# How bad is the 2.0 TFSi oil issue?



## m1tch (Aug 9, 2016)

Hi all,

I will probably be getting a mk1 TT next year owing to the fact that I have heard bad things about the 2.0 TFSi engine pre 2011 with the issues in oil useage due to ring tolerances. I am also aware that there are possible coking issues in the intake but I expected this owing to this being common on most diesel engines since the late 90s owing to direct injection.

I was just wondering how bad the oil usage was, I am aware of a few other issues such as the high pressure pump cam follower wearing through but that's fine as it seems easy to change.

I was planning on getting a mk1, getting a spare engine to work on to swap in some IE rods and swap the engine over, with the mk2 I am unsure as to the usual tuning route on these engines but haven't researched much owing to coming up with people saying that I should stay away from any pre 2011 2.0 TFSi engine.

Was just wondering about thoughts on the matter.


----------



## wlondoner (Feb 10, 2013)

People get confused as there are different versions of the Audi 2.0 engine.
Audi TTs were largely unaffected


----------



## m1tch (Aug 9, 2016)

wlondoner said:


> People get confused as there are different versions of the Audi 2.0 engine.
> Audi TTs were largely unaffected


Hmm well that's interesting, to be fair most of the issues seem to have come on the A4 but I figured it was the same engine - is there any documentation about which models might be affected?


----------



## SeanPrawn29 (Aug 11, 2016)

wlondoner said:


> People get confused as there are different versions of the Audi 2.0 engine.
> Audi TTs were largely unaffected


I've got a 2008 tfsi, and its pretty bad..

I'm talking like 1 litre of oil to less than 650 miles, without putting the foot down.

Got it booked into Audi in october for a free heath cleck and consumption test.


----------



## ashfinlayson (Oct 26, 2013)

Didn't Audi agree to resolve this issue anyway?

My TT is 2010 (59) and my oil consumption is fairly normal i think... I put in .5Litre about every 3,000 miles.

I wouldn't go for an old MK1 on that reason alone. The MK2 is leaps and bounds ahead and you'd be buying a really old car, so oil consumption would be the least of your worries :roll:


----------



## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Here is my view:

The pre-2011 (or 200BHP) engines are fine, really. It's not without reason Audi used them as a basis for the 272BHP TTS engines, even when the later 2.0 was introduced. They are strong and pretty bomb proof. The later 211BHP version is the next gen eco version of the 2.0. And more eco isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to engines.

So what to keep in mind:
- regular oil changes with good quality oil. Misbehave on oil and the oil sieve will clog up. The 1.8T in the mk1 was even worse in this respect, due to a smaller oil sump.
- a broken PCV valve causes extra oil consumption. Most oil drinkers are cured by just replacing that valve.
- Cam follower: yes it may wear. It seems to be the oily part that wears the fastest. So replacement at some stage may be wise.
The engine is belt driven, so no nasty surprises with stretching chains. Even soot build up around the intake valves doesn't seem to be a big problem.

The 211 BHP chain driven engines _can_ suffer from the wrong pistons/piston rings problems causing heavy oil use. This is where Audi is finally showing some responsibility.

It is perfectly normal for any 2.0 engine to use up to 2 litres of oil in between 2 long life services. Fresh oil with fresh additives help the engine to cover the distance with enough lubrication. Personally I prefer one additional oil change in between 2 long life services.

I bought my 200BHP TFSI around 6 years ago. Driven it from 19k miles to 85k miles. Oil consumption stayed exactly the same throughout the entire distance: 1 litre per 6k miles.


----------



## Krs8 (Jun 11, 2016)

TT-driver said:


> Here is my view:
> 
> The pre-2011 (or 200BHP) engines are fine, really. It's not without reason Audi used them as a basis for the 272BHP TTS engines, even when the later 2.0 was introduced. They are strong and pretty bomb proof. The later 211BHP version is the next gen eco version of the 2.0. And more eco isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to engines.
> 
> ...


Good read and very informative, thanks!


----------



## m1tch (Aug 9, 2016)

TT-driver said:


> Here is my view:
> 
> The pre-2011 (or 200BHP) engines are fine, really. It's not without reason Audi used them as a basis for the 272BHP TTS engines, even when the later 2.0 was introduced. They are strong and pretty bomb proof. The later 211BHP version is the next gen eco version of the 2.0. And more eco isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to engines.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info on that, I am however still slightly concerned that the engine uses any oil at all in normal day to day running, my daily drive car uses no oil at all and its on just over 120k miles.


----------



## ashfinlayson (Oct 26, 2013)

> Thanks for the info on that, I am however still slightly concerned that the engine uses any oil at all in normal day to day running, my daily drive car uses no oil at all and its on just over 120k miles.


I dont know of any performance car that doesn't use oil, and they don't use much oil compared to some. I just bought a 5Litre bottle of Castrol to live in the garage when I bought the car (over 3 years ago) and its still over half-full. Until recently I used the car every day.

Its a negligible expense compared to other general maintenance costs of a German car


----------



## benbuhagiar (Mar 16, 2013)

Got a 2008 2.0 engine and oil consumption is fine for me.

I'm fairly certain the problem was with 2011+ engines.


----------



## datamonkey (Jan 23, 2012)

My old 2007 2.0 TFSI TT Sport used to drink about half to a litre of oil a month.

Though in my 2008 TTS I've only topped it up once in a year and it's still full...


----------



## C00P5TT5 (Jul 10, 2016)

Firstly great post by tt-driver. You mentioned additives what additives would you recommend and when to apply them.


----------



## C00P5TT5 (Jul 10, 2016)

Only reason I ask is i see so many fuel system and engine flush products, yet the service manuals mention nothing... I thought these products are just money spinners


----------



## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

P1723944 said:


> Firstly great post by tt-driver. You mentioned additives what additives would you recommend and when to apply them.


Thanks!

There is no need for separate additives. Just top up with the same oil as the one used with the oil change. Most engine oils contain up to 20% of additives already. Topping up the oil automatically adds the right fresh additives. Using the same oil ensures you don't loose any of the properties of the oil.

When it comes to when: try to time your topping up actions in such a way that you have to add 0.5l to reach max level. That way you build in some reserve time before actually reaching minimum level. Second advantage: your engine always has close to the maximum amount of oil available. Remember, oil isn't there only for lubrication. Cleaning the engine and cooling the hot parts like the pistons are tasks that are equally important. Also don't skip oil top ups because a change is due soon. Running the engine with old oil at a minimum level can cause soot and dirt to fall out of the oil and stick to the engine internals. The next fresh oil then has to clean up the mess that the previous oil left behind. That then means the new oil won't actually last as long as the service indicator thinks it will last. If that scenario happens a few times, it effectively results in an engine that seems to have skipped a service completely.


----------



## Stem (Jul 14, 2015)

Very informative- some things I didn't know about the different engines and their variations. 
Mine 'touch wood' is great and uses very little, but I always keep my eye on it and a 1 litre bottle of oil in the boot.


----------

