VAG 2.0 TDi Tuning - Complete Mod Guide 140 - 170hp versions

"Tuning, problems weak spots , and complete upgrade guide."

The VAG group 2.0 Diesel engines (2.0 TDi) are very popular and have had many revisions and updates over the years. We shall map out the differences between the engine codes and generations and identify potential faults and issues with them.

We will also look at the tuning upgrades and mods around for the 2.0 TDi which will help you make more power, and get more from your engine.

We cover the 3 main generations of the 2.0TDi in this tuning guide.

This video covers 2.0TDi Tuning Mods in a fair bit of detail. (More videos will follow so be sure to subscribe)

All modern engines have weak spots, by pointing these out we hope to prepare the buyer to spot potential issues early on many of which I experienced first hand, thankfully in friends cars though.

I am not trying to make out that these engines are particularly unreliable or full of issues - I recently bought one (a BKD) after doing my research carefully and was very pleased with it. You should note that generally newer engines have had the faults engineered out completely.

If you want a quick beginner's guide to tuning diesels please see my new video tutorial. I will be providing a more specific video for the 2.0TDi generations (EA188 EA189 and EA288) in the future, so please subscribe to our channel to avoid missing out.

Engine Codes and Specs for the 2.0TDi (140 & 170 bhp version)

EA188 PD (R4 Tdi)

Pre 2008 engines are PD EA 188 (Pumpe Düse) based and given a BKD, BKP (Mainly in the Passat) or BMM, BMN, BMR and BRD engine code. My BKD proved quite reliable even after a remap.

Audi A6 was fitted with the BVG BNA BRF BLB BRE & A4 BVF(120) BVG (121) BNA(136) BRF (136)  BLB BRE (all Bosch 140 without DPF).

  • BKD 140 bhp without DPF filter Bosch
  • AZV 134 bhp without DPF filter Bosch
  • BKP 140 bhp without DPF filter Siemens VDO Piezo injectors
  • BMA 136ps without DPF  Siemens VDO Piezo injectors
  • BVE 122ps without DPF  Siemens VDO Piezo injectors
  • BWV 120ps without DPF Siemens VDO Piezo injectors
  • BMM 140 bhp with a DPF filter Bosch injectors.
  • BMN 170 bhp - bigger turbo  Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines + DPF
  • BUZ 163ps  - bigger turbo and Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines + DPF
  • BVA 163ps - bigger turbo Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines +DPF
  • BMR 170 bhp - bigger turbo Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines + DPF
  • BRD 170 bhp - bigger turbo Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines + DPF
The VAG group 2.0 TDI engines have a lot to offer and if you know what to spot are reliable and have lots of tuning potential.

EA189 revision

After 2008 CR (common rail) engines came in and had CBAB and CBBB engine codes. The common rail engines are superior to the PD engines although there were a few minor teething problems on early engines. All were Euro 5 rated so came with DPF.

These 2008 engines were also implicated in the 2015 VAG group emissions scandal where the software would detect test conditions and reduce the emissions.

  • CFHC, CBEA, CBAB, CFFB, CBDB, CJAA - 138bhp Bosch
  • CAGA 141 bhp
  • CRBC 148 bhp
  • CBBB 168bhp - bigger turbo and different injectors to the 140bhp engines
  • CAYB 90 Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines
  • CAYC 105 Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines
  • CLCA 110 Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines
  • CLNA 105 Siemens VDO Piezo Injector engines
  • CAAA 84 CAAB 102 CAAE 136 CCHB 136 CCHA 140 CDCA 163
  • CDBA 122 - Bosch ECU & Injectors with DPF

From 2010 EA189 engine codes below, all used eight-nozzle output piezo fuel injectors; Bosch EDC 17 ECU and were fitted with a water cooled EGR system and DPF.

  • CBDB CFFD 109 bhp
  • CAGC 118bhp
  • CAGB 134bhp
  • CFHC, CBEA, CBAB, CFFB, CBDB, CJAA 138 bhp
  • CAGA 141 bhp
  • CRBC  148bhp
  • CAHA CBBB CEGA CAHA 168bhp
  • CFJB CFGC 174 bhp
  • CFCA 177bhp
  • CUNA 181bhp
  • CNHA 188bhp
  • CUAA (Bi Turbo) 236bhp

The pre 2010 110bhp and 120bhp engines will generally need an uprated fuel pump and injectors to cope with power gains above 160bhp and we would recommend you get stronger head bolts. (There were either a Bosch or Siemens fuel pump used on these engines, the former flows better.)

The 110s can be mapped to 140 fairly easily but beyond this, you need to swap out the turbo, improve fuel delivery and use stronger head bolts.

The 140s can be mapped to around 170/180 happily and in my opinion, are better than a stock 170 in terms of low end pull, but the 170s allow higher power gains so make a better base to work from.

The Sachs racing clutch has been used plenty but the engine idle is in our opinion very compromised, but we still think you'll be better off with a dual mass flywheel that is slightly lighter instead of going for a lighter single mass flywheel.

EA288 revision (2015-)

From 2015 we see the EA288 engine released as the VW group move on from the emissions scandal the 110 and 150 bhp models have smaller turbos, and you can replace the turbo and tune/remap quite easily.

They retain the BOSCH EDC17 C64 ECU and are more economical than the EA189 but it is too early to see any patterns of faults.

This design allows a range of EGR systems to be added to suit different market regulations.

