2.0tdi issue and preventative maintainance

[1animal1]

Hi, I'm posting here instead of the Q3 section given that it'll be the same engine, and hoping for a wide audience.

My wife owns a 2.0tdi 140 which has recently started flagging a flashing coil on the dash intermittently which sends the car into limp. Turning the engine on and off solves it temporarily, but it seems to be getting more frequent. Reading into this I've seen all sorts of responses from the actuator connector to a new turbo. My plan is to pull the inlet off and clean it... After 130k I'm sure they must need doing, along with the EGR. Is there anything else I should be looking at that you guys can point me in the direction of?

Also, where is the EGR on these?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Tim

 

[norris_309]

Not much help, but have you had that emissions software 'fix' carried out?
Only thinking, I have a 2.0tdi 140, & looking through the history it had the emissions recall carried out & then following on from that the previous owners had a new EGR valve fitted. I've since read that whatever that 'fix' does also makes the egr work harder & possibly causes them to fail. No idea if that is correct but sounds plausible.

Do you have a code reader of some sort? might flag up an error code to point you in the right direction.

One other thing, does it go into limp mode when you are doing anything in particular? as an example, my pd130 a4 sometimes goes into limp mode when i rev it hard & this points to sticking vanes in the turbo. But if yours just flashes a warning light & then goes seemingly at random i doubt it's that.

Just a few things to add to the mix.
As for the location of the egr, correct me if i'm wrong but i think it's down the back centre of the engine. My mrs has the car at the moment or i'd have popped the bonnet & had a look for you.

 

[soulwaffle]

I had this very problem. I would first stick in a diag tool to see if you get a code relating to the EGR. In my case I had the diag code relating to the EGR but it turned out the DPF was no longer regening. Theres a few ways you can have the DPF cleaned.

If you've got a CR140 (common rail) (>2008-2012) then it'll be underneath the turbo, next to the DPF.

 

[1animal1]

Thanks for the reply chaps.

I should have mentioned that's it's the CFFB engine. I've since taken it for an Italian tune up which seems to have gotten rid of the warning lights and limp mode for now. I do however have a permanent EGR code P040300 which indicates a circuit issue with the EGR. I'll be checking the EGR connection later and maybe the actuation of it by getting the diagnostics to open and close it. I'll also be removing the inlet to give it a clean.... Time hasn't been on my side with this having a poorly new born. I'm still to find the EGR actuation valve that used to be mounted on the inlet... I can see the shudder valve but not the valve that opens the EGR to the inlet.... That used to be an obvious dirty area on other cars I've had.

Emissions fix. I'm not sure if this has been done... I called the dealer last week and they confirmed no recalls. That'll probably need another call to confirm this point.

Hopefully with it being a Q3, it'll be A bit easier to get to the EGR if I need to remove

 

[Audi98]

Hi I am experiencing a similar fault with my CFFB 2.0 TDI (turbo actuator). Can we buy a turbo actuator or do we need a brand new turbo?

 

[1animal1]

Hi I am experiencing a similar fault with my CFFB 2.0 TDI (turbo actuator). Can we buy a turbo actuator or do we need a brand new turbo?

Are you saying your egr fault is actually your turbo actuator?

 

[Audi98]

The EGR fault was due to the emissions recall back in 2017, that was fixed in 2019. But the turbo actuator is a new fault i've experienced.

 

[norris_309]

so you had your egr replaced following the emissions recall too.. that does make me wonder about the longevity of egr's on cars that have had the recall done then! (namely mine!)

 

[1animal1]

I'm trying to convince the wife on coding it all out and gutting the dpf. She's not playing ball though and wants a new EGR... I wouldn't mind if it was her paying for it ‍

 

[norris_309]

How much is a new egr now a days then? would you remove it or, does 'coding' it out leave it in place but stop it from working?
I know with my A4 b6 you can pull a rubber pipe off which stops it from activating. but i think on mine being a 2004 it does throw up a light on the dash. On that car there is a bit of oil leaking from the egr connection.

It's the dpf that concerns me, the mrs does drive a few mile some days for work which is good, but other days (today) she is just doing a 15-20min drive to the office & same again on the way home. shame you can't look up the state of the dpf without vcds to know when to get it out for a blast.
This is my first car with a dpf so i don't know when/how often these things need to do whatever it is they do? there isn't even a light telling you when it's doing a regen either is there!?

