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Autopapyrus · Audi A6 C6 3.2 FSI (AUK, 255 hp, 2009)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/audi/a6/timing-chain-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Audi A6 C6 3.2 FSI (AUK, 255 hp, 2009): Timing Chain Replacement

The 3.2 FSI (AUK) engine is a V6 with a chain-driven valvetrain. The chains, tensioners and guides should be replaced if the chain has stretched, if there is noise at startup, or per the maintenance schedule at 150,000 km or more. This is a hard job that requires special tools for locking the shafts, exact adherence to the timing marks, and correct tightening torque on the camshaft adjusters.

Difficulty: Hard Time: 12-20 hours (depends on the scope of work and your experience) Steps: 31 Tools: socket and wrench set, torque wrench, special tools for locking the camshafts and crankshaft (T40058, T40070, T40071), crankshaft pulley puller, pry bars, jack, jack stands, containers for draining fluids.

Part

  • 🔩 timing chain kit for the 3.2 FSI (left and right camshaft chains, upper middle drive chain, oil pump drive chain), left tensioner 06E109217H and right tensioner 06E109218H, chain guides 06E109507D (lower middle), 079109469AM or 079109469AL (upper middle), valve cover gaskets, crankshaft seal
There's a full repair manual for this car Every system, wiring diagrams and torque specs — not just this job. Haynes AutoFix (online) and 3 more. See manuals →

Step by step

31 steps
  1. Put the car on a lift or over a pit, disconnect the battery, and remove the front end of the car (bumper, radiators, fans) to gain access to the front of the engine.
  2. Drain the coolant, then remove the engine cover, the air ducts and the intake manifold (if it blocks access).
  3. Remove the accessories: alternator, A/C compressor (without disconnecting the lines), and power steering pump (if equipped).
  4. Remove the valve covers from both cylinder heads, after first disconnecting all electrical connectors and vacuum hoses.
  5. Turn the crankshaft to TDC of cylinder 1 and align the marks on the crankshaft pulley and the cylinder block. Lock the crankshaft with tool T40058.
  6. Lock the camshafts of both cylinder heads with special tool T40070 (it goes into the slots at the rear ends of the camshafts).
  7. Mark the position of the chain links relative to the marks on the camshaft adjusters (camshaft sprockets) with paint or a marker.
  8. Loosen the center bolts of the camshaft adjusters by 1 turn (do not remove them completely, since the chain is still holding the sprockets).
  9. Remove the upper chain tensioners, left and right (06E109217H, 06E109218H). Be careful: new tensioners are supplied compressed with a locking pin. Do not pull the pin out until the tensioner is installed, otherwise it will extend and cannot be compressed again without damage.
  10. Remove the camshaft adjuster bolts completely (tightening torque at assembly: 80 N·m (59 lb-ft) + 90° additional turn), then remove the camshaft adjusters together with the chains.
  11. Remove the front engine cover (held by bolts tightened to 5 N·m (3.7 lb-ft) + 90°; the bolts are single-use, torque-to-yield).
  12. Unbolt the lower tensioner of the main drive chain, collapse its mechanism and lock it with a pin, then remove it.
  13. Remove the left camshaft sprocket (if all chains are being replaced), then remove the main drive chain together with the guides.
  14. Inspect all guides and rails for wear. Deep grooves from the chain or cracks mean they must be replaced.
  15. Install the new guides and rails (06E109507D for the lower middle, 079109469AM/AL for the upper middle).
  16. Install the new main drive chain, aligning the marks on the crankshaft sprocket and the intermediate shaft sprocket (see the manufacturer's service manual for the exact marks).
  17. Install the new lower tensioner in its compressed state, then pull the locking pin to preload it.
  18. Install the front engine cover with a new gasket and new bolts (torque 5 N·m (3.7 lb-ft) + 90°).
  19. Fit the new upper chains onto the camshaft adjusters and align the link marks with the marks on the sprockets (the ones you marked with paint, or use the factory marks).
  20. Install the camshaft adjusters on the camshafts (the T40070 locking tools must stay in place) and thread in the center bolts finger-tight.
  21. Install the new upper tensioners (left and right) in their compressed state with the locking pins in place.
  22. Tighten the camshaft adjuster bolts to 80 N·m (59 lb-ft), then turn them an additional 90° (use a torque wrench with an angle gauge).
  23. Pull the locking pins from the tensioners to preload the chains.
  24. Remove the camshaft locking tools T40070 and the crankshaft locking tool T40058, then turn the crankshaft by hand 2 full revolutions clockwise.
  25. Make sure the timing marks line up: reinstall the locking tools and check that the camshafts and crankshaft go to the TDC position without force.
  26. If the marks do not line up, reinstall the chains from scratch (an error of even one tooth will damage the engine at startup).
  27. Install the valve covers with new gaskets (cover bolt torque: 9 N·m (6.6 lb-ft)), then reconnect the electrical connectors and vacuum hoses.
  28. Install the accessories, intake manifold, air ducts, radiators and bumper.
  29. Refill the coolant and reconnect the battery.
  30. Before the first start, crank the engine with the starter with the ignition disabled (pull the fuel pump fuse) to build oil pressure.
  31. Put the fuse back, start the engine and warm it up to operating temperature, listening for any unusual noises.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • Incorrect timing marks will cause the pistons to hit the valves and require a complete engine rebuild. Always use the special tools to lock the shafts; setting the timing "by eye" is not acceptable. Do not turn the crankshaft by the camshafts or sprockets. The camshaft adjuster bolts and front cover bolts are single-use, and reusing the old bolts may cause them to fail. If you have no experience with chain-driven timing and do not have the special tools, take the car to a specialist repair shop: the cost of repairing the damage after a mistake is many times higher than the cost of a professional replacement.
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