The valve train system integrated valve drive module was used on the EA288.

  •  CVCA CRUA
  • CKYB, CRBB, CRBC, CRLB, CRVA and CRVC

The OEM fuel pumps on the CR engines are generally good for around 240bhp, upgrade them and the injectors if you go beyond this or risk the dreaded limp home mode.

Some 110bhp engines will need fuel pump and injector upgrades before this sort of power can be realised.

On the EA288 engines we note that the Bi-turbo variants use the same fuel pump and injectors.

The Bi Turbos run them at a higher pressure rather than bigger injectors at the same pressure as the single turbo so there is quite a bit of leeway and headroom on these units.

Turbo upgrades for the EA288 and power range/target...

  • GTD2872VRK 340-400bhp
  • GTB2260VK 300bhp
  • GTB1756BK 220bhp
  • VNT17-22 Hybrid 210bhp
  • GT1749VB 200bhp

Best Engine Mods for a 2.0 TDi engine

  1. Remapping
  2. Turbo upgrades (hybrids or large turbo)
  3. Intercoolers
  4. Differentials
  5. Fuel upgrades - depending on your power gains

Please watch my Video on "beginners' guide to TDi Tuning" for an overview of tuning mods.

Faults and problems on the 2.0 TDI engines.

We've actually pulled these into a new page so we can go into more detail about these issues as this page was getting really long. So read our article 2.0TDI problems.

20-Tdi

The early Siemens piezo injectors on the 170 had a fault, and would just fail to cause the engine to cut out. Most of these have been recalled or replaced now so it shouldn't be an issue anymore.

There are plenty of reports of DPF issues requiring a dealer regen. If you drive it hot, go on long journeys and use high-quality fuel you should have no problem at all.

However, if you do lots of short journeys then you are best advised to remove the DPF* or choose a non DPF model. (*removal of the DPF is not legal in some countries.)

There are also reports of a faulty fan controller where fan doesn't switch off, eventually draining the battery and potentially burning out the fan.

The 2.0 engines have a lumpy idle which is something you generally have to live with. However a faulty DMF, Injector failures or issues with the EGR flow rate can also cause a very lumpy idle or misfire.

BKP engines in particular have an issue with the oil pump drive gears which were subject to a recall and there are reports of turbo failures on these engines.

Most longitudinal PD engines have the balance shaft module. Those engines suffer from two problems, the chain tensioner that breaks and causing the balance shaft module to stop working including the oil pump.

The second problem is in the module itself, how it drives the oil pump, this is done by a small hexagon that also breaks because of the wear.

VAG has tried to solve both issues, by replacing the chain by gears, that seems to be a working solution.

They also upgraded the size of the hexagon so it should be stronger and it is, it’s now failing after more mileage. Still a very problematic issue that needs to be addressed.

When failing the oil pressure drops immediately and the engine breaks beyond repair. Often you'll get a dash warning light just after the engine seizes! Which is not all that helpful.

The last issue, the hexagon, is still present in newer CR engines, but this time not just in the Passat, A4/A6 and Superb. The only engine we are aware of that doesn’t use the balance shaft module is the 110HP 2.0 TDI(CBDC).

Luckily enough there is a solution, for the PD and CR engines. It is replacing the balance shaft module for a chain driven oil pump as seen in other TDI engines. The 140hp 2.0 8v PD TDI (BMM) for example has that oil pump and it has been flawless.

EA288 engines have been revised and we have not (yet) been made aware of a recurrence of this issue.

Cylinder head cracking on early EA188 units.

There is a reference number to the right of the cylinder head underneath the fuel lines 03G 103 351 B or 03G 103 308 B. Look carefully at the letter at the end of this. If you have A you are virtually guaranteed to suffer a cracked cylinder head.

The B is a little stronger but a few of these have still cracked. C is the one to go for and there are very few if any reports of cylinder heads cracking.

Keep a close eye on engines with the A or B codes, particularly if there are any faults or issues arising.

This does not appear to be an issue with the EA288 units.

DMFs are fairly weak and will frequently fail. If yours should go we would suggest getting a high torque flywheel from but keep to a dual mass flywheel the single mass ones will cause too many vibrations.

Tuning mods

There are a few major differences between the 140 and 170 engines. The main differences are the turbo and injectors.

In fact a 140 engine can be upgraded to 170bhp with a remap (in our opinion it is a better choice than buying a 170!) but 170-180 is the upper limit of the 140's turbo.

If you stayed on the standard 140 injectors but fitted a larger capacity turbo you should still be ok to around 200-220bhp before you need to increase the injectors.

The 110 engines are generally fitted with small turbos, lower pressure injectors, and an inferior quality fuel pump but the components fitted varied considerably on model year and from manufacturer to manufacturer so check these carefully before planning your upgrade.

