Big bills and A2s

Cloth Ears

Cloth Ears

A2OC Donor
During my 11-odd years of A2 ownership I've experienced three big bills: 1) a failed* VVT at 40k miles (£1500); 2) a bottom-end rebuild and crankcase repair following a dropped crankshaft thrust bearing (£2500); and 3) a failed DMF (around £850).

Are there any other 'biggies' out there I should look out for? I'm not talking about £500 here and there for new cambelts, aircon compressors, etc, but other big and expensive failures which immobilise the car?

On item 2) above, I thought I'd just been unlucky, but reading this forum around the topic of my current DMF failure, I came across another post which talked about a failed crankshaft thrust bearing, which made me wonder whether this was also a 'thing' for A2s and, if so, are there any others? (It does seem odd that an engine can be designed such that if a thrust bearing wears (duh!) it can fall out and wreak havoc).

*due, I suspect, to an overspeed associated with a leaky intercooler pipe, but I can't be sure.
 
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Cloth Ears said:
During my 11-odd years of A2 ownership I've experienced three big bills: 1) a failed* VVT at 40k miles (£1500); 2) a bottom-end rebuild and crankcase repair following a dropped crankshaft thrust bearing (£2500); and 3) a failed DMF (around £850).

Are there any other 'biggies' out there I should look out for? I'm not talking about £500 here and there for new cambelts, aricon compressors, etc, but other big and expensive failures which immobilise the car?

On item 2) above, I thought I'd just been unlucky, but reading this forum around the topic of my current DMF failure, I came across another post which talked about a failed crankshaft thrust bearing, which made me wonder whether this was also a 'thing' for A2s and, if so, are there any others? (It does seem odd that an engine can be designed such that if a thrust bearing wears (duh!) it can fall out and wreak havoc).

*due, I suspect, to an overspeed associated with a leaky intercooler pipe, but I can't be sure.
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The only other thing that comes to mind is a broken Cam belt, that could effectively wipe out your engine.
But if it is properly replaced along with the relevant ancillaries, then that should not really happen.

It looks like you have been unlucky, or possibly bought a car that has not been well maintained, because across the 7 TDIs (including my current Tdi 90) none of them have suffered any of the failures you mention. The 90 did need a DMF and clutch but that was replaced as a precaution at the first sign of vibration.

I am touching wood here but of all of the 7 TDIs we currently have there have been no breakdowns and no costly repairs.

Sorry to hear that you have had a different experience.

Steve B
 
Birchall said:
It looks like you have been unlucky, or possibly bought a car that has not been well maintained, [...]

Sorry to hear that you have had a different experience.

Steve B
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Thanks. As to the maintenance angle, quite the reverse. I bought the car as an Audi Approved Used, at 18 months old, with only 3000 miles up (the first owner had used it as a runaround at his holiday home, replacing it with an A8!). I had it serviced by a main dealer for a further 3 years (right up to the VVT failure), and got it serviced annually, not according to the service meter - so it actually got more servicing than Audi require (including getting the cambelt done on the dot). It has never had anything less than VW-spec fully synthetic oil.

I'm also a mechanically sympathetic driver. Seems like I've been unlucky. Ah well. Still love the car, though.
 
Yes, just luck then. It was very well maintained.

But cars are strange "creatures" and they can be very unpredictable when it comes to faults.

Hopefully it should be fine now (touching wood)

A2s are are very addictive cars, the most addictive cars I have ever owned (and in 47 years of driving I have owned plenty of different cars). It is a complement to the A2 that after all of that I now am a huge fan and always will be.

Steve B
 
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