2000 Audi A8 L Timing Belt and Timing Chain Tensioner replacement

[@mordoor5371]

You are one brave soul .When i was younger maybe ,now ,no thank you .I would not know where to start.Good luck and keep us posted .

[@DaytonCarCare]

+Mordoor 53 I'm 52 and and still wrench on cars. So will let you know when I'm too old to deal with it. LoL

[@chriskapuscinski4145]

Seriously its not that big of a deal even if you've never worked on anything. This was my first rebuild and it worked out well. Don't be afraid ;)

[@strawmanmark6735]

Taking the front off the car looks intimidating but I had to do it on my A6 around 85K miles to replace the thermostat. Did the timing belt while I was in there as well as the water pump. If you take your time and read up on it you won't have a problem. Now approaching 230K miles and will be going back in for another timing belt and likely the tensioner as well; just starting to get those misfire indications and a little rattle. It's really been a very reliable machine.

[@seanemery2889]

I had to comment again on DaytonCarCare, I have done the transmission service twice on my A8 and did not have to remove the exhaust, all I needed was the General Tools miniature right angle ratcheting screw driver and was able to loosen the two screws hidden above the y-pipe just fine and the pan came right out. I would have to look at the starter set-up on my A8, but on an A6 I owned, you had to pull the alternator only to get the starter out, a little fidgety but the sub assembly in no way, shape or form had to be removed. The Audi forums are worth their weight in gold on these cars! Also these transmissions are decent in these cars but need to be serviced regularly regardless of what Audi says. the stealership will rob you blind. Go to an Audi forum, look up D2 A8 transmission service, they walk you thru it step by step and will save hundreds of dollars. Audi ATF is essential for these transmissions though, don"t go to an auto parts store and use what they say it takes, you'll be replacing the transmission, or should I say junking the car.

[@jasonkrass857]

I have this exact same model and year and same issues 130k Thanks so much for the video.

[@VolkswagenVMan]

Been there done that, have done many on VW Phaeton and V8 Touareg. Same V8 engine.

[@2stroketurbo]

VolkswagenVMan Do you find that both tensioners go out at the same time usually? I'm thinking of replacing the passenger side cam bank tensioner as well

[@VolkswagenVMan]

no, usually only one goes.

[@iRecordOS]

i have a 2006 audi a8l and i done so much work trackin this cam sensor code down. Everything from the fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, cam sensor(s), crank sensors, timing belt with waterpump and accessories. Now im looking at replacing the tensioner and pads. They seem to be a common fail point; my vehicle cranked but would not start. Now that i replaced everything on it, it does start but it misfires on all bank 2 cylinders. REPLY

[@OpasJDGarage]

Not a huge job........easy cars to work on, please. Another mechanic putting the fear of god in Audi owners. The service position is a great invention and make these cars even easier to work on. BTW, correct timing is critical on all (newer) cars. It's not black magic.....just steel, aluminum and plastic......

[@DaytonCarCare]

+MrGMFan yeah I think anyone with attention to detail and just follow the steps could do this. Many resources online in car forums now days on how to do stuff if you want to learn.

[@YT32-16branch]

Like I mentioned on his other video... That guy has NO CLUE. Re--using camshaft journal bolts is a no go. He should stick to go-karts and not work on V8 40 valve engines.

[@iRecordOS]

aluminum block, you dont wanna strip anything.

[@yusufabdul7147]

MrGMFan I totally agree with you I agree it is a very complex piece of engineering but it makes sense but you are right it is not that difficult. When you take your car to the shop automatically the mechanic is looking to screw you over I'm sure you've heard that talk you need special tools all cars need a special tool to do certain types of work

[@iRecordOS]

i have a 2006 audi a8l and i done so much work trackin this cam sensor code down. Everything from the fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, cam sensor(s), crank sensors, timing belt with waterpump and accessories. Now im looking at replacing the tensioner and pads. They seem to be a common fail point; my vehicle cranked but would not start. Now that i replaced everything on it, it does start but it misfires on all bank 2 cylinders.