Best mods for your 2.0 TDi

  1. Remaps - A tune/remap provides the biggest gains compared to cost, replacement ECUs, and Tuning boxes are all alternatives.
  2. Turbo upgrades - Adding a turbocharger is the most efficient approach to increase air supply, allowing you to burn more fuel and make more power. It is one of the most costly upgrades it offers big gains.
  3. Intake Mods and Exhaust Upgrades - NB: on their own these mods won't ADD POWER in most cases, but they can help enhance power after other mods by removing the restriction.
  4. Intercooler upgrades - a better intercooler will make more power for longer periods of time.
  5. Fast road Camshafts are generally the biggest mechanical mod upgrade, but they must be setup by someone who knows what they are doing and they are not always easy to source but you might find a local firm to regrind a stock camshaft.
  6. Internal engine mods - crank, pistons, conrods & compression ratio including balancing and blueprinting

2.0TDi Tuning Stages

Typical stage 1 mods often include: Sports exhaustPanel air filter, Lighter flywheel, Engine Tunes/Remapping, Intercooler Upgrades

Typical stage 2 mods often include: high flow fuel injector, fuel pump upgrades, Power/Sport clutch, Ported and polished head, Fast road cam.

Typical stage 3 mods often include: Engine balancingInternal engine upgrades (pistons/head/valves), Competition cam, Upgrading forced induction (turbo).

Let's look at engine tuning/remapping a 2.0TDi

A tune/remap modifies the computer settings to increase the engine's power. In its simplest form, it raises the "safety" restrictions, forces more fuel/air into the engine, and changes the turbo spool up speeds to maximize power improvements.

Many tuners will increase the fuel rail pressure and injector timing to improve mid-range power and acceleration while keeping peak pressure within the original limitations.

In terms of fueling, they alter the injection time, which is critical in diesel engines. All common rail systems have two injection phases, a pilot phase to start the fire and a principal phase to provide the bulk of the power. The pilot phase eliminates the distinctive DI diesel rattling and bang.

While CR (common rail) diesels react well to remapping, I believe many automakers detuned their diesel engines to create a place for petrol versions the earlier PD engines also give good gains when tuned/remapped but the CR engines offer much more control and usually make better mid to top end power.

Remaps for the 2.0 TDI engines:

The 140 can be lifted to 170 on a software upgrade alone but to go beyond this you will need to look at the turbo. A tuned/remapped 140 is less laggy and makes the car feel much more compared to a 170 due to the smaller turbo, but the turbos can fail if not properly serviced and maintained when pushed this hard.

It's clear that the headline power figures are only half the story and you should take into account the general feel of the engine and torque band.

A tune/remap on the 170 bhp engines can comfortably attain 210-225 bhp. Again going higher than this will require a turbo upgrade or hybrid turbo. Remember that larger turbos are generally laggier, so you'll have less low down torque. If you spec the right turbo upgrade you shouldn't have this issue.

Diesel gained a lot of R&D funding in the early part of the 21st century (say the first 5-6 years), but petrol engines hardly improved.

Now diesel engines are cleaner than gasolene engines, and make more power and still deliver better fuel economy, they really have come a long way.

Ignore Peak Power Claims from engine tuning/remapping companies

Please ignore peak power when comparing maps, since tuners are known to manufacture a power blip or spike to draw attention.

Instead, focus on the total torque curve. More power at the bottom ends the turbo and causes traction difficulties, whereas more power at the top end stresses the turbo and other components.

Look at the dyno graph below and work out which map is better for you?

The red plot indicates an increase in power, boasting a headline figure of 200hp, but power is down everywhere else, while the green trace shows a constant gain in power across the RPM range.

It also displays peak power at 4000rpm, which is fantastic for an engine that redlines at 7000rpm, providing you a fair distribution of additional power where you need it most.

On a map, we want to see a steady and progressively smooth torque rise over the rpm range, with few dips and troughs. In the absence of dyno printouts, you must question whether the map has ever been tested or analyzed.

2.0 TDi turbo upgrades

The superb BORGWARNER BV40 VNT was used on the 2.0 TDi upto around 2003 and hybrid upgrades are many and plentiful. The later 2010 2.0 TDI140 and 170hp's used different turbos to the Borgwarner BV43 so dropping in the newer (Garrett GTC14V) 170 turbo will give you some headroom in your diesel A3 Tuning project.

These turbos are pretty solid and reliable and most problem reports are due to improper mapping or driver neglect, rather than any fault inherent in the turbo design.

Taking a 140 beyond 170 bhp will always require a larger turbo, TorqueCars suggest the GTB2056VK is definitely less laggy than the GTB2260VK due to its smaller compressors,  but it can still flow to around the 260-275 bhp.

Used turbos from the 170bhp engine are a good, cheap, viable upgrade option if you are looking at the 200bhp mark.

Your second option is to go with a hybrid turbo. A hybrid turbo is a drop-in replacement for the OEM turbo but the internals have been tweaked to meet your power needs.

By modifying the geometry of the exhaust side impeller you may cause the turbo to spool up more rapidly, providing a longer power band or greater top end power.

It is normally a tradeoff since you are often unable to receive all of these perks and will need to select the greatest solution to suit.

Also, modifications to the intake compressor's profile may have a substantial influence on how much air can be pushed into the engine.

There are two kinds of bearings used in turbos.

Thrust bearings and ball bearings. Most OEM turbos employ thrust bearings since these are cheaper to make but when a lot of additional power is pushed through them they might start to fail and you have oil leaks and early turbo wear.

The later EA288 engines are best with a GTD2872VRK 340-400bhp, a GTB2260VK 300bhp, the GTB1756BK 220bhp, a VNT17-22 Hybrid 210bhp or the GT1749VB 200bhp turbo upgrades. Choose depending on where you want the power and how far you want to push the engine powerband.

Big Turbo upgrades options

Big turbos often have a lot of low-end lag. Small turbos start up faster, but they won't be able to make as much power at high RPMs.

