3.0 TFSI supercharged V6: the crankcase breather membrane tears
Typically between 60,000 and 80,000 km. It does not show up on every car.
expensive
severity
between 60,000 and 80,000 km
mileage
80–400 EUR
repair cost
3 sources next to the write-up.
The fault
How you spot it
The membrane of the crankcase breather regulates how much suction there is inside the engine. If the membrane tears, an unregulated connection opens between the crankcase and the intake, and oil vapour starts towards the intake from there. This gives oil consumption, a whistling noise under load, and mixture fault codes from unmetered air. The oil reaching the intake speeds up the carbon build-up on the intake valves, which is already heavy on this engine, because the first and second generation are pure direct injection, so no fuel washes the intake port. The tear is reported between 60,000 and 80,000 km, and the repair is replacing the breather module or the cam cover with an adaptation afterwards, between 80 and 400 euro. On the first generation (CGWB and CAKA, between 2008 and 2011) the breather works with low suction, so a noticeable suction at the oil filler with the engine running is normal. From the second generation the system deliberately gives more suction, with a different part. The oil cap test on its own therefore does not decide whether the breather is faulty, and this is where unnecessary part replacement usually comes from. In March 2013 Audi issued a service bulletin on the oil consumption of the supercharged 3.0 TFSI (17-13-37) and named the 2009 to 2012 A6 and A7, the 2011 to 2012 Q7, and the 2010 to 2012 A4 and S4.
Which model
Who it affects
The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.
Engines and transmissions
Engine
CGWB
Engine page
Első generáció, alacsony szívású szellőzővel.
Engine
CGWD
Engine
CAKA
Engine page
Első generáció, alacsony szívású szellőzővel.
Checklist
3.0 TFSI supercharged V6: the crankcase breather membrane tears
What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.
Before you buy
Checklist
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Sources
How we know
- static.nhtsa.govAudi Technical Service Bulletin 17-13-37 (2030197/9): Engine oil consumption, customer complaints, 3.0T TFSI, model year 2009-2012static.nhtsa.gov
Motorenlager LeipzigAudi 3.0 TFSI Probleme 2026: S4, S5 & KompressorAudi 3.0 TFSI V6 Probleme 2026: Alle Schwachstellen bei S4, S5 & Kompressor-Generation – mit Reparaturkosten, Motorcode-Tabelle & Kaufempfehlungen für Gebrauchte
What BreaksUsed Car Weakness Database46,895+ weaknesses models engines
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.
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