MajorCommonEngine

Audi A6: Camshaft lobe and rocker follower wear (2.5 TDI V6 AFB/AKE)

Camshaft lobe and rocker follower wear (2.5 TDI V6 AFB/AKE) is a common engine fault on the Audi A6 on the 1997–2004 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $2,500 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 34 documented faults on the Audi A6.

Vehicle: Audi A6
Engine: 2.5L
Years: 1997–2004
Fuel: diesel
System: Engine

This page covers the Audi A6 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Audi A6 faults34 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Timing belt yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The 2.5 TDI V6 in the C5 A6 is known for rapid wear of the camshaft lobes and the roller rocker fingers, with a batch of insufficiently hardened camshafts fitted to cars from late 1998 to 2001 and the worst cases on cars run on LongLife service intervals. Worn cams cause ticking, misfires and loss of power, and in bad cases a rocker finger breaks and drops into the head. The fix is new camshafts, rockers and lifters on one or both banks, often combined with the cambelt job.

What you would notice

Ticking or clattering from the top of the engine that does not fade when warm
Rough idle or misfire feel
Loss of power and more smoke than usual
Engine warning light

How to check it

Where to look. Top of both cylinder heads under the cam covers

Start the engine from cold with the bonnet open and listen at the top of each cylinder head for a light metallic tick or clatter that keeps going once warm; a smooth diesel clatter is normal, a sharp tick is not.
Feel for a rough or lumpy idle.
Check the service book for short oil change intervals on diesel oil meeting VW 505.01 rather than LongLife intervals, and ask for invoices showing cams or rockers have been replaced.
If a workshop inspection is possible: have the cam covers taken off to look at the lobes and rocker rollers, and check injection and misfire data with a scan tool.

Parts involved: Timing belt.

What it costs to put right

$2,500 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Have the camshafts, rockers or lifters ever been replaced?”
“Was the car on LongLife (flexible) service intervals or fixed intervals?”
“When was the cambelt last done?”

Now check the Audi A6 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

VW Audi Forum UK: 2.5 tdi v6 AKE camshaft problems
VW Audi Forum UK: 2.5tdi severe camshaft wear
Audi-Sport.net: AKE engine problems - rocker arms keep falling off
AudiWorld: A6/S6 C5 platform, camshaft lobe practically worn off

Audi A6 buyer questions

Is camshaft lobe and rocker follower wear (2.5 tdi v6 afb/ake) serious on a Audi A6?

We rate it major and common on the Audi A6. The 2.5 TDI V6 in the C5 A6 is known for rapid wear of the camshaft lobes and the roller rocker fingers, with a batch of insufficiently hardened camshafts fitted to cars from late 1998 to 2001 and the worst cases on cars run on LongLife service intervals. Worn cams cause ticking, misfires and loss of power, and in bad cases a rocker finger breaks and drops into the head. The fix is new camshafts, rockers and lifters on one or both banks, often combined with the cambelt job.

How much does it cost to fix on a Audi A6?

$2,500 to $5,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Audi A6 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1997–2004 Audi A6. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Start the engine from cold with the bonnet open and listen at the top of each cylinder head for a light metallic tick or clatter that keeps going once warm; a smooth diesel clatter is normal, a sharp tick is not. Feel for a rough or lumpy idle. Check the service book for short oil change intervals on diesel oil meeting VW 505.01 rather than LongLife intervals, and ask for invoices showing cams or rockers have been replaced. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the cam covers taken off to look at the lobes and rocker rollers, and check injection and misfire data with a scan tool. Look here: Top of both cylinder heads under the cam covers