Thankfully the range of turbos is continuously increasing and we regularly see variable vane turbos, where the vane shape is adjusted according to speed to minimize lag and boost top end torque.

Twin scroll turbos split the exhaust gases into two channels and direct them towards differentially slanted vanes in the turbocharger. They also boost the scavenging effect of the engine.

Results of Tuning a 2.0 TDi On Quarter Mile Runs

We are assuming a 1400kgs kerb weight, & Manual transmission

Base power Quarter
Mile
Tuned
to
Kerb
Weight
Quarter
Mile
109hp 18.59 140hp 1400kg 17.51
140hp 17.15 175hp 1400kg 15.96
150hp 16.77 225hp 1400kg 14.71
170hp 16.10 255hp 1400kg 14.13
640hp 1400kg 10.98

Impressive gains can be achieved on the 2.0TDi tuning project with revised maps, turbos, fuelling upgrades and forged internals. Bear in mind you'll hit traction issues around 225hp on FWD cars, so the 4 wheel drive variants put the power down more effectively.

10 second quarter mile times are possible but not practical for the 2.0 TDi needing around 640hp to shift a 1400kg car along the drag strip in under 11 seconds.

Camshaft improvements and mods

Cam timing adjustments are quite easy to perform on most of these engines as the Cams are fitted with vernier pulleys. Moving the cam from advance to retard slightly will alter the peak power zone of the car but each engine is different and will have a sweet spot.

Only play with this if you know what you're doing. If you tweak it too far the car may fail to start when cold so just back off a little from the setting you've selected.

The top of the cam cover just unclips giving you access to the cam pulleys. ALWAYS MARK THE ORIGINAL POSITION CAREFULLY SO YOU CAN PUT IT BACK TO HOW IT WAS IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME.

Advancing or retarding the cam will push the power band down or up the 2.0 TDi RPM range so you can set the car up to match your preferred driving style.

The Bosch ECU's are pretty protective of the engine so mistakes in cam timing selection are not usually going to have dramatic consequences.

There are some decent camshaft upgrades around now, the primary reason to fit these is to move the power band to where you want it, so on a tune/remap you might want less bottom end as you'll get loads of wheelspin and trade it off for better top end power.

The longer valve durations may increase the horsepower band through most of the rev range.

You could just use the vernier pulley (or fit one if your model doesn't have one) as mentioned earlier to move the cam & valve timing as an alternative to a fast road cam, and it will move your power band up or down, but TorqueCars encourage you to only make very small adjustments to the cam positions.

Mass Airflow sensor problems

It is frequent that there is a limitation in the air flow sensor (MAF) on the 2.0 TDi when loads of air is being sucked into the engine as is the case with large power hikes.

In comparison to the OEM air sensor, which drained performance at a much lower level, we observe 4 bar air sensors dealing with substantial power improvements.

Changing the air flow sensor will require some tweaks to the ECU otherwise it will not know how to interpret the wider range of readings it is getting and will likely go into limp home mode or suffer from flat spots.

Fuelling upgrades

When you raise the torque you will need to pay attention to the fuel system.

More power from your engine takes more diesel which must match the airflow to a certain extent. It is crucial to over define your flow rate on the injectors and give a little spare capacity.

The recommended safe increase is to add an additional 20 percent when purchasing an injector, which takes into consideration injector degradation and offers you some extra capacity should the engine demand more fuel.

Are Exhaust Upgrades Worth Doing?

You only need to modify your exhaust if the present exhaust is generating a restriction in the flow. The standard exhaust fitted to every VAG group 2.0TDi flows more than well enough for even a 40% power hike!

So there is no need to replace the exhaust and the sound from a larger bore TDi exhaust is not pleasant (in my opinion).

On most factory exhausts you'll find your flow rate is still good even on minor power increases, however, when you start pushing up the power levels you will need to buy a stronger flowing exhaust.

But if your exhaust pipe is too huge, ie: it's above 2.5 inches bore, you will lose a considerable part of the flow rate and end up losing power and torque.

Usual exhaust limits may be found as restrictions in the flow through the filters fitted (cats and dpfs), thus installing a freer flowing sports alternative can assist prevent this restriction. It is not legal in most areas to remove these from your car completely and in some regions it is illegal to modify them for a sports alternative.

What Benefits Do You Get from Differential Upgrades

Not strictly an engine mod, but when power goes to around 190hp you'll start to hit traction problems and issues so at this point TorqueCars recommendation is to go with a differential upgrade.

The best arrangement thus is to apportion the power distribution supplying a maximum of 75 percent to a wheel at any one moment. This is where the torque detecting diffs come in.

Clever diff installations include the semi locking diff which only locks up in the case of a wheel spinning supplying power to both wheels giving much better traction in a wet corner.

Torque actuated diffs (which employ a clutch) and torsion diffs are 2 more prominent differential types available.

Does a diff make much difference? In a competitive scenario when you are pushing the peak amount of available power it might make a major difference to your lap timings.

The advantage might mean a vehicle with 120bhp achieving better timings than one with 170bhp. You will notice that in corners the vehicle will pull better and be more predictable and stable.

Modern diffs can also adjust the amount of power transmitted to the rear wheels (on the quattro and all 4 setup) allowing for excellent cornering abilities and tremendous traction

2.0 TDi EGR Removal

Removing the EGR will not make a noticeable performance difference. At full (WOT) throttle it does not open and it helps reduce fuel consumption and throttle response at low RPM speeds and lessens the work the engine has to do in overcoming the cylinder vacuum.

