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Engine code

DFGA engine faults.

Listed as: 2.0 TDI, 2.0 TDI SCR, 2.0 TDI (SCR) BlueMotion Technology, 2.0 TDI SCR BlueMotion Technology. The faults belong to this engine code. They do not apply to every car with that name.

diesel

fuel

1968 cc

displacement

110 kW (150 HP)

power

4 fault write-ups. All are important.

Before you buy

Known faults

4 important faults

critical2

1.6 and 2.0 TDI: the belt driving the oil pump runs in oil and crumbles

critical

On these engines the oil pump is driven by its own small toothed belt, and that belt runs in the hot engine oil. This is not the large timing belt that drives the camshafts, it is a separate belt in the lower part of the engine. In the oil the rubber hardens over time, its surface starts to crumble, and the loose particles block the suction side of the oil pump, so the oil pressure drops. If the belt snaps, the oil pump stops at once and the engine is left without lubrication within seconds. The rubber crumbs can also ruin the turbocharger and the camshaft adjuster, because they are lubricated from the same oil circuit. The maker specifies no replacement interval for this belt, so most cars still carry the one fitted at the factory, and the failures are reported above 150,000 km. Oil outside the specification and a stretched oil change speed the process up, because this belt ages in the oil. Replacing the belt itself costs between 200 and 600 euro, as long as the engine has not run without oil pressure.

above 150,000 km200–600 EUR

What to check

  • Ask whether the oil pump belt has been replaced, and if so at what mileage
  • Unscrew the oil filler cap and look for black rubber crumbs in the lubricant
  • Ask which oil was used and how often the engine was serviced
2 more steps in the write-up

Rising oil level: interrupted particulate filter regeneration

critical

On short urban trips the particulate filter cannot burn through. The engine control unit then injects extra fuel late in the cycle to heat the filter, and part of that fuel passes down the cylinder wall into the sump. The oil level rises, the oil thins out, and it lubricates worse.

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The maker addresses this itself. Audi's 2015 service bulletin (01-15-18) tells the technician how to read the oil level on 2.0 TDI engines, because an overfilled level triggers an oil change message with no engine warning light and no stored fault code.

An oil level above the maximum calls for an immediate oil change, and it points to short urban trips. A diesel driven only in town is a bigger risk from both the particulate filter and the turbo.

A thinned, rising oil level is one precondition of a runaway engine. A diesel controls torque with the quantity of fuel injected, and it has no throttle. So if enough combustible liquid reaches the intake, the engine starts running on its own oil, and cutting the injection or switching off the ignition will not stop it. The revs climb on their own until the engine destroys itself.

A raised oil level alone is rarely enough for this. The classic trigger is a failed turbo shaft seal that feeds oil mist into the intake. But the two go together: thinned oil lubricates worse, and poorer lubrication damages the turbo bearing first.

If it happens while driving, the key does not help. Only cutting off the air does: cover the intake, discharge a dry powder extinguisher into the intake tract, or on a manual select a high gear with the parking brake on and release the clutch quickly.

What to check

  • Pull the dipstick with a cold engine on level ground: the level must not be above the maximum mark
  • Smell the oil on the dipstick: a diesel smell means it is thinned with fuel
  • Ask whether the dash has ever shown an oil level sensor or oil change message
5 more steps in the write-up

expensive2

Dual mass flywheel: diesel

expensive

The internal springs of the flywheel tire, and the two discs knock against each other. The signs are a rattling or knocking from the bellhousing at idle and when releasing the clutch pedal, and vibration through the floor. If the clutch slips without a burnt smell, that also points to the flywheel. It is worth replacing in time: a disintegrated flywheel can destroy the bellhousing too. At a clutch replacement the two go together anyway.

What to check

  • At idle, without touching the clutch pedal, listen for the rattle from the bellhousing, then press the pedal: if it stops, that is suspect
  • Watch for the characteristic clatter on starting and switching off
  • Put your foot on the floor at idle: a noticeable vibration indicates tired springs
2 more steps in the write-up

EA288: the coolant pump needs vacuum filling and bleeding after replacement

expensive

On the EA288 the coolant pump is demand-controlled, and after replacement the cooling circuit cannot be filled the old way. The Schaeffler/INA repair specification requires the system to be filled with a vacuum device and bled with a diagnostic tool, following the vehicle manufacturer instructions.

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If that is skipped, the pump can be destroyed and the engine can overheat. The engine must never be started without coolant.

A pump replaced at home or without a vacuum filler can fail again shortly after. Ask for an invoice and the name of the workshop.

What to check

  • Ask whether the coolant pump has been replaced, and if so, by which workshop
  • Ask for the invoice: vacuum filling and diagnostic bleeding should be on the invoice
  • After starting, watch the coolant temperature: it should settle evenly and not fluctuate
2 more steps in the write-up

Engine code

Factory data

Factory data

Engine family
EA288
Fuel
diesel
Displacement
1968 cc
Power
110 kW (150 HP)
Production
—

Generations

Which models it is fitted to

12 generations.

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.
Details in the terms