A3 1.9TDi 2007 - Blown Engine

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Jim-A3-1.9TDi-2007

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Hi chaps, I'm new to these forums and would appreciate some advice please.

Our 2007 A3 1.9TDi's engine broke on the motorway at high speed a couple of days ago.

It was actually a conrod minus its big and and little end.

It came clean out though the side of the sump facing the radiator, about the middle, and was lying on the bottom engine cover.

There was no warning, just a loud pop/thump and then dead.

I've not had a chance to get under to see exactly what happened or if the block is intact yet.

Is this as common a problem as it seems? What is the probable cause for this to have happened ?

I think it's got the BXE engine but can anyone tell me how to tell for sure?

Who/where we can contact about the possibility of repairing the engine at a reasonably low cost, or a source of a replacement engine, in Berkshire?

Or are there other options from your own experience?

Or pros and cons to just selling the car as it is, approximate value?

Would anyone here be interesteed in buying it?

All input is very welcome, it's quite an unexpected pleasure to be here ;)

Thanks.
 
Not common thankfully. The older 1.9's were bullet proof and were very popular for big power tuning, up to 300bhp on standard internals. Yours more likely failed due to a failure in one off the ends/crank bearings, poor oil service regime. You never know for sure what the history of the car was before your ownership. Put it down to bad luck I'm afraid.
Unless you can change the engine yourself to save on labour costs it will not be economic to repair a 2007 car. If it were me I would just start of with another car to get around and repair the 1.9 in my spare time as a project, have the space tools and the knowledge, maybe you don't. You can always try for a sale in the classifieds.
In case you are thinking of an engine transplant, the engine code is on the sticker in the boot floor under the carpet and in the front of the service book, BXE seems to be right.
Value of the car as it is - that's a toughie, depends on the trim level and how well worn the parts are. If you have the patience to strip the car and sell the parts on Ebay you may make more money this way.

Good luck with your decision, hope you get mobile once again.
 
Welcome to the Big Xploding Engine
club .


It is modern bi-metal bearings , long oil change intervals , owners thrashing the daylights out of them and brittle sintered powered forged metal GKN type con rods all added together that cause it .

The upper bearings wear through , pick up on the crank , micro weld , stall the rod and then pop out for a visit , often through the AC compressor !

This can happen as low as 40 - 60k ,
to prevent , frequent oil changes and renew upper big end bearing shells with heavy duty splutter coated ones .
 
Last edited:
Soot1 said:
Not common thankfully. The older 1.9's were bullet proof and were very popular for big power tuning, up to 300bhp on standard internals. Yours more likely failed due to a failure in one off the ends/crank bearings, poor oil service regime. You never know for sure what the history of the car was before your ownership. Put it down to bad luck I'm afraid.
Unless you can change the engine yourself to save on labour costs it will not be economic to repair a 2007 car. If it were me I would just start of with another car to get around and repair the 1.9 in my spare time as a project, have the space tools and the knowledge, maybe you don't. You can always try for a sale in the classifieds.
In case you are thinking of an engine transplant, the engine code is on the sticker in the boot floor under the carpet and in the front of the service book, BXE seems to be right.
Value of the car as it is - that's a toughie, depends on the trim level and how well worn the parts are. If you have the patience to strip the car and sell the parts on Ebay you may make more money this way.

Good luck with your decision, hope you get mobile once again.
Click to expand...


Sorry mate, the BXE 1.9 unit is VERY common to spit rods, ive had to replace 8 in 5 months and i have a small one man band VAG indy in cornwall
 
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here is the last one i had in, i rebuilt with a second hand block and forged rods



look at that bearing



peek a boo



forged rods, new piston



i also have the rear main fitting tool for the Crank sensor inc oil seal
 
Wow, thank you all so much for your great and fast responses, much appreciated.

You have given me some relief too because i thought it might somehow have been self inflicted. We had the car less than two years, had the oil and filter replaced late last year at MoT time, as it has been doing about 500 miles per week.

There was no oil level warning or other indication, it was running perfectly.