It can, however, make tick over a little lumpy and has been blamed for carbon build-up in the 2.0TDi engine but if you use a good quality fuel and cleaner (like BG244) you should not really have an issue.

turbo-cosworth

250bhp is a sensible limit for most drivers looking for a daily driver.

The engines are quite strong though and you'll find that around the 350 bhp mark is the safe maximum power a standard block can handle, a lot depends on the driving style and maintenance though.

Power delivery and traction over 220bhp can be an issue as well so it would be worth investing in a good LSD and sports tires.

You will need to uprate the injectors around the 250bhp mark but this varies depending on which injectors you have fitted as standard to your car.

Most drivers report that the clutch begins to slip around the 420-430Nm mark and there is a torque limiter placed on the DSG gearbox.

Are Solid flywheels any good on the 2.0 TDI?

Solid flywheels are not a great option on the 2.0TDi - it really does need a DMF to smooth out the lumps.

People who have fitted lighter solid flywheels have often regretted their choice.

Read our guide to DMF vs solid flywheel conversions for more information on this.

Intercooler improvements on the 2.0 TDi

We recommend you look at fitting a better intercooler, the stock one is quite small and suffers from heat soak when a lot of high rpm driving is done.

Turbos have issues with the cold intake charge being near to the hot exhaust temperatures and compression of air which adds a lot of extra heat.

It's a commonly held fact that cooler air holds more oxygen. Why is cooler air so beneficial?

The more oxygen you have, the more diesel you can burn, increasing the car's power output.

What does an intercooler do?

An intercooler is a radiator that cools the intake air charge before it enters the 2.0 TDi engine. Install an intercooler in front of the radiator to take advantage of the cold air. Many factory mounted intercoolers on the 2.0TDi are located to the side around the wheel wells.

Most of the heat is removed by an intercooler placed after the air intake filter and as close as possible to the turbo or supercharger where the heat is added.

Front mounted intercoolers lie in front of the radiator and hence provide better air cooling than top mounted intercoolers or those mounted to one side typically in a wheel well!

An effective intercooler design may release around 5-10% power and withstand heat soak for longer! The gains are larger if you've done more mods, as the heat it has to deal with will be much higher.

All turbocharged engines, even a diesel like the 2.0 TDi will benefit from an intercooler, and stock intercoolers may be improved by relocation or fitting the one from the S or RS versions of the car.

PLEASE HELP US COMPLETE THIS PAGE, If we've missed out on some details or you have some tips to pass on please use the comments section below to let us know. 

For more information on Tuning your car please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss options in more detail with our owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased VW, SEAT, Skoda Audi tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification.

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54 Responses to “2.0 TDI 140-170 tuning”

  1. paul says:

    Informative and well constructed article… nice

  2. pa.k says:

    I drive a 170 pd passat and looking for bigger turbo and injectors pls can u recommend a reputable garage to do this work thx !

  3. Mike says:

    Hi there – really good article, concise and informative.
    My 170bhp Passat CC has a CBB engine block and I was wondering what are the kinds of issues that might arise that I should keep and eye on or that would be indicative of cylinder head cracks?
    Thnx – M

  4. ryan says:

    This is great info, thanks for posting this, i’m from the east coast of Canada and there is not much info on this out there locally or on the web. I was also wondering if you swapped the turbo from a Cr140 for a turbo from the 170 and had the same tune, would you have to get a new tune after the swap turbo swap?

  5. Shane Hickey says:

    Hi I have a 2007 A4 2.0 TDi 170 BHP and I have been told it needs a new head by an Audi garage. My engine code is BRD. Do you know if a head off a 2.0 TDi 140 BHP engine will do me ? Cheers

  6. Werner says:

    Nice article, usefull to know what engines have the siemens injectors.

    But a little more information about the oilpump/balance shaft issue would have been better. I’ll try to add some and maybe you can add it to the article.

    All PD engines placed in length have the balance shaft module, VW Passat, Audi A4/A6 and afaik the Skoda SuperB. Those engines have two problems, the chain tensioner that breaks and causing the balance shaft module to stop working including the oilpump. The second problem is in the module itself, how it drives the oilpump, this is done by a small hexagon that also breaks because of the wear.

    VAG has tried to solve both issues, by replacing the chain by gears, that seems to be a working solution. The also upgraded the size of the hexagon so it should be stronger and it is, it’s now failing after more mileage. Still a very problematic issue that needs to be adressed. When failing oil pressure is 0 immediately and the engine breaks beyond repair.

    The last issue, the hexagon, is still present in newer CR engines, but this time not just in the Passat, A4/A6 and SuperB. The only engines I know of that don’t use the balance shaft module are the 110HP 2.0 TDI(CBDC) and the 1.6 TDI serie (CAYC).

    Luckily enough there is a solution, for the PD and CR engines. It is replacing the balance shaft module for a chain driven oilpump as seen in other TDI engines. The 140HP 2.0 8v PD TDI (BMM) for example has that oilpump and it has been flawless.

    So, if you buy any 2.0 check for availability of the balance shaft module and replace the damn thing. In the Netherlands such a replacement costs about 1000 euro’s including original VAG parts and labour. A lot of money to spend when you just bought a nice new car but it will save your engine. After this most of the engines except from a few very problematic ones will be really reliable.