[@ofeliawotsits6080]

Did this on my 1999 4.2 Avant. It wasn’t too bad really. Once the bumper is off it’s much clearer what to do. Worst jobs were to undo bolts for the viscous fan which were rusted with no means to react the torque and the crank shaft pulley which had rusted bolts. Those needed overnight soaking in penetrant to free them up. Getting the crank pin in to lock the crank was very difficult as its very hard to locate and access. The Bentley manual is wrong for timing the cam chain tensioners. Forget exactly but it was the difference between 15 and 16 teeth to the correct timing position. Had to find a youtube video before getting it right but beware that the Bentley manual is completely wrong on the teeth for timing. Also this was 2015 and the new cam chain tensioners cost me £1000 from Audi fir the two sides. Took the opportunity to replace some hydraulic valve tappets which were like hens teeth to find but An Audi dealer found me some.

[@p3th3t1c]

Monday morning I was delivering a load of frozen produce to Jetstream at the airport behind your shop (other side of fed-ex), as I was going down the street headed into the complex, I looked to the left and said "hay! I know that shop!!" kinda wished I could have stopped in to see this monster tore down.. but I don't think you have parking for 70 feet of truck and I don't park in mud (40 tons tends to sink in it!), nice video, always wanted to see one of these variables tore open.

[@ajwasp3642]

A little intimidating? I would get it all back together, only to realize I had forgot an important washer, and I would have to tear it all open again. How many billable hours did it take you, to get to the service position? I did my Golf's timing belt, and now, I really appreciate how easy it was, thanks VW

[@newgenerationisbg]

+ajwasp gmail.com That's what you get with an advanced V8 from the late 90's. Most of the competition had HUGE engines that made very little power at the time. I like how people complain about how complex these cars are to work on, but in reality, all it takes is time and patience and you can do it yourself with some (fairly) basic tools. And these engines aren't even unreliable, they are just complex. Yeah, an american V8 from the period is simpler, but they also barely managed to get 210HP out of a 4.6 for their luxury barges, and still had to use more fuel to do so. Audi managed to get 360HP from this 4.2, and still keep it FAIRLY economical for the huge and powerful car that it is. It's bound to be complicated. And besides, your Golf probably has a 4 banger, not a V8. I have a 1.8L A4, and I love that thing to bits. People keep telling me it's hard to work on, and then proceed to tell me how their french cars are cheaper to maintain, even though you need to take the whole engine apart to do some menial task that would take me 10 minutes on my Audi.

[@FamilyChannelfun32]

So as i mentioned it never had much of a issue that i knew of before. But my question is what if we threw the timing of when we put that plastic piece back on the tensioner? when i put a new cam tensioner is there a way to double check that we did the timing right the first time. and just reassure its int he right spot?

[@honestycounts9352]

So this is why you see so many 12+ year Toyota cars still on the road, but very very few 12+ year Audi cars still on the road?

[@2stroketurbo]

exactly!

[@DaytonCarCare]

LoL I've had many 15+ year old German cars in the past still running and driving excellent. All depends on the the owner and how lazy they are about maintenance. Besides many Toyotas, and other Japanese cars for that matter, are just too boring to look at and drive. How many old Toyotas sedans you can find with a 300 HP V8 (stock) and AWD. ZERO! And yes I have two Audi A8 Quattros currently. A 99 A8Q and a 2000 A8LQ. 99 has 216k miles and still running strong. And yes I see many Toyotas on the road. I pass many of them on the freeway with their weak 4-6 cylinder trying to keep up. Oops and when it snows they have to stop and chain up.

[@Symcio94]

I have A4 Quattro 98 2.8 V6 that is same costruction only its shorter by 2 cylinders with 290 000km and all still good and i opened valve cover and tensioner shoes still good condition its 18 years old now. You drive your toyota im happy with my Audi

[@davidcantrell5098]

The only reason you see more 12+ year old Toyotas on the road than Audi's is just pure numbers. I have 200K plus on my 03 A8. 250K+ on my 87 5000S Q. And 260K on my 30 year old Porsche 944..

[@natefigueroa]

The main thing with these cars is transmission failure. That's why most of them are scrap.

[@keepthinking2666]

i just did my 2000 a6 2.7t cam tentioners ,gasket set and timing belt i find this easy to work on and i dont have to remove full carrier, motor mounts on mine alot harder then this one

[@retardedsquirrels2332]

Besides the cam holding tool and the crankshaft locking pin tool What other tools might i need? Im not a euro guy and about to tackle this timing job. Hex bits?

[@HristovRumen]

This car is indeed in the service position, BUT NOT for the reason you're saying! Service position means the radiator carrier has been separated from the frame. Nothing to do with the cam holder.

