This is the engine that made the VW-Audi oil sludge affair famous.
Applies to the engine APY, AUL.
vinkodex.Audi S3 8L common faults.
1996–2003. The fault list covers this generation and the engines in it. If the listing gives the exact version, pick it below.
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What to watch for
What can go wrong on this car?
The list covers the generation, the engines and the transmissions. Once you pick the version, only the faults that apply to it stay.
critical1
comfort2
The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is.
Applies to the engine AMK, BAM, APY and 1 more.
From the late nineties to around 2006, petrol engines used a secondary air pump to blow fresh air into the exhaust on a cold start, so the catalytic converter reaches operating temperature faster.
Applies to the engine AMK, BAM.
Engines and transmissions in this generation
A fault is often tied to the engine, not to the whole generation. You find the engine code in the registration document.
8L · 1996–2003
Pick the version.
The fault list opens on the version page.
2 versions
Neighbouring generations
8L · 1996–2003
8L (1996-2003). If the listing is from the changeover year, look at the neighbour too.
Common questions
About this generation
Which years does this page cover?
1996–2003. The changeover year can fall in two generations. If the listing is from that year, look at the neighbour too.
Does the fault apply to every car like this?
No. It depends on the engine and the transmission too.
Is it free?
The fault list is.
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.