vinkodex.
Known fault

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

What you tick stays on this device only.

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Sources

How we know

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