[@TylersNeighborhoodGarage]

Ouch....you deserve the money for working on that, for sure. I like V8-powered sedans a lot but any of them with known tensioner issues are off the list for me. I sorta think "service position' on VW's and Audi's means "hands on your knees"...lol.

[@YT32-16branch]

I am glad he did not mess up my car...

[@kstadden]

Awesome complexity. No, that's not quite the right term. Arrogant complexity. That best describes a lot of German engineering that I've seen, having had two Mercedes and two BMWs. Give me a Datsun, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Mazda or Isuzu any day (I've owned all the above). I've also owned and fixed Saabs, which are on another planet altogether. What's awesome is your willingness and ability to tackle such a job, as an independent shop owner.

[@newgenerationisbg]

+kstadden Well, that complexity is what gets you a specific output that most American V8's still can't match. Audi got 360HP out of this engine in the late 90's. That's a specific output of nearly 86HP per liter. Just to put that in perspective, the Corvette Stingray only gets about 75 horsepower per liter out of it's engine, and it became available ~15 years after the S8 with the 360HP 4.2

[@davidcantrell5098]

Question.. I'm in the middle of doing this job on my wife's 03 A8L. The lower pad on the passenger side tensioner decided to let go and the chain was making a racket hitting the inside of the valve cover. I have everything back together. While rotating the engine manually to check that everything was clear and checking the timing marks on the cams and crank after those first to revolutions, everything lined up perfectly. However during the rotation the chain tensioners were popping up and down. Is this normal? I decided to go 2 more revolutions to be double sure everything was good and got about 3/4 the way through the second revolution and she locked. Now it will only go about 45 degrees in either direction before it stops dead. Now I have to take this fucking thing back apart and start over again completely. But what about the popping up and down of the tensioners when turning the engine over by hand? Again is this normal?

[@navigator185]

How did you make out because I just brought one and I thought the timing belt had broking.

[@basicwrench4510]

What sounds does a bad tensioner make? And when ? Thanks

[@DarinNederhoff]

In my experience they will often rattle on initial start up when cold. I couple ticks is ok but a loud rattle is a sign of things to come.

[@seanemery2889]

I have a 1997 A8, I looked around to have the timing belt service done in the Gig Harbor Washington area, the auto shop I went to(not the stealership) DID NOT have to put the front end in the "service position", on the A8 there is enough room to do this job with the front end in place. I got the timing belt service done for $500,(labor only) and had the car back the next day,(I was quoted well over $1000 labor at other places) so look around for a shop that knows these cars, buy a good timing belt kit(Blauparts is good, my opinion), not what is cheapest. I had read this before I bought the car, that is why I choose a A8 over an A6, plus these cars were the first mass produced aluminum car and weigh about the same as an A6 but with a powerful V8.

[@Matt_from_Florida]

You have the earlier 1997-1999 4.2L V8 ABZ version of that engine, back when they had 4-valves instead of 5-valves. Your version *DOES NOT HAVE VVT (variable valve timing) either, so no camshaft timing chains and no tensioner.* Your camshafts, all 4 of them, are driven by the timing *BELT.*

[@chingon1988]

I did the timing belt + all the accoutrements change on my 1997 a6 myself, without having to take the front end off. still going stong 40k miles later. I used the blauparts kit too.

[@1977otos]

Tell the owner to take better care of his car, its not cleand propperly, kind of green around the emblem, it should not be like this. I have te same model my self (not the L version). I LIKE YOUR INFORMATIVE VIDEO!! GOOD JOB!

[@neathway382]

Wait. A taper fit on an upper timing pulley, rather than a keyed shaft? That strikes me as a very bad idea.

[@2stroketurbo]

yep. scary !

[@Owiko7]

2stroketurbo This is why I would rather have a micro car as my first car (strikes me as easier to work on) Would you say it is easier to work on the micro cars? or does the cramped work are make it more difficult? Thanks.

[@DaytonCarCare]

+Owiko7 Just get an old car with a carb like a VW bug, Chevy, Ford, etc... Those are very easy to work on. Plus parts are cheap.

[@t.t7225]

How many miles that thing had

[@FamilyChannelfun32]

Hey man where did you end u9 buying your tensioner? Looking for something besides oem but decent!

[@vasacsl63]

I think i am going to need the same service soon,its ticking louder and louder,luckily its my 2nd car so dont drive it much.Where is your shop located and how many hours of labor is needed for this service ,12hr total?

[@YT32-16branch]

Wouldn't let that guy do it....

