zrickety
The Fixer
I'm about a month or so away as well, but I look forward to your notes. 60k this gets done regardless.
6
'11 Timing Chain Tensioner Failure
- Thread starter lowerthanzimmy
- Start date
ryanrich1
Ready to race!
There was an update to the tensioner in 2010/04 and then again in 2011/12 going by ETKA. The early 2009 models are definitely most problematic. Here in SA I'm yet to see a GTI built in 2011+ that experienced this failure, all have been 2009/2010 so far.
BikeSkiPRN
New member
tensioner failed
I just read all the posts I could find on this topic. I am supposed to be able to finally pick up 2010 GTI that had the classic failure on Wed. Mid December I drive the car about 200 miles in one day the next morning I am running errands and the second time I start the car it takes the starter 11-12 seconds to fire-up (usually takes 0.5 sec). When it does start it sounds like a 1980's camero with a 3/4 race cam. I call the dealer....it is winter in Idaho/Wyoming you probably got some bad fuel. No amount octane/injector cleaner stuff makes a difference 93 octane with no ethanol no difference either.
Car only has 18,600 miles. Was serviced by VW at 18K, oil is brand new. I pulled the codes and confirmed my suspicions of a timing issue and freaked out a little ( I got rid of an allroad I loved for this car because I could no longer trust the allroad) I love the way this car drives but I have never been past 4.5k RPM. I like it for the cornering on mountain roads, it never gets high RPMs. I also like the MT because I got burned a few times when my allroad thought it knew better which gear I should be in coming down a 10-12% grade in 5" of snow on ice coming into Jackson Hole.
Dealer keeps telling me there is no damage to rings or pistons, valves etc. only needed new timing parts. I am scared to drive it off the lot once I hit 60K.
They keep talking down to me or mumbling like I don't know engines and assuring me that a tech from VWoA has been there supervising the whole thing every time I ask about visual inspection of the head, valves, and pistons. I limped around in this thing for a while thinking it was a fuel issue now I am really nervous I had one of those valves that "barely hit the piston". Like the guy who just barely got shot in the stomach?
I just read all the posts I could find on this topic. I am supposed to be able to finally pick up 2010 GTI that had the classic failure on Wed. Mid December I drive the car about 200 miles in one day the next morning I am running errands and the second time I start the car it takes the starter 11-12 seconds to fire-up (usually takes 0.5 sec). When it does start it sounds like a 1980's camero with a 3/4 race cam. I call the dealer....it is winter in Idaho/Wyoming you probably got some bad fuel. No amount octane/injector cleaner stuff makes a difference 93 octane with no ethanol no difference either.
Car only has 18,600 miles. Was serviced by VW at 18K, oil is brand new. I pulled the codes and confirmed my suspicions of a timing issue and freaked out a little ( I got rid of an allroad I loved for this car because I could no longer trust the allroad) I love the way this car drives but I have never been past 4.5k RPM. I like it for the cornering on mountain roads, it never gets high RPMs. I also like the MT because I got burned a few times when my allroad thought it knew better which gear I should be in coming down a 10-12% grade in 5" of snow on ice coming into Jackson Hole.
Dealer keeps telling me there is no damage to rings or pistons, valves etc. only needed new timing parts. I am scared to drive it off the lot once I hit 60K.
They keep talking down to me or mumbling like I don't know engines and assuring me that a tech from VWoA has been there supervising the whole thing every time I ask about visual inspection of the head, valves, and pistons. I limped around in this thing for a while thinking it was a fuel issue now I am really nervous I had one of those valves that "barely hit the piston". Like the guy who just barely got shot in the stomach?
XGC75
Go Kart Champion
Lol. If the dealer doesn't give you their visual inspection results in pen with the signature of the inspector call vwoa. Seems they exist to keep dealers on their feet. Of course, if down the road something happens related to this issue, it can be tracked back to the shoddy visual inspection and the dealer will be liable to clean up after themselves.
butchered by autocorrect
BikeSkiPRN
New member
new parts do far so good.
I picked up the car yesterday and looked through the tech notes as well as I could. They assured me that there was no valve or piston damage. I drove it home ~ 100 miles. So far so good. I really missed the heated seats. The average temp has been 8-10 deg here since Christmas and the loaner didn't have heated seats. I will post any news good or bad with my TSB issues. Thanks for the thread(s) and info.
I picked up the car yesterday and looked through the tech notes as well as I could. They assured me that there was no valve or piston damage. I drove it home ~ 100 miles. So far so good. I really missed the heated seats. The average temp has been 8-10 deg here since Christmas and the loaner didn't have heated seats. I will post any news good or bad with my TSB issues. Thanks for the thread(s) and info.
Apparently it's some crazy VW sealant. Everyone recommends replacing the cover also because the sealant is so good that you will end up bending the cover taking it off. HS Tuning has a kit do complete the job properly (http://www.hstuning.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_124&products_id=3619&vpath=33_289)
I plan on trying this job in the summer. Talking with a well known VW shop, there is no reason to re-time the whole motor doing this swap. As long as you keep tension on the chains (zip-ties, etc.) you should be able to remove the old tensioner and re-install the new one with no problems.
Regular RTV sealant, save the money for mods.
Did you replace the cover also?
nope same cover
Good shit. I was thinking the cover was one of those over cautious type things. Well with this new news, saving my engine for another 50k will be done with $80 bucks, a tube of RTV and a few hours of my time. I'm all in for this!
Can you post a link to the parts (not RTV)?