Audi/VW 2.0T engine question

[Sleek-Jet]

I'm looking at an Audi A4 wagon that has the 2.0T engine. I have zero experience with these little powerplants. I know VW group puts them in everything.

Anyone lives with one for any length of time? The car has about 50k miles on it, looks like it was dealer serviced its whole life. Any gotchas like timing belts (Honda) or other items that go "pop!" at some arbitrary milage (BMW cooling systems). The forums all talk about sudden increase oil consumption, which I assume is valve guides or broken rings and is probably endemic of the turbo charger.

 

[pronstar]

lots of website will outline common issues…possible timing chain issues/recall is one you don’t want to miss.

Details here:

Audi and VW 2.0T Timing Chain Problems Explained – eEuroparts

Timing chain issues on Audi and VW 2.0T engines have become a known problem that can lead to severe consequences. Join us as we go over this subject.

www.eeuroparts.com

 

[Backlash]

Walk. Away.

The VW 1.8 and 2.0 turbos are interference engines. When the timing belt lets go, the entire top end of the motor will go with it. I had it happen twice to me when I unfortunately owned one of the 1.8T's. The heads have five valves per cylinder, for a total of 20 valves. Each valve costs $105. Do the math. For the valves, you're looking at over $2K in parts. Now add in the shop rates, machine work rates, replacement parts, gaskets, etc. Its a fortune just to keep them on the road.

When the cars are running good, they are fun to drive and extremely responsive. I enjoyed mine as a driver's car, but the maintenance was outrageous. After spending more than the car was worth on repair costs, I finally got rid of it. It just wasn't practical.

 

[hman442]

I like them. If it's newer then the affected years, they drive nice, & run very well. We've had a few get real carboned up, but that seems to be affecting most brands, since they went to direct fuel injection, as there is no gas spraying the intake valves and ports

 

[Sleek-Jet]

The car is a 2015.

 

[grumpy88]

I like them but yes its due for timing service and my as well do the water pump too . If it has a cvt transmission do not screw with motor upgrades in my experience the transmission couldnt handle it . Find a good reliable german auto shop too .

 

[Javajoe]

Wife had an S4. Loved it but was always told about the turbo going out $$$$. She went thru lots of tires due to the low profile tires sidewalls ripping apart in potholes.
Sold it and bought a Tesla for the same price

 

[hman442]

The car is a 2015.

Shouldn't need much at 50k, check the maintenance guide in the glove box. Maybe CVT fluid, maybe plugs. Get it and enjoy it !

 

[spectra3279]

They are like any audi. They are great as long as the warranty lasts

 

[SBMech]

The car is a 2015.

The newer it is, the more reliable the engine will be, from 2011 to 14/15 they had issues with timing chains and rear main seal leaks causing lean codes. Very expensive to repair if out of warranty. One client with poor luck had 3 timing chain failures 1 at 45k, 1 at 90kish and another at 130k. The 90k was done as a part of oil and vacuum leaks/rear main seal issue, and she also needed both fuel pumps, the low pressure in the tank and the high pressure driven by the cam.

Typical 2.0's will need various coolant and evap pipes replaced as they love to use plastic. Coolant pumps fail every 40-90k. Quattros eat tires and brakes compared to single drive vehicles.

They are pretty fun to drive, but if you are unlucky, they can be painful financially.

 

[Classic Daycruiser]

PM - Tom Brown

Was it him who indicated it needs a new timing chain every 50,000 miles?
( old thread)

 

[TimeBandit]

Audi's scare me because the used car for sale ad's frequently say "has new engine", and these are cars with around 100k

Pass.

 

[calkid]

Been there, done that. Lease or sell before the warranty expires. Peppy little engines though.

 

[termiteguy]

Wife had a A4 fun to drive when it was running I would never own one again with out a factory warranty
Every time time it broke it expensive to repair

 

[hman442]

Mrs and I have been driving them for 18 years, put 150-170k on them & then sell. Other than recommended maintenance, a C/V axle occasionally, one rear main seal, & a stereo quit, we've had great luck. They all need something sometime, but I see timing chain defect bulletins for Ford, G.M., & others, might as well drive something cool.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Thanks everyone. What I'm hearing is modern engines are crap. These little 4 bangers are wrung within an inch of their life to get any performance out them, LOL.

I'm curious for the guys that have the cars break all the time,.exactly what went wrong?

 

[Backlash]

I have had good luck with cars and trucks, but none with any VW product that was water cooled.

Like I posted above, essentially two engine replacements and a transmission replacement within a two year period. Both engine issues were timing belt and timing chain issues resulting in catastrophic engine failure. The cost for parts on the Audi/VW platforms is outrageous and hard to come by as many parts are shipped from Europe. Not just ANY mechanic is qualified to work on these cars. You will need to find a SOLID Euro mechanic who knows what they are doing. Hence the higher shop labor rates.

I'll admit, the cars are fun to drive and they perform pretty well when everything is new. Once you encounter one little issue, it becomes a bigger issue due to the way the engines were initially engineered.

These motors are also one of the more extensively computer controlled engines on the road. My mechanic said mine had over 2,000 possible code or error messages related to engine management.

I've owned everything from German cars, Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, American muscle cars and trucks and a few diesel trucks. I will NEVER own another German vehicle that is water cooled. Period.

Out of all that I've owned, Honda and Toyota were the most reliable (Naturally), and the American pushrod V-8's were the easiest to wrench on.

 

[WAAZ]

Though I don’t trust VW’s like I would a Japanese (or Korean for that matter), I keep buying them - lol. Currently, ‘14 GLI with 140k on the clock. Besides regular oil changes, I’ve replaced the spark plugs, that’s it. Had a GTI with 180k on it when the daughter totaled it - just regular maintenance and new coil packs. I keep telling myself I’ll keep the GLI until it pisses me off because I like the looks and way it drives. #knocking on wood.

 

[Radioactive]

2009 A3 with the 2.0T , sold it with 225k, great car, cleaned the carbon in the intake around 110K. normal maintenance otherwise. I would buy another in a minute

 

[spectra3279]

I will say I love the sound of the audi v8s.

 

[HCP3]

Wife had an S4. Loved it but was always told about the turbo going out $$$$. She went thru lots of tires due to the low profile tires sidewalls ripping apart in potholes.
Sold it and bought a Tesla for the same price

S4's do not have 2.0T's...

 

[Uncle Dave]

Thanks everyone. What I'm hearing is modern engines are crap. These little 4 bangers are wrung within an inch of their life to get any performance out them, LOL.

I'm curious for the guys that have the cars break all the time,.exactly what went wrong?

Not crap, just expensive to maintain out of warranty.
If you dont know a good indy -and have to go to a dealer it becomes a hole in your savings account

Do the belt, water pump and rollers as a set and religiously.

As some one said - At 100K or so you need to walnut blast the carbon off the top end as the DI design doesn't clean the back of the valves (like honda) or it will start throwing errors.

Ownership strategy is to dump when these items become due.

 

[Jay Dub]

Wife had a 2015 Q5 with the 2.0T, no issues with the engine. Recently sold it with 75,000 miles.

 

[Javajoe]

S4's do not have 2.0T's...

It was related to the turbo’s in general

 

[575cat]

Its euro , YIKES