Is changing tensioner worth it 2014 GTI?

[bustin]

Lol @ ironically. Did you expect it to be a downgrade from a civic?

No! The irony is that I got an upgrade despite crashing my Si. Loving the GTI so far. The lowend torque is nice and I cant wait to do stage 1

 

[bustin]

Where's the ironny? Lol

Lol not the best word I could have used

 

[supreme_gti]

GTI > Honda Civics

 

[supreme_gti]

Yaaaa let me tell you Audi/VW engines are sensitive and needy indeed!!!!!! high maintenance girlfriend

 

[bustin]

I gotcha. You thought it was a downgrade until you drove it. Now don't treat it like a Honda, it's probably more sensitive and needy, but worth it.

Yaaaa let me tell you Audi/VW engines are sensitive and needy indeed!!!!!! high maintenance girlfriend

To be fair, the 8th gen si needed to get repainted because of the sun damage problem. Its like 3k for a basic paint job on that thing

 

[the_horak]

Hey Im new to the forum. Ive been looking at GTIs and most likely getting one tomorrow. My major concern was the timing chain tensioner and I know that in late 2012 the mk6 got the update. My question is if they need to be replaced still? I was looking at a 2014 with 120k miles and i wanted to know if i would need to get that fixed or if its good to go

Check this video. It shows how to look at and verify the old or new tensioner. It's a relatively easy DIY If it hasn't been done, please put it on your ASAP to-do list.

Chain stretch isn't necessarily the same thing. Tensioners are like idle pulleys. They're installed to maintain constant and relatively consistent tension on the timing chain to prevent slipping. The old-style tensioners would fall apart during use, so they updated it to a whole new construction. Chain stretch is more of a 'wear and tear' thing. All chains stretch, but it usually stays within tolerance (the tensioner helps with that too).

EDIT: I'm not saying that you shouldn't look into chain stretch, as it never hurts. I just wanted to make sure you knew that these were two different, though seemingly related, things. I almost typed the word 'issues' but it makes it seem like a defect. Chain stretch is something that can happen to ANY vehicle with a timing chain.