Possible camshaft issues on BAU v6tdi engine

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pbwatch

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Hi All!

I'm having a problem with my 2003 V6 tdi 180Q in that there is a very annoying and gradually more regular vibration sort of noise around 2000rpm. Driving steady it is pretty quiet but when under load or setting off with vigour it is very noisy at around 2000rpm. I thought it might be the turbo but I called in on an Audi guy yesterday in Leeds and when you rev the car it is apparent and you get a whooshing noise when you let off the throttle which they said was air pushing back into the system or something like that. They immediately said it will be the cams and very unlikely the turbo but would have to remove the rocker cover to check for sure!
I have a BAU engine code so are they also prone to the chocolate cam problem as most of the posts here seem to mention the AKE code.

The car has 98,000 miles and had belts done at 80,500 but not sure if water pump was changed as I did not own the car then. Main dealer did it.

I know it is hard to comment on without hearing the noise but it is beginning to worry me and I do not know who to trust with a very expensive diagnosis. Thanks!
 
Cams are fine. It turned out to be the Turbo with a possible vanes sticking problem.
 
i know the noise well, have a look at thisthread http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/diesel-forum/110585-help-what-noise.html it has a video of the noise. after a bit of research i also believe its the tubo vanes or actuator that is sticking. when driving your car does it suffer from a momentary loss of boost when you put your foot down sometimes?.Are you going to try to clean it or change it?
 
Millers are just up the raod from me and I feed some of the staff there at lunch time so I had a chat with them. He came back a couple of hours later with 2 things. First was a 'one shot' of the newly named Ecomax deisel cleaner and the other was a bigger bottle mean't to add in each time you fill up of the same dilutedd product.

Wow! is all I can say. friday night I put the one shot in the tank and filled half way only. I went out and did a mix of driving for around 60 miles coming off the turbo and then back on which I have been told helps free up the vanes. I noticed an improvement after 30 miles or so with much less noise when the turbo kicked and a bit more response from a lighter throttle too.
Following morning I put the entire bigger bottle in the tank and filled it(expensive this !) Then went out and did 100 miles of hard driving. No noise now from the Turbo but I have to say that today(Sunday) the car is fantastic and really flies of the mark with much more vigour and the engine smoothness is the best I've known it since purchase last year!

This has now made me more confident to go to the trouble of having the turbo cleaned with the Innotec Turbo Clean Set I purchased a couple of months ago. This should make another improvement hopefully. I'm going to have the EGR removed or blanked too.
 
I can see the mr muscle working with the 1.9. But with the 2.5 surely it'll just run down into the engine?

My car has a noise where it releases air into the airbox when I let off. So this is deffo the vanes?
 
Last edited:
pbwatch said:
Millers are just up the raod from me and I feed some of the staff there at lunch time so I had a chat with them. He came back a couple of hours later with 2 things. First was a 'one shot' of the newly named Ecomax deisel cleaner and the other was a bigger bottle mean't to add in each time you fill up of the same dilutedd product.

Wow! is all I can say. friday night I put the one shot in the tank and filled half way only. I went out and did a mix of driving for around 60 miles coming off the turbo and then back on which I have been told helps free up the vanes. I noticed an improvement after 30 miles or so with much less noise when the turbo kicked and a bit more response from a lighter throttle too.
Following morning I put the entire bigger bottle in the tank and filled it(expensive this !) Then went out and did 100 miles of hard driving. No noise now from the Turbo but I have to say that today(Sunday) the car is fantastic and really flies of the mark with much more vigour and the engine smoothness is the best I've known it since purchase last year!

This has now made me more confident to go to the trouble of having the turbo cleaned with the Innotec Turbo Clean Set I purchased a couple of months ago. This should make another improvement hopefully. I'm going to have the EGR removed or blanked too.
Click to expand...

I use Millers Eco max additive in the fuel, and it works well for me as well.
I've also disconnected the vacuum pipe on the EGR valve, and the car performs even better. Am I correct in saying that disconnecting the vacuum pipe is the same as blanking the EGR off?

Haven't had any problems with the turbo yet - what's involved in using the Innotec product?
 
My 2.5 TDi whistles loudly and always has since first buying it last July, especially on throttle lift off over run. I have always been a bit concerned about it as I got told its air passing back through the intake via the turbo. I also get a flutter from the turbo sometimes when changing up a gear, it almost sounds like wastegate chatter but I'm sure it's air passing back through the turbo the wrong way and stalling the turbo blades.

As the car has always performed like this since buying it I'm not sure if there are any problems, I'm also unsure if the previous owner has blanked off the egr valve. I'd like to do this mr muscle clean out but I'm a bit unsure whether to give it a go as it's a different set up engine to the one mentioned in that thread, so has anyone done it on a 2.5 that can run me through what they did and if they felt an improvement?