[@JacanaProductions]

This take big balls and you need to rent a $1000 tool I believe .... I'm driving my 1999 - 190k A8 D2 till the belt breaks .... :) car is worth $2k tops ...... But those who know these beasts realize you gotta put down some serious cash to get a similar experience - my test drive of 2014 brand new $25k + Legacy and Accord - not even close - crap even compared to old D2. Oh and let's not get started on the fact that all A8 D2 will need a new $5k transmission at some stage in it's life. Very big balls :) and the fact that it eats control arms too ...... love em though !

[@YT32-16branch]

Rent a $1000 tool? What crack are you on? If you dont know what you are talking about then just keep quiet...

[@JacanaProductions]

www.blauparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=N1A1017-A and that's a knockoff. I am very sorry that mummy didn't fluff the pillows for her favorite teen who lives in the basement - you probably need to get out more and maybe get laid too.

[@YT32-16branch]

All tools for under $200 available loser. Referring to Blauparts shows already you have no clue. Now shut up until you have an actual clue what you are talking about...

[@YT32-16branch]

Lol. I am stating facts and calling you out on your BS information you provide to people. You are just a poor victim of yourself. Look at you. You look like shit, you talk like shit and your videos are shit. Deep down you know, that you give people the creeps and they just try to avoid you and your bs as much as they can :)

[@iRecordOS]

that crankshaft locking pin and cam locking bar less than 50 bucks on ebay together. my crank locking pin came in my contitech timing kit for 269 and got everything but the cam locking bar and thermostat. and a T30 which is used everywhere on audi's

[@FamilyChannelfun32]

Dude my car is silver 02 a8. and it just did the same damn thing!! We replaced the plastic shoe and now im having issues. before this I wasnt at all with that plastic thing broken!!

[@MichianaFisherman]

How do you know he other side isn't bad also?

[@2stroketurbo]

It probably is !! Reminder to me: I need to check it !

[@MichianaFisherman]

Just thought it would be too much work to get at the other side later. Thanks for posting your videos!

[@blackmantalking3965]

Use the correct fucking oil on these cars! Using the wrong oil can cause friction to build between those plastic shoes and the chain and then they break.

[@entity2636]

If you think this is bad, guess why the dealership will want ~4000 Euro to change the exhaust manifold gasket and steering column U-joint on a first generation Range Rover Sport. Yesterday I saw a video on KZbin about an owner being slightly "shocked" about it. To do any service or repair more complicated than an oil change or brake job, you also have to put the SUV in a "service position". Only in this case that means draining all the fluids, disconnecting all the electrics, and lifting the entire body completely off the damn frame. With the body on you can't even see 80% of the engine and components, no chance of reaching them....

[@2stroketurbo]

Valdis Trautmanis wow! that hurts

[@DaytonCarCare]

+Valdis Trautmanis Yeah the person I recently got my 99 Audi A8 from told me a shop charged him over $2,000 to change fuel pump and spark plugs. And I'm talking just the pump inside that is a $200 part. If they replaced the whole assembly with pump inside it would be a $1,000 part. But that is not what they did. So basically less that $300 in parts and $1700 in labor for maybe a 2 hour job. What a scam. I looked up the shop online and another customer said they wanted $1000 per injector and four failed on his Jaguar. So it would be a $4k fix. He then went to the dealer and was charged $800 to replace all four.

[@JacanaProductions]

The fuel pump is not $200 it's $900 I think ?? At least that was what the one on my 99 D2 cost. Not sure whether it was OEM.

[@elgpao4260]

Does any one know where I can get the camshaft timing positioner bar? For a 2000 audi a8 4.2l quattro.

[@iRecordOS]

ebay i did it no sweat and rather cheap.

[@BeMmeRaK47]

Is there anyway you can help me with my timing do you have someway to contact you

[@saleem83]

hey are u in oregoon too?

[@iS4T4N]

I just got my first car...which is a 1997 audi a8 4.2 quattro

[@DaytonCarCare]

Notice he says "big job" many times. I don't really see it as a big job. Typically with any timing belt you have to remove other parts to get access. Now removing that over 300 pound transmission would be a "big job" even with a lift and transmission jack. ;p

[@RadostinVelchev]

It is ridiculous that for 2 chain guides that probably cost $10 you have to replace $1000 part.

