News

How & why I got my Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI engine rebuilt after 1.28 lakh km

27th December 2023, 18:03 by Rahul Nagaraj

Mechanic mentioned fuel efficiency will increase, need to observe for a few more tanks

BHPian OffRoadFun recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The last few weeks have not been good, as the title suggests.

How it started:

We came back from around a two-week vacation and the batteries of both our cars were DEAD. Had to ask neighbors to carpool kids to sports classes over the weekend despite having two cars.

Eventually, I replaced the battery of my SX4 and was planning to do the same for Q5 (as the normal battery is not recommended). But had to take my car to the farm in between for some important work and also thought the battery would be charged during the drive (not a bad assumption). The trip was great and so was the drive (maybe will share the pictures and notes in another post). But the next day, while driving I observed the warning that the alternator not charging. I was stranded not too far from home, got a new battery as a backup and drove back home (nighttime). The next morning drove the car to the FNG. I also lost power steering power (it has hydraulic steering) which led me to suspect that the serpentine belt was gone. While driving to the mechanic, turned off the AC and music to save on battery and observed a clunking sound, especially at higher RPMs, indicating out bearing or the belt.

The mechanic confirmed the broken alternator belt and its debris was visible in the engine compartment.

The mechanic mentioned they will have to investigate why the belt broke, it usually does not I was told. The bearings could be worn out.

Later on, he called me to inform the tensioner was gone leading to the belt broken and the bearings also having to be replaced. Bill was around Rs 14k which I was OK with (what's the choice anyway?).

Not bad. When I went to collect the car, I took a test drive and heard a clunking sound at high RPMs. I was disappointed as this was my third visit for this work. Upon opening the bonnet, the sound was from the engine. Not a good news.

Over the next few days, they opened the engine and finally dug into the problem, they opened and dismantled it completely and I was called to explain the issue(s)!

It was sad to see the engine out, though I know it is an old car. Still. I NEVER thought this would happen to my car. I have been servicing it regularly and lately have not been driving much. Anyways!

The timing chain had signs of impending damage, though not completely gone!

Boring needed to be done in a couple of cylinders.

TLDR: The engine had to be rebuilt.

The car has done 128k kms and I was hoping to use it for a few more years at least.

I did some research and also saw there were a few other cars in the garage which were going through engine rebuilds (one BMW 530d, waterlogged and another C-class). He claimed the engine would live for another 100k kms after the rebuild

The bill quoted was 2.6L!

I was not ready for a replacement car immediately. My car usage declined a bit last year as I started taking a company cab to avoid driving in the morning rush hour to avoid frustration. I loved the drives on high most now

Ironical as it may sound, I realized I needed a 200HP+ car after driving the Q5 2.0T (tuned to 255HP/410Nm), whatever the usage. I also realized I need a car which I will need to put into rough use on my farm/offroad.

While buying this car (used, for less than the cost of a Honda City), I had set aside 5L for any repair work which I did not utilize.

With these factors in mind, I decided to bite the bullet and asked the mechanic to rebuild. I know not many would agree.

Will update this post once complete.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Good call. A little more expensive than I would've thought in the aftermarket, but if his quality is top-class, then it's well worth it.
We've seen how you use your car and take it all over, including on your farmlands. The replacement cost for your Q5 would be at least 20 - 30 lakhs in the used market, and 60 lakhs new.
I would do the same.
My Related Article (Want to sell your car because of repairs? Think again!)
Please do share the name, address & number of your FNG if you are super happy with his work.

Here's what BHPian AKSarkar1 had to say on the matter:

I would do the same, spending around 3L for an engine rebuild for a car of this class seems reasonable to me. It also gives you peace of mind that you will be able to cover at least 1L+ kilometres after the rebuild. However, the one major caveat is that the people who are doing the rebuild should know their stuff.
2 of my friends have had their engines rebuilt, 1 has already clocked 50K Kms without any problem and the other sold off his car frustrated after niggles and issues post the rebuild
My advice would be to make sure that the people who are doing the rebuild know their stuff and that the parts that are being put in are OEM quality at the very minimum.
All the best!

BHPian OffRoadFun had an update on his engine rebuild:

Update:

My Q5 is back after the rebuild. For now, all I can say the engine bay looks very clean.

A few early observations:

The car power is slightly more or the same, definitely not lower than earlier. Acceleration is good. I am not revving it over 4000 rpm for now till 3k kms are completed
It seems to be slightly more noisier. At stops/idling (has DSG), there are a bit more vibrations than there were before the rebuild. Not sure if it is because it needs to run in or is due to other sources like pumps etc or if engine mounts need a fix. The mechanic has asked to observe for 1000km and come back if it persists.
Mechanic mentioned fuel economy will increase, need to observe for a few more tanks

Need to observe for the next 3000 kms. Planning a farm trip in December will see highway performance at higher speeds (~100kmph)