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Vehicle

Audi A4

Audi's volume saloon and the most community-documented car it makes. Two patterns dominate its code traffic and neither is exotic: direct-injection carbon build-up, which produces misfire and rough-running codes on a mechanically sound engine, and timing-chain tensioner wear on the early EA888, where the noise on a cold start is worth more than the code is.

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Audi A4 S line (B9 facelift), front three-quarter view
Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0 (external)

Generations

  • B5 1994–2001

    The 1.8T's first mass generation; vacuum leaks from aged hoses feed the classic lean codes.

    Body styles
    Sedan · Estate
    Platform
    PL45
    Engines
    • 1.6 petrol — petrol · 74–75 kW (99–101 hp) · 140–148 Nm (103–109 lb-ft)
    • 1.8 petrol — petrol · 92 kW (123 hp)
    • 1.8T — petrol · 110–132 kW (148–177 hp) · 210–235 Nm (155–173 lb-ft)
    • 2.4 V6 — petrol · 121 kW (162 hp) · 230 Nm (170 lb-ft)
    • 2.8 V6 — petrol · 128–142 kW (172–190 hp) · 245–280 Nm (181–207 lb-ft)
    • 1.9 TDI — diesel · 66–85 kW (89–114 hp) · 202–310 Nm (149–229 lb-ft)
    • 2.5 V6 TDI — diesel · 110 kW (148 hp) · 310 Nm (229 lb-ft)
    Transmissions
    5-speed manual · 6-speed manual · 5-speed automatic · multitronic CVT
    Drivetrain
    Front-wheel drive · quattro four-wheel drive

  • B6 2000–2006

    First FSI direct injection at volume — the beginning of the carbon story.

    Body styles
    Sedan · Estate · Convertible
    Platform
    PL46
    Engines
    • 1.6 petrol — petrol · 75 kW (101 hp) · 148 Nm (109 lb-ft)
    • 1.8T — petrol · 110–140 kW (148–188 hp) · 210–240 Nm (155–177 lb-ft)
    • 2.0 FSI — petrol · 110 kW (148 hp) · 200 Nm (148 lb-ft)
    • 3.0 V6 — petrol · 162 kW (217 hp) · 300 Nm (221 lb-ft)
    • 4.2 V8 — petrol · 253 kW (339 hp) · 410 Nm (302 lb-ft) · S4
    • 1.9 TDI — diesel · 74–96 kW (99–129 hp) · 250–310 Nm (184–229 lb-ft)
    • 2.5 V6 TDI — diesel · 114–132 kW (153–177 hp) · 310–370 Nm (229–273 lb-ft)
    Transmissions
    5-speed manual · 6-speed manual · 5-speed automatic · 6-speed automatic · multitronic CVT
    Drivetrain
    Front-wheel drive · quattro four-wheel drive

  • B7 2004–2008

    B6 refresh; 2.0 TFSI and the 2.0 TDI at European fleet volume.

    Body styles
    Sedan · Estate · Convertible
    Platform
    PL46
    Engines
    • 1.8T — petrol · 120 kW (161 hp) · 225 Nm (166 lb-ft)
    • 2.0 TFSI — petrol · 147–162 kW (197–217 hp) · 280–300 Nm (207–221 lb-ft)
    • 3.2 FSI V6 — petrol · 188 kW (252 hp) · 330 Nm (243 lb-ft)
    • 4.2 V8 — petrol · 253–309 kW (339–414 hp) · 410–430 Nm (302–317 lb-ft) · S4 and RS 4
    • 1.9 TDI — diesel · 85 kW (114 hp) · 285 Nm (210 lb-ft)
    • 2.0 TDI — diesel · 103–125 kW (138–168 hp) · 320–350 Nm (236–258 lb-ft)
    • 2.7 V6 TDI — diesel · 132 kW (177 hp) · 380 Nm (280 lb-ft)
    • 3.0 V6 TDI — EA896 · diesel · 150–171 kW (201–229 hp) · 450 Nm (332 lb-ft)
    • 3.0 — petrol · 6-cylinder, US market 2004-2006
    Transmissions
    6-speed manual · 6-speed automatic · multitronic CVT
    Drivetrain
    Front-wheel drive · quattro four-wheel drive

  • B8 2007–2015

    EA888 chain-driven era. Oil consumption and the chain tensioner are the two things to establish before believing a misfire code.

    Body styles
    Sedan · Estate
    Platform
    MLB
    Engines
    • 1.8 TFSI — petrol · 88–125 kW (118–168 hp) · 230–320 Nm (170–236 lb-ft)
    • 2.0 TFSI — EA888 · petrol · 132–165 kW (177–221 hp) · 320–350 Nm (236–258 lb-ft) · oil consumption and chain tensioner before any misfire code is believed
    • 3.0 TFSI — petrol · 200–245 kW (268–329 hp) · 400–440 Nm (295–325 lb-ft)
    • 2.0 TDI — diesel · 88–140 kW (118–188 hp) · 290–400 Nm (214–295 lb-ft)
    • 3.0 TDI — diesel · 150–180 kW (201–241 hp)
    • 4.2 — petrol · 331 kW (444 hp) · 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) · 8-cylinder, US market 2007-2009
    Transmissions
    6-speed manual · multitronic CVT · 7-speed S tronic · 8-speed tiptronic
    Drivetrain
    Front-wheel drive · Four-wheel drive

  • B9 2015–present

    MLB Evo, later cars with 12V mild hybrid; particulate filters on petrol arrive.

    Body styles
    Sedan · Estate
    Platform
    MLB Evo
    Engines
    • 1.4 TFSI — petrol · 110 kW (148 hp) · 250 Nm (184 lb-ft)
    • 2.0 TFSI — petrol · 110–150 kW (148–201 hp)
    • 2.0 TDI — diesel · 90–140 kW (121–188 hp)
    • 3.0 TDI — EA897 · diesel · 160–210 kW (215–282 hp)
    • 3.0 supercharged — petrol · 200–260 kW (268–349 hp) · 6-cylinder, US market 2015-2016
    • 3.0 turbo — petrol · 200–260 kW (268–349 hp) · 6-cylinder, US market 2018-2025
    Transmissions
    6-speed manual · 7-speed S tronic · 8-speed tiptronic
    Drivetrain
    Front-wheel drive · Four-wheel drive

Information, not instruction

CarGeek is a reference, not a service manual. Its pages are written from public sources and from what other people have found, never from a manufacturer's own service information, so they can be wrong or incomplete for your particular vehicle. Some of what they describe carries real risk: high voltage, fuel under pressure, stored energy, hot and moving parts.

Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.

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