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Official Timing Chain Tensioner failure thread

VEGASVWGTI

Ready to race!
Strikes again! 2011 120k no indication of an issue. Drove to work 7 miles got ready to leave and car didnt want to start. I got it to crank up and drove it 3 miles to my friends vw shop. Car still ran wouldnt rev past 1500k but i got it to the shop. He told me best case is chain and tensioner i told him do the rails also while in there. Should be ready monday if the valves arent trashed. It sounded like dogshit and the motor looked like the bushing were gone from the motor mounts it was about to jump otta the car. Luckily i had 1500$ saved up for the ko4 i was going to buy...i had planned on doing the tensioner at home but guess i waited a bit too long..will report back monday with tje good news..

Sorry to hear man. Can you share a brief history of the car and maintenance? Original owner? I am just turning the clock on 100K and am starting to feel quite anxious about this?
 

Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
Sorry to hear man. Can you share a brief history of the car and maintenance? Original owner? I am just turning the clock on 100K and am starting to feel quite anxious about this?

If you have the means or can scrape up the money get it done. I should have and knew i needed to but i was like a kid and wanted moar powa! I should have been more responsible and took preventive measures. Now i have to think about it all weekend. I bought the car 5k miles ago did oil change,plugs,coil packs myself. I dont know anything about the previous condition of the car except it drove well, looked to have been taken care of. I put apr stage 1 a few days after i got it. There really werent any warning signs, today was the first time i had driven it on cool weather. Ran great to work and then took a shit when i tried to start it after work. Had to work the throttle and finally it fired up only rev to 1500rpm made it to my friends vw shop a few miles away. Now i wait...the ko4 seems so far away, should have stuck with my 64 vw notch turbo☹ as a matter of fact driving there it sounded like a old vw that needed valves adjusted. Im hopefull and will report back..
 

bmanc42

Passed Driver's Ed
100k miles with new tensioner. 2012 model. Not sure if chains have been replaced. I just visually confirmed my cam chain has skipped by one tooth. I have p0016 code. Changed cam sensor no change. This happened immediately after I stalled the car or maybe it stalled because it skipped. I drove the car home it seemed fine just idles up and down and shakes at idle. Also have all cylinders misfiring at idle. Cranking car by hand it seemed I still had compression. Is it possible my chain skipped without catastrophic damage? I will be changing the chains and tensioners myself but all new valves is over my head and wallet. Any advice here? I have done timing belts on the Audi2.0t fsi motor this seems more complicated though


The quote is my previous post on the next page back. I am working on this now and when I originally measured my distances to the marks on top of cam sprocket I had gotten 61.5mm between middle guide and intake mark and 125 between the two cam marks. These measurements are in spec. After changing everything and going back to put new chain on the distance for first measurement is now 65 mm which is out of spec. I also needed to turn exhaust cam one tooth toward front of car to get colored chain link to line up with mark. My question is should I of moved the intake cam back instead of moving exhaust foward? I tried to do it but it gets stuck (assuming on valves). I need advice from someone who is experienced. I don't want to put my car back together unless it is definitely correct
 
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Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
If i limped my car to the shop after chain jump what do you guys think are the odds i didnt bend and valves? I havr read you could jump up to 6 teeth before a valve wpuld hit a piston..im going to find out monday but the suspense is driving me nuts.. 50/50 ?
 

Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
Tow?

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I like a real man (idiot)I drove it. I was 3 miles from vw shop of my friends. It's a 6 speed and would only rev to 1500rpm. I swear it was on 2 cylinders, if I was as gonna pay to toe I would have taken it home and repaired myself. So, 50-50 or 70% it's good with a new chain?!
 

bmanc42

Passed Driver's Ed
Strikes again! 2011 120k no indication of an issue. Drove to work 7 miles got ready to leave and car didnt want to start. I got it to crank up and drove it 3 miles to my friends vw shop. Car still ran wouldnt rev past 1500k but i got it to the shop. He told me best case is chain and tensioner i told him do the rails also while in there. Should be ready monday if the valves arent trashed. It sounded like dogshit and the motor looked like the bushing were gone from the motor mounts it was about to jump otta the car. Luckily i had 1500$ saved up for the ko4 i was going to buy...i had planned on doing the tensioner at home but guess i waited a bit too long..will report back monday with tje good news..


I just went through this same thing. I ordered all the parts and it turned out not to be the chain and tensioner. We changed anyway bit car still ran like shit. Turned out the oil screen broke and marked up the bearings and a piece of screen got stuck in the 4/3 valve or whatever it's called not allowing it to work correctly. Good luck I just spent the whole weekend on this bit it's done and workibg
 

Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
Picked up car today, had jumped 3 teeth. No damage to anything except my pocket book, 1015$. That included an oil change, while im still not too happy about the situation and the shitty tensioner that should be a recall i am thankful the valves are still intact. That cost included new rails,chain and tensioner. So, the $ i had for a ko4 just took a big hit! But thats ok
 

VEGASVWGTI

Ready to race!
Picked up car today, had jumped 3 teeth. No damage to anything except my pocket book, 1015$. That included an oil change, while im still not too happy about the situation and the shitty tensioner that should be a recall i am thankful the valves are still intact. That cost included new rails,chain and tensioner. So, the $ i had for a ko4 just took a big hit! But thats ok

Thanks for the update dude. Glad it all worked out!
 

Joveen

Ready to race!
Can this be covered under extended warranty? If this is possible I wouldn't mind shelling $100.

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santiagoafull

New member
Hi brothers!
My name es santiago, i´m from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mi car is AUDI 2012 2.0T FSI 8p.
Mi tensioner it the old model.

I need to know if my tensioner is to run a few more kilometers. When I change the tensioner, should I change the chain too?

[/quote]

Thanks!

Santiago, Club Vento Argentina
 

Allchokedup

Autocross Champion
Can this be covered under extended warranty? If this is possible I wouldn't mind shelling $100.

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I would assume if it is a power train warranty, but from what i have seen vw wont do any preventive maintenance. Have to wait till it breaks..
 

dski

New member
I grudgingly did the full chain tensioner guide and cover replacement as preventive maintenance at a local shop for $1200. I have 85k miles on an 09 TSI. Def had the very old rev of tensioner.

I didn't fail but thanks to all these horror stories I wanted to avoid the engine damage. The chain was stretched . Idles smooth like new now and I gained a mpg or two back that I had lost. Just sucks to go through it.
 

GreyGti1990

Ready to race!
I grudgingly did the full chain tensioner guide and cover replacement as preventive maintenance at a local shop for $1200. I have 85k miles on an 09 TSI. Def had the very old rev of tensioner.

I didn't fail but thanks to all these horror stories I wanted to avoid the engine damage. The chain was stretched . Idles smooth like new now and I gained a mpg or two back that I had lost. Just sucks to go through it.

Amen man. I had just the tensioner and the cam bridge replaced at 80k miles. They said the chain was fine :iono:

It was a very hard pill to swallow. Not too happy about the maintenance costs of this car but its a blast to drive sooo I guess I'll deal with it. I probably should do a carbon cleaning next spring as it hasn't been done in at least 40k miles if at all. That'll be another $5-800.
 

santiagoafull

New member
Hi brothers!
My name es santiago, i´m from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mi car is AUDI 2012 2.0T FSI 8p.
Mi tensioner it the old model.

I need to know if my tensioner is to run a few more kilometers. When I change the tensioner, should I change the chain too?


Thanks!

Santiago, Club Vento Argentina[/QUOTE]

:confused:
 
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