A4 2l TFSi Quattro Sline queries

CountryGent · Jul 22, 2017

Hi,

Over the weekend I bought an '06 A4 Avant Sline 2l TFSI Quattro (what a mouthful!) and picked it up yesterday. So far I love it. Pictures will follow shortly..but it is a Black Beauty.

Now that I have driven it I am starting to think about a number of basic uprades. These being:

1) changing the door, rear under seat, cabin and rear number plate lights with leds - has any one done this, any recommendations for supplier/manufacturer? How easy was it to do? Any special tools for trim etc? Do I need to worry about error free listed kits as I have seen a lot of threads with mentions of coding and error codes for bulbs?

2) windscreen washer jets - I amso disappointed abiut how poor they are..they about as good as my Landy 110 ones and at least they have an excuse as they're on a utilitarian vehicle that doesn't go that fast! Any one done a set with the blades with the jets built in so water is actually squireted directly onto the screen rather than up onto the screen. Is there a kit/supplier/manufacturer?

3) Shockingly poor 12v socket location beside the handbrake lever! seriously (or is it just me that thinks that :blush:

) Has anyone done an alternative 12v socket instal. I'm rubbish at car electrics so I would have to use someone so does anyone in the area have a recommendation for a car sparky in Wiltshire?

4) Tyres - they are all good at the moment but wanted to find out what people are using and recommend (I haven't looked at sizes yet)

5) The had unit I'm guessing is standard - Symphony? It has cd, radio and tape! Has anyone used a radio tuner with bluetooth so you can play tunes from your smart device, iPhone etc and if so any recomendations? Or should I look at a new new double din head unit with satnav, bluetooth etc build in?

It's not an upgrade but the central arm rest cubby hole thing that you move up out of the way has a broken catch. Is the catch a replaceble part as I coudn't see a way to unscrew it..or do you need to replace the whole arm rest? Also on the passenger door window frame the metal seems to have rusted/bubbled under the rubber strip. Is this a common thing with the A4? I want to get it sorted before it gets worse, is this an easy job for a body shop to do?

If this is too much for my first question/post my apologies, I'm just eager to start tinkering :witless:

Thanks for your time

Charlie Farley · Jul 22, 2017

Firstly welcome onboard the B7 club, and you'll find its probably the best club to be in , well in my opinion and i'm very biased anyway..lol.
Looking at your profile it looks like you are no stranger to Audi ownership either so no point going on about being new to ownership other than you are new to B7 ownership which is great but can have its downsides , and, depending on what variant you have some of those downsides can be more than others.
Anway, piccy's are allways good and the more the merrier, having been an avant owner of a similar variant now for over 3 years I would do the opposite to start recommend doing loads of upgrades until you have checked the engine and other mechanicals out fully and ensured they are as in good as shape as they can be, B7's do suffer from a fair few issues in all variants and fuel types and the petrol flavour variants do have there own numerous weak points in the engine dept and other areas that can if not checked and sorted out lead to much bigger issues later on in ownership.

Did you buy it private or dealer, what sort of service history does it have and what about receipts for work carried ( more important than just service stamps really) and what ssort of milage has it covered....all these details can help with getting a better overview .

From my experience that's how I would go....but then I have learnt the hardway as have many other owners....these are not cheap cars to repair when they go wrong hence why it pays to get them tip top running order before lashing out on lesser upgrades then finding a problem which may render the car less than user friendly in the wallet dept and ownership dept..

Sorry if that puts a damp squib on your new purchase but too many other guys on here have been in a similar situation and its all gone pear shaped after a few months ownership, which is sad really , so enjoy it but don't assume all is well and good unless you know things are.

rob

CountryGent · Jul 22, 2017

Just Rob. said:
Firstly welcome onboard the B7 club, and you'll find its probably the best club to be in , well in my opinion and i'm very biased anyway..lol.

Did you buy it private or dealer, what sort of service history does it have and what about receipts for work carried ( more important than just service stamps really) and what ssort of milage has it covered....all these details can help with getting a better overview .

