Audi A4 BLB engine problems.

Audi A4 BLB engine problems.

Author
Discussion

Zammy

Original Poster:

557 posts

163 months

Wednesday 3rd November 2010
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Hi,

We are seriously considernig an Audi A4 2.0TDi S-Line but yesterday was told by a friend to avoid the ones with the engine code BLB. Having done a quick google on the BLB engine I'm reading lots of horror stories of how the fuel pump/shaft? are failing on these with repair prices into the thousands!!

Does anyone own an Audi with BLB engine and had this problem? Also is it just the BLB engine that has this problem?

Am gutted now as had seen the car I wanted and am now fearing the worst if i do buy it.

j_richards123

123 posts

192 months

Wednesday 3rd November 2010
quotequote all
Hello mate,
Here's a thread on AS net well worth looking at....

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/audi-s4-a4-a4-cab-b7-...

Quite glad I went for a petrol B7!

Zammy

Original Poster:

557 posts

163 months

Wednesday 3rd November 2010
quotequote all
j_richards123 said:
Hello mate,
Here's a thread on AS net well worth looking at....

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/audi-s4-a4-a4-cab-b7-...

Quite glad I went for a petrol B7!
Cheers j....oh my life this seems like quite a big problem, am really gutted now as i wanted the more powerful 2.0 rather than 1.9.

Frimley111R

15,661 posts

234 months

Wednesday 3rd November 2010
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Just don't get one with the CVT/auto box. Its the worse auto box ever!

Zammy

Original Poster:

557 posts

163 months

Monday 8th November 2010
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Frimley111R said:
Just don't get one with the CVT/auto box. Its the worse auto box ever!
Nah mate will defo be a manual...thanks for the warning though.

ManOpener

12,467 posts

169 months

Monday 8th November 2010
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My old man briefly had one of these, the oil pump failed in a cloud of smoke worthy of a Bond car about a year into its life.
He swapped it in for an E90 3-series, like any senseible person would.

andyspy

3 posts

207 months

Wednesday 12th January 2011
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AVOID at all costs.

Just had mine go on me. 2k to fix the balance shafts, oil pump, cam belt etc etc etc. Basically needs new parts fitting as the old system does not work and Audi are aware of the issue

Also ac compressor went last year .......... £800 thanks very much.

Damn its a shame as its a lovely car.

Avoid the BLB engine at all cost.

Andy

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 12th January 2011
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I had an A3 S-Line with the 2.0TDi engine.

I owned it from 1 year old to 60k miles as my daily hack.

It developed really bad electrical problems that no one could diagnose, meaning even if you drove it all morning it would have a flat battery in the afternoon. Then it would be fine for a week at a time at random.

Then disaster struck... It started guzzling water. I had it checked out and turned out that the head had gone porous.
I was told by the independent VW/Audi mechanic that I use that it was a common fault and it needed a complete new head on it!!

So I sold it quickly to a trader.

Shame, as the engine delivered more power than enough and was so economical I thought Audi had pioneered space age technology...

It was the most unreliable car I have ever owned.




Mugen RR

5 posts

188 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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Frimley111R said:
Just don't get one with the CVT/auto box. Its the worse auto box ever!
Hey guys, I've read various comments regarding the cvt/auto box on a b7 tdi. Why are there so many negative comments? Are they really that bad?! I'm thinking of getting one. I had a brief test drive on one I viewed, it was ok I guess.

Please help guys!!!!!

ModernAndy

2,094 posts

135 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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Mugen RR said:
Hey guys, I've read various comments regarding the cvt/auto box on a b7 tdi. Why are there so many negative comments? Are they really that bad?! I'm thinking of getting one. I had a brief test drive on one I viewed, it was ok I guess.

Please help guys!!!!!
Dull, droning and dreary.

Slow to react and when you need acceleration it's supposed to be giving you all the power while making micro adjustments to the gearing but it just feels glacial. Definitely not as bad as the A3 1.6 multitronic but still pretty bad on the B7 TDis, even the 2.0t multitronic feels slow. The multitronic basically takes most of the enjoyment out of driving the car, I'd take a tiptronic over one any day.

