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Common Problems with the Audi TT 8J

Our Engine Guard for the TT 8J!

Bartek Bartoszewicz

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Bartek Bartoszewicz Tuning Professional

The Audi TT 8J and Its Few Flaws

The Audi TT 8J is the second generation of this rounded premium sports car and was produced from 2006 to 2014. It was again available as a coupe and a roadster, powered by a range of sporty engines—from 160 hp in the 1.8T, to 197 / 208 hp in the 2.0 TFSI, all the way up to 360 hp in the TT RS Plus. Starting in 2010, the 3.2L VR6 engine was replaced by the 2.5 R5 Turbo five-cylinder, and even the diesel engine from the Golf GTD (170 hp) is available.

Both the spaceframe and the body are made of aluminum, making the TT 8J a lightweight. At the same time, steel is used as a material for the first time, giving it significantly better road holding than the first TT 8N. Externally, the second-generation TT has a more dynamic appearance. It is now less rounded, but longer and wider. The suspension remains sporty, and overall, the car is well-tuned. However, the small windows still make visibility somewhat limited. Thanks to the new dimensions, there’s also a bit more space inside, and when you fold down the seats, you’ll even notice the extra room in the trunk.

It’s a favorite among TÜV inspectors and has won countless awards, from “Car of the Year” to “Most Beautiful Car.” It performs wonderfully in defect reports and drives reliably and safely. There’s really very little to complain about, but even the 8J has a few weak points, which we’d like to list here.

CONTENT

1. Defective cam follower on the 2.0 TFSI in the Audi TT 8J
- 1.1. The symptoms of a failed pump tappet:
- 1.2. Solution: Roller tappet conversion kit for high-pressure fuel pump
2. Typical problem in the TT 8J: Leaking blow off valves
- 2.1. This is how you recognize a defective blow off valve:
- 2.2. Solution: Upgrade for the blow off valve
3. Coking: Common Weak Point on Audi TT 8J TFSI Engines
- 3.1. These are the symptoms of carbon buildup:
- 3.2. Solution: Professional BEDI cleaning
4. Classic Audi weak point: sensitive ignition coils on the TT 8J
- 4.1. Here’s how you can tell your ignition coils are bad:
- 4.2. Solution: Replacing ignition coils
5. Teething trouble on the TT 8J with EA888 engine: piston rings too thin and too much oil
- 5.1. These are the symptoms:
- 5.2. Solution: Replacing the piston rings
6. Conclusion

Platzhaltergrafik im Seitenverhältnis 3:2 für eine derzeit nicht verfügbare Produktabbildung

Defective cam follower on the 2.0 TFSI in the Audi TT 8J

The defective pump tappets are generally an issue on VAG vehicles, especially on the 2.0 TFSI engine, and can lead to serious damage. Worn pump tappets mean the camshaft has to be replaced, and metal shavings often end up in the oil pan. These in turn cause damage to the oil pump and the balance shaft module, and the guide of the pump plunger also wears out. This results in a leak at the high-pressure pump and fuel gets into the oil. This vicious cycle leads to bearing damage on the conrods and ultimately to a total engine failure.

The symptoms of a failed pump tappet:

Increased fuel consumption
Smell of fuel in the oil
Loss of power
Poor acceleration
Metallic rattling noise in the engine bay

Solution: Roller tappet conversion kit for high-pressure fuel pump

You should definitely check the camshaft of your 2.0 TFSI engine regularly to prevent any damage. But if you want peace of mind right away, we recommend the roller tappet conversion kit for the high-pressure fuel pump. This massively reduces friction, the load can be distributed better, and the pump plunger is guided evenly. That way you completely avoid the problems mentioned above and don’t have to worry about the camshaft, fuel pump, and the rest.

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Typical problem in the TT 8J: Leaking blow off valves

Also a typical problem on the TT 8J and especially on the 2.0 TFSI engines: the leaky blow off valve (SUV). This valve routes excess pressure from the turbocharger back into the system and therefore prevents excessive pressure. When the blow off valve is leaking, the diaphragm tears and boost pressure is lost. This usually happens gradually, which is why you don’t notice it right away. Especially on tuned engines this is a common problem, because they run with significantly more boost pressure. The stock valves can’t withstand this pressure.

This is how you recognize a defective blow off valve:

Reduced power
Boost pressure loss
Rough idle

Solution: Upgrade for the blow off valve

If your stock valve gives up, we recommend the GFB upgrade blow off valve. This completely replaces the old valve and makes sure everything stays sealed so no boost pressure can escape unintentionally anymore.

