Author Topic: Timing Chain tensioner Failure List (timing issue)- Please Update with Your Info  (Read 362429 times)

Offline martin vr6

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Got the news today, my chains have stretched and thus require replacement. Car is on 79k

I’m having everything done, all three chains, guides tensioner everything. No change out of £1100

Wise move. Peace of mind is important. Is that dealer price or indie?

It was starting to sound like a 1. 2 Corsa with a dodgy chain so it was far from right.

It’s the dealer, but at staff rates, having a major service and Air Con done too so the bill will likely be in the £1500 ballpark

Offline mikegti77

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Got the news today, my chains have stretched and thus require replacement. Car is on 79k

I’m having everything done, all three chains, guides tensioner everything. No change out of £1100

I feel your pain, look at page 56 on this thread, stretched chains on mine at 79K miles, albeit mine was a 59 plate.

Pleased your getting it sorted, great cars GTI's - this issue aside.
MK7 GTI, Carbon Grey, Pan Sunroof

Offline roblyt

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had mine back now
chain slipped at 56k, bent the valves and cracked a piston
had the engine fully rebuilt
new everything including mahle pistons + bearings,forged conrods and arp studs and bolts all round
cost around £5500 all in
shout out to BVR automotive in stoke for the rebuild

bit overkill on the spec i know but figured may as well while its out and being rebuilt and i wanted the car to keep its original engine


Offline david25

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56,000 sounds low mileage, what year is your car?
Now = 2011 MK6 GTI - Reflex Silver
Past = 2006 MK5 GTI - Tornado Red and Solid Black

Offline g98smith

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Just bought a 2013 2.0L GT TSI Scirocco and not sure whether I should be worried or not about this dreaded timing chain tensioner issue. I’ve heard that the final revision that fixed the issue was done around May 2012 therefore I’m hoping I should be okay? Can anyone confirm/advise please?

Offline Arr0nUK

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Just bought a 2013 2.0L GT TSI Scirocco and not sure whether I should be worried or not about this dreaded timing chain tensioner issue. I’ve heard that the final revision that fixed the issue was done around May 2012 therefore I’m hoping I should be okay? Can anyone confirm/advise please?

2012 was the latest revision and they haven't changed it since. Remember that same engine all but some differences is in the MK7.

I had the 2009 in mine and I also now have a £5,700 bill for a new engine. Now I have the 2012 so don't worry about it.

Offline Realbadman

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Hi Peeps

I own a Golf GTI mk6  Adidas Edition 2011 but on a (10reg plate)
As you can see a old advert below...
https://kars-uk.com/Stock-List/VOLKSWAGON-GOLF-GTI-ADIDAS/Details/17

Well a couple of weeks ago while I was traveling down the motorway around 55mph I’d experience a slight loss of power so I’d down geared it and resumed my same speed as before which then was followed by a violent couple of bangs from the exhaust then a loss of power meaning I then had to pull over to the hard shoulder.
I then tried to restart it a few times but to no avail. The funny think about it is there was no warning or engine management lights coming up on the dashboard. Anyway to cut a long story short got the car recovered to my local garage who then took of the head & said “Timing Chain tensioner missed/skipped a beat & the problem stop oil getting to the head which then cooked the head & melted the cams” which I find hard to believe as I visually looked over the engine bay & looked for any funny smells or leakage but there weren’t any. The garage then said “your guna need a new head & maybe a new engine which will cost around £6k. So I asked “so what about the bottom of the engine then?” which he replied “we are not sure yet as we have to send a oil sample off to analysis which is guna cost you more”.

Which you can fully understand I’m not happy about & maybe not able to afford it right now.

I’ve had the car nearly four years purchase Sep,2015 with 21,???miles on now after this issue the mileage stands at less than 61,000miles. I have had a couple of problems with which I’ve fixed:
Replaced injectors
Replaced intake manifold (I think)
Replaced engine oil every 6 months up on till early last year.

My my predicament now is:
Should I fix her & keep until mid next year then sell her?
Put her in the garage until it’s a better time to fix her then sell her?
Or just sell her as she is & count my losses?

I reckon the car worth anywhere between £11k-£13.5k maybe even more as being a very rare Adidas Edition & only being one of two in the country I believe???
« Last Edit: 25 September 2019, 17:54 by Realbadman »

Offline roblyt

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that sucks mate  :sad:
pretty much the same situation i was in this time last year
i decided to put mine away for about 8 months,think about it, then got it rebuilt
i had just finished paying the finance off on mine though so decided i would keep it and put some money into the engine rather than getting another car which i was gonna do before it went
it all depends on your financial situation i suppose,i can apreciate if you are still paying the finance off every month that a repair job like this can be crippling







Offline mike1992

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HI All

MK 6 GTI 2012 plate 70K

Date of manufacturer 29 Feb 2012: Full VW service history

Just got my new pride and joy and am know wondering if its worth getting the chain + tensioner done, had a quote from an independent garage for £900.

The issue is I've scrolled through the whole thread and not seen one 2012 GTI has had the timing chain tensioner fault/fail.

I understand there was a revised tensioner fitted from engines built from 17 May 2010
A second revision of the tensioner from engines built in December 2011.
A third revision of the tensioner as quoted by Mike above from 01 May 2012.

If this is 100% accurate I would have the second revision of the tensioner, which by the looks of the posts on here hasn't failed/ shown history of failing?

I paid more than I should of for the car TBH and plan on keeping it for a long while but do not wanna be spending nearly a £1000 if not necessary.

Would really appreciate your comments on weather or not im safe to forget about it and carry on or should i be getting it changed?

Thanks
Mike 


Offline joe6

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Mike,

You will be almost certainly be OK with that engine given the build date and revised tensioner. Regular oil and filter changes help to keep things sweet so full VW history is important and what you have. You can get a printout of all work done previously on the car at a dealership if you ask. If you have VCDS you can check for chain stretch (link on this topic somewhere courtesy of Skoda owners) but not tensioner condition. Tensioner requires removal of an inspection plug in the chain cover and is almost impossible to reach.
Mk6 GTI Carbon Grey, 2010 Bluetooth and voice fitted, a few VCDS mods still a comfortable family car. Red Scirocco 2011 twin charger stage 1 - enjoyable drive now gone.  White 2016 Polo GTI (roller skate on steroids) replaced with an Indium Grey 2019 7.5 GTI PP.