comes without any sprockets of timing adjusters and these often are the reason for the problem in the first place. Currently these are only available genuine so you would need to add at least another £2500 on top for adjusters, sprockets and other parts required. Then you have to fit the parts which means removing the engine or the gearbox and even a quick mechanic is going to struggle to do the job in any less than 3 days. Audi dealers quote around £7K to do the job. If it fails, the car is scrap.

[Nemo71]

Thanks again Crasher for your help although the blood has just drained from my face! I reckon the car is probably only worth about £2k so I don't think I'll be getting repairs of that magnitude - but many thanks for your advice and I'll get it into the garage for them to have a look (listen!) and I'll keep my fingers crossed!

[Crasher]

This is also a common problem, because old cars have been made worthless by a combination of insane parts prices, the huge amount of work involved in doing even a simple job and PCP deals making it so cheap to get into a new car that old cars get scrapped when there is lots of life left in them, which is not environmentally friendly at all! It won't last though, the PCP bubble is about to burst and it is going to make the PPI scandal look like a fuss over nothing.