    By the way, lot’s of people think all 1.9 TDI’s are more reliable, this is correct for some engine types but there are also really crappy ones. All later 105HP engines including Blue Motion are in most cases BXE or BLS engines, both have had a lot of issues with connecting-rods exploding out of the engine. So as mentioned above do your homework, if you buy the right type, maintain it nicely and have a bit of luck you can drive into eternity with these engines.

  7. Doogie hamilton says:

    Shane my 170 a4 quattro is the same mate did you get any joy? I’ve been told new head and injectors as Audi never installed the injectors correcrtly under recall but it’s too late to claim them!

  8. SAYLOR says:

    CAN YOU SWAP A CBE ENGINE OUT OF A 09 JETTA, WITH A CJA ENGINE?

  9. Rob says:

    I think my Turbo is shot, I want a direct replacement.

    I have mine tuned to 178 from 140 bhp, your article mentions the GTB2056VK Turbo, is this a direct replacement for the one that comes standard or will it need other parts in order to fit? Also will I need a retune if I fit this one too?

    I’m just looking for something a little stronger than the standard one as I’ve heard a lot of bad things and the whilstling noise I’m getting now doesn’t fill me with confidence.

  10. Jack.N says:

    I have an 06 PD140 BKD which went in for a remap. The before and after showed the bhp as 154.9 to start, and 186.9 to finish – work that one out.. ? How could my car be labelled 140 from the factory but after 9 years have gained 14.9 bhp? Let me know your thoughts.

  11. TorqueCars says:

    Dyno readings are not that accurate, they measure power at the wheel and then using maths estimate the flywheel power figure. Taking the before and after figures you can however see the power gain you achieved with the remap. If you put your car on a calibrated dyno reading the wheel horse power you’ll probably get figures around 20-30bhp lower than this. A 140bhp engine is only really putting down about 120hp on the road at best.

  12. Rob says:

    Hi, my CBBB 170bhp Passat engine is wrecked, failed oil pump! so I’m on the look out for another engine but would any other type suit, say a 140bhp and use my old injectors & turbo etc., thanks

  13. Gunnar Solvason says:

    I have head 03G 103 308 C on my car and it cracked
    Octavia 2.0tdi BKD 2007
    KIND REGARDS
    GUNNAR

  14. Craig says:

    Thanks for the write up boys…. You just saved me from buying an a3 with an a code head….cheers!

  15. Amon says:

    I have a vw passat 2.0 tdi with bkp engine but the oil pump has failed and engine dead. I have found a bkd engine that I want to replace it with. Will the Bkd engine work nicely in my passat? Please help!

    Your response will be highly appreciated.

  16. Gael says:

    Hi Guys, i need to know what technical difference between CAGA and CFHC, CBEA, CBAB, CFFB, CBDB, CJAA .

    My HPP is out and i search part to replace it but very difficult to find the same reference
    High Pressure pump réf bosch:0445010507 (réf audi 03L 130 755)
    Injectors: 0445116 030 2151(réf audi: 03L 130 277)
    high pump:
    injector 0445116 030

  17. Harv says:

    Thank you for all this info, it is very helpful and I will be using the info on this article to tune my 140bhp model a4 avant (which is already at 170bhp with a dpf delete and back box delete)

  18. Todd says:

    If you haven’t sorted this already I can provide you with a answer.. Yes it does, just a few modifications.. The bkp uses seimens injectors, the bkd uses Bosch.. You need to swap the injectors over marking up what order they were in including the injector loom (buy new injector seal kits). Another one is on the back of the block there is a half shaft bearing housing what needs to be to be removed also the oil cooler pipes are the other way around I found. Apart from that it all just bolts in. One major plus is the bkd doesn’t have a balance shaft modual at all.. Just a chain driven oil pump similar to the 1.9 8v pd engines. All of this is from recent experience as my cam belt tensioner stud snapped and ruined the head…

  19. Todd says:

    Also mine had the hot start issue what is sorted with a hot start map, where the starter motors speed is turned up as the injectors don’t work until the engine is rotating at 200rpm and then a remap taking it to a predicted 180, such a lovely smooth, fast delivery of power with a good map.

  20. Gaby says:

    Dear all,
    Great info site! Thanks.
    I have a 2009 Dodge Journey that has a VW Engine which dodge references differently and it has been a pain trying to understand which actual VW engine it is. Dodge calls it a “2.0 TDI I4 Cyl DOHC (ECE)” also known as “RX040870AC”…possibly also “68040870AB” anyone knows what VW engine that actually corresponds to on the VAG list? I’m Looking for a replacement and new from Dodge is prohibitive.

  21. Elvis says:

    The thermostat of the DSG Gearbox is often broken so it cools the engine too and both never get warm but most car workshops only change the thermostat of the engine without success and forget the thermostat of the DSG Gearbox! The engine and the gearbox need the operating temperature and the DPF also cause without temperature the cleaning process doesn’t start!

  22. AllanL says:

    my BRE EGR cooler just blew up and totaled the engine. Since I have to get a new base engine + Turbo + EGR cooler and can only reuse my recently rebuilt injectors, then I was thinking whether it would be wise to upgrade the engine to its latest possible revision. I didn’t find any information about this, but is the BVG the newest engine in the BRE lineage and is it just a drop in replacement?

