2003–2012 Audi A3 (8P) Service and Repair Manual PDF

Description

Audi A3 (Typ 8P) Service and Repair Manual — 2003 to 2012

The 8P is the most numerous A3 on the road, and it carries two faults that will quietly destroy an engine while the car still drives perfectly well.

On the 2.0 TFSI, a small steel cam follower sits between the camshaft and the high-pressure fuel pump. It wears through. Then the camshaft lobe wears away. By the time you notice, the top end is finished. On the 2.0 TDI, a hex drive turns the oil pump off the balance shaft module. It rounds off. Oil pressure disappears. The engine seizes.

Both faults are inspectable in under an hour. Both are catastrophic if ignored. Neither appears in a generic manual. Both are covered here.

What the A3 8P is

Produced from 2003 to 2012 on the PQ35 platform, the second-generation A3 launched as a three-door, joined by the five-door Sportback (8PA) in 2004 and the Cabriolet (8P7) in 2008. A facelift arrived in 2008, bringing the revised single-frame grille and LED daytime running lights.

Note: this set covers the standard A3 range. The S3 and RS3 are different cars, with different engines, gearboxes and drivetrains, and they have their own dedicated documentation — linked at the bottom of this page.

Engines covered

The 2.0 TFSI comes in two entirely different families across the 8P run. The earlier EA113 has a cam follower and a belt-driven camshaft; the later EA888 Gen 2 has a timing chain, a different tensioner, and a completely different failure profile. Knowing which one you have determines what you should be checking first, and the two are documented separately.

Transmissions

0A4 five-speed and 02Q six-speed manual — clutch, dual-mass flywheel, release bearing, shift linkage and fluid specification.

DQ250 six-speed S tronic (wet clutch) — the DSG fitted to the higher-torque engines. Mechatronic diagnosis, clutch pack condition, the oil and filter service interval that is genuinely non-negotiable on this box, and the basic settings procedure required afterwards.

DQ200 seven-speed S tronic (dry clutch) — fitted from 2008 to the smaller engines. A different gearbox with a different failure mode and a different procedure. Mechatronic and clutch adaptation are covered separately from the DQ250.

09G six-speed tiptronic — torque converter automatic. Fluid procedure and solenoid diagnosis.

Haldex all-wheel drive (A3 quattro) — filter and fluid service, pump diagnosis and controller fault tracing on the quattro models, including the 3.2 VR6 and the quattro diesels.

Electrical and diagnostics

Full wiring diagrams by model year and body style, connector views and pinouts, CAN bus topology and the gateway module, comfort and convenience system, immobiliser and key adaptation, and complete fault code tables with measuring block references.

Known A3 8P faults this documentation walks you through

• 2.0 TFSI cam follower failure (EA113 — AXX, BWA, BPY) — the single most important inspection on any early 8P 2.0 TFSI. The follower between the camshaft and the high-pressure fuel pump wears through, and then eats the camshaft lobe underneath it. Removal, inspection criteria, what a worn follower looks like versus a failed one, and the replacement procedure. Check it at every oil change.
• 2.0 TDI balance shaft module oil pump drive (BKD, BMM) — the hex drive that turns the oil pump rounds off. Oil pressure drops to zero and the engine destroys itself, usually with no warning at all. Inspection procedure and the revised part.
• 2.0 TFSI EA888 Gen 2 timing chain tensioner — the later 2.0 TFSI has the opposite problem: the tensioner fails, the chain jumps, and on an interference engine that is the end of it. Revised tensioner and the full chain procedure.
• EA888 Gen 2 oil consumption — piston ring design causes heavy oil burning. Diagnosis, the consumption test procedure, and the piston revision.
• PCV / crankcase breather failure — rough idle, oil in the intake, and a whistle from the engine bay. Common across both TFSI families and easy to test properly.
• 2.0 TDI PD injector loom and camshaft wear (BKD) — the wiring chafes and mimics an injector fault, while the unit-injector cam lobes wear flat underneath.
• DPF blockage on the common-rail 2.0 TDI — regeneration logic, forced regeneration procedure, and differential pressure sensor testing.
• DQ250 mechatronic failure — juddering, gear refusal, or limp mode. Diagnosis in the correct order before condemning the unit.
• N249 diverter valve and N75 — boost leaks, overboost and low power on the turbocharged petrols.
• EA888 water pump and thermostat housing — coolant loss from the plastic housing.
• Rear wishbone and control arm bushes — the classic 8P clunk over bumps and uneven tyre wear.
• 1.6 FSI carbon buildup — intake valve deposits and high-pressure fuel pump diagnosis.

Format and delivery

Supplied as a set of searchable PDF files covering the standard A3 range across the full 8P run — three-door, Sportback and Cabriolet, pre-facelift and 2008 facelift. Readable and printable on any device: laptop, tablet, phone, or the workshop PC. No software to install, and no internet connection needed once the files are saved.

Select your year at checkout. After payment, your download link is sent within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Does this include the S3 or RS3?

No. The S3 and RS3 are different cars — different engines, different gearboxes, different drivetrains — and they have their own dedicated manual sets, linked below. This covers the standard A3 range, including the 3.2 VR6 quattro.

Is the cam follower inspection procedure in here?

Yes, in full. If you have an early 2.0 TFSI (AXX, BWA or BPY), this is the most valuable page in the entire set. The follower is a cheap part. The camshaft it destroys is not.

My 2.0 TDI is a BKD. Should I be worried about the balance shaft?

You should inspect it. The oil pump drive hex on the BKD and BMM engines is known to round off, at which point oil pressure vanishes and the engine seizes without warning. The inspection procedure and the revised part are both covered.

Which 2.0 TFSI do I have?

If your engine code is AXX, BWA or BPY, it is the earlier EA113 — check the cam follower. If it is CAWB, CCZA or CBFA, it is the EA888 Gen 2 — check the timing chain tensioner and the oil consumption. The two are documented separately because they fail in completely different ways.

Does it cover both DSG gearboxes?

Yes. The six-speed wet-clutch DQ250 and the seven-speed dry-clutch DQ200 are covered separately, including mechatronic diagnosis, clutch adaptation and the service procedures each one needs.

Does this cover the Sportback and the Cabriolet?

Yes — three-door, five-door Sportback (8PA) and Cabriolet (8P7), pre-facelift and 2008 facelift.

Will this work with VCDS?

Yes. Fault codes, measuring blocks and adaptation channels map directly to VCDS and ODIS. The 8P uses CAN-based diagnostics, so any standard VAG interface will work.

Related manuals

• Audi S3 manuals
• Audi RS3 manuals
• Audi A3 8L (1996–2003)
• Audi A3 8V (2013–2019)