Looking to becoming an owner. Engine question.

Steve D · Jan 10, 2020

Hi all. Just signed up as looking to get an A3 to replace our diesel Golf and looking for some advice. I'm looking to get a petrol engine model, a 1.2 or 1.4. Have a budget of around £15k and the wife is quite specific - must have 5 doors, a manual gearbox, grey, with chrome strips under the windows! I think it will be the 8V model (2012-2016?). I have seen reports that the 1.4 engines suffer with timing chain stretch and wondered if this is still so. I like the idea of the 1.4 COD engines but is this one to avoid? I will be doing my own maintenance on it - are they overly complicated with regular known faults? Any advice on petrol engines to avoid would be welcome.

Sandra · Jan 10, 2020

Welcome to audi-sport.net . I’m sure the guys and girls will help you out with some advice

The_Ironist · Jan 10, 2020

The 1.4 COD 150BHP is the one to go for.

Good balance of power and economy.

Had one for 4.5 years with no issues.

eribaMotters · Jan 10, 2020

I run the later 1.5 COD 150BHP and I'm very pleased with it. I have heard that in the 1.4 form it was a better engine. If this is the case it must be very good.
I came from a diesel Yeti and before that a diesel Touran. Whilst my indicated mpg is not so good, in a brim to brim of tank it is very close to diesel economy when driven in a similar manner. The problem is you will not really want to drive it the same, as it fairly brisk. The surprise you will have is how much more flexible the engine is compared to the diesel. The torque is available across a far wider rev range through the gears.

Colin

tigerhonaker · Jan 10, 2020

Terry

JohnM100 · Jan 11, 2020

1.4 125hp - ok but underpowered without significant increase in economy compared to others

1.4 140hp COD - very very good. Early ones had a turbo wastegate rattle which was solved by an Audi campaign to add add a clip. All should have been done long ago

1.4 150hp COD - excellent

COD = Cylinder on demand, aka ACT

I think all the 1.4s use timing belts, not chains?

All seem very reliable.

cuke2u · Jan 11, 2020

None of the 140ps suffered from a wastgate rattle, it was the 122ps versions...

Georgeinabz · Jan 11, 2020

1.4’s on the 8v are timing belts , Audi say every 5 yrs and recommend water pump although it appears to be to be at the other side from the timing belt .
Factor in £725 from Audi if it hasn’t been done.

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Flying Scotsman · Jan 12, 2020

Audi A3 Timing Belt And Timing Chain List (2003 – 2017)
Does An Audi A3 Have A Timing Belt (Cambelt) Or A Chain?

Here is a list of timing belts and timing chains for a Audi A3. Reference the model year with the corresponding engine to see if your car has a belt or a chain.

AUDI A3
MODEL YEAR ENGINE BELT / CHAIN
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 1.2 L I4 Turbo FSI (TFSI) timing chain
1.4 L I4 Turbo FSI (TFSI) timing chain
1.6L TDI timing belt
1.6 L I4 FSI timing chain
1.8 L I4 TFSI timing chain
2.0 L I4 FSI timing chain
2.0 L I4 TFSI timing chain

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. 1.2L TFSI timing chain
1.4L TFSI timing chain
1.8L TFSI timing chain
2.0L TFSI timing chain
1.6L TDI timing belt
2.0L TDI timing belt

JohnM100 · Jan 12, 2020

cuke2u said:
None of the 140ps suffered from a wastgate rattle, it was the 122ps versions...

Yep -my error

Mikeso51 · Jan 12, 2020

From 2014 onward the 1.4TFSI used the EA211 engine in both 125 and 150 hp form, and this engine most definitely has a cam belt not a chain. It was the earlier EA111 engine which had a chain.

Steve D · Jan 12, 2020

Flying Scotsman said:
Audi A3 Timing Belt And Timing Chain List (2003 – 2017)
Does An Audi A3 Have A Timing Belt (Cambelt) Or A Chain?

Here is a list of timing belts and timing chains for a Audi A3. Reference the model year with the corresponding engine to see if your car has a belt or a chain.

AUDI A3
MODEL YEAR ENGINE BELT / CHAIN
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 1.2 L I4 Turbo FSI (TFSI) timing chain
1.4 L I4 Turbo FSI (TFSI) timing chain
1.6L TDI timing belt
1.6 L I4 FSI timing chain
1.8 L I4 TFSI timing chain
2.0 L I4 FSI timing chain
2.0 L I4 TFSI timing chain

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. 1.2L TFSI timing chain
1.4L TFSI timing chain
1.8L TFSI timing chain
2.0L TFSI timing chain
1.6L TDI timing belt
2.0L TDI timing belt

This is confusing. If no 1.2's and 1.4’s as per the above list had timing belts, what the hell is this tool for?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Engine-A...729952&hash=item362a5f9be6:g:QswAAOSwvjdZTnxC

Mikeso51 · Jan 12, 2020

There are various incorrect lists circulating on the internet. The EA211 engine definitely has a belt. See for example https://motor-car.net/vw-engines/item/20088-vw-ea211-4-cylinder

Steve D · Jan 15, 2020

Well, had my first drive in one today - a 2019 1.5 sport. Priced at nearly £20k I was thinking of keeping the Golf and p/xing my 2012 Evoque Dynamic Lux but I was given what I considered a poor p/x trade in so I passed on it. I know the dealer has to make a profit but when I checked the trade-in value on the car I was thinking of buying, there was more than £5k difference between trade and what they were asking.

