About this part
The 06H198205N balance shaft kit is the matched pair of counter-rotating balance shafts used inside the Volkswagen Group EA888 Gen 2 1.8 and 2.0 TSI / TFSI engines, the unit fitted behind the main timing chain on the Golf, Jetta, Beetle, Eos, CC, Tiguan, Audi A4, A5, A6, Q5, TT, Skoda Octavia and SEAT Leon. It is a genuine OEM-quality part, brand new, supplied as a pair of intake and exhaust shafts with the revised internal oil screens, for workshops and owners dealing with a rumble from the lower block, a vibration through the steering wheel or a red oil pressure warning that comes and goes.
balance shaft kit — matched intake and exhaust balance shafts for EA888 Gen 2 1.8 / 2.0 TSI and TFSI engines with the updated oil screens; direct replacement for 06H198205A through 06H198205M.
OE/OEM Part Number:
06H198205, 06H198205A, 06H198205C, 06H198205D, 06H198205E, 06H198205F, 06H198205G, 06H198205J, 06H198205M, 06H198205N
Febi: 1004191 Kolbenschmidt: 50056047
What the shafts do, and why the originals fail
They cancel the vibration a four-cylinder cannot avoid. An inline four fires twice per revolution, which produces a strong second-order rocking couple that the engine mounts cannot absorb. Two heavy shafts, one on the intake side and one on the exhaust side, spin in opposite directions at twice crank speed and generate an equal and opposite couple, so the block stays still and the car feels smooth at idle and at cruise. Each shaft runs in plain bearings pressed into the block and is fed oil through drillings in the shaft itself.
Failure mode: blocked or torn oil screens. A very fine mesh screen is pressed into each shaft gallery to keep debris out of the bearings. That screen has a tiny surface area, and the oil that reaches it has already passed the filter. Sludge from long oil intervals, carbon flakes and sealant debris collect on it until flow stops, and the bearing running dry scores the journal, overheats and finally picks up in the block. On older shafts the screen can also tear, letting the debris straight through to the bearing. The result is the classic sequence: a low-frequency rumble or metallic whine from the bottom of the engine, a vibration you feel through the steering wheel and the seat, then a red oil pressure warning at hot idle.
Why it cannot be left alone. Once a shaft seizes it stops dead while the chain keeps driving, so the balance shaft chain snaps. That chain sits directly behind the main timing chain, and a snapped or derailed balance shaft chain very often takes the timing chain with it — which on this engine means piston-to-valve contact, bent valves and a cylinder head repair. A pair of shafts is a small fraction of that bill.
Why the updated pair. This kit carries the revised internal screens that resist clogging, and both shafts are supplied together because the pair wears as a set: fitting one new shaft against a scored bearing on the other side simply moves the noise. The journals and the drive gear are machined and finished as original, ready to fit.
Symptoms, diagnosis and installation
• Typical symptoms — a deep rumble or growl from the lower engine block that follows engine speed, vibration through the steering wheel and floor pan at idle, a metallic whine from behind the timing cover, a red oil pressure warning that appears at hot idle and disappears when you rev the engine, and in late stages a rattle from the chain area as the balance shaft chain runs loose.
• Confirm it before ordering — measure oil pressure with a mechanical gauge at hot idle and at 2000 rpm, and read the fault memory for oil pressure switch faults. Drain the oil through a strainer and look for bearing material: fine bronze or grey paste means a bearing has already gone. With the sump off, check each shaft for end float and for scoring on the journals, and inspect the balance shaft chain and tensioner. A cheap boroscope through the drain plug will often show the scored journal before anything is dismantled.
• Installation notes — this is a timing-chain job, not a bolt-on. Work on a cold engine, set the crank to TDC and lock the timing components before anything is released. Remove the main timing chain and the balance shaft chain, then withdraw the shafts. Clean the bearing bores until they are free of varnish and metal, fit the new shafts with assembly oil, and replace the balance shaft chain, the tensioner and the shaft seals as a matter of course — reusing a stretched chain on new shafts is the usual reason the job comes back. Torque the bearing bridge and the chain cover to the published figures in the workshop sequence, refit the timing chain with the correct locking tools, and turn the engine through two revolutions by hand before the first start. Refill with the specified oil, crank until pressure builds, then run a full warm-up and re-check pressure and noise. Clear the fault memory and road test.
• Fitment caution — the EA888 was built in three generations and the balance shaft arrangement changed between them. This 06H198205N pair is for the Gen 2 1.8 and 2.0 TSI / TFSI. Confirm the engine code on the vehicle data sticker or by VIN decode, or send us a photo of the shafts you are removing — the casting numbers on the black housings are the quickest check.
Fitment
The 06H198205N pair is fitted to EA888 Gen 2 engines — the chain-driven 1.8 and 2.0 TSI / TFSI family with the balance shaft module behind the main timing chain. The number supersedes the earlier A to M shafts in the same series, so the engine code is the reliable check: confirm yours on the vehicle data sticker, the timing cover label or a VIN decode before ordering. The table below lists the usual applications.
| Make | Model | Years | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| VW | Golf V / VI GTI, Jetta V / VI GLI, Beetle, Eos | 2008 – 2016 | 2.0 TSI — CCTA, CBFA, CCZA, CCZB |
| VW | Passat B6 / B7, Passat CC / CC, Scirocco III, Sharan II, Tiguan I | 2008 – 2017 | 1.8 / 2.0 TSI — CAWA, CAWB, CCZA, CCZB, CCZC |
| VW (China market) | Magotan, Sagitar, Passat NMS, CC | 2009 – 2016 | 1.8 / 2.0 TSI — CEAA, CGMA, CCTA |
| Audi | A4 B8 / allroad, A5 8T | 2008 – 2016 | 1.8 / 2.0 TFSI — CDHA, CDHB, CAEA, CAEB, CDNB, CDNC, CPMA, CPMB |
| Audi | A3 8P, TT 8J, Q5 8R, A6 C7 2.0 TFSI | 2008 – 2016 | 2.0 TFSI — CCZA, CDNC, CAEB, CPMA, CPMB |
| Skoda | Octavia II RS, Superb II, Yeti | 2009 – 2015 | 1.8 / 2.0 TSI — CDAA, CDAB, CCZA |
| SEAT | Leon II Cupra, Altea, Alhambra, Exeo | 2009 – 2015 | 1.8 / 2.0 TSI — CDAA, CCZB, CCZA |
Shipping and packing
Orders leave within one to two working days of cleared payment, each shaft wrapped separately and boxed with foam so the journals and the drive gear arrive unmarked. Tracking is emailed when the parcel is handed to the carrier. Customs charges, where they apply, are the buyer’s responsibility.
Condition & warranty
Brand new, twelve months warranty against manufacturing defects covering the shafts as supplied. The warranty does not cover damage from oil starvation caused by a blocked pickup or neglected oil changes, from reusing a worn balance shaft chain or tensioner, or from incorrect installation torque. If a part arrives faulty, send us photos before returning anything.
Wholesale
Tiered pricing for 1 pc, 5 pcs and 20 pcs is shown below. Workshops and resellers rebuilding EA888 engines should ask for a combined quote — we price mixed orders of balance shaft kits, timing chain kits, oil pumps and gasket sets together.
