Suggestions / Opinions on possible purchase 2.0tdi Sline (2007)

[V6_Man]

Hi Folks,

I have recently moved house and went from 1.2 miles per day commute to almost 70-80/day and now clocking up nearly 400-500 miles per week - that includes weekends as well.

I am now looking at getting a daily and therefore back in to a B7 and came across one on Auto-traders which I believe ticks all the boxes including low mileage- see link below to the ad.

Autotrader Link

I know I can also get a B8 2.0 tdi at the same price as a B7 but with slightly high mileage however, B7 looks way better than a B8 - for me at least. Before I go and view the car on Friday this week, I thought I'll ask it here what things to check. I understand that early B7s had oil pump / balancershaft problems however, what I am not sure is whether or not 140ps from 2007 are a safe bet.

Would appreciate any feedback.

 

[jarnold231]

Be very careful regarding mileage and cambelt changes would be my advice. Had two bangers 2.0 BRE and BLB engine and both had cambelt failures after the tensioner pin snapped. One had been changed by an (inexperienced) garage and the other had had it's belt done 15k before I bought it. This is probably just extremely unlucky but Id get them properly checked by a specialist garage before parting with cash so you're sure they've been done properly.

There's also a load of info about regarding oil pumps that you'll want to read.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[Charlie Farley]

looks nice and tidy, a quick mot history check doesn't throw up any real nasties either.
I suppose it comes down to proof of what's been done to date with receipts invoices ,maybe worth a haggle if its missing info and will give you a bit to go towards having any remedial work carried out.

 

[V6_Man]

Thanks @jarnold231 and @Just Rob. I test drove the car yesterday and tbh, it drove fine. No issues what so ever with clutch or gear changes, overall the car ran very smooth and there were no funny engine noises etc. The 'power delivery' in 1st gear is rather interesting, I am sure my 7 yr old will run faster than it in a straight line .

It has been maintained by Epsom Audi except one Service which was done by an Indie and the car had all the receipts.

My only concern with the car is the cambelt and water pump, both were done only once at 42k miles back in 2014 by Epsom Audi. I know Audi recommends changes between 40-60k miles or 7 years whichever comes first. It means I would need to change it as soon as I pick it up. I have made the owner an offer taking in to account the replacement costs. So, fingers crossed, let's see what he comes back with.

Once again, many thanks for taking the time to getting back - really appreciate it.

 

[jarnold231]

Make sure whoever you get to change the belt is aware of, understands and follows the information in this pdf relating to the tensioner pin. DH Automotive in Falkirk said it was a known issue and that pin should be properly changed to prevent it coming loose/shearing.View attachment vag-tdi-potential-timing-belt-tensioner-stud-issues.pdf

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

 

[V6_Man]

Make sure whoever you get to change the belt is aware of, understands and follows the information in this pdf relating to the tensioner pin. DH Automotive in Falkirk said it was a known issue and that pin should be properly changed to prevent it coming loose/shearing.View attachment 194385

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

If the owner accepts my offer the car will be going to APS Brackley who also maintain my S4 and A3.

 

[V6_Man]

Make sure whoever you get to change the belt is aware of, understands and follows the information in this pdf relating to the tensioner pin. DH Automotive in Falkirk said it was a known issue and that pin should be properly changed to prevent it coming loose/shearing.View attachment 194385

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

So, £3,350 is the minimum he'd accept

 

[Charlie Farley]

I'd walk away then, £3k tops.

 

[V6_Man]

I'd walk away then, £3k tops.

Exactly the offer I made and asked him to think and let me know ...

 

[Charlie Farley]

Stand firm Tash, its a buyers market and you have the cash .

 

[tr7]

Good luck, stand firm and wait it out. And if it falls through I have a clean Avant that I would sell, with folder full of invoices & receipts.

 

[Bbflex]

I did the belt on my 2.0tdi, replaced the tensioner stud and it pulled out just as I was torquing the bolt up, if it was its first ever cambelt change I may just replace the stud, if I was doing someone else’s car on the second or third belt I’d just helicoil the head for safety.

i helicoiled mine with a bit of HT rod with the same thread all the way through as I was struggling for time, worked fine. It’s m8 iirc.

 

[tr7]

I see this one still for sale. Did you not go for it? One to miss?

 

[V6_Man]

I see this one still for sale. Did you not go for it? One to miss?

I have offered £,3100 and he ain't moving from £3,350 although the car is listed at £3,450. The car would need cambelt and water pump changed as soon as I or anyone buys it. I don't think it is worth £3,800.

 

[Gazwould]

Balance shaft oil pump drive issue is 2004 - Feb 2010 !!

 

[V6_Man]

Balance shaft oil pump drive issue is 2004 - Feb 2010 !!

But more so on 140 than 170ps 2.0tdi, correct?

 

[Bbflex]

This is how mine came out (still working) at 140k miles in a 07 2.0tdi A6

now it is very worn, I wouldn’t like to say how much longer it would of lasted, but I just threw another hex key in and it’s fine at the moment.

you have to drop the subframe though, I was changing the cutch at the time so managed to lift the engine and keep the subframe in place as the gearbox was off.


this is the stud that pulled out, my mate who’s an Audi mech says it’s fairly common, I did a good job on it though i took out every thread just as I was torquing the tensioner up it went, the standard stud is a funny pitch it’s fine m8 x 1 iirc where as standard is m8 x 1.25, I needed the car for work so popped to machine mart got a set of m8 helicoils and some long 12.9 bolts to cut down as a stud and fitted that to original torque specs.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I have offered £,3100 and he ain't moving from £3,350 although the car is listed at £3,450. The car would need cambelt and water pump changed as soon as I or anyone buys it. I don't think it is worth £3,800.

