ss123

I have a 2009 Audi A5 with the 2.0 TFSI engine. The car has done 215,000 miles, however it had a complete engine replacement in 2014 at 109,000 around the time when I bought it. It has a CDNB engine (E888).

I am aware that Audi tell customers that these timing chains are 'good for life', but I appreciate that actually this isn't the reality. Having done some reading there appear to be two ways to determine if the chain is due replacement:

1. The camshaft phase position adaptation stored in the ECU.
2. The number of grooves protruding from the tensioner body from the inspection port.

I haven't had a look at the tensioner yet, but my "Camshaft Adaptation Intake Bank 1, Phase Position" reads -3.85 degrees.

I am wondering if anyone can share specs as to when the chain should be replaced. I've come across various figures but struggled to make sense of it!

SMac770

-3.85 is not yet -5.00, so should be fine. As long as that reading is with the engine warmed up, driven some, and currently idling (in drive or park).

ss123

Thanks, so you're saying I don't need to worry until it gets >5 or do I want to prevent it getting to 5?

That measurement was taken at idle having been running for 2-3 mins. I'll take a warm reading later on and see what that gives.

Thanks.

SMac770

Within spec is within ±5°. Once you move outside this, issues can start to occur. But they're not going to start right at -5.01°. Pretty much once you're in that value ballpark, you should be planning the timing chain job. If you get to -6°, you're probably still fine; others have survived letting it run out past -8°. But that's gambler territory. The likelihood of a tooth jump gets more significant the more slack you let into the system. The real issue is the tensioner extension, which can only be truly viewed through the inspection port.

Yeah, you should log the adaptation on a drive. You'll notice it adjust sometimes when you come to an idle. When I logged it once, the reading only left 0 once the coolant hit 60°C. Then it adjusted to 0.04. This was after 1.7 minutes. Around 3.3 minutes, it adjusted to 0.09. Approaching 10 minutes, it adjusted again to 0.13. This was the point where the oil had reached the coolant in the 95-98°C range. After a six minute idle in the drive-thru, it adjusted again to 0.11. So a single look is not really sufficient; you need to log it along a trip and see where it maxes at.

ss123

Thanks for this. I took it for a 30 min drive this morning, however the live data showed the Camshaft Adaptation Intake Bank 1, Phase Positionmeasurement at 0.00 degrees, which I don't think is right.

Strange, i'll try it again later.

SMac770

Staying at 0.00 is not correct. Not sure what to say about that. You did not turn the engine off, did you? The value is only valid if the coolant is up to temp and the engine is running, and has been running. The value only adjusts when idling.

ss123

That was taken when driving. I will try it again on my way home later this evening and see how it is then.

S4'ed

My 2015 Q3 EA888 Gen-1 2.0 engine showed +0.3 degrees (Phase Position Bank 1 Intake), fully warmed-up after driving, idling, after 90,000 miles. I didn't believe it, so I redid the VCDS measurement a few days later, it was 0.0 degrees.
This engine has had oil and filter changes of Mobil-1 0W-40 every 3000 miles, since new. Seems like clean oil is the key to long chain life. (I am not surprised....)
This car has the improved tensioner design, but the original chain design.

ss123

On my way home today I got 3.78 deg. Sometimes it was showing at 0.00 but I think that is erroneous.

S4'ed

The important reading is at idle, not while driving.