RS4 Engine Failures - Know of any?

[sakimano]

We have seen a few engine failures crop up on both sides of the atlantic lately. Just wanted to get a handle on what is the weak spot in the motor that is causing these failures. As the car gets older we can expect to see this a bit more.

There is no epidemic...let's be clear up front about that. I have personally heard of maybe 10 RS4s getting replacement engines due to failure, either by something mechanically catastrophic, scored cylinder walls thanks to our friend Carbon, or other undiagnosed issues. Out of something like 10,000 Rs4s out there, that's not too bad, but that's all I've heard. There are clearly far more out there but as I said, even then it will be a pretty small number on a percentage basis, especially considering we're 6-7 years past when the RS4 first went on sale.

There was one on here recently that turned into a 15 page thread. Fellow was just cruising along and the motor went kaboom. Anyone remember his username? He was hoping to sell the car, and may have done so already after warranty replacement (I believe it was warranty replaced).

Then there was an RS4 I believe in southern Europe that had a badly scored cylinder wall, I think it was diagnosed as a result of a carbon chunk making it's way into the cylinder and being ground between the piston and the wall. There was another similar story like that in Australia.

Another engine a few years ago failed violently and the oil pan was full of metal debris. There was a great picture of it. Kind of astonishing.

Any others that we know about? If there are any, please post up your recollection. Ideally we should gather the following, but if you only remember a few scraps (like my failing recollections above) post what you remember and maybe other people can fill in the blanks

1. link to the discussion
2. brief description of the failure
3. diagnosis/cause if determined
4. relevant modifications to the car (tuning, forced induction etc however an exhaust isn't going to cause an engine failure)
5. mileage
6. other problems with the car before failure/replcaement of the engine

[toyneg]

was this thread I think you were referring to?

http://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... lit=engine

[MikeFish]

I'm on the phone so bit tricky searching for the right threads but the recent one you talk about was rs4martin or something similar. Replaced under warranty then sold on and the new owner came on here was reading yesterday about another one in Europe somewhere in the terraclean thread, right bear the end he said he had a carbon clean at 80000km, but had a new engine at 64000km I think.

[MikeFish]

Dammit, I typed all that in the phone and was beaten to the punch with a link!

[sakimano]

Yes, that's the recent one thanks guys.

What was the terraclean thread one? I'll have to have a look...

[MikeFish]

Yes, that's the recent one thanks guys.

What was the terraclean thread one? I'll have to have a look...

From the Terraclean thread:

The problem with that, is that all the carbon is back after 2k miles

I had a boroscope inspection of my intake - this was when that car was 3 years old - i had done 80.000 km - but the engine swapped due to crack in the block at 64.000 (full AUDI warrenty - 9 pages invoice, complete engine swap

So this is after 16.000 km (car done 80.000 km)

before.JPG

This was done March 2012 - We did a complete carbon clean - off with the intake manifold and use bell add clening fuids and foam (+ manual work)

http://www.belladd.dk/en/SpecialRens/Cl ... skine.html

The I installed the water methanol system at the same time

This is what it looks like October 12th - 7 months and 108.000 km - = 28.000 km since the clean - remember the initial "mess" was from 16.000 km!!

after.JPG

I also looked at catch can or ventilate to air from the PCV, but catch can would mean freezing water in the can in the winter and open blow off, smells really bad (oil)

Methanol is my solution - BTW - when doing trackdays I lower my oil temps by 20C by turning on the meth, since the water in the mix also cools cylinder temps hence oiltemps

This is the actual post:
http://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 50#p603082

[RS04YOB]

The Terraclean process will be listed soon no doubt

[ArthurPE]

someone had posted production numbers here and it was over 15,000 iirc, saloon, avant and cabs


I've only heard of a hndful of failures, most scoring of the cylinder, only 1 catastrophic, a broken rod

[sakimano]

someone had posted production numbers here and it was over 15,000 iirc, saloon, avant and cabs


I've only heard of a hndful of failures, most scoring of the cylinder, only 1 catastrophic, a broken rod

Do you remember the one with the picture of the oil pan a few years ago? I will try to dig it up.

ha, that wasn't bad. Found it.

6500 miles. Driver claimed it just went kaboom. Bone stock engine.

Looks pretty violent!

One of the techs suspected a money shift, however Audi picked up the tab being unable to prove anything

[Gumball0r]

I had an engine failure 1,5 years ago.
http://forum.rs246.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=92485

Rod in cylinder 6 gave up.
No explanation as to why it happened, guess it was some kind of manufacturing defect but at 90.000 miles ? . Audi installed a new engine as a gesture of goodwill.
No modifications/tuning.
Old engine drank oil, 1 liter/1000 miles. Now 1l/6-7.000 miles. I followed Audi's engine run in instructions on the new engine, and I'm thinking that may be the difference. I did'nt own the car from new, so I have no idea how the old engine was driven for the first 20.000 miles.

[spikeyboy101]

Rs4martins was a con rod failure as well i think - and looking at the picture above i would summise that was con rod failure.

[sonny]

Its funny, how we can actually remember and name most of the engine failures of these cars.

If you guys ever go onto Clio Sport this thing happens on a weekly basis lol

Got to love Audi.

p.s Coreplugs falling out of IM is another engine killer.

[adsgreen]

someone had posted production numbers here and it was over 15,000 iirc, saloon, avant and cabs


I've only heard of a hndful of failures, most scoring of the cylinder, only 1 catastrophic, a broken rod

Do you remember the one with the picture of the oil pan a few years ago? I will try to dig it up.

ha, that wasn't bad. Found it.

6500 miles. Driver claimed it just went kaboom. Bone stock engine.

Looks pretty violent!

One of the techs suspected a money shift, however Audi picked up the tab being unable to prove anything

Doesn't look like my experience if an over rev - normally it'd kill all the valves zend maybe pistons. Bending x con rid like that takes a lot.
It's very similar to the recent failure in that con rod appears to have been bent during compression...