Reconditioned Audi Engine

Reconditioned Audi Engines: 25 engine codes for the same engine capacity – the detail that changes everything

On an Audi 2.0 TDI, the engine code is the decisive piece of information. An A3 and an A4 from the same year can both carry the same 2.0 TDI 140 hp engine and yet receive two entirely different units — CBAB on one, CDAA on the other — with bore dimensions, cylinder heads and ancillaries that are mutually incompatible. This guide covers 25 distinct engine codes, from 1996 to 2020, across twelve models ranging from the A1 to the Q7, including the TT and the S3. This proliferation of codes is precisely why engine capacity alone is never enough to identify the correct bare engine.

Diesel and petrol: two very different identification approaches

On the diesel side, the 1.9 TDI spans codes such as AHF or AVF, found on A3 and A4 models from closely related generations but technically distinct from one another. The 2.0 TDI multiplies the variants further, with codes such as CDLA, CDLB, CRLB or DEUA, each corresponding to a specific power output or emissions standard. The 3.0 TDI (ASB) and the 4.2 TDI remain present in the upper segments — A6, Q7, A8 — with their own specific timing-chain architectures. On the petrol side, the TFSI ranges from 1.2 to 2.0, and the 1.8 TFSI alone encompasses several codes (CDHA, CDNB, CDNC) depending on power output and model generation. The 1.6 FSI (BAD) and the naturally aspirated 1.6 represent an older family, found mainly on first-generation A3 and A4 models.

How to navigate this catalogue

The A3 alone accounts for the majority of available references across all engine types, reflecting the sheer variety of units fitted to this model since 1996. The A4 and A6 cover primarily the 2.0 and 3.0 TDI diesel families. For lower-volume models — Q3, S3, Q7, A8, A2 — the available engine options are more targeted. The essential starting point is always the engine code stamped on the block (typically a sequence of three or four letters), cross-referenced with the model and year of first registration. Three purchasing options are available in this catalogue: exchange, exchange rebuilt to 0 km, and rebuild of your own unit — the latter option returning your vehicle's original block after a full reconditioning process.