Eric.Dewhirst

Hi,

First post - and not sure if I am in the right group.

I have a 2008 Audi A4 (2.0 L Quattro) and I am reading conflicting stuff about B7 and B8 and where the cutoff point is.

I went to the VIN decoder - VIN: WAUDF68E68A024597 - and that did not give me a clear answer. Then I read this thread and I think that I am in the clear - https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a4-...f-vin-2808033/ - but I was wondering what the styling cues/clues I should be looking for to tell between B7 and B8.

Thanks for any help.

Cheers,

Eric
PS - It has been a while since I owned an Audi - the last one was a 93 S4 about 15 years ago so I am really rusty on my Audi models.

snagitseven

In North America, the last year for the A4 B7 was MY2008. ROW, it was MY2007.
So, you are in the right forum. Welcome!

FYI, you can Google for photos. The B8 was a complete overhaul of the A4/S4. New body style, longer, updated interior, improved 2.0T engine, etc. You can't miss the differences.

Eric.Dewhirst

Ahh perfect thanks!

Yeah that makes sense looking at the interior. I was focused on the front grill and I could not see a big difference. I just looked at the interior and yes there is a big difference - it is pretty clear.

When you talk about improved 2.0T engine - does that include running smoother? I don't mean to sound rude but I find my B7 sounds a bit like a diesel at idle - well maybe not that bad but there is more clacking going on than I am use to. I asked a friend who is an Audi mechanic and wondered what I need to do and he said you can spend a lot of time chasing stuff down but they all kinda sound like that.

Right now I am just sorting the car out, fixing things that are broken/hacked together/missing.

Thanks for the info and thanks for the quick reply - I put an order in for a Panzer Plate from DieselGeek, (the car does not have a belly pan), and after I paid I wondered - am I really a B7?

Cheers,

Eric

snagitseven

The clacking sound cound be the valves which could be showing some wear. And the noisy idle could be several things (our Tech Gurus could provide better advice). How many miles are on the car? When was the last service done?

John535is

For the comment - 'sounds a bit like a diesel at idle' this could be the cam chain and tensioner. These use hydraulic tensioners pumped up by the engine oil. There is a little mesh filter on the tensioner that can get blocked, or just wear & tear of the chain guides.
I just did one on a 2.0 FSI in a VW as it sounded like a diesel.
Easy job to do yourself, I think it took about 3 hours from hood open to hood shut including an engine wash down after the job.

You will need:
8mm triple square to disconnect the fuel lines
Allan key & torx sockets for the cover bolts and brackets etc
special socket T40080 for the cam shaft sprocket ($20)
cam locking tool ($100) - maybe you can hire or borrow one!
chain tensioner ($70)
cam chain ($30)
cover gasket ($10)
Valve cover gasket (optional) ($12)

When you first start the engine, it will run a bit rough for the first few seconds as the tensioner needs to pump up and the fuel lines charge up to pressure.

Then the peaceful sound of german engineering at idle!

Eric.Dewhirst

@snagitseven - The car has 178K km's and it came without any papers so I am going to assume that it has not been serviced lately.

@John535is - Looks like I have found myself a nice little project! I will check to see if I can get those tools together and consult my AllDataDIY resources to try and tackle this. I am lucky because if I really get stuck, my Brother is a retired Audi/VW mechanic and doesn't mind helping me out if I ask nicely.

Thanks for the advice - I knew it did not sound normal to have that much clacking.

Cheers,

Eric

Kris Hansen

Also, no matter what you do, it will sound very ticky. I replaced the cam chain tensioner, the chain, the FSI tappet, and lots of other things. Each made a difference, but no matter what, the earlier FSI engines are kind of loud at idle. The latest improvement was the serpentine belt tensioner. If yours is vibrating, replace it.

Eric.Dewhirst

Thanks Kris - I appreciate the feedback. It is good to know that it never completely goes away.

Kris Hansen

I was surprised as well. It's one of those sounds that you don't really notice at first, but once you notice it, you can't un-hear it.

Eric.Dewhirst

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of the hydraulic tensioners - that definately was the issue.

The plastic guides had broken off and as you can see the tensioner piston was what was applying pressure to the chain - glad I caught this now.

I really appreciate your input.

Cheers,

Eric