# VW TSI Timing chain issues



## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

This past weekend, a good friend contacted me and said that his car has a problem, the amber engine management light was lit up and there was a smell of fuel. Friend then drove the car to me to take a look and there was a smell of petrol. I suspected that one of the ignition coils might have failed but when we opened the bonnet we could hear a metallic clack clack sound. So I said to switch off the engine immediately. After some research I found that there are many VW car owners complaining about the same issue and there are plenty YouTube videos with the same issue. VW decided that it was a good idea to switch the 1.2 and 1.4 engines with a timing chain fitted with a bad design timing chain tensioner resulting in the timing chain slipping and possibly severe engine damage.

VW have issued a TSB is 2012 for this issue but hasn't publicly acknowledged that there is a problem with the cars and offered a recall.
The car was purchased used last year from an official VW dealer and has a FSH with that VW dealer and has only done 45k miles.
Since VW has issued a TSB, surely the VW dealer would have full knowledge that the car has an issue and they had an opportunity to fit the engine with the updated timing chain tensioner before it was sold.
So far the VW dealer has said that they won't be offering any goodwill towards repair costs. Will be contacting VW customer care this week.

Some thread regarding the issue: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=262793.0

Anyone else have this problem with a chain fitted TSI?


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

I never had that issue with my 1.4tsi leon 59 plate 2010 car.

Again it depends on the age as the tensioner was revised a number of times. I beleivr the issue was more common in the 1.2 then the 1.4.

You could tell if the tensioner was on the way out though long before it did go, as when starting from cold, there would be some 'slap' of the chain against the housing/cover.


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## Andyg_TSi (Sep 6, 2013)

Just to add......VAG are a pain when ir comes to issues like this.

Unless you are the original owner whos had the car from new & you've had the servicing done by a main dealer to schedule and the fault has occured under your ownership then they wont give any goodwill under the original manufacturers warranty.

Sadly in cases like this you best trying to claim under any used car warranty bought with the car.


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## Sh1ner (May 19, 2012)

It is a well know problem. Stretchy chain and flakey tensioner.
Do not drive it until it is fixed. It WILL fail and once that happens it has happened.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

A VAG car with a serious engine fault born purely of poor initial design???? Never have I seen the like....


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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

Sh1ner said:


> It is a well know problem. Stretchy chain and flakey tensioner.
> Do not drive it until it is fixed. It WILL fail and once that happens it has happened.


Hopefully VW will acknowledge that this is a well known problem and cover all costs 100%. I still can't find any information where VW has issued a recall for the models affected, form what I can find so far VW have only issued Techincal Service Bulletins and Technical Problem Information. Dieselgate, timingchaingate. Bast**ds!

A timing chain should not fail after 45k miles, it's possible to find a one-off failure for a timing chain failure but this is an issue that affects millions of cars.


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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

.....and VW are useless. Customer service don't want to assist at all. Car is out of warranty, despite the low mileage VW cuctomer service are saying that mechanical problems do occur. Indeed, especially if they use problematic timing chain tensioners. 
From Briskoda, different engine but same VW timing chain issue: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/266114-18tsi-and-20tsi-engine-failures/


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## Rayaan (Jun 1, 2014)

Gixxer6 said:


> .....and VW are useless. Customer service don't want to assist at all. Car is out of warranty, despite the low mileage VW cuctomer service are saying that mechanical problems do occur. Indeed, especially if they use problematic timing chain tensioners.
> From Briskoda, different engine but same VW timing chain issue: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/266114-18tsi-and-20tsi-engine-failures/


No such issue on son's 08 1.4 TSI 122hp with 65k on it.

How old is the car?


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

I was speaking to a good friend last night, and his car, a mk5 golf 1.4 tsi 140, needs a THIRD chain/tensioner at 89k! Unbelievable. 

Cooks 

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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

Rayaan said:


> No such issue on son's 08 1.4 TSI 122hp with 65k on it.
> 
> How old is the car?


It's a 2010 model, also has a twincharger which was also problematic from what I have read. I'm not sure which models are affected by timing chain issues but I think it might be from 2009 to 2014.


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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

Cookies said:


> I was speaking to a good friend last night, and his car, a mk5 golf 1.4 tsi 140, needs a THIRD chain/tensioner at 89k! Unbelievable.
> 
> Cooks


Wow, that is ridiculous. I think I read somewhere that there is no service interval/replacement recommendations for the timing chain and that VW expect the chain to last the lifetime of the engine (or 100K).
My dad had a Toyota many years ago that had a timing chain, the engine had over 100k miles and no problems at all, only needed a new clutch.

Was the timing chain/tensioner replaced with any goodwill from VW or at full cost to your friend?


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Gixxer6 said:


> Wow, that is ridiculous. I think I read somewhere that there is no service interval/replacement recommendations for the timing chain and that VW expect the chain to last the lifetime of the engine (or 100K).
> My dad had a Toyota many years ago that had a timing chain, the engine had over 100k miles and no problems at all, only needed a new clutch.
> 
> Was the timing chain/tensioner replaced with any goodwill from VW or at full cost to your friend?


Yep, really ridiculous. I think the first one was covered by Vw. The second, and this one are being covered by Warranty Direct. Due to the age and mileage, they're covering 50% of the parts and 100% labour. Pretty good for a 12 year old car with 89k. Still disgraceful that Vw aren't doing a recall. The American market wouldn't stand for it!!

Cooks

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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Apparently Auto Bild awarded Vw their Golden Carrot for this engine lol. 

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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

Cookies said:


> Apparently Auto Bild awarded Vw their Golden Carrot for this engine lol.
> 
> Yep, really ridiculous. I think the first one was covered by Vw. The second, and this one are being covered by Warranty Direct. Due to the age and mileage, they're covering 50% of the parts and 100% labour. Pretty good for a 12 year old car with 89k. Still disgraceful that Vw aren't doing a recall. The American market wouldn't stand for it!!


Yep they won the golden carrot, well deserved as well. And the lawsuites: http://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2016/volkswagen-timing-chain-tensioner-lawsuit.shtml

VW UK just don't want to help at all, customer care replied to the original email and said that as far as they were concerned the decision is final, no goodwill or assistance will be offered. I'll never buy a VW. I guess VW have crunched the numbers and to issue a recall on millions of affected cars would cost too much, probably cheaper to fix timing chain issues per complaint .... or just fob people off.

My friend is considering taking this higher, possibly contacting the Motor Ombudsman.


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