From my experience that's how I would go....but then I have learnt the hardway as have many other owners....these are not cheap cars to repair when they go wrong hence why it pays to get them tip top running order before lashing out on lesser upgrades then finding a problem which may render the car less than user friendly in the wallet dept and ownership dept..

Sorry if that puts a damp squib on your new purchase but too many other guys on here have been in a similar situation and its all gone pear shaped after a few months ownership, which is sad really , so enjoy it but don't assume all is well and good unless you know things are.

rob

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the welcome

That is just what I needed to hear..whether I liked it or not! I should by now know through the ownership of various cars like my Landies, Alfa's, Fiats etc that the best thing to do is get the basics sorted.

So covering the points you raised:

It was a local purchase from a garage and it has a mix of main dealer, a VAG specialist garage stamp and a local garage stamps. The MOTs are accompanied with receipts for any work carried out.

The mileage is 128564. I have no idea what service schedule it was/is on. Is that possible to find out from Audi?

So if I allow myself to start the list again what should I be looking at to make sure I keep on top of known issues before they start to get out of hand? Presuming that at the moment that all is quiet before the storm so to speak.

What sort of oil should I be looking at to maintain engine components, I was going to change change oil and filter every 6-8k miles, fuel filter, spark plug schedule? I'm guessing that there are preferred brands for these. Gear box - is that an issue as I have to say the one in my A4 is very sweet! What are the brakes like as I always bleed the system as it usually never gets done during it's lifetime. At the same time as that I have done braided hose change to get a crisper more positive feel.

Whilst I'm sitting down, hit mewith the good, the bad and the ugly bits of A4 Sline Quattro ownership!!

Be gentle as I don't to start selling it before I've eve had it a week lol

Thanks for your time

Charlie Farley · Jul 22, 2017

Now you best sit down with a long stiff drink then as there is a certain amount of bad news for you , and , hopefully a lot more good news.
I assume yours is not a special ed tfsi variant as there are several different tfsi 2.0 engines fitted across the B7 platform .

What I will say is that for the most part they are very good cars and provide long and trouble free motoring to there owners.
On the plus side lets look at what you get from the B7 platform (A4/S4/RS4 ), stonking performance and ample room for tuning engine and other parts, probably one of the best looking A4's ( yes I am biased)and avants are the best....and just an allround top class car which stands out from all the rest of the plain old boring cars around....
There are as with most cars, problem areas , and the biggest main concern is the tfsi engine , known issues and the biggy's are cam follower failure, cam chain tensioner failure , oil pump failure , oil pickup pipe blockages etc of which most of these failures are all related in one way or the other.
there are a fair few others such as DV failure, PCV issues, engine coolant flange leaks, coilpack failure , thremostats sticking etc....
some areas in the suspension dept are problematic such as pinch bolts etc , but as with most cars there are and will allways be problematic parts all over a car.
rather than make this a really long thread you will be able to get a much better insight and overview of these and other B7 specific issues on this B7 forum, and also be able to make up your own mind on individual issues.
On your milage a lot of the problems areas may have already been addressed so that's a win win situation, if not then it maybe prudent to look at what may need doing.
A full audi dealer service history is no guarantee of a problem free car, as many will agree, a file of receipts and bills will be a better indicator for work that's been done, I think the service history should be used in conjunction with other info available to gain the best view .
I change my old bus engine oil every 6k and use a specific oil which I find works very well for my useage, braided brake hoses are very good and a must if using BBK's.
High oil consumption can be an issues which leads to other issues but the same applies, have a look at specific threads on the subject and you'll be a lot wiser.
There are a few jobs that are bigger to do on Quattro's than on the 2wd variant just by the fact the Quattro setup is more complicated and parts need to be moved etc making jobs longer and more costly.

