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Known fault

3.0 TDI V6: the high-pressure pump sends metal debris into the fuel system

Typically between 120,000 and 160,000 km. It does not show up on every car.

critical

severity

between 120,000 and 160,000 km

mileage

1,500–15,000 EUR

repair cost

2 sources next to the write-up.

The fault

How you spot it

The common rail high-pressure pump is lubricated and cooled by the diesel itself, because the pump produces over 2,000 bar and has no separate lubrication circuit. If that lubricating film breaks down, the internal running surface of the pump eats itself and metal debris is produced. The debris travels through the whole system with the diesel, the rail, the injectors and the tank as well, because the return line carries it back and the lift pump draws it in again at every start. From there flushing the injectors does not help, all of them have to be replaced and the tank cleaned too. The failure is reported between 120,000 and 160,000 km, and the repair runs from 1,500 to 15,000 euro depending on how far the debris got. The lubricating film is broken by misfuelling and by long runs with an almost empty tank, because below 5 litres the lift pump also draws air. Plain wear of the pump is a different case: there is no debris and only the pump has to be replaced.

Which model

Who it affects

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

Engines and transmissions

Checklist

3.0 TDI V6: the high-pressure pump sends metal debris into the fuel system

What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.

Before you buy

Checklist

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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