Possible Major Engine Problem

[ringosquid]

Hello. I've got a 2.0 TDI S-Line. I've just dropped it to my local garage and they've called me to say that the engine is making a lot of noise 'somewhere at the bottom' and they want to drain the oil to see if any bits of metal come out.

How scared should I be?! It's an '05 car with 67k on the clock, FSH and drives nicely (although I had noticed it was a touch loud). Someone mentioned an idler or something that was a common problem on VW's. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Tristan.

[Crasher]

They are prone to con rod bearing failure which is seriously nasty.

[Lateknight]

I am wondering if you have a version of the 2.0 tdi fitted with balancer shafts under the main crank. These have been known to given some problems on versions of the 2.0 tdi. Although, there are Tdi versions without shafts, versions with chain driven shafts, and versions with gear driven shafts. Obviously something VW group have not quite perfected the design of yet.

I dont know who your local garage are or how competent they are, let them try a diagnosis before you start losing sleep worrying about major repairs or new engines. Certainly the mileage is not a concern at the moment
I personally have never heard of conrod bearing failure (often known as 'Big end') as being a weak point of the 2.0 tdi.
The 2.0 pd engine is not known to be a quiet unit anyway, but your garage have obviously heard something out of the ordinary, I would have thought they would have a rough idea by now if its coming from inside the crankcase, or whether its something external.
Keep us informed.

[irishejit]

could it be the dual mass flywheel...
when it starts to go it makes a hell of a racket and they fail
way too often.

[a8 tech]

Balance shaft pulley shears the teeth (normally the red oil warning light will come on )or the chain will snap,normally requires full engine and turbo.Again another reason why i dislike the 2.0 pd engine.
Other noises
1 a/c clutch failure causing a ticking/clacking
2 dual mass judder and cold start banging
3 egr flap snaps off the rod
4 tandem pump leaks fuel into the oil causing internal noises and engine failure,often easy check of the oil level if its well over max and smells of diesel

[Rods]

Balance shaft pulley shears the teeth (normally the red oil warning light will come on )or the chain will snap,normally requires full engine and turbo.Again another reason why i dislike the 2.0 pd engine.
Other noises
1 a/c clutch failure causing a ticking/clacking
2 dual mass judder and cold start banging
3 egr flap snaps off the rod
4 tandem pump leaks fuel into the oil causing internal noises and engine failure,often easy check of the oil level if its well over max and smells of diesel

Mines going in for the Tandem pump to be replaced, I noticed that she was missing on tick over and took it back to Audi they found oil in my diesel filters but told me the cars ok to drive until the parts come in.

[RSVr]

Would you guys say the 116bhp 1.9 tdi engine is better than the 2.0 lump reliability wise?

[Lateknight]

In reliability terms - yes the 1.9 is probably the more reliable engine.

Its a little less complex than the 2.0.

But... Its not as quick (if thats your thing), It not much more economical, its slightly gruffer / less refined than the 2.0.

The impression that the 2.0 is unreliable is wrong, considering you only get people talking about it when they have had a problem.
In Audis, the 2.0 version outsells the 1.9.

[a8 tech]

The 2.0 pd unit has sold more units but also less reliable with far more dealer visits than the 1.9 pd,The pd engine has been superseded by the common rail as the pd engine fails the current EU DIRECTIVE FOR EMISSIONS.I see these day in day out and having been in the Audi game for 20 years i can say from experience this engine has caused far more issues than any other vag engine.The 1.9 only had one recall where as the 2.0 has various workshop actions from sw updates to mechanical modifications.Also i rate Audi very highly so it takes a lot for me to find fault but this engine has not my favorite by a long shot and for the B7 platform it has to be 2.0tfsi all the way.Anyway road tested the new V10 R8 today so normal admiration for Audi engineering restored big time.lol

[Crasher]

2.0L Oil pump drives, why ohh why did they make such a bodge job of it? Wasn’t anyone around in the design department who remembers the oil pump drive issues on the 0.9>1.3 from 74 to 85? Come on, learn from your mistakes!