 

[aqibi2000]

How much is a new egr now a days then? would you remove it or, does 'coding' it out leave it in place but stop it from working?
I know with my A4 b6 you can pull a rubber pipe off which stops it from activating. but i think on mine being a 2004 it does throw up a light on the dash. On that car there is a bit of oil leaking from the egr connection.

It's the dpf that concerns me, the mrs does drive a few mile some days for work which is good, but other days (today) she is just doing a 15-20min drive to the office & same again on the way home. shame you can't look up the state of the dpf without vcds to know when to get it out for a blast.
This is my first car with a dpf so i don't know when/how often these things need to do whatever it is they do? there isn't even a light telling you when it's doing a regen either is there!?

You’re 2004 vehicle cannot compare with these common rail engines which have the egr buried away. Just test the egr with W vacuum gauge, faced many with failed diaphragms.

if you have a diesel 2.0 BKD etc it takes 15 mins to change the egr, second hand OEM are about £20.

 

[1animal1]

As above, these are totally different. You need to remove the sub frame to get at it. I've been quoted by two mechanic mates... £395 and 430. I can get it mapped, egr software wiped and dpf gutted for £300. It's the wife's car so not bothered and speed.

Benefits of having it all wiped. Faster car, cleaner air going to the engine, more mpg and no more carbon on the inlet side. Downsides are the increase in nox which is a nasty emission, and of course it's illegal to mess with the emissions system. I'm not sure if it will sound different or cause any issues on resale.

Think we're going for the EGR replace and hope that solves it.

 

[kcpism]

I'm trying to convince the wife on coding it all out and gutting the dpf. She's not playing ball though and wants a new EGR... I wouldn't mind if it was her paying for it ‍

Not to insult the wife’s intelligence but would she even know if you were to remove it and tell her there was a new EGR fitted?

There’s a slight ethical issue there but if you are paying for it and for your own piece of mind I know what I would do.

As for the emissions update/recall, I ignored mine due to “if it ain’t broke” mentality plus I heard issues namely from across the pond with the update and dealers not being interested.

 

[norris_309]

yeah my 2004 A4 is a 1.9pd 130 (AVF) engine with the egr on the top, so easy to get at.
The A3 is a 2011 cr 2.0tdi (cffb i think) it did have a new egr fitted in January last year I think so hoping it'll be ok for a good while??! think the receipt was for a fair few hundred quid for that (before my ownership) after reading online I did wonder whether the emissions 'fix' contributed to it's early demise

 

[1animal1]

Not to insult the wife’s intelligence but would she even know if you were to remove it and tell her there was a new EGR fitted?

There’s a slight ethical issue there but if you are paying for it and for your own piece of mind I know what I would do.

As for the emissions update/recall, I ignored mine due to “if it ain’t broke” mentality plus I heard issues namely from across the pond with the update and dealers not being interested.

It's a fair point well made. I'm not sure she would notice apart from the power increase. That was a question I couldn't get a definitive on though, the exhaust note change... You also apparently get that diesel smell on start up.

I've booked it in now for the EGR. Yes this could get messy, especially if there are other factors like exhaust sensors etc stopping it regenning... But knowing that we could/will eventually have a particle test on the mot... The cost of undoing all this would be a fortune - and of course I don't want to be passing that onto the next owner. Truth be told I'm not sure how long we'll have this... I might have to upgrade her to a Q5 soon on account of the kids‍

 

[kcpism]

It's a fair point well made. I'm not sure she would notice apart from the power increase. That was a question I couldn't get a definitive on though, the exhaust note change... You also apparently get that diesel smell on start up.

I’d still say that if you’re the one paying then you get to decide…

That being said you have listed a number of reasons for/against. Either way you could ‘creatively’ explain why/why not…

 

[Audi98]

@1animal1 turns out it was my Turbo actuator that failed. 1 week later and I'm back on the road

 

[Audi98]

@1animal1 If you're going to replace the EGR valve + Cooler. It isn't the cheapest repair, mine set me back £750 with genuine audi parts.

 

[1animal1]

@1animal1 If you're going to replace the EGR valve + Cooler. It isn't the cheapest repair, mine set me back £750 with genuine audi parts.

I managed to get a mate to replace with a Pierburg, which I believe are OEM. £400.

That said, I now have the common judder issue around 1500-2500 revs. Had a forced regen carried out leaving no soot... It's still there