C'est la vie chez Audi BXE :)

We found another motor today, and since we don't have the space we've decided as you recommend to sell it on as it is, if any member has an engine and can get it back on the road again please let me know here or by PM and we can chew on the price.

We've advertised it elsewhere too so it doesn't sit for too long, it only happened on Thursday.

You guys make a nice atmosphere here, thanks again.
 
Jim-A3-1.9TDi-2007 said:
Wow, thank you all so much for your great and fast responses, much appreciated.

You have given me some relief too because i thought it might somehow have been self inflicted. We had the car less than two years, had the oil and filter replaced late last year at MoT time, as it has been doing about 500 miles per week.
.
Click to expand...
so more than 10 k miles since last change i expect, that's the issue, the oil is worn out by then. Slightly self inflicted then,LOL
 
phil miller said:
Sorry mate, the BXE 1.9 unit is VERY common to spit rods, ive had to replace 8 in 5 months and i have a small one man band VAG indy in cornwall
Click to expand...

I'm thinking of the older PD130 and 150 engines then, this BXE think must be different animal - Horrid!
 
Yes the older PD130 engines were pretty much bulletproof on the bottom end. You could get 300bhp out of one on a standard bottom end . However these new generation 1.9 are as you say a different animal. They tend to be the poor relation to the 2.0 TDI . So are built to a price and with changes made to try and improve economy by using different shells and lighter rods.
Extended servicing certainly won't help. If I had one of these think I would change the shells out and change the oil every 10K at the max.
Or just sell it on and get a 3.0 TDI :) .
 
Soot1 said:
I'm thinking of the older PD130 and 150 engines then, this BXE think must be different animal - Horrid!
Click to expand...


Yeah a few changes, bigends are the same 50mm as the 100 ATD, 115 AJM as the mk4, but the rods were out sourced, as were the bigend bearing, there are a few small changes, like the crank sensor is on the end of the crank instead of in the side of the block, the oil filter housing is at a totally different angle and the timing belt tensioner is in a different place

As you can tell ive changed a ATD engine to BXE use :)
 
The oil and filter were changed in late November, so yes 5 months ago, at around 500 miles per week it's about 10k as you say

Not what we expected, must say. :(
 
My Merc diesel has 15k miles oil change intervals, whereas we used to change oil at 5k long ago we've become too blasé because engines don't do this these days.

So thank you chaps, nice friendly forum here.

if someone is interested in buying the rest of the car please contact me here, or by message, we're in Reading.

It could be a cheap upgrade for someone who has an older model with a good or souped-up engine.
 
Whilst new oil specs have upped in quantity they aren't capable in the long term of magic .

LongLife intervals
112.gif
 
Well at the same time when only one engine type destroys itself and no other engines have any problem with the same long oil change intervals, and even survive owners forgetting to even do those, then it's the engine not the oil.

The oil change interval is 20k miles, we changed it 10k ago, and it's the second change, we changed it when we bought the car.

So this shouldn't have happened. It's most likely a weak oil pump or materials breakdown or fatigue? The conrods in the photos look like they snapped on one side of the bearing saddle, like ours.

Does anyone know which comes first, bearing seizure or conrod fracture?

And there is no sign of any bearing shell, are there none, is the conrod machined as a bearing surface too?

Cadillac ran their Northstar engine with no oil for 200 miles at up to 100mph to prove their design more than 20 years ago.

It's just one of those unexpected and still sad things
 
Nobody said it was the oil .

Post #4

"It is modern bi-metal bearings , long oil change intervals , owners thrashing the daylights out of them and brittle sintered powered forged metal GKN type con rods all added together that cause it .

The upper bearings wear through , pick up on the crank , micro weld , stall the rod and then pop out for a visit , often through the AC compressor !

This can happen as low as 40 - 60k ,
to prevent , frequent oil changes and renew upper big end bearing shells with heavy duty splutter coated ones".
 
Jim-A3-1.9TDi-2007 said:
Well at the same time when only one engine type destroys itself and no other engines have any problem with the same long oil change intervals, and even survive owners forgetting to even do those, then it's the engine not the oil.