[@DaytonCarCare]

+Radostin Velchev You could probably fab a tool or figure out a way to lock the cams from moving. But if they did move just make sure the crank and cams are all matching their timing marks before mounting the timing belt and setting tensioner. I have run across some cars that either jump a tooth or someone set it wrong. The timing marks are there. Look up what car you are working on and find out where the timing marks are and where they align. Keep in mind some cars may have two different marks on the crank shaft pulley for TDC and how many degrees when using a timing gun. This is used with distributor cars where it is rotated for timing. DIS or distributorless ignition systems the ECU does the timing for you from the crank, cam, and or hall sensors.

[@RadostinVelchev]

DaytonCarCare I was talking about the chain tensioner. Most of the time the unit that controls the tension is fine and only the plastic shoes are worn or broken. There are some replacements on ebay but they usually don't fit.

[@YT32-16branch]

You can get an oem tensioner from Dorman via Rockauto for around $380. That is where i got mine from. Comes in a Dorman box but is an original Audi part with Audi logo and part no.

[@natefigueroa]

You can use a straightedge to line the cams up. The problem with these motors is they bend valves really easy. I've had the heads off mine twice. Another problem is the Transmissions go out every 80,000 miles. ZF 24. There is a small o-ring that tears . There is a lack of service information and part availability. And they all leak like hell. But when they run it's a pleasure to drive them. When lining up the marks on this engine number five piston is TDC. This is why people screw up.

[@Makaylareach4me]

IS THERE A CHANCE THA THE CAM TOOL IS NOT AT TOP DEAD CENTER ...I PUT THE TOOL ON AND PISTON 1 WAS NOT AT THE TOP IT WAS AT THE BOTTOM ....SO HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT YORE REALLY AT TDC WITH OUT TAKEING OFF THE VALVE COVER OFF..////?????

[@Makaylareach4me]

?????

[@davidbostock6776]

Wow, there is no way I'd buy a car that I knew was this difficult to service. Fire the engineers that created and approved that misery. BTW - Audi name was a work around because the founder Horch was forced out of his previous company and could not use his name. Audi and Horch are both words for "Listen". en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horch

[@newgenerationisbg]

+David Bostock That is a very narrow minded view you have there. This "misery" isn't actually that hard to service, it's just time consuming. That's what you get though, from an engine that still makes better specific outputs than some sports cars these days. This engine actually makes more power per liter than a Corvette Stingray, a car that went into production a decade and a half later.

[@fabulousprofound]

i often wonder if the germans do this deliberately...

[@TylersNeighborhoodGarage]

They pick one certain part, then construct the rest of the car around it. In the case of an old W115 Mercedes it was the heater fan motor.

[@fabulousprofound]

WhoSaidTyler in my case it was the bucket cam follower on the fuel pump of a mk5 vw gti... that car hated me =(

[@DaytonCarCare]

+fabulousprofound What I hate about these cars is the only access to the starter is dropping the subframe. And removing the transmission pan involves dropping the exhaust.

[@natefigueroa]

To tell you the truth these cars are very easy to work on a long with a lot of European cars using the same design. Lock the cams pull the tensioner pin and then torque the cams. I don't know why American cars don't use the same technique and rely on b****** timing marks

[@philpoeschl6335]

lovely German engineering....lol

[@cezar88is]

This is not a huge job ! And to do this job you don't have to remove any of those things! Like front bumber or radiator. Are you trying to scare people?!

[@gearnoggin]

Cars like this are to expensive to be worth fixing when they get some age on them.

[@michaeldupree4646]

Difficult to justify spending $2000 on a $2500 car.

[@1977otos]

I hav just don it!! NOT a good feeling, but no it`s OKI :)

[@michaelgill7484]

No thanks !!

[@chris002able]

An amateur can do it in 20min.. Seriously. Just looks intimating. Just get started. I've had this car for 12 years. NO ISSUES.

[@ณรงค์สองเมือง-ถ6ษ]

720756

[@dvndvdsn1]

step one: remove car.

[@newgenerationisbg]

+dylan davison Or, you know, perform basic checks on your car. Looking at the condition and dirt on every detail of the car, that owner doesn't give a rats ass about maintaining the car properly. These engines are actually very reliable as long as you perform basic maintenance on them.

[@bborkzilla]

Typical over engineered German hardware.

[@zzzdogutube]

Not worth it. These car are too complicated. Too much crap .. Thanks

[@DaytonCarCare]

+zzzdogutube Intervals are every 75k miles for the timing belt. So not like you have to replace them all the time.