Time to walk away Tash, he knows your keen now so very little chance of him dropping to a sensible price.
I don't think making him any offer less than what he want's is going to work.
It's really not worth the money Tash after the work is factored in.

good luck with the search though.

 

[Bbflex]

It really is a buyers market at the mo, I’d love to take advantage but having 6 cars currently I’m in the position of trying to sell not buy might have to take a bit of a loss but it’s all part of the fun I guess.

 

[Gazwould]

170 too.

For Christ's sake don't just throw in another key it's primarily a balancer shaft keyway issue that causes both to wear and when just 0.5mm is gone from the hex key edges it loses drive .

The real issue is the balancer shaft keyway , if it was a good fit it would never happen in the first place - pure planned obsolescence..


Original poor design of 6 tiny machined grooves .

French Connection UK

Bullet proof

As is Poland's solution .

 

[Bbflex]

I swear you take commission on those kits if it was a chain drive I’d agree all day long but I’m guessing most if not all have already failed.

Well I’ve fitted a new key, car is currently on 142k and sounds quiet and hasn’t blown up

 

[Gazwould]

I'm sure I've earnt KMB thousands !

I just know the issue well as it affected the old boy and don't want anyone's turbo and engine goosed that inconveniently financially writes off their car.

Earlier BLB etc yes has the addition of a second issue of the chain tensioner but it's not a reason not to properly address the issue because the engineering is shocking , just 12-15 mm contact length of the 77mm key Vs 35mm of oem 100mm and 40mm of the 100mm remanufactured modified balancer shaft kit .

One serious ticking time bomb you got there .

 

[Bbflex]

Yea but as we’ve spoken about before, your old man had unknowingly waited until the oil pump drive had failed and then repaired it, you did say eventually his turbo went but tbf these cars are getting on a bit anyway so a turbo can be had for a couple of hundred quid.

again I don’t dispute Audi’s massive fail, I’ve never said your logic is wrong, I just think if it was such an imperative fix the streets would be littered with 2.0tdi’s of this era, from the high percentage of general public that don’t have a clue about engines, where in fact they aren’t and many thousands of these engines happily get abused on a daily basis.

If my oil pump drive fails then I will swallow my pride and report back, but I don’t think it will and I’m currently quite happy to take the risk with the investigation i carried out myself.

that video I posted on the other thread was very conclusive where he spins the hex key round and reduces movement by 90%, that was enough for me to take the plunge of just replacing the hex key.

 

[Gazwould]

You really have to question when VAG improved the design going to a 100mm key that sat deeper in the keyway improving by over double the contact length , however still keeping the inferior six groove keyway design.

Also the issue was they randomly kept on using up the inferior 77mm balancer shaft design even incorporating it into the Common Rail thus affecting early B8's .

The oil pump drive loss has a very wide mileage failures from 50-400K with the average being 80-150K this is because some balancer shaft keyway bores are better centered than others .

 

[Bbflex]

Like days of the rover where they just threw what ever was in the parts bin next to them

Audi as of recent years haven’t been known for their engineering prowess to be fair, it’s mainly white goods for the mass market, watering down the prestige name of Audi in the process.

I wonder if servicing had any play in the variation in failures? Although I don’t think my c6 has had an easy life, but this is a £1700 car so I’d expect as much.

 

[quattrogone]

Personally I think the guy is dreaming! Not only is it not a quattro (so why would anyone want it lol!) but it's also got the worst interior colour combo out there! with a flooded market I'd tell him to keep it as he's going to have it a long time
I'd go for a higher mileage car with a nice full black interior, after all that looks like some estate agents suit from the late eighties....

 

[tr7]

Surely someone makes an over sized key by now to take up the additional tolerance?

 

[Gazwould]

This might help you .

10 years of realization of the debacle .

 

[AvantMike]

@Gazwould will be pleased to know I've booked mine in for Oil Pump balance shaft & hex key swap from KMB - hope the commission is good for you Gaz

 

[Gazwould]

Lol .

 

[AvantMike]

Fair play to KMB, order placed Friday PM, kit arrives Saturday am

 

[Pro-cookie]

Fair play to KMB, order placed Friday PM, kit arrives Saturday am

Can I ask how much this is costing? And where is KMB? I might have to look into this also.

 

[AvantMike]

https://www.kmbpartsdirect.co.uk/shop/oil_pumps.html#kit9

£195 for the relevant kit (check your engine code) and either fit your self or find someone who’ll do it for you

 

[tr7]

https://www.kmbpartsdirect.co.uk/shop/oil_pumps.html#kit9

£195 for the relevant kit (check your engine code) and either fit your self or find someone who’ll do it for you

Yes, keep us up to date please

How much have you been quoted to fit Mike?

 

[AvantMike]

Yes, keep us up to date please

How much have you been quoted to fit Mike?

Quote is circa £400 but that includes a few bits (oil change and glow plugs) and the garage is uncertain how long the swap will take as there’s no info from Audi hq)

 

[tr7]

Quote is circa £400 but that includes a few bits (oil change and glow plugs) and the garage is uncertain how long the swap will take as there’s no info from Audi hq)

Did you go ahead with Mike?

 

[Pie-eyedpiper]

Did you go ahead with Mike?

Yes, we've both had them done.

 

[tr7]

How much was the fitting for the KMB.

And also stupid question.

Do you notice any different noise now that it is fitted?

 

[Pie-eyedpiper]

I think the fitting was about £350 by my local Indy garage.
It's a pig of a job apparently. Subframe needs to be lowered to get the sump off.
No noticeable difference in sound. But my hex key lobes were nicely rounded off. Interesting to see how much longer it would have lasted.

 

[Gazwould]

Just 0.5 mm is enough to lose drive .