GordonA4

Good day All

This is my very first post so please forgive me as I get used to how this forum works.

I have a 2009 Audi A4 B8 Avant 2.0 multitronic with 192 951 km's on the odometer.

I started my car yesterday & immediately noticed that it did not sound normal. It had a very rough idle & a few seconds later , white smoke started coming out from the engine bay acompanied by a strong rubber/plastic smell.

I switched off immediately & opened the bonnet to see what's going on. I then left the car off for for half an hour & then tried to start it again but it would not crank as if the engine had seized up. There's now only a click from the engine bay & nothing else when I try to start.

I bought the car in August last year on 189 390 with a full service history from the agents up to 93 100 & then services at non-audi agents up to 154 387.

After purchasing the vehicle I took it to a VW/Audi specialist in my area to do a major service at 189 641.
They fitted the following parts : Oil filter , pollen filter , spark plugs , 5W40 engine oil & Sump plug. I asked about the timing chain but they advised that the timing chain doesn't need to be replaced yet.

The car was driving okay after the service although I was a bit concerned about a slight rattling sound from the front of the engine. I did ask them about the rattling sound but they didn't sound too sure about what could be causing it?

Last week I started getting an oil smell in the cabin & also noticed a bit of white smoke coming out the exhaust. I checked the oil level which was normal.

I hope I didn't cause the damage by allowing the petrol attendant to top up my oil with 10W40 as they did not have 5W40 in stock when my oil light came on a few months ago?

I now also suspect that the timing chain may have stretched & jumped a few teeth which caused the problem I now have.

Has anyone had a similar experience as I am now fearing the worst when I have my car towed back to the VW/Audi specialist for them to assess the damage?

Please advise if the timing chain should have been replaced on the last service at the VW/Audi specialist at 189 641?

I'm not an experienced mechanic & I do not have a diagnostic tool available at the moment so unfortunately I won't be able able to supply any error codes yet with this thread.

I'm merely trying to understand what went wrong & how it could have been prevented.

Thank you in advance

142 guy

If the car is being towed to the specialist for diagnosis, why bother with the second guessing as it has no value to you at this point. Particularly since you seem to have little ability to address the problem yourself. This might have value if you were seeking advice on how you might diagnose and repair the car yourself; but, if it is on the way to the shop this has no value. Wait until you get a diagnosis. This might be as simple as an electrical wiring failure on the starter - alternator primary circuit (not uncommon). At that point, if you have questions about the diagnosis come back and seek advice as to whether the diagnosis seems reasonable. You might also ask for opinions on the value proposition , as in "Is an engine rebuild on a 15 year old car good value?".

silver_tt

Using 10W40 to top it off is for sure not the problem (I am running a 10W30 right now as an experiment for something else for the last 1,500+ miles). We are in the middle of summer, even if you are far up north the 10W doesn't matter right now. It's also not your timing chain probably as that would not cause a lot of smoke. Take a look around and check to be sure oil isn't leaking onto your catalytic converter from the vacuum pump, etc. A simple scan once you get it to the shop should tell you a lot.... good luck

GordonA4

Thank you for replying , I'll check for any oil leaks tomorrow.

I'll update this thread if I do decide to take it back to the shop this week for a scan. I'm so scared that they're going to hit me with a rediculous quote that I won't be able to afford right now & also have pay a quote rejection fee & pay to have the car towed back home again.

I would like to get myself a scanning tool for future diagnostics , could you recommend a good reliable one?

Regards

silver_tt

The best scan tool for these cars for sure is VCDS