A4 1.8T Petrol nightmare

**bmh121** · 21-02-2008,03:01 PM

I am still going through this nightmare. I only found out about this problem by looking a forums. Does anyone else out there think Audi should have warned me about this problem when I bought the car two years ago? They maintain it is not a design problem!

I bought it approved and had it serviced regularly by by them. If someone had said change the oil every 5k I would have.

I have decided that my best option is to take Audi to court. I simply cannot find the 5.5k plus labour they quoted for the new engine. I would be grateful if anyone would be willing to come froward and act as a witness i guess. Just to say it happened to you to. It will at least prove that Audi UK do know it is a problem and should have warned me at the last service.

Lastly does anyone know where I could a reconditioned engine or get my engine reconditioned? I desparately need to get mobile.

Thank you

**bmh121** · 28-02-2008,10:52 PM

I am still going through this nightmare. I only found out about this problem by looking a forums. Does anyone else out there think Audi should have warned me about this problem when I bought the car two years ago? They maintain it is not a design problem!

I bought it approved and had it serviced regularly by by them. If someone had said change the oil every 5k I would have.

I have decided that my best option is to take Audi to court. I simply cannot find the 5.5k plus labour they quoted for the new engine. I would be grateful if anyone would be willing to come froward and act as a witness i guess. Just to say it happened to you to. It will at least prove that Audi UK do know it is a problem and should have warned me at the last service.

Lastly does anyone know where I could a reconditioned engine or get my engine reconditioned? I desparately need to get mobile.

Thank you

RobAtk · 07-10-2009,08:26 AM

Yeah, what can I say, luv the A4 1.8T CVT, smooth as silk and drives like a dream. Likewise, just had the sump removed and cleaned out. Sump cover had to be scraped clean, enamelled oil caked on it.. gauze cleaned out was full of gunk. Oil pressure light gone. Next up is the camshaft follower, the hydraulic unit sat at the back of the engine that drives the right cam from the left cam. This unit is showing a timing fault due to lag, due to the hydraulic pick up not getting enough oil it would seem. having read several threads across the site, I can conclude it is not due to different oil or poor service, it is more likely due to the hot turbo and variable quality fuels being used. Basically an Audi design fault. Apart from that the A4 1.8T (mines a 190PS) is a smashing car and probably good for 200k+, because if that engine can put up with low pressure for a month (intermittent) then it shows how strong it is overall. If you're buying one with a turbo, suggest to get the owner to boot it and see if the oil pressure warning comes up, because that's how you find out. The extra demand on the engine, reveals whether you have a problem. Also most third party warranty, like Motorcare, don't support "maintenance" tasks, though clearly this is a design failure. I note from other threads they now fit a much larger oil filter, but that still doesn't sort the problem out and as one person said in another thread, it's good to check the sump out once a year! I also had an idle problem, which turned out to be a jammed breather valve sat just above the oil filter, tapped off the engine casing just above the oil filter (tiny critter). This leads to the engine unable to idle as due to too much air at idle. Originally I closed off the second pipe linking into the throttle body on the left side of the body. Eventually I found a good mechanic who debugged it

I think I might shift mine and get a new Seat Exeo ST Sport 170PS derv bird, as this is effectively the same car as my 04 Avant with a new donkey, all for 18k! Audi should be worried.. Seat are on their case. Lux cars are falling like trees in terms of price..

**qa15ar** · 07-10-2009,11:16 AM

Originally Posted by farrerj

Garage has just come back to me regarding the car. Fortunately, I might have been lucky. The mechanics has given the car a good engine flush, done an oil change, new semi-syn oil and oil filter and it seems to have fixed it at present.

It must have been the sludge issue blocking up the flow to the top of the engine that I've been reading about. While the cars in there I’m getting the gear box oil changed as well, second gears sticky so an gearbox oil change might resolve it (here hoping)(£200 garage fees a reckon + chip reset)

The garage reckons that it’s possible that the wrong engine oil has been put in, perhaps by the previous owner topping up the oil with the wrong type. This car has a full service history so I can’t imagine the Audi dealers putting in the wrong engine oil, so it must have been the previous owner.
But I’m a little suspicious, until I give the car a good drive down the motorway, at least no serious damage to the engine, don’t know how I got away with it, or have I???

I’ve got a whining alternator as well, it there a way of fixing this or do I just change it?

i would not use semi syn, go for fully synthetic.

**johnwintle** · 07-10-2009,12:15 PM

Probably a Mobil 15W40 as that is what my local specialist uses in a lot of the servicing. Much, much better than the Synta Silver as that oil can come from a number of sources and is just repackaged for VAG.

**qa15ar** · 07-10-2009,03:29 PM

Originally Posted by johnwintle

Probably a Mobil 15W40 as that is what my local specialist uses in a lot of the servicing. Much, much better than the Synta Silver as that oil can come from a number of sources and is just repackaged for VAG.

i hope thats a typo and you mean 5W40

**djmx5** · 07-10-2009,04:09 PM

[Likewise, just had the sump removed and cleaned out. Sump cover had to be scraped clean, enamelled oil caked on it.. gauze cleaned out was full of gunk. Oil pressure light gone. Next up is the camshaft follower, the hydraulic unit sat at the back of the engine that drives the right cam from the left cam. This unit is showing a timing fault due to lag, due to the hydraulic pick up not getting enough oil it would seem. having read several threads across the site

Does this problem regarding poor oil flow apply only to the Turbo 1.8 engines?

I have the 1.8 non-turbo unit in a '98 A3 and so far at 108k miles no probs.

Thanks
D