Mugen RR

5 posts

188 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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ModernAndy said:
Dull, droning and dreary.

Slow to react and when you need acceleration it's supposed to be giving you all the power while making micro adjustments to the gearing but it just feels glacial. Definitely not as bad as the A3 1.6 multitronic but still pretty bad on the B7 TDis, even the 2.0t multitronic feels slow. The multitronic basically takes most of the enjoyment out of driving the car, I'd take a tiptronic over one any day.
What about when it's in manual mode?


Thanks for your reply,

Krikkit

26,527 posts

181 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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Still not great, but the catastrophic unreliability of it balances any enjoyment or attraction out. Buy a manual.

bearman68

4,652 posts

132 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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I have a customer with one of these with the BLB engine - 167k last week, with little more than regular servicing.
The one problem he did have was a split EGR pipe, so I replaced that, and mapped out the EGR. With as decent map it goes really well, and he reports it as economical as well. It's a car I would consider. (Manual)

Mugen RR

5 posts

188 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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Krikkit said:
Still not great, but the catastrophic unreliability of it balances any enjoyment or attraction out. Buy a manual.
Thanks For your advice

C. Grimsley

1,364 posts

195 months

Thursday 16th April 2015
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I told a friend not to buy one of these a while back, he ignored me and bought it, nice car but after 3 months the engine went pop with the oil pump drive issue, we sorted that at circa 120k miles, it's now done 250k and still drives lovely albeit a bit sloppy.

There are other variants available, bkd engine code is the 2.0 and drives perfect and has no known pump issues.

Carl

ModernAndy

2,094 posts

135 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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Mugen RR said:
What about when it's in manual mode?


Thanks for your reply,
I used to work for Audi and if I ever needed to put down the power in the multitronics (and I have driven quite a few) it would need to be done through the manual change which was bearable but to my mind still a bit slow and not as progressive as a more regular type of gearbox in auto or manual form. I'd ask the opinion of somebody who has driven one more recently than I have as it has been a while. Having 7 gears was pretty cool though.

j4ckos mate

3,013 posts

170 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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Hi I had a bre engine
Didn't have too much problems although it was quite fond of limp mode on a run.
I glad I got rid

GAVBEY

69 posts

141 months

Friday 17th April 2015
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here is my 2005 A4,

Your right stay away from the BLB engine code. to be honest nearly all 2.0 tdi have the potential to fail with there ballance shafts. even the newer geared versions. they still have the dreaded hex shaft.

I bought this car with a blown BLB engine.

I fitted a different block from a Seat that didn't use the balance shafts. BKD engine wink

I think i was one, of if not the first person to be successful in this conversion as there are some parts that need to be made / welded. If you want to PM me for more info you can do

VAGMAN82

1 posts

105 months

Tuesday 14th July 2015
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Hi there,

What changes are needed to change a BLB engine to a BKD engine. From the pictures I can see 2 differences. 1 the rocker cover is different and 2 the sump is different. BLB engines are nearly a £1000 and BKD's are £500. I have 1 with oil pump failure which I haven't investigated yet.

here is my 2005 A4,

Your right stay away from the BLB engine code. to be honest nearly all 2.0 tdi have the potential to fail with there ballance shafts. even the newer geared versions. they still have the dreaded hex shaft.

I bought this car with a blown BLB engine.

I fitted a different block from a Seat that didn't use the balance shafts. BKD engine wink

I think i was one, of if not the first person to be successful in this conversion as there are some parts that need to be made / welded. If you want to PM me for more info you can do
[/quote]

Tiffo

4 posts

55 months

Wednesday 11th September 2019
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Hello there could you tell me what is involved with replacing a BLB engine to a BKD engine is it a case of just replacing manifold and the sump? I want to carry out this conversion as I have just bought an ass line with a blown BlB. Engine I’m thinking a BKD will be a lot more reliable