Audi/VW 3.0 TFSI engine

Audi/VW 3.0 TFSI A837 engine characteristics

Reliability, problems and repairs of 3.0 TFSI engines

Engine 3.0 TFSI CAJASeries EA837 appeared in 2008 and was created on the basis of V6 3.2 FSI engine from Audi, which was replaced by 3.0 TFSI. The new engine differs slightly in the cylinder block, which has been adapted for supercharging. It is still an aluminum V6 with a 90° camber angle and a height of 228 mm, but inside this block is installed a crankshaft with a piston stroke of 89 mm, stronger connecting rods with a length of 153 mm, a new design of pistons for a compression ratio of 10.5 and a single balancer shaft. All this provides a displacement of 3 liters.

Two heads from the 3.2 FSI are used here, with no variable valve lift system, but with a 42° variable valve timing system on the intake valves. The heads have 2 camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder, the intake valves are 34mm in diameter, the exhaust valves 28mm, and the valve stem thickness is 6mm. Compared to the 3.2 FSI, the 3.0 TFSI uses stronger valve springs.

The camshafts are rotated by a timing chain. Audi assures that the service life of the timing chain is equal to the entire life of the engine.
The main difference of this engine from the old 3.2 FSI is supercharging, here is used Eaton roots compressor, which can create supercharging pressure not more than 0.7 bar excess.

The compressor belt life is 120 thousand kilometers.

As on most Volkswagen and Audi engines, direct fuel injection with homogeneous mixture formation and Hitachi HDP 3 fuel injector is used here.

In order for the engine to comply with Euro-5 environmental standards, the 3.0 TFSI has a secondary air supply.
The engine is controlled by Siemens Simos 8 ECU.

The above described refers to the CAJA engine, which has 290 hp at 4850-7000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque at 2500-4800 rpm.

The same engine for North America was designated as CCAA and complied with the ULEV 2 standard.
Later the motor was put in Audi A6 C7, and with a new gearbox it received the designation CGWB, and on the Audi A8 – CGWA.

For Audi S4 and Audi S5 cars was produced CAKA engine, which developed 333 hp at 5500-7000 rpm, torque 440 Nm at 2500-5000 rpm.

The CAKA engine differs from CAJA by the firmware for 0.75 bar boost pressure. The same engine for the U.S. was designated as CCBA.
The second modification was called CGWC and differed by a different gearbox. Its American analog under ULEV 2 is called CGXC.

The version with 272 hp was designated as CMUA and is found on the Audi A4 and A5. Such motors are characterized by supercharging pressure up to 0.6 bar. On the Audi Q5 such engines came with a different gearbox and were designated as CTUC and CTVA.
A hybrid engine CGEA was produced, which had an additional electric motor with an output of 34 kW. It is found on the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid.

The 310 hp modification is found on the Audi A6, A7 and A8 and is called CGWD (CGXB in North America).

For Audi Q7 produced motor CTWA and CTWB, which are the same, and between themselves differ in power: 333 hp in the first and 280 hp in the second.

The top in this series was a powerful engine CTUD, where the compressor could inflate 0.8 bar. This produced 354 hp at 6000-6500 rpm and 470 Nm of torque at 4000-4500 rpm. In the US, it’s known as the CTXA. It was put on the Audi SQ5.

In 2013, the 3.0 TFSI Gen 2 was released: the cylinder block was modified with cast iron liners 1 mm thick, lightweight crankshaft, lightweight pistons under compression ratio of 10.8, timing chains were changed. The heads are equipped with a system of changing the timing on the intake and exhaust camshafts. The adjustment range on the inlet is 50°, on the exhaust 42°. In addition, the combustion chambers, cooling system, seats and valve guides have been improved. Unlike the last generation, direct injection is used here along with distributed injection, as on the 3rd generation EA888. There are new high-pressure injectors here that are moved to the edge of the cylinder.

Unlike the CAJ, CGW and other Gen 1 3.0 TFSIs, the new 3.0 TFSI engines know how to shut off the compressor when supercharging is not needed. The Gen 2 is also Euro 6 compliant.

The CREA engine has 310 hp at 5200-6500 rpm and 440 Nm of torque at 2900-4750 rpm. It first appeared on the Audi A8, and later on its basis they made other variations, which differ in ECU firmware: the CREC motor got 333 hp, and CRED develops 272 hp.

In 2016, the next turbocharged generation 3.0 TFSI of the EA839 family began to be produced, and a year later it completely replaced the TFSI with a compressor.

Problems and reliability of 3.0 TFSI engines

1. Oil burn. Often the reason for this is scoring. You do not need to race on an unheated engine, before actively driving, warm up the oil to operating temperature. There could also be problems with the oil separator, rings, etc. In any case, it is necessary to check.
2. Tresk at startup. The first reason is the lack of return valves of the cylinder head oil passages on CGW motors (after 2012). Because of this, at startup the oil does not have time to rise up to the tensioners and there is a sound of unstretched chain. It happens at mileage up to 100 thousand kilometers. The problem is solved by installing check valves instead of plugs.
   The second reason is the wear of the tensioners of the timing chain. In this case, the cracking of the chain lasts longer and the longer the chain rattles, the worse the situation. It is solved by replacing the tensioners.
3. Noise from the exhaust system. The cause of such noises is the burnout of the corrugations. Usually this happens around 100 thousand kilometers. Check, change and everything will work quietly.
4. The catalytic converters are falling apart. They poorly tolerate low-quality gasoline or chip tuning and serve +/- 100 thousand km. It is important to replace them in time otherwise ceramic dust will get into the cylinders and scoring will be formed. When tuning it will be more reliable to remove catalytic converters and in any case it is necessary to pour good gasoline.

In addition, sometimes the low-pressure fuel pump fails, often the pump dies early, in the manifold and on the valves is formed soot, which must be cleaned from time to time.

But all written above is not found on every car, the main thing is to be serviced in time, not to save money and adequately exploit your engine. Change oil not once in 15 thousand kilometers, but 2 times more often, pour only good oil, all this increases motor resource.

With decent maintenance, the resource of 3.0 TFSI can exceed 200-250 thousand kilometers and more.

Tuning engines 3.0 TFSI

This motor has a huge potential and on the factory iron you can get impressive figures. Any 3.0 TFSI (it does not matter 272 or 333 hp) with Stage 1 chip on 98 gasoline can be rocked to 420-440 hp and 500 Nm of torque. On sporty fuel, you can get about 20 hp more.

Small compressor pulley (57.7 mm), cold intake, large intercooler, catalytic converter-free exhaust and Stage 2 chip can provide about 470 hp on 98 gasoline and more than 500 hp on sporty gasoline. If you add to this a larger throttle and NGK plugs with a caliber of 9, then 500 hp along with 600 Nm of torque is achievable already on 98 gasoline, and on sports fuel you will get all 540 hp.

MOTOR RATING: 4+