Anyway, that's enough of the downsides, and to be honest not everyone has them if any , but one should allways be aware of them but don't get carried away and start replacing parts that may well be fine.
Audi made a heck of a lot of these B7's and the amount that have problems is relatively low in comparison, I love my old bus and enjoy it everytime I go out in it.....I have no plan to part company with it for the foreseeable future either.
A sorted B7 is worth its weight in gold and is a real pleasure to own and drive, hopefully you will be able to enjoy yours too.

rob

SteveTDCi · Jul 22, 2017

don't forget the fuel cam follower, athough the engine is belt driven so don't think the tensioner is a problem. The dv and pcv should be changed though asap.

Charlie Farley · Jul 22, 2017

Just something to keep in mind, some people will say , that milage is a bit high , but its not.
128000 miles for a 06 car is only 11636 miles a year, so less than an average low milage 12k miles a year car.

CountryGent · Jul 23, 2017

Just Rob. said:
Just something to keep in mind, some people will say , that milage is a bit high , but its not.
128000 miles for a 06 car is only 11636 miles a year, so less than an average low milage 12k miles a year car.

It is certainly higher than I wanted,but the whole car 'seems' to be in good condition. As with my last car I I don't expect to do more than 6k a year - thanks to a works van and wifeys car, it should start to drop it's high mileage status slowly..so we will wait and see

CountryGent · Jul 23, 2017

SteveTDCi said:
don't forget the fuel cam follower, athough the engine is belt driven so don't think the tensioner is a problem. The dv and pcv should be changed though asap.

Ok, you have me t a disadvantage Steve..what are the dv and pcv that should be changed though asap - is there any way for me to be able o identify if theyy have been done or need doing? Speak in laymans terms as I am not up to speed on the engine parts yet..and are they a doable DIY job or defo specialist/main dealer fit?

Thanks

CountryGent · Jul 23, 2017

You wer right Rob,

Well thank goodness JD was at hand..otherwie that might have been quite a hit lol...

Ok so I think I have seen on some paperwork the words SE or Special Edition so I am a tiny bit worried after your comment..in my blissful ignorance I presumed the SE meant I had a extra piece of trim, an extra button to push not an anything to do with the engine itself.

I will have a look through my paper work to see if any thing like the cam follower failure, cam chain tensioner , oil pump , oil pickup pipes etc have been replaced. For the oil pickup pipe is a failure due to material deterioration? Would replacing the standard pipes with superior silicon improve the chances of them not failing?

As for the brake pipes change and fluid change I will carry that out but can you advise what BBK's are and why they are a must if using BBK's? Really showing my ignorance here..sorry.

I do do agree with for the looks compared to a lot of the cars around and performance is very nice and does indeed put a smile on my face every time I drive!

You mentioned the oil change being about right at 6k, what oil do you use?

Thanks for the ongoing enlightenment

SteveTDCi · Jul 23, 2017

PCV is easy to do, it sits just under the engine cover, it's a couple of bolts. The part is around £40. The fuel cam follower wears, if you Google rtech tfsi all of the common issues will show up. Again it's easy to swap, you need to undo a couple of pipes, release the pressure from the fuel rail and remove a fitting. Then it's 3 bolts. It's right at the back of the engine.

You need the follower and the o ring, it's around £40 in parts too.

The diverter valve (dv) is attached to the turbo and the rubber diaphragm splits, its 3 bolts and a connector. Again it's around £40. A garage shouldn't charge anymore than 1 1/2 hours to swap all 3.

SteveTDCi · Jul 23, 2017

New onthe left, old on the right. I think ours has been changed. We replaced one at work on a Octavia and it had worn a hole onthe top of it.

Charlie Farley · Jul 23, 2017

CountryGent said:
You wer right Rob,

Well thank goodness JD was at hand..otherwie that might have been quite a hit lol...

Ok so I think I have seen on some paperwork the words SE or Special Edition so I am a tiny bit worried after your comment..in my blissful ignorance I presumed the SE meant I had a extra piece of trim, an extra button to push not an anything to do with the engine itself.

I will have a look through my paper work to see if any thing like the cam follower failure, cam chain tensioner , oil pump , oil pickup pipes etc have been replaced. For the oil pickup pipe is a failure due to material deterioration? Would replacing the standard pipes with superior silicon improve the chances of them not failing?