Another thing is my car has been remapped, so not sure if this is causing my turbo to whistle more than it normally would, it's actually very whistley through my exhaust system, where it sounds like a police siren from inside the car! Does anyone else have the same?

My mate also owns a 2.5 TDi manual which is pretty much the same as mine, and his isn't remapped.

I actually experienced a strange thing driving home from work tonight, I joined a nice 3 mile straight dual carriage way where it was nice and clear to put my foot down to clear out the cobwebs which I like to do every now and then to try and break up the carbon build up. It went through the gears nicely and pulled just as it normally does, but all of a sudden in 5th gear it almost losses all power, I had mu foot down and it was almost like someone had removed my turbo or there was no fuel getting to the engine, so I backed off the throttle and just cruised were a few seconds later it seemed to be fine again??

Is this the experience people get with the turbo vanes or actuator sticking?
 
Az said:
My 2.5 TDi whistles loudly and always has since first buying it last July, especially on throttle lift off over run. I have always been a bit concerned about it as I got told its air passing back through the intake via the turbo. I also get a flutter from the turbo sometimes when changing up a gear, it almost sounds like wastegate chatter but I'm sure it's air passing back through the turbo the wrong way and stalling the turbo blades.

As the car has always performed like this since buying it I'm not sure if there are any problems, I'm also unsure if the previous owner has blanked off the egr valve. I'd like to do this mr muscle clean out but I'm a bit unsure whether to give it a go as it's a different set up engine to the one mentioned in that thread, so has anyone done it on a 2.5 that can run me through what they did and if they felt an improvement?

Another thing is my car has been remapped, so not sure if this is causing my turbo to whistle more than it normally would, it's actually very whistley through my exhaust system, where it sounds like a police siren from inside the car! Does anyone else have the same?

My mate also owns a 2.5 TDi manual which is pretty much the same as mine, and his isn't remapped.

I actually experienced a strange thing driving home from work tonight, I joined a nice 3 mile straight dual carriage way where it was nice and clear to put my foot down to clear out the cobwebs which I like to do every now and then to try and break up the carbon build up. It went through the gears nicely and pulled just as it normally does, but all of a sudden in 5th gear it almost losses all power, I had mu foot down and it was almost like someone had removed my turbo or there was no fuel getting to the engine, so I backed off the throttle and just cruised were a few seconds later it seemed to be fine again??

Is this the experience people get with the turbo vanes or actuator sticking?
Click to expand...

that could be the start of an injection pump problem....
 
swarcup said:
i know the noise well, have a look at thisthread http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/diesel-forum/110585-help-what-noise.html it has a video of the noise. after a bit of research i also believe its the tubo vanes or actuator that is sticking. when driving your car does it suffer from a momentary loss of boost when you put your foot down sometimes?.Are you going to try to clean it or change it?
Click to expand...

Im glad you posted that vid as my old turbo was making that noise so i swapped the old Turbo unit for another one, Iv kept the old Turbo so i can re use it when this one goes tits up, so it looks like the actuator was at fault after all, you can get new ones on ebay,

Turbocharger Actuator for Audi A4 A6 A8 2,5 TDI | eBay
 
Just saying because I too had my injection pump done done about 2 years ago now. First signs of it being gone were hesitancy on the motorway almost like, sa you say, fuel blockage or something. How many miles have you done since it was rebuilt?
 
It's only done 32k since it was rebuilt, originally it lasted 105k.
 
mines the same went around the 110k mark. After only 32k I would hope that is not the problem
 
Yes,I did it on my B5 and it cured my overboost problem.
As I wrote on Evilscotsmans post (Un-Sticking Your TDi VNT Turbo Vanes.....) I just uncoupled the exhaust, and fed my hose through the turbine. I also left it an hour, then 'operated' the actuator with a GS, which helped break up the soot. You could feel the vane loosen.
I didn't get too exited about the stuff staying in the exhaust, but did wash the bay with water afterwards.
VCDS has a basic setting that tests the actuator on the AFB, I would suspect it is the same on the other V6 TDi engines.
 
guys sorry to hi jack this thread i have a 19tdi 130 and just watched the above video ? (what is this noise) !! ive revved mine tonight whilst standing static and when it comes of the revs it sucks and makes that excact noise so is this a turbo clean to cure with mr muscle or is this noise perfectly ok must admit i think it sounds sweet......... please someone put my mind to rest as the car drives sweet with no issues no engine smoke etc and running standard power with no mods
 
Az said:
My 2.5 TDi whistles loudly and always has since first buying it last July, especially on throttle lift off...
Is this the experience people get with the turbo vanes or actuator sticking?
Click to expand...

Yes and by the way, a multitronic still has a dual mass flywheel !
 
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