2.0L & 1.8L TFSI UPGRADE Schubumluftventil GFB

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Coking: Common Weak Point on Audi TT 8J TFSI Engines

Coking (carbon deposits) is especially a problem on the 1.8T and TFSI engines in the Audi TT 8J. With direct fuel injection into the combustion chamber via the intake valves, oil mist is drawn in through the crankcase ventilation. This settles in the intake tract, mixes with the hot exhaust gases and forms an oil and soot layer, which is further increased by direct injection. It also clogs the intake valves and causes a gradual loss of power. Direct injection does offer many efficiency benefits, but it lacks the self-cleaning effect of conventional port-injected engines. Coking builds up especially quickly on cars that are mainly driven on short trips without full load.

These are the symptoms of carbon buildup:

Gradual loss of power
Rough idle / rough running engine
Misfires on cold start
Engine knocking

Solution: Professional BEDI cleaning

Once the carbon build-up is there, the most sensible thing is to have the affected parts professionally cleaned. With BEDI cleaning, intake tracts, combustion chambers, valves, throttle body parts, EGR valves, and idle controllers are cleaned mechanically/chemically. Your engine then gets significantly more air again and immediately regains power. To prevent carbon build-up, you should also use high-quality fuel, change the oil regularly, and replace the spark plugs at regular intervals.

Classic Audi weak point: sensitive ignition coils on the TT 8J

A well-known problem with Audi engines is their overly sensitive ignition coils, and unfortunately the TT 8J is no exception. The coil pack converts the low battery voltage into the 20,000 volts of high voltage needed for the ignition spark. If this no longer works properly, combustion suffers accordingly. Since the stock ignition coils are already very sensitive, they’re definitely not designed for the increased power of a tuned engine. Here you absolutely need ignition coils that can handle the massive power.

Here’s how you can tell your ignition coils are bad:

Misfires
Reduced power
Hard starting
Engine stalling

Solution: Replacing ignition coils

Ideally, you’ll notice the defect while only one ignition coil has failed. Once several coils have died, the engine often won’t start at all. We generally recommend replacing all coils at the same time as soon as you notice the problem. That way you avoid issues that can come from mixing old and new coils. It’s best to replace the spark plugs at the same time. We have our special 2.0 TFSI spark plugs and ignition coils RACE kit just for tuning. It includes everything you need for a clean, reliable ignition, especially when increasing power.

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Teething trouble on the TT 8J with EA888 engine: piston rings too thin and too much oil

Until the end of 2011, the EA888 engine in the TT 8J had problems due to piston rings that were too thin and an extremely increased oil consumption. Especially with 1.8T and 2.0 TFSI engines, oil consumption of more than one liter per thousand kilometers was common. The overly thin piston rings were originally installed to reduce friction and improve emissions. However, because of their low thickness, too much oil gets into the combustion chamber, and they also wear out faster. They get clogged with deposits and oil consumption increases massively. This can also cause the engine to severely overheat, right up to catastrophic engine failure.

These are the symptoms:

High oil consumption
Oil deposits on the engine
Oil level warning light keeps coming on
PCV valve failure
Error messages
Engine rattling

Solution: Replacing the piston rings

In any case, you’ll need new piston rings. Depending on the engine and the condition of the car, it may also be worth overhauling the engine with upgraded pistons and piston rings. Since this is a lot of work, we also recommend checking right away whether other components need to be replaced as well (for example the timing chain).

Conclusion

The Audi TT 8J is a real favorite with the inspectors, since it has virtually no recurring issues. If you happen to end up with one of the few problem children, you need to watch out for a few things, but all in all there’s hardly anything to complain about with this car.

Bartek Bartoszewicz

Tuning Professional

His first car was a Polo Mk1 with a 40 Weber twin carburetor and 129 hp (95 kW). His second was an Audi 50. Today Bartek tunes Lamborghinis to 1000 hp (735 kW). Even as a young boy, Bartek disassembled vehicles and put everything back together better. He wrote his high school diploma with oil on his fingers. The trained automotive mechanic with a focus on engines and gearboxes was determined to go into motorsports. In his 10 years in Formal 1, he supervised 73 races, including as engine mechanic for Ralf Schumacher at Toyota. Since 2010, he has dedicated himself fully to his company BAR-TEK® and helps his customers to bring VW and Audi engines to peak performance.

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