Advice on A3 2.0tdi 140bhp

Hello. I'm new here, well been signed up awhile, I'm looking to buy a used Audi A3 2.0tdi 140bhp, age and millage wise would be roughly a 55 - 56 plate with about 80 - 100k miles. Looking at the 3 door sport models.
Just wondering what should I look for when test driving and viewing these cars? Any common faults on them? I know they are very strong engines with a lot of them having well over 150k on the clock. I will be averaging about 400 miles a week.
Thank you in advance for your help any info will be great fully appreciated :)

They're not very strong engines. They're OK, but not like the bulletproof 1.9tdi.

Turbo's fail, ABS sensor's fail, cylinder cracking can even be a problem. Dual mass flywheel will eventually go as well. Good care can prevent the turbo problem, but the rest are pretty much a gamble. ABS sensor and DMF failures are quite pricey to fix but doable. Cylinder cracking a more serious issue obviously.

When test driving check for smoke which might indicate cracked cylinder. Turbo whine is normal, but listen out for rattle/scraping sounds. Pull away/accelerate in a high gear to put strain on the clutch and if there's a lot of vibration in the pedal the DMF might be on the way out. Check for full service history and ask what the oil change intervals have been (I have my oil changed much more frequently than suggested).

Rest is pretty standard - creaks and so on from suspension fairly common due to worn bushes or top-mounting - latter is cheap to fix, former is cheap parts, high labour, but less urgent.

For reference I'm on a 55 plate 2.0 tdi with 110k miles.

You should look out for a 1.9TDI...far better engine all round.

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Originally Posted by neilos100

You should look out for a 1.9TDI...far better engine all round.

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Not all round, but for reliability the 1.9TDI can't be beaten. It's unfortunately much more agricultural than the 2.0 - both in sound and in the way it delivers power. Economy is a smidge better, but it's also less rapid. Our other car has the 1.9TDI ;)

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Originally Posted by kalniel

They're not very strong engines. They're OK, but not like the bulletproof 1.9tdi.

Turbo's fail, ABS sensor's fail, cylinder cracking can even be a problem. Dual mass flywheel will eventually go as well. Good care can prevent the turbo problem, but the rest are pretty much a gamble. ABS sensor and DMF failures are quite pricey to fix but doable. Cylinder cracking a more serious issue obviously.

When test driving check for smoke which might indicate cracked cylinder. Turbo whine is normal, but listen out for rattle/scraping sounds. Pull away/accelerate in a high gear to put strain on the clutch and if there's a lot of vibration in the pedal the DMF might be on the way out. Check for full service history and ask what the oil change intervals have been (I have my oil changed much more frequently than suggested).

Rest is pretty standard - creaks and so on from suspension fairly common due to worn bushes or top-mounting - latter is cheap to fix, former is cheap parts, high labour, but less urgent.

For reference I'm on a 55 plate 2.0 tdi with 110k miles.

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Good summary kalniel. :) To add to that injector problems and oil pump issues with the old 2.0tdi. welshfordy1; it is the consensus that the 1.9tdi is the one to have out of the older models.

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Originally Posted by kalniel

Not all round, but for reliability the 1.9TDI can't be beaten. It's unfortunately much more agricultural than the 2.0 - both in sound and in the way it delivers power. Economy is a smidge better, but it's also less rapid. Our other car has the 1.9TDI ;)

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Get it mapped, I got mine REVO'd and it's a totally different car. Tank MPG is up, buckets more torque and horsepower up the revs. I will be getting it rolling road'd and estimating a ncie 150bhp and still keeping the reliability.

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Originally Posted by A6_Chris

Get it mapped, I got mine REVO'd and it's a totally different car. Tank MPG is up, buckets more torque and horsepower up the revs. I will be getting it rolling road'd and estimating a ncie 150bhp and still keeping the reliability.

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I am eager to know your true MPG now Chris? (I'm aware that you were intending to measure it last I heard) :)

Since I got the brakes done I've gone through 2 tanks, both of which have gave me roughly 750-790 for 55L. Going by an online calculator thats giving me 65mpg per tank.

I'm running standard fuel and on 17" alloys running recommended pressures. Pre-remap I was getting 680-710 per tank. All of course it depends on aircon, traffic etc but I haven't changed my driving style pre and post map.

I can get roughly 250miles before the needle on the fuel gauge moves off the full mark :approve:

Thanks for the information guys very helpful, so the 2.0tdi seems to have more problems than I thought? :/ very disappointing really as I thought the 2.0tdi were brilliant engines with loads of them around, is it just the a3 that as the problems or is it the whole 2.0tdi as a whole? Such as the golfs, a4's, scirocco's etc? They all have the 2.0tdi 140bhp engine too :/ I wouldn't fancy a 1.9 because they lack power, I want something with abit of power as I current have a astra 150bhp.

Any 2.0 in any VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda model is to be avoided up until 2009.