What’s the difference between the 1.4 and 1.5 engines - they are both described as COD engines and both rated at 150bhp - are they different engines?

AJB · Jan 16, 2020

Mikeso51 said:
From 2014 onward the 1.4TFSI used the EA211 engine in both 125 and 150 hp form, and this engine most definitely has a cam belt not a chain. It was the earlier EA111 engine which had a chain.

^This. And also in 140hp form, and in 2013 too. All of the 8V shape A3s used the EA211 engines.

Mikeso51 said:
There are various incorrect lists circulating on the internet. The EA211 engine definitely has a belt. See for example https://motor-car.net/vw-engines/item/20088-vw-ea211-4-cylinder

^again this. That list in an earlier post is wrong, I think.

Georgeinabz said:
1.4’s on the 8v are timing belts , Audi say every 5 yrs and recommend water pump although it appears to be to be at the other side from the timing belt .
Factor in £725 from Audi if it hasn’t been done.

This is more controversial! There's a whole separate thread about it (if not many), so I don't want to derail this one. To summarise, Audi UK say every 5 years. Audi Germany and the car's printed service schedule booklet say there's just a mileage limit (133,000 from memory, but over 100,000 anyway) and no time limit. You'll need to make up your own mind about whether or not to follow Audi UK's more frequent change interval.

AJB · Jan 16, 2020

Steve D said:
What’s the difference between the 1.4 and 1.5 engines - they are both described as COD engines and both rated at 150bhp - are they different engines?

The CoD engines (also called ACT in VWs) started as 1.4 and 140bhp. They then increased to 150bhp, but I don't think much changed at all other than the map. Certainly nothing very significant that I'm aware of. Both were 250Nm of torque through most of the lower end of the range, so the extra 10bhp is just it holding more torque slightly higher in the range.

Then they brought out the 1.5 version more recently, but still 150bhp. This does have differences (eg intake plumbing looks different if you look at the top of the engine), and obviously bore and/or stroke must be different. I know that some of the 1.5s (not necessarily in A3s) had a bit of a dead spot pulling away, making them very easy to bog down and stall, but I think that's been sorted with a recent firmware update.

Other than that I haven't heard anything bad about either really, although I guess that counts for more in the 1.4 as it's been out longer.

I've got a 2013 1.4 140bhp and haven't had any engine issues whatsoever so far. I also do my own maintenance. Yes, they're fairly complicated, but so are all modern engines I think. There's plenty of space around the engine bay, so I'm hoping that'll help if and when I need access to anything other than routine service stuff.

Steve D · Feb 22, 2021

Update: Well, it’s been over a year since I last posted and today....we got one! Had sort of given up looking for one when we had a call from my sister in law last night. She was getting a new car and asked if we wanted her old one. It’s a metallic grey 66 plate 2017 model Black edition S Line. 34k on the clock and they’ve had it just over 2 years. They let us have it for the WBAC valuation so we’ve not paid over the odds and at least we knew the car. My wife liked the car when she first got it and asked her to give us first refusal if she was ever thinking of getting rid of it. It’s in absolute immaculate condition. Funny thing was, one of her only moans about it was that it was a very tight squeeze to get her granddaughters pushchair in the boot and she was amazed to learn that the boot floor had two different height settings and she had it on the highest! We're picking it up on Friday. :yahoo:

tigerhonaker · Feb 23, 2021

Congratulations on the New Machine ...............

Terry

Jcbmally · Feb 24, 2021

Steve D said:
Update: Well, it’s been over a year since I last posted and today....we got one! Had sort of given up looking for one when we had a call from my sister in law last night. She was getting a new car and asked if we wanted her old one. It’s a metallic grey 66 plate 2017 model Black edition S Line. 34k on the clock and they’ve had it just over 2 years. They let us have it for the WBAC valuation so we’ve not paid over the odds and at least we knew the car. My wife liked the car when she first got it and asked her to give us first refusal if she was ever thinking of getting rid of it. It’s in absolute immaculate condition. Funny thing was, one of her only moans about it was that it was a very tight squeeze to get her granddaughters pushchair in the boot and she was amazed to learn that the boot floor had two different height settings and she had it on the highest! We're picking it up on Friday.

View attachment 216057

Very nice and the right colour :thumbs up:

Bigjase88 · Feb 24, 2021

Very nice car and bargain price at WBAC value!!

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Looking to becoming an owner. Engine question.

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