New look at tensioner worry

[weejockvw]

How about some feed back on higher mileage GTIs and no tension failure I have a Jan 2010 29500 mile

[Neil gti]

Mine is now at 51k and 4 years old 59 plate Sept 09
But updated my tensioner at about 47k due to all the horror story's 

[Snoopy]

I really wish people would read and understand how the tensioner works.
Miles has nothing at all to do with it.

[Neil gti]

I really wish people would read and understand how the tensioner works.
Miles has nothing at all to do with it.

 
All I meant was I've managed 50k and 4 years without it going ?

[Ratski]

Would be great for people to say how much and where they got it replaced.

My attempts to gets quotes have been left with either a stupidly high price or confusion to what exact part i on about!

[Snoopy]

I really wish people would read and understand how the tensioner works.
Miles has nothing at all to do with it.

 
All I meant was I've managed 50k and 4 years without it going ?

but thats not what puts it under stress though.
If you said I regular stop for a few hours so the oil pressure drops  and so it falls back on ratchet, then start the car again and repeat this many times a day every day for 4 years as im a rep or house husband or similar. Thats different.
But someone using the car to commute daily and doing 5k or soneone commuting doing 50k a year will put the ratchet under similar stresses.

[MustardGTI]

I rejected buying a Mini Cooper S because of worries about their tensioner failures, bought the Golf and now I find this!

[highpeak23]

Some more expensive feedback and tails of woe on likely tensioner failure causing timing chain to jump
now with local dealer who matter of factly confirm new engine required.
A 59 plate Gti 2.0 Dsg with 60.4 k miles and owned from new and driven without even a minor hiccup since then . No prior warning to meltdown other than a couple of seconds of the key turn before the engine fired up and 4 miles into a 6 mile journey the engine warning light came on. At my local garage they pull up the Cam Tensioner warning code and it was then recovered to the nearest dealer . 2 days later their own tests showed possible damage to valves and pistons with the resulting 'new engine' telephone call. On VAG's behalf they confirmed a new engine supplied f.o.c with only a contribution cost from me of £2350 for labour!!! During the last 7 days VAG's customer services have looked at the case denied any real problems with the 2.0 Gti TSI engines and claim any goodwill is down to the dealer. Even after me giving them the ISME timescales of workshop times for an engine out and new in of 8.4 hrs they seem relaxed about a dealer quoting 22 hours !! A quite shocking experience for a VW golf owner of 20 years to see such a low point  that has been reached.

[Jimmgc51]

Just been through this my friend feel your pain!

That quote is a joke I was quoted £1350 for 15 hours work at £90 an hour, your being quoted nearly £150!!

I have a thread not to old full all info about this probably worth a read if you have not already.

I dealt with a Lucy then a Shayma from VWUK so get through to her she has definitely heard about it for I only got mine back on Sat and spoke to her yesterday to close my case.

All in all I paid £675 which I felt was fair under my circumstances!

Hope you get it fixed with an outcome your happy with, if you need any advice just get in touch. I have a word doc titled AMMO which I let rip on them only an email away!

Jimmy

[highpeak23]

Hi Jimmy

Many thanks for the info on your case with Vag to the failure and costs you too have had to suck up. In my case the stealer has me over a barrel as they have the car and have given the diagnosis and feel the need to offer nothing further to either myself or  via the senior VAG case manager. Ive just read your earlier post on it and entirely agree with all you said - what suprised me is the power of the franichise dealers more so over VAGUK no matter how strong the case with known documented weak parts, their own TSB 's on the subject and the shocking block prices of the 'labour only charge'. I have seen the I.C.M.E data sheets and they show a time as set from VAG of 8.4 hrs for the work of engine change on a DSJ and including the time on the air con recharge. What I found out late this afternoon is that with work of this nature VAG quietly allow the dealers to disregard these time frames  which is reinforced by the huge variables in labour quotes.. but as i found out from a South Manchester Dealer once the car is logged in the system any form of competitive pricing completely disappears and dealer No 2 was only able to give a better price by £70 ! I am both gutted and disgusted that the smoke and mirrors they all collude too breaks the spirit to the point of having 5 new Gtis over 20 years  i can only register my vote by next buying anything other than a VAG group car.