As for the brake pipes change and fluid change I will carry that out but can you advise what BBK's are and why they are a must if using BBK's? Really showing my ignorance here..sorry.

I do do agree with for the looks compared to a lot of the cars around and performance is very nice and does indeed put a smile on my face every time I drive!

You mentioned the oil change being about right at 6k, what oil do you use?

Thanks for the ongoing enlightenment

Ok, sit tight and i'll expand on things this afternoon and hopefully make it all clearer for you....unless you get an update from other users before ...catch you later chap.

Charlie Farley · Jul 23, 2017

Ok, so a bit of clarity for you chap, and probably a bit of a long thread so , you may need coffee and a comfy chair..haha
Right then, if you're sitting comfortably i will begin.

The SE is not the same model as the special edition , but the two sometimes get called the same but they are in fact different models
special editions can have deisel or petrol engines but the only petrol 2.0tfsi B7 special edition is the 220bhp BUL engine , in either saloon or avant form, they share many parts inc engine, ECU brakes wheels etc with the A4 B7 "DTM" .
An easy way to check is look at the Chassis number , it should start with " WUA" as they were made at the RS factory along with the S4 B7 and RS4 B7 and DTM.
The cars have black optics pack etc and other bits , also came out in two versions, mk1 and a later mk2 , engines specs and running gear all remained the same but roof rails/front grill / windows brightwork etc colour changed to black and wheels became rs4 style.

On the engine front there are possible issues as allready mentioned, so these are the main ones.

The high pressure fuel pump cam follower is prone to excessive wear and failure, they are a very poor qaulity and if left to long and wear badly will cause much more serious engine issues , the BUL had a revised one fitted as standard but still suffer to a lesser degree, if you have to replace it you will get the revised part.

Cam chain tensioner, another possible problem part , it is an hydraulic operated part and if the oil ways to it get restricted etc and the oil follow / pressure is reduced the adjuster wont function correctly and the chain will run slack and laed to sprocket wear and possible breakage , then engine failure.
Key to preventing the above problem is ensuring a good flow of clean oil and good pressure , which is way regular engine oil changes are very important, once the oil is contaminated and sludgey it will block the important oilways around the engine and thats is not a good situation, of course if the wear and reduced flow is all ready occuring etc a different approach is needed .

Oil pump and pickup pipe, same again really and it is oil quality and serviceing related, plus the oil pickup pipe/strainer is not the best of designs allthough there is a newer version that overcomes the short falls of the original , still not really an excuse for poor or inadequet mainatince.
Basically what happens the strainer on the pickup pipe can get blocked with contaminates and sludge , oil flow is reduced and the pump then fails due to lack of oil and the engine goes west , you get a low oil light on the dash but by thens its curtains for 99% of owners.
The newer part has a bypass which still allows for oil to be drawn through and prevent total oil starvation.
Oil pumps wear aswell.

The turbo diverter valve (DV) has a poor quality diaphram which splits and you will loose important boost, revised parts are the norm, as are performance upgraded ones, but all down personal choice

PCV, positive cranckcase ventilation is another problems on them and to be honest it is a poor design , it is can also be a cause of exccesive oil consumption etc, revised part is availble aswell, another side problem to the PCV design is that the intercoolers can and do tend to get a fair bit of oil in them which leads to its own issues.

Oil consumption can be high but not all owners are effected but audi say that you can use upto 0.5 ltr per 1000km and thats within normal parameters, mine used to drink it but i've got it down under control now.

Carbon buildup in the head and ports is common and tends to effects cars that dont get regular use and where the engine doesnt reach full operating temp regulary, its also another downside of the poor PCV design.Ideally the engine need to be running at higher RPM for periods (over 3k) to help burn off any residue.