The oil change interval is 20k miles, we changed it 10k ago, and it's the second change, we changed it when we bought the car.

So this shouldn't have happened. It's most likely a weak oil pump or materials breakdown or fatigue? The conrods in the photos look like they snapped on one side of the bearing saddle, like ours.

Does anyone know which comes first, bearing seizure or conrod fracture?

And there is no sign of any bearing shell, are there none, is the conrod machined as a bearing surface too?

Cadillac ran their Northstar engine with no oil for 200 miles at up to 100mph to prove their design more than 20 years ago.

It's just one of those unexpected and still sad things
Click to expand...


Bigend failed and the rods end cap lasted seconds
 
Thanks guys.

Daughter took some photos of the car today for someone interested in it, and there were tears. She loved it.
 
Are there separate main bearing shells in this engine?

Here's a couple of pics for the A3 BXE Memorial Album...

Is the hole in the sump or in the block?

IMG 20160312 165248



IMG 20160312 165334


IMG 20160312 165754


IMG 20160312 165533
 
3 choices. sell car as is , change engine hope for best(unless changing bearings) or sell on ,or change to an older asv arl engine etc and cut block to accept new crank pick up ,cam pulley , oil filter housing etc.
depends how compentent you are or not but willling to take on the challenge .
 
hollow said:
3 choices. sell car as is , change engine hope for best(unless changing bearings) or sell on ,or change to an older asv arl engine etc and cut block to accept new crank pick up ,cam pulley , oil filter housing etc.
depends how compentent you are or not but willling to take on the challenge .
Click to expand...


Fit a BKC and never have a problem again, the ATD choice is ok, but can get expensive in things like the Belt tensioner stud and filter housing adpator plate
 
Repair is beyond scope for us I'm afraid.

Is there a forum here to advertise the rest of the car for sale chaps?
 
Jim-A3-1.9TDi-2007 said:
Repair is beyond scope for us I'm afraid.

Is there a forum here to advertise the rest of the car for sale chaps?
Click to expand...


Whats the age and mileage, what sort of figure do you have in mind and whereabouts are you? i might be interested in buying it complete
 
Hi Phil.

It's a 57 plate, September 2007, 1.9TDi, 3-door hatch.

The price range on Autotrader now for these with our mileage (133k) looks like £3,000 to £4,500.

Although the rest of it is in very good condition apart from a car-park bumper scrap patch on the right side and a repaired crack on the left edge surround.of the chrome grill, since it wasn't top nick, I would value it at £3,750-£4,000 before the engine broke - some optimists are asking near to £5k for similar age and mileage.

Send me a message with an offer. If you can come to see it that would be great, let me know, it's in Reading, just off the M4 exit 11.

Here's the bumper damage:

20160316_181731_resized-jpg.84356


And the grill:

20160316_181738_resized-jpg.84357



The rest is very good:

20160316_181850_resized-jpg.84353


20160316_181824_resized-jpg.84350


20160316_181836_resized-jpg.84352


20160317 081035 resized


20160317 081050 resized


20160317 081211 resized
 
Sorry to be blunt but you won't get anywhere near 5k for a 2007 a3 tdi, I would say yours with engine damage will not fetch more than £1500 and that's on a really good day ! There is a buyer's market out there and people are very, very fussy when the have 5k burning their pockets !
 
There's one sitting for weeks on eBay at £1750 also with the dreaded BXE engine damage...
 
There is also a 2007 a3 2.0 tdi with a running engine at £1650, I am sure the owner/dealer will let it go for £1500 cash !
 
adamss24 said:
Sorry to be blunt but you won't get anywhere near 5k for a 2007 a3 tdi, I would say yours with engine damage will not fetch more than £1500 and that's on a really good day ! There is a buyer's market out there and people are very, very fussy when the have 5k burning their pockets !
Click to expand...