  23. Nicky Mann says:

    Where abouts are glow plugs located on vw golf mk5 gt please

  24. TorqueCars says:

    Remove the plastic top cover, and timing belt outer cover. The take off the breather hose to the rocker and air intake pipe, take off the rocker cover (lifting up and to the right usually) then you’ll see a black plastic cable housing. Lift this off and you’ll have access to the glow plugs. It takes about an hour to change all 4.

  25. Andrew Stirton says:

    I drive a 2008 Seat Leon Fr170 with BMN engine, after I put full miktek, egr delete, panel filter and a remap it all went well until the dual mass flywheel went which I expected to happen. I fitted darkside single mass billet flywheel and clutch kit.withing a few days my OE plastic clutch bleed valve gave up the ghost so I replaced it with ECS metal non restricted bleed valve. On idle with SMF is sounds like someone has dropped a mechano set in my sump, need to keep the revs well above 1500rpm or it will splutter like mad and potentially snap crankshaft sue to vibrations. On the power and through gears it’s feels great and so direct BUT if I wasn’t planning to Gtb22 it I would never recommend fitting a SMF

  26. Nino Delrio says:

    Enjoyed reading through this article – thank for breaking it down in the way you have for those of us that are trying to learn and understand what does what on the induction side of modern VW diesel engines. Hope to catch more of your articles. Thank you – a pleasure!

  27. Archy says:

    Does CBBB 168bhp engine suffer from chronic injector issues like BMN 170 bhp did? Does CBBB have siemens injectors or bosch ones?

  28. john stewart says:

    When tuning the pd140 engine if u take it past the 235bhp the standard injectors have they can stretch so anybody looking to go past 240bhp should purchase stringer cylinder head bolts from ARP or dark side developments going past,240bhp on the standard studs will stretch and blow the engine up

  29. Neos says:

    Hi, 2006 Golf 140BKD with noisy flywheel, I’m looking at new dmf clutch kits, Where can I find the ‘high torque flywheel from Sachs’ which is mentioned in this article.
    Hope someone can help 🙂

  30. Fez says:

    Hi this is a fantastic summary and a brilliant article. I have just recently bought a58 plate audi a3. It is a 2.0 tdi, 170 bhp with 55k miles. My concern is safety as I have read on multiple forums that the injectors are a common fault on these cars. And when and if they do go you lose all power. That to me is very dangererous situation to be in. Just got the cambelt and service by audi. What is your opinion of this, should be concerned or is there a way to fix this without costing too much. Or should I even be concerned. I would really really appreciate if I can have any ideas or advice in relation to this. Thx

  31. Felix Duro says:

    i have a bkd engine that has been remapped and l want a bigger turbo from a bmn engine. are turbos same fits or there will be need to customise

  32. Matt says:

    Amon/Todd

    How are you getting on with the BKD engine in what was a BKP engined car..?

    My timing tensioner stud has gone as it was not replaced by the garage last timing belt change, the result 2 holes in the block due to cam follower rollers shattering and making their way down to the sump.

    I am considering going the BKD route but wanted to know your thoughts before going and buying a replacement.

    Matt

  33. Sohail says:

    Nice page with plenty of useful info. However there is little to no info on tuning the lower power 110bhp engines (in my case the cbdc engine). Please add some info regarding power and torque limits ect. Is it also possible to swap out the 110bhp engine for the 140/170bhp engines? Please add as much details regarding the lower powered 2.0 tdi engines as possible. Thanks.

  34. Jason says:

    Gaby: Almost all Chrysler group vehicles (Didge Journey included) are BKD.

  35. Phil says:

    Dear TC, excellent review of the VAG TDI engines. Regarding the Balance Shaft Module used for the oil pump, as you said in the article above there is the option to do a ‘balance shaft module Delete kit’ replacing the bsm with a standard chain drive oil pump which I think is found in the CJAA engine – so using standard VAG parts for the job.
    PS can you put reader reponses in order of newest first

  36. Barry Campbell says:

    WILL A BMN 170 ENGINE FIT INTO A BRE?

  37. Richard says:

    Hi,

    I contacted you already with my thoughts on this article but you were too busy to get back to me with your thoughts in response. I think its a great article but now needs filling in more specifically for the post 2010 engines. I like the way you have sectioned it by engine type so it is easy to see what sort of things to look at or consider when buying.

  38. Richard says:

    If you live in the UK you have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which amongst many rights entitles you to expect that any service is carried out with reasonable care and skill to the level of a competent tradesperson carrying out the same or similar work. What this means is that the Garage is liable and you can claim up to six years after the event provided you can show that the problem arose as a result of the work that was done.

  39. TorqueCars says:

    Hi Richard, I had replied to your email some time ago and I have just updated this article with some of the newer engines. Please bear in mind that I am just one guy, running this site as a hobby. It doesn’t even make a profit! Please feel free to pass on any tips, observations or pointers you have so I can include them in this article.

  40. Sohail says:

    Hi, i asked about the CBDC engine tuning and upgrades before but go no response. I see you have updated the article since i last read it, and it looks more organised. But there is still litte to now info of the CBDC 110bhp engine. Its good to know that there is no balancer shaft. But are the injectors and turbo different to the 140bhp? Could i just install a 140/170 turbo and remap it to get 170? Also are there higher rated clutches that would fit with the 5 speed gearboxes? Thanks

  41. TorqueCars says:

    Sachs do a racing spec clutch that works well on these but don’t fit the single mass flywheel if this is sold as a kit.