On the rear of the engine block in front of the bulkhead there is a water coolant outlet which is prone to a leaking o-ring and wont be noticed until you see your coolant level dropping all the time, bit of a pain to do aswell , same applies a revised part repalces the old part and its cheap .
So there you go, thats really only a very brief overview of a few subjects , for more indepth info on all aspects of the B7 you can search the B7 forum .

What has been said about the engine problems is that not all users will have any , some may have a few, others may have a shed load( myself included) but the service history can help indentify if your car may have any possible issues lurking inside, the long life service shedule is most certainly less than ideal for the B7 , regular oil changes are a must to avoid a lot of the oil based problem that effect this engine.

On the upside , you get an excellent road car, brillant looks, excellent performance and a good selection of oem and aftermarket mods/upgrades.
BBK's or Big brake kits are readily availble in many formats too, along with suspension kits and alloys to really enharnce your car, in reality your only limiting factor with most mods will be the depth of your pockets..lol, and sometimes they need to be deeeeeeeeeeeeeep...
So there you go, not really an expert reply for you ,moreso from my own experience and ownership of one for just over 3 years, i expect other owners will reply with better info so i hope its been of some small help chap.

rob

CountryGent · Jul 25, 2017

Just Rob. said:
Ok, so a bit of clarity for you chap, and probably a bit of a long thread so , you may need coffee and a comfy chair..haha
Right then, if you're sitting comfortably i will begin.

The SE is not the same model as the special edition , but the two sometimes get called the same but they are in fact different models
special editions can have deisel or petrol engines but the only petrol 2.0tfsi B7 special edition is the 220bhp BUL engine , in either saloon or avant form, they share many parts inc engine, ECU brakes wheels etc with the A4DTM B7 "" .
An easy way to check is look at the Chassis number , it should start with " WUA" as they were made at the RS factory along with the S4 B7 and RS4 B7 and DTM.
The cars have black optics pack etc and other bits , also came out in two versions, mk1 and a later mk2 , engines specs and running gear all remained the same but roof rails/front grill / windows brightwork etc colour changed to black and wheels became rs4 style.

On the engine front there are possible issues as allready mentioned, so these are the main ones.

The high pressure fuel pump cam follower is prone to excessive wear and failure, they are a very poor qaulity and if left to long and wear badly will cause much more serious engine issues , the BUL had a revised one fitted as standard but still suffer to a lesser degree, if you have to replace it you will get the revised part.

Cam chain tensioner, another possible problem part , it is an hydraulic operated part and if the oil ways to it get restricted etc and the oil follow / pressure is reduced the adjuster wont function correctly and the chain will run slack and laed to sprocket wear and possible breakage , then engine failure.
Key to preventing the above problem is ensuring a good flow of clean oil and good pressure , which is way regular engine oil changes are very important, once the oil is contaminated and sludgey it will block the important oilways around the engine and thats is not a good situation, of course if the wear and reduced flow is all ready occuring etc a different approach is needed .

Oil pump and pickup pipe, same again really and it is oil quality and serviceing related, plus the oil pickup pipe/strainer is not the best of designs allthough there is a newer version that overcomes the short falls of the original , still not really an excuse for poor or inadequet mainatince.
Basically what happens the strainer on the pickup pipe can get blocked with contaminates and sludge , oil flow is reduced and the pump then fails due to lack of oil and the engine goes west , you get a low oil light on the dash but by thens its curtains for 99% of owners.
The newer part has a bypass which still allows for oil to be drawn through and prevent total oil starvation.
Oil pumps wear aswell.

The turbo diverter valve (DV) has a poor quality diaphram which splits and you will loose important boost, revised parts are the norm, as are performance upgraded ones, but all down personal choice

PCV, positive cranckcase ventilation is another problems on them and to be honest it is a poor design , it is can also be a cause of exccesive oil consumption etc, revised part is availble aswell, another side problem to the PCV design is that the intercoolers can and do tend to get a fair bit of oil in them which leads to its own issues.

Oil consumption can be high but not all owners are effected but audi say that you can use upto 0.5 ltr per 1000km and thats within normal parameters, mine used to drink it but i've got it down under control now.

