3.0TDi - Possible engine problem

jdp1962

jdp1962

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My engine management light stayed on this morning. I don't have VCDS, so can't scan it myself, but the car was already booked in for a full service and MOT in two weeks time. I've just phoned the garage and brought it forward to tomorrow, so will hopefully get a diagnosis then.

I just pray it isn't the inlet manifold motors. I haven't got £1,500 knocking around with nothing to do.
 
I've had my manifold runners replaced on my a6 3.0TDi 4 times now.

All within 20k of each other but thankfully they've been covered under warranty.
 
Great engine crippled by emissions and there are folks there who dread the old 2.5 tdi... As soon as them 3.0Tdi get a bit long in the tooth they start failing like flies : manifold runners, EGR valves, EGR coolers, injectors, high pressure pumps, chains, etc.
The old v6 tdi had only 2 major issues: injector pumps EDC and camshafts wearing WHEN on Longlife servicing, nothing else ! Yes, you have to change the cambelt every 60-80k and the aux. belt tensioner needs rebuilding after 150-180k but the new engines are not a patch on the old ones reliability wise + the electronic gizmo's in them new cars will break after a while costing big bucks to put right !
just my 2p worth...
 
Don't bother with them code readers, it's a vagcom/VCDS interface you need. See Gendan or Ilexa sites and mention the forum, sometimes you might get a discount ! Make sure you buy the can-bus version as the cheappo leads won't work on the new platforms !
I will gues it might be a plugged DPF or EGR valve but see what the scan brings up... Hope it's not expensive !
 
adamss24 said:
Don't bother with them code readers, it's a vagcom/VCDS interface you need. See Gendan or Ilexa sites and mention the forum, sometimes you might get a discount ! Make sure you buy the can-bus version as the cheappo leads won't work on the new platforms!
Click to expand...

Just looked on Ilexa. It's £275!!

adamss24 said:
I will gues it might be a plugged DPF or EGR valve but see what the scan brings up... Hope it's not expensive !
Click to expand...

I'll find out tomorrow, and update.
 
Having just had a look under the bonnet, I think I've found the culprit. On the left hand manifold flap, the spindle has become detached from its lower mounting point. I switched the ignition and watched for the motors to do the sweep. Both of them moved up and down, but obviously with the left hand one not attached to anything at the bottom, I guess that whatever it was meant to move didn't move. So I'm hoping the motors are still ok, and that it can be fixed fairly cheaply by re-attaching the left hand spindle to its bottom mount.
 
I have my fingers crossed for you...

I spent £3k on an old 2.5TDI B6 when the high-pressure fuel pump died, spunked for the 3ltr this time to go with the advantages of common-rail and try to avoid similar repair bills... is there anything you can do to check the health of these motors or help them last longer?? My wallett is worried...
 
Just spoke to the garage. They have successfully re-attached the spindle to the manifold flap.

Happy days!
 
Gutted! The spindle has detached itself again. The garage warned this could happen, and that if it did, I'd probably have to replace the manifold. Would it be possible to disconnect the motors altogether, and then remap the engine to replace the lost torque and remove the manifold flaps from the monitoring system, and reset the warning light so that it's not triggered by the flaps being inoperative? That would surely be cheaper than fitting a new manifold.
 
jjmurphy21187 said:
I have my fingers crossed for you...

I spent £3k on an old 2.5TDI B6 when the high-pressure fuel pump died, spunked for the 3ltr this time to go with the advantages of common-rail and try to avoid similar repair bills... is there anything you can do to check the health of these motors or help them last longer?? My wallett is worried...
Click to expand...
Who worked on that v6, the dealer ? I can get the pump fully refurbished for £580 + VAT then it takes another 1-2 hours to fit so well under £1000 supply and fit ! Actually i am doing one on a allroad-quantity adjuster solenoid has gone and the car won't start anymore, the car is at the garage down the road and only charging the garage 80 quid to fit and time the pump ! The mechanics in the garage could not be bothered to do it...
 
I've managed to re-attach the spindle again, but for how long I don't know. Meanwhile the light's still on, cos I don't have VCDS to reset it. I'll speak to my indie next week, see what they suggest.​
 
If I do need new manifolds, does anyone have any information on part numbers and likely prices?
 
Yesterday, before I discovered the car had a flat battery, I visited Docklands Audi - right across the road from the office - to ask if Audi UK are offering any contributions to 3.0TDI owners with duff manifiolds, seeing as it's such a common failure.​

Firstly, they'd have to have the car to run their own diagnostic scan - at my cost - to establish what I already know.

Then they'll assess my loyalty to the brand by considering the following:
  • Did I buy it new? (No.)
  • Did I buy it from an Audi dealer? (No)
  • Has it been serviced by an Audi dealer? (Yes, but not since I bought it)
in order to work out whether a goodwill gesture would be made.

I smiled, thanked him, and left, having already worked out the answer.​
 
Loyalty to the brand!? What about loyalty to the customer???

If they didn't charge an arm and a leg for servicing etc then owners might be able to consider using main dealers more often...
Buying any car from a main dealer is far from common practice for any manufacturer...
Few people can afford to buy new cars (unless a company car), for depreciation reasons alone...

Makes me angry! (Having said that I did get some free paint from main dealer last week, so not all bad).
 
Some news. Spoke to Fontain today, the people I bought the car from. They don't replace defective manifold flap assemblies. They modify and repair them, £225 per side.

I'm booked in tomorrow morning.
 
jdp1962 said:
Some news. Spoke to Fontain today, the people I bought the car from. They don't replace defective manifold flap assemblies. They modify and repair them, £225 per side.

I'm booked in tomorrow morning.
Click to expand...

Modify? As in modify so they will not fail in the future? Or modify so that they can BE repaired (and potentially have the same fault in the future)?
 
Not quite the outcome I was expecting or hoping for. When they removed the manifold assembly, it turned out the flap mechanism was too far gone for them to modify. So they re-attached the rod (apparently to stay re-attached but we shall see) and put it all back together, with the proviso that the worm flap mechanism will probably cause the engine light to come on from time to time. If it does, I can re-set it with a fault code reader.

For that, they charged me one hour's labour (£90 inc. VAT) instead of £225.

The car seemed a lot smoother and quieter on the journey home, plus the DIS showed 50mpg compared with 44 for the journey there in identical conditions.

I will replace the whole manifold eventually, but not just yet.
 
Update. It might be a bit soon to be tempting fate, but in the three and a half weeks since I had the manifold flap assembly repair done at Fontain, the car has been 100%. No detaching of link, no appearance of engine management light.
 
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