Agreed, Rachels A3 BXE that i bought 18months ago with a failed BXE was £1500, and that was on the door step, the bloke even delivered it to my workshop

The car looks lovely, and is the sort of car id buy, replace the engine and then give it to my eldest, that said due to the distance my offer would be around £1250/1300, just aswell be up front, if we are on the same page drop me a message :)
 
adamss24 said:
Sorry to be blunt but you won't get anywhere near 5k for a 2007 a3 tdi, I would say yours with engine damage will not fetch more than £1500 and that's on a really good day ! There is a buyer's market out there and people are very, very fussy when the have 5k burning their pockets !
Click to expand...
No problem with blunt, that's what I want.

But..

Whoah, hoss! Pax Romanum! :)

Who asked £5k??

It wasn't me!

I value the car as it was before the engine blow-out, at £3,750. See my post.

And that is modest for its condition.

I said optimists are asking £5k for theirs. This is true. Some dealers are asking £6k even.

And in my first post I asked for an approximate value from you guys.

I didn't ask any price, I asked you guys for offers.

So...

I had £2,250 in mind as that is £1,500 off.

As you point out that this is optimistic then of course I will have to register it and think it over.

If on the other hand someone would go to £2k, which will give you the car for less than £3k on the road with a bit of elbow grease and sweat and cussing, complete with the bumper fix and grill, in pristine condition, and worth £4,000 to £4,500, then we have a deal.

You also know that other A3s with blown engines for less are not in pristine condition nor anywhere near the condition of this one. The £3,750 on the road is modest. If others can sell for £5k then this one is worth £4,500 back on the road. You can confirm these figures yourselves.

Fair points?

It may well go for less on ebay, but then, it won't be yours.

Counter offers?
 
Jim-A3-1.9TDi-2007 said:
No problem with blunt, that's what I want.

But..

Whoah, hoss! Pax Romanum! :)

Who asked £5k??

It wasn't me!

I value the car as it was before the engine blow-out, at £3,750. See my post.

And that is modest for its condition.

I said optimists are asking £5k for theirs. This is true. Some dealers are asking £6k even.

And in my first post I asked for an approximate value from you guys.

I didn't ask any price, I asked you guys for offers.

So...

I had £2,250 in mind as that is £1,500 off.

As you point out that this is optimistic then of course I will have to register it and think it over.

If on the other hand someone would go to £2k, which will give you the car for less than £3k on the road with a bit of elbow grease and sweat and cussing, complete with the bumper fix and grill, in pristine condition, and worth £4,000 to £4,500, then we have a deal.

You also know that other A3s with blown engines for less are not in pristine condition nor anywhere near the condition of this one. The £3,750 on the road is modest. If others can sell for £5k then this one is worth £4,500 back on the road. You can confirm these figures yourselves.

Fair points?

It may well go for less on ebay, but then, it won't be yours.

Counter offers?
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Jim, I'm not sure on the prices with a blown engine, but these cars are on auto trader, eBay etc for approx £4-4,500, although Jim's is a basic spec, in working condition I feel it would at least get (as he said) £3,750. But as I said I don't have a clue of the prices with a blown engine . Just my two cents.
 
Just put it on Ebay as an auction and see how many bids you get, won't be many. For a non running car you'll only get the parts value of what's left and I'm seeing around £1000 for it.
Sorry to be blunt Jim but that's the way I see it, hope the new car is running well.
 
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No problem bud, blunt is not blunt, it's honest and that's what I want

So guys if the value of this car is less than £2,000 and others are indeed available for less than £1500, then we should reconsider and buy a donor for an engine instead?

Phil is the BKC engine you suggested a straight swap into this model?
 
Jim-A3-1.9TDi-2007 said:
No problem bud, blunt is not blunt, it's honest and that's what I want

So guys if the value of this car is less than £2,000 and others are indeed available for less than £1500, then we should reconsider and buy a donor for an engine instead?

Phil is the BKC engine you suggested a straight swap into this model?
Click to expand...

The BKC should be a straight swap. I have the 1.9tdi BKC and the only thing different I know between the BXE and BKC is that BXE used garret turbo and BKC used both Garret and BorgWarner. But Phil will confirm.
 
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