Help in buying a 2.0 tdi needed please - are they all bad ?

[quattrodave]

I'm looking at buying a 2.0 tdi either 140 fwd or 170 fwd/quattro. Do all the oil pump/balancer shaft problems tend to happen at a certain mileage, and would it therefore be better to buy a high mileage car in the hope it's been repaired ?
Are there any indications that problems are on the horizon when looking at these engines and are all engine numbers as bad as each other ?
If I bought a car that seemed ok, what would you recommend doing as preventative maintenace to avoid problems in the future ?
Any help or experiences greatly appreciated !

 

[lynallbel]

Maybe try and find one with the pump mod done.
I doubt people who have had the mod done mention it when selling to joe public as it might frighten them off the sale

 

[quattrodave]

Thanks for that. What exactly is the mod and do you know roughly what the costs are ?
Excuse my ignorance, I'm moving over from a B6 2.5 tdi with it's own share of issues, none of them oil pump related though !

 

[lynallbel]

Have a look at the stickies at the top of this section, quite long thread but well worth reading.

 

[quattrodave]

Thanks, yes I started reading it and got a bit lost in the middle !
I'll crack on and wade through it

 

[Giosabcsl]

Thanks, yes I started reading it and got a bit lost in the middle !
I'll crack on and wade through it

Most of them suffer it but more are prone than others. So try use the engine code as a guide. Don't quote me on this but if you buy a later 06 model they should have the revised part.

 

[quattrodave]

Yes I assumed the later ones may be better, are the 170 engines as bad as the 140 ?

 

[GoneSouth]

I've now read many threads on this and other forums. I can only conclude that.....

Without a clear and definitive statement from Audi (or VAG) it's quite a lottery to try and second guess which engines may be less prone to oil pump drive failure. You can perhaps narrow it down by buying a later engined vehicle which may be gear driven - thus eliminating the chain drive issue from the equation. However, as stated in the "definitive" thread......unless you have proof that the balance shaft and hex key have both been updated, well, ya pays yer money and......etc.

If someone more authoritive on this can tell us otherwise then please, please jump in here and do so.
.

 

[quattrodave]

I've now read many threads on this and other forums. I can only conclude that.....

Without a clear and definitive statement from Audi (or VAG) it's quite a lottery to try and second guess which engines may be less prone to oil pump drive failure. You can perhaps narrow it down by buying a later engined vehicle which may be gear driven - thus eliminating the chain drive issue from the equation. However, as stated in the "definitive" thread......unless you have proof that the balance shaft and hex key have both been updated, well, ya pays yer money and......etc.


If someone more authoritive on this can tell us otherwise then please, please jump in here and do so.
.

That's my thoughts really, the car in question is a may 07 170 TDI, I'll check it out anyway

 

[lynallbel]

Didnt I read on here the other day about some of the B8 models having the same issues?

 

[Paul B7]

Didnt I read on here the other day about some of the B8 models having the same issues?

The number of B8 models with this issue as reported to date are very very few. I know of only two and these are 2008 and 2009 registered models. The question was recently posted on the B8 forum and the postings on there confirm my own findings.

 

[lynallbel]

Bit like winning the lottery then

 

[GoneSouth]

The B7 is a still a desirable machine and so affordable now in all it's forms.

But it's certainly turning into a lottery now, especially now we're seeing so many 2.0 petrol models developing oil pick-up issues as well.

However, the numbers are still insignificant when compared to the 1000s still on the roads.
.