Hello Everyone,

Thank you for reading my posting and helping me diagnose my problem
I purchases a used 2006 AUDI A3 2.0T with 223,000 KMS.


Currently the engine runs fine until I reach a speed limit of over 100KM/HR and when I step on the gas and my rpm hits 5000, there's of bit of a lag delay and its not smooth. The engine light turned on and it says check engine light is misfiring. What could this be?

Also my engine is making a weird knocking, it sounds like a diesel engine. Do you guys know if its the cam tension? If it is what does the part cost and what is the labour rate? Is it easy to DIY?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

There are 2 things I would check:

* First is much cheaper but less likely the "diesel sound" - Cam follower. Only about 50 bucks if it's the only thing that is bad. If it already failed you are looking at a camshaft replacement and high pressure fuel pump. This can drag down performance and cause all kinds of issues (even misfires).
* Second thing and more likely is as you pointed out the Cam tensioner. You should replace the chain while you add it and the seals. DIY is going to be a lot cheaper. If a shop does it you are looking at some 4 digit number.

I would check both and not just hope for one or the other. Both items are known to go bad in our engines and should be checked every 60k (miles) or so.

 

Hi Sheldon,
Thank your for your kind and prompt response, I really appreciate your help.

I was able to price a camshaft kit for $770 from ecstuning.com + $167 for the cam tensioner and + timing chain for $26. Do I need special tools to perform this task? How long should I allocate to replace these items?

How do i know if the camshaft and the high pressure fuel pump has not failed? Symptoms and what should I look for?

If I replace these items, how much longer is my engine expected to last?
Are there any other problems that will occur shortly? I bought the car at 225,000 km and I'm upset that I was misinformed of any problems and the symptoms appeared on the highway shortly after I acquired the car. I want to know if its worth replacing these parts and giving the car an extra couple of years. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for your time.



Michael

 

The cam follower will be an easy one to diagnose:
Take off the high pressure fuel pump and check the cam follower (tons of diy on the internet). There will be a little metal cap that connects the camshaft with the pin of the HPFP. If it's worn through you need to replace everything (search for cam follower failure audi a3 and you will see a lot of examples).

The chain tensioner will be harder because you need to take everything off to get there and while you have everything open - you should replace it. There is a tool you need (sorry don't know the number off hand) for this job but again there will be a DIY on the internet if you search for it. They usually give you the parts and/or numbers including the tools you need.

Both are jobs you should be able to tackle and resolve - problem is as you now know it won't be cheap. I would plan on scheduling a Saturday for that work and use Sunday if you run into problems so that you are back up by Monday. Personally I think you should be able to do both jobs in under 5 hours - that is if all goes according to plan

If there is nothing else wrong with your car and these 2 items fix your issues (and probably make it perform better all around) - I'd say it would be worth the costs.

The only other item I know fails easily on our cars is the AC unit. I had mine replaced at 70k miles but that is not essential to driving around from point A to B.

 

Hi,

So I managed to change the cam chain tensioner, theres a lot less knocking and clicking sound but there still a minor sound and I would expect that to come from the timing chain area.

I also changed the cam follower. The previous cam follower doesn't to have much wear on it but I still changed it just in case.

However, Im still receiving the check engine light, when Im driving at high speeds roughly over 100km per hour, I still get a bit of hesitation at a high rpm. What could be the solution. And how would I check what is wrong without taking it to the dealer?

 

As you mentioned Sheldon, I think its time to change the HPFP, but I don't want to replace the part if thats not the issue. If i do replace it and the problems still appear its money down the drain. WHat would you do.

 

After changing the cam chain tensioner, I am still experiencing a diesel like knocking sound on the engine. Do you know what this problem may be?

 

The sound (if not excessive) could be normal for our cars. I've noticed that sound as well after replacing the stock air intake with a cold air intake. It has not gotten worse or caused any issues so far.
As to the high rpm power loss I would start looking into other areas known to cause problems. One thing is the carbon buildup. It's an 6-8h job or pay a shop to do it but it will be expensive.

Do you have a VAG COM? can you read any stored codes?

 

So I just wanted to give a final update based on my progression to enable users doing research to understand my progression. Its been extremely exhausting and these Audi's are extremely problematic.

After replacing the cam tensioner, the engine still made a ticking noise, therefore it is another issue I have no Identified at this point.

After replacing the cam follower, I no longer have a lag/stuttering issue driving 100km/hr at high RPM.

After replacing my cam chain tension I received both codes, P000A/000010 - Camshaft A (Bank 1 Intake): Positioner Slow Response.


It was running completely fine. Until Today, I was driving the car, stopped at a red light and the engine stalled and I was not able to turn it back on. We did a boost and that wasn't the issue and we had to tow the car home.

Any ideas on what to check would be appreciated from anyone. Its been tough 4 weeks, thank you everyone.

 

Sorry to hear that man - big bummer. Have you received any codes since the car stalled? What are the exact symptoms when you try to start (does it sound like it's about to jump on, or just a clicking sound, etc)...