Author Topic: Timing Chain tensioner Failure List (timing issue)- Please Update with Your Info  (Read 362504 times)

Offline gaurav_aidasani

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Just an update from my last post on this thread.

I'm still enjoying the car, although everytime I start it from cold I listen carefully (a little annoying/worrying/anxious to be honest!). So far it's smooth and I can't hear anything.

I did contact VW UK CS with my concerns and they have given me a reasonable reply I reckon (your inputs & feedback are welcome....). They have expressed their concern and have recommended, if I feel uncomfortable, to have an authorized VW garage diagnose the issue. If they find something wrong then they will liaise with the retailer and if necessary offer any further support required (some kind of gesture I believe?).

Any idea how much a diagnostic will cost? I'm assuming this is something that will NOT be detected on VAG COM so I'm guessing a few hours required?

I have a minor service coming up in a few weeks, and a major in 6 months (30k miles at the moment) but I reckon I'll have a major one done to save a few ££££. Do you guys think if I ask them politely they'll include a diagnostic of the tensioner in the Major service?

Offline RocketRossUK

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The only way to diagnose it is to take the side cover off and have a look for a slack chain. Which in fact is easier to hear rather than see.

VW will charge you £100+ for the pleasure and will say its fine. Dont bother mate.

Best thing to do is record your cold engine start up's twice a month on your phone for 6 months and see if it sounds any different. As its too hard to tell day by day.

Other than doing that, I would just enjoy your car and enjoy driving it. If you start hearing it get worse (which you will if the chain start to slacken) then get it in for repair, but till then have fun.
MK6 GTI CSG | Revo Stage 2 | Revo Stage 2 Intake | Milltek 3" TB Exhaust | SuperPro Anti Lift Kit | H&R ARB's | Bilstein B12 | TT Short Shifter |Mintex M1144 Race Pads | HEL Braided Lines |

MK5 GTI - DSG + Extras (Sold because DSG was Soooo Boring !!!)

Offline Pld118

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My wife's car was returned after some extensive after sales and remedial work yesterday which was not solely about rectifying this timing chain related fault. 

However, this post is specific to this timing chain thread and is an interesting outcome that should hopefully assist others who have active VW approved warrantied cars in the future, or in fact others who have bought cars from any UK motor trader because within the first 6 months of ownership, you do have clear rights as provided by the Sale of Goods Act.

Since buying the car in March, I repeatedly reported concerns to the selling dealership that there was timing chain rattle on start up.  I was repeatedly told that there was nothing wrong with this aspect of the car.  My understanding is that the fault denials were based purely upon their listening to the car starting and deciding nothing was wrong.  As you will read, plugging the car into the VW diagnostic would not have assisted with diagnosis anyway.

I, justifiably, complained beyond the selling dealership, to Director level of what is a large UK wide group.  My complaints about this and many other genuine issues were immediately taken seriously, gripped and acted upon.  The car was recovered to another group dealership.  I supplied - as I had done with the selling dealership - video footage of the obviously unhealthy noise on start up. 

The appointed resolving dealership set to work on the car without fuss and this is what their final report says of the timing chain issue on this particular car:

"Investigated clattering noise on start up.  Confirmed noise heard from timing chain area, carried out guided fault find and no faults logged.  Referred to VW technical and relevant technical product information related to same issue described.  Removed rubber plug from [timing] chain cover and upon inspection, found visually that the timing chain does require replacing, along with the tensioner.  Also found top oil gallery housing for top timing gears had come out due to ball bearing.  Re-fit parts as required and carried out 2nd guided fault find test, no faults logged..."

Thanks to this original thread created by Rocket Ross and much appreciated direct support offered from Ross, I was able to speak about this fault from an informed position and was even able to supply the dealership with the list of parts and VW part numbers that I thought would need to be changed.  In fact, more parts than just the tensioner needed to be replaced, including the actual timing chain, as reported above.

Not only did the resolving dealership carry out these repairs, they kept the car for some time after that even going to the length of wanting to leave it sitting idle for several days so that all of the oil would drain away before starting the car again to determine if that would replicate any start up clatter concerns etc.

This repair, at no cost to me, has been VW parts and labour warrantied for 2 years.

Early days as the car has only just been returned but my wife commented immediately that the start up sounds much more crisp, clean, quiet and smooth (a good way to describe the noise before the parts were replaced would be that with the bonnet up and putting your ear towards the left hand side of the engine bay on start up, it was incredibly noisy and you might think you were listening to a diesel engined car).

Don't be fobbed off with anything if you genuinely believe there's a problem that you are entitled to be given assistance with.  Keep calm, do your homework and as opposed to ranting, politely articulate your concerns in writing, give the obvious people the opportunity to make good and if problems persist then progressively escalate your concerns - for example to Service Managers, After Sales Managers, Brand Managers/ Dealer Principals, Director level - until you are given a meaningful response.

** When reporting concerns or complaints in writing there is no need to traditionally post communications via Recorded Delivery etc.  If you have the relevant person's email address, then email provides a perfectly good and auditable means of 'having things in writing'.  Email can also generate a quicker response than traditional mailing.  Email also makes it easier and quicker for the recipient to share, disseminate and delegate the issues for expedient resolution. **

Thanks to the forum, to Rocket Ross and to those professionals who were committed to properly resolving this issue.
« Last Edit: 27 June 2014, 08:35 by Pld118 »

Offline 09GTI

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Hi all , not sure if this is the correct thread to be posting this in but here goes!
I've an 59 plate GTI with 25000 miles not modded and full VWSH, love the car.
The coolant level has been going down and the dealer has diagnosed a water pump replacement , does anyone think this may be related to the timing chain issue , should I be asking to get something done with the timing chain at the same time as the water pump replacement ?
There is also an oil leak coming from near the turbo which they said needs further investigation .... So hopefully that won't be anything serious ...any ideas if that is related to anything with the timing chain , (I'm not technical at all )
Any advice would be great as I've also had issues with the DSG box previously and had the mechatronic unit replaced so my confidence in the car is diminishing rapidly !!
Thanks
2014 Mk 7 GTI 5 door , Discover Pro , Pan Roof , DSG , ACC, Xenons , Parking  Sensors  , Rear Tints, KESSY.

Offline Snoopy

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Water pump is a known issue they fail and leak, no link to timing chain.
Oil leak do a search for my oil leak thread it states the 3 most common known causes. Its now a known issue. Not related to tensioner.
Mk6 GTI  &  Mk1 GTI 
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Offline 09GTI

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Thanks for reply Snoopy
2014 Mk 7 GTI 5 door , Discover Pro , Pan Roof , DSG , ACC, Xenons , Parking  Sensors  , Rear Tints, KESSY.

Offline ben gttdi

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again after reading this horror story of timing chains n tensioners, it gets me worrying about mine,
its all quiet as of now and still under warranty,  does anyone know of it happening to the later models? the edition 35? I only seem to read about faults on the 09/10 plate cars

Offline Snoopy

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Doesn't effect the edition35 as that uses a timing belt as it uses the old edition 30mk5 golf engine as does the mk6 R.
Mk6 GTI  &  Mk1 GTI 
34 years of GTI ownership.

Offline ben gttdi

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oh that interesting to know  :smiley:
so fairly few problems then? any reason for the use of the old engine?

Offline Poached

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oh that interesting to know  :smiley:
so fairly few problems then? any reason for the use of the old engine?

It has been suggested that the older engine was more suitable in a higher state of tune. Like for like modifications, the EA888 typically makes more power though.

Development time might also have been a factor.