Audi Quattro TDI

I mot tested a 2012 plate Audi the other day and nothing wrong with it as I could see. The car was also booked in for a service and timing belt, of which I didn't know. The reception guy told me about it and I said at the time I didn't feel up to it that day so he agreed that I left it until a more convenient time. It seems in reality nowadays as I'm getting somewhat older that my health does not just let me do what I want when I want anymore! Has anyone else started to notice that their hands and fingers don't grip securely anything we hold onto anymore? Do I unitentionally drop things, yes all the time now. 

The Audi...

I recorded the number plate details and entered them into E Technical. I printed off 14 pages of data referring to the timing belt renewal. Is it me or do the Germans make everything seriously over complicated for whatever reasons?

E Technical start off by covering their backs for when things go wrong! First off, they say, ensure all timing marks are aligned before you remove the old belt?

Good point, but most engines don't use timing marks anymore, they use pins to pin gears and pulleys. 

Looking at their poor quality images it was not clear to me the correct timing position of the camshaft from their diagram. They mention TDC which I took to mean they were talking about the crankshaft gear. So I turned the crankshaft clock-wise until the gear mark aligned with the tool mark that slides into the gear teeth and pegged into the crankcase when correctly aligned and installed. The fuel pump also has a "U" type locator at the rear of the gear positioned about 11.00 o clock. The timing tool did easily locate and fit fully home so up to this point I was ok, however, the camshaft timing just didn't sit right with me. The evidence showed the camshaft slot was positioned about 2.00 o clock. The timing data referred to the 12.00 o clock position, which I also wasn't confortable with? The day was getting long and I was getting tired. I should have simply walked away from the job pending more information and better health, but as usual I continued on...

Within the camshaft gear there are three 13 mm bolts which I renewed, and three torx type bolts I renewed in the fuel pump gear. The instructions advised to lever the camshaft gear anti-clockwise to ensure the slack in the belt was on the tensioner side and then tighten the three 13 mm bolts, followed by the three torx fuel pump bolts. After this the comfort zone in me didn't feel any better. The marks on the gears from the original positions didn't quite sit back in their same locations. (These pulleys are free wheeler type)

I tensioned the tensioner aligning the pointer to the designed point to ensure the tension was correct, or as correct as the tensioner will allow me to believe it is correct!

I rebuilt the remaining engine components and proceeded to start the engine, which didn't start! Long cranking durations on the starter and no start. I put the scanner on and loads of fault codes were recorded in every electronic system on the car! The main one that stood out to me being in the engine management ECU, and that being P0016. This code refers to timing correllation between the cam and crank. Now I could not make my mind up if that code was old or new?


I cleared all codes and cranked the engine again, this time many codes came back but P0016 didn't! Now the engine has decided to start and run, but its noisy in operation. I then read live data for correllation and engine camshaft and crankshaft speeds were normal, however after the event those speeds even if timing was incorrect woulds till be correct anyway!

I knew the timing was incorrect and I knew it had something to do with the camshaft position. Tools down and off I went home. Bugging the life out of me having spent till 8.00 PM there when I got home I knew somewhere on my external hard disk drives I had Audi genuine data, but finding it was something else!


Eventually I did. I printed off the timing data and immediately I could see E Technical from their written statements and poor images were misleading. The timing position for the camshaft is about 8.00 o clock and not 2.00 o clock. 

Have I damaged the engine valves?

Well, the engine started and run, yes it was noisy and yes it revved up to 2500 rpm repeatedly. Not sure I should have done that but tiredness and long hours etc, we do strange things!

Yesterday afternoon I removed the engine covers and ancilliary equipment. I aligned the crank to 12.00 o clock and locked the tool in. I put the fuel pump timing tool in and up to that point the tools located and fit easily. Now, the camshaft tool would not locate and install, it was not a mile out but neither the less would not locate. Having then removed the timing belt and using a 16 mm spanner on the camshaft nut, slightly retarding the gear and the pin located, hence it seemed about one half and one tooth out of spec!

I then reinstalled the new belt (yes it had a water pump) and this time the gears seemed to align easier. After tensioning and ensuring all bolts tight I decided to put the engine mounting on and try and start the engine, which after several attempts of cranking didn't start?

I was just putting the scanner module on when I realised I'd not connected the inline fuel pump power plug back in! I didn't and went to start the engine, which started immedietly. The engine runs ok and seems smooth in its operation.

I got lucky that's all I can say guys... The comparison of data between E Technical and Audi is the same but the diagrams used by E Technical are not clear enough, and the overload of written information they provide is somewhat overwhelming and mislead me into believing the camshaft position should have been at 12.00 o clock position.

It appears now after the event that I'd set the engine position up on the cylinder 1 exhaust stroke rather than the compression stroke, not so much by mistake, but by misunderstanding the written instructions.

Audi's written technical information and coloured diagrams for me made the job much easier and straight forwards. After reading their data and looking at the diagrams, it was very obvious and clear where I went wrong.

Moral of the story, buy the proper technical data when doing expensive jobs, and remember

Murphy's Law...


"If it can go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible time"