vinkodex.
Known fault

PD TDI: camshaft and rocker wear

It does not show up on every car. Check before you buy.

expensive

severity

not available

mileage

2

sources

2 sources next to the write-up.

The fault

How you spot it

The PD injectors (on the 1.4, 1.9 and 2.0 TDI alike) are driven by the camshaft itself, against more than 2,000 bar. That wears the lobes and the rockers quickly: first a knocking noise, then a rough idle, hard starting and loss of power. The cause is the wrong oil: the PD engine requires a 5W-40 lubricant to the VW 505.01 specification, with PD approval. A plain synthetic is not enough, and on an everyday 5W-30 the lobes can wear through.

Which model

Who it affects

The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.

Engines and transmissions

Checklist

PD TDI: camshaft and rocker wear

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