    We are still getting feedback on this article and update it as info comes in, sorry I don’t get time to reply directly to all the messages we get.

    The 110 engines were fitted with quite a few different components so it’s hard to say for sure. Seat tuned a CBDB to 140 using a Bosch fuel pump and Audi and VW used a Siemens pump and presented it as a 110bhp version. If upgrading a turbo I would always recommend the fuel system is uprated as well, you don’t want to get the dreaded limp home due to low fuel pressure.

  42. Richard says:

    Fantasric site. The balance of really useful information is not found elsewhere. Of course we are not perhaps the ordinary driver or we wouldn’t be here but what Wayne has done is really great.

    In relation to this article I’d like to see it extended a little just to explain how one might deal with the small deficiencies found in the various 2.0 TDI engines before they become issues.

    I guess there are people out there who don’t much like the idea of their oil pump drive failing silently and wrecking their engine because of the silly hex bolt. I guess even the people who have the CEGA engine would like to have some info how to solve its problem areas. They seems to all be rather minor problems which makes it all the more annoying they exist. Solving these problems gives us a more assured drive with this excellent & strong 2.0 TDI.

    Great site. Its a go-to on my bookmarks! Thanks Wayne.

  43. Richard Husonyicza says:

    Hi..Can you please advise me what Vag engine code has NO AdBlue system…I would like buy a VW Sharan disel but I’m looking for without AdBlue.
    Thanks

  44. TorqueCars says:

    Euro 5 engines do not usually have Adblue but to my knowledge all Euro 6 engines use this additive so perhaps get an older low mileage Euro5 based model pre 2015. I will do some more research on this and update this article accordingly. Bluemotion is usually mentioned on the vehicle model where Ad Blue is used.

  45. Aaron Vanderveen says:

    ▪2010 Audi A3 TDi cr CBEA
    ▪Stock 140hp
    ▪Malone tune with DSG launch control tune
    ▪Malone eco tune with full emission delete. Darkside developments 3″ ss down pipe to 2.5″ ss cat delete straight pipe
    ▪Cp3 injection pump conversion
    ▪High flow VAG inlet metering valve (aka=FCA valve, #1 wire black with blue – #2 wire red with black- reference for changing harness plug)
    ▪VAG 2700bar fuel pressure sensor upgrade(fitted at rail)with linerationazation data coding by Malone tuning (min voltage 0.5v/max voltage 4.5v/min fuel pressure 0bar/max fuel pressure 2700bar)
    ▪all done on stock/factory bosch piezoelectric injectors
    ▪auxiliary lift pump delete
    ▪nicktane 2micron full flow fuel filtration system conversion
    ▪stock intank lift pump with custom 10mm fuel supply line and 8mm fuel return line
    Did all this after the factory cp4.1 hpfp failed with no warning. Had to rebuild entire fuel system. Cp3 hpfp is the best thing you can do to these 2.0L TDI cr engines. Sitting at 189hp after mods/coding/tunes.

  46. Aaron Vanderveen says:

    The 140hp and 170hp turbos are fitted to the 2.0L 16v common rail Tdi. The 140hp/170hp 2.0L Tdi cr turbos are the variable geometry style (vnt) that are controlled by vacuum. The 140hp cr tdi turbo would be the easiest conversion. I know the 170hp (gtb2260vk) turbo can have the vacuum control system converted for use on the earlier PD and 140hp cr 2.0L TDi as well. Gets expensive to all this to a PD

  47. Aaron Vanderveen says:

    I wouldnt worry. They are stout. Religous maintenance schedule is key. Always service early. Give some fuel additive after every service. Never let your tank go below 1/4 full.

  48. Goncalo says:

    Eu tenho um Seat leon 1p1 Cr 170 eo codigo do motor è CEGA e nâo encontrei nada aqui a falar desse motor! Nâo sei porque nâo foi mencionado

  49. TorqueCars says:

    Existem muitos códigos de motor diferentes e alguns saíram depois que eu escrevi este artigo. Alguns são exclusivos de certos países. Vou atualizar este artigo com as informações mais recentes, e estou planejando um artigo para a versão GEN3 deste motor muito em breve.
    (There are many different engine codes and some came out after I wrote this article. Some are unique to certain countries. I will update this article with the latest information, and I’m planning an article for the GEN3 version of this engine very soon.)

  50. Steve Lloyd says:

    Can you also cover the removal/deletion of the Swirl Flap Runner on the BKP 2.0 TDi PD engine?

  51. Newton says:

    I had a new turbo fitted but the error codes P256300 and P256400 appeared on the diagnostics. Those codes got cleared using diagnostics but still appears after a while. Took to an Audi garage and they couldn’t fix it either. Could you please help me on this matter. Your help be really appreciated. Thank you

  52. TorqueCars says:

    Have you checked for boost leaks. Did the Wastegate actuator get correctly calibrated when the turbo was installed. Is this an electronic boost controller or a mechanical one? Which engine is this problem on? Sometimes the ECU map needs a little adjustment especially when a different turbo profile is installed, I’m assuming you did a like for like swap here.

  53. Youssef Mo says:

    Hey there, could you please advise on upgrading the turbo for A4 TDI 2.0 B8.5 150HP engine code CSUA, as I feel that this car is very lazy on responding back.

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