Carbon buildup in the head and ports is common and tends to effects cars that dont get regular use and where the engine doesnt reach full operating temp regulary, its also another downside of the poor PCV design.Ideally the engine need to be running at higher RPM for periods (over 3k) to help burn off any residue.

On the rear of the engine block in front of the bulkhead there is a water coolant outlet which is prone to a leaking o-ring and wont be noticed until you see your coolant level dropping all the time, bit of a pain to do aswell , same applies a revised part repalces the old part and its cheap .
So there you go, thats really only a very brief overview of a few subjects , for more indepth info on all aspects of the B7 you can search the B7 forum .

What has been said about the engine problems is that not all users will have any , some may have a few, others may have a shed load( myself included) but the service history can help indentify if your car may have any possible issues lurking inside, the long life service shedule is most certainly less than ideal for the B7 , regular oil changes are a must to avoid a lot of the oil based problem that effect this engine.

On the upside , you get an excellent road car, brillant looks, excellent performance and a good selection of oem and aftermarket mods/upgrades.
BBK's or Big brake kits are readily availble in many formats too, along with suspension kits and alloys to really enharnce your car, in reality your only limiting factor with most mods will be the depth of your pockets..lol, and sometimes they need to be deeeeeeeeeeeeeep...
So there you go, not really an expert reply for you ,moreso from my own experience and ownership of one for just over 3 years, i expect other owners will reply with better info so i hope its been of some small help chap.

rob

Rob,

Thanks for that, it was a strangely pleasant read! The costs I anticipated were less than I was expecting so I have, after reference to a number of threads and thanks to SteveTDCi in this thread for rtech tfsi suggestion, I have a shopping list of parts to replace the must do's. I also will be changing the oil to Millers Nanodrive CFS 5w-40 NT Full Synthetic. On that point should I use a standard oil filter or use a performance one? Inclined to go with standard as I'm not racing, doing track days.

Plus I learnt a new acronymn..bbk! So although I won't yet be doing anything to boost performance I will being replacing the standard brake hoses for braided and changing the brake fluid. I do this on most cars if they are 6 years+ when I buy. It's a cheap job that gives a nice result immediately after.

But the biggest bit of knowledge that you passed on that explains the BUL sticker in my Audi service schedule booklet is that the B7 special edition is the 220bhp BUL engine :racer:

So all I need now is the time to fit the parts and bask in my however short lived glory thanks to you and Steve TDCi :respekt:

A big thanks for your time and passing on knowledge in easyily digestible pieces

Charlie Farley · Jul 25, 2017

Your welcome chap.
I changed my oil to Fuchs Titan Race Pro S 5W-40 Ester Fully Synthetic Engine Oil some time ago and its been 1st class, and if you time it right you can get it for a really good price, i'm about to do another oil change in the next week or so , Opei are doing 5 litres for £44.94 which is excellent for a top class oil.
I just get an oem filter and sump drain plug from my local audi service dept.
the BUL lump is the best of the engines but does still have some of the issues, also respond's very well to remaps and tuning as it is a different engine.
many people says it's just the 200bhp version with an updated ECU, from my research over a fair time it does confirm it is a different engine with a lot of different parts, there was a revision aswell , early BUL engines had a silver cam cover, later one is black ( not the plastic cover either).
Enjoy

rob

SteveTDCi · Jul 25, 2017

just use a genuine vag filter, either audi or tps, (trade part services) although not all tps branches will deal with the public. As for oil, i just use Quantum.

Charlie Farley · Jul 25, 2017

also this is a very enlighten page of info, have a read.
Link: http://www.torquecars.com/volkswagen/2-0-tfsi-tuning.php

CountryGent · Jul 25, 2017

SteveTDCi said:
just use a genuine vag filter, either audi or tps, (trade part services) although not all tps branches will deal with the public. As for oil, i just use Quantum.

Thanks for that Steve..will need a nice weekend to get aall the parts fitted

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A4 2l TFSi Quattro Sline queries

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