Bau wow wow

[Phutters]

Reading several posts on here concerning 2.5TDI engine codes, it seems that the BAU coded plant is the one to have.

Why?

Is is simply that it's the final evolution of that particular motor, and therefore the one in which most of the wrinkles were ironed out, or is there more to it than that?

As it happens, the engine in my allroad is one of these objects of lust, and I wonder if I should be out there with a lint-free cotton cloth and a gentle finger, tenderly massaging its intimate places with warm Autosol rather than frittering time away on here.

[andrew shepherd]

From what I understand, the later engines are improved mainly by having the roller-bearing rocker-arms. This applies to codes BCZ,BDG,BAU,BDH. The plain bearings in the earlier versions (AKE,AYM,BFC) were a common wear point (along with the cam-lobes).

Don't know about the aotosol massage, but do ensure it doesn't get driven without engine oil...

[adamss24]

I kinda like the early design due to beeing a little more fail proof in the event of a cambelt break. The rocker arms are cast in such a way that they will shatter and the valve spring will close the valve without further dammage to the heads or pistons. When a belt breaks on later models the heads are rather scrap ! Better design my a rs e, use quality fully synthetic oil (30 quid for 5L of longlife oil at the dealer) and change every 6k or once a year and you wont have no problems with cam wear. Its the Longlife servicing that does no good to the modern engines, how daft it can be to keep oil for 25k or 2 years ? Also the late engines have lesser injector pumps (wich dont respond well to tuning) and a water cooled EGR valve wich makes changing glow plugs a pain and breaks internally allowing the engine to overheat or even hydrolock in some cases. You want my advise, buy a early '98 quattro with AFB engine(change the engine breather though)- stronger all toghether. The later ones (AKE,AKN) have horrible gear ratios and they dont feel right ! I drove many b6/c5 and they not even close to how the b5 is...just my 2 pence !

[Padwick]

I've an AKN and it feels fine. It's got the 6-manual, don't like the auto's.
I know that some day soon the cams are going to bite me in the a s s though