VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain

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Fri 13 Apr 2012 20:32
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Collos25

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

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Fri 13 Apr 2012 22:11
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - balleballe

Kudos for them admitting it

I think they had a similar problem with the R32. Would have thought they'd be able to design a rubust chain by now

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Fri 13 Apr 2012 23:04
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - 659FBE

VAG have had very little success in designing chain drives - the early balancer PD engines were a real disaster and there have been others. They just don't seem to be able to grasp that a chain and tensioner system are unsuited to torque reversals above a certain magnitude. All of their chain camshaft drives are in my view, too puny to give a useful life and will end up costing their owners more money than would a good toothed belt drive system.

Too many spotty youths on computers in the engine design department and not enough seasoned engineers perhaps?

659.

As an example of a chain drive properly designed to take torsionals (and the entire output of a turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engine), look at the SAAB (pre GM) primary drive used on the later 99/900s. Designed in the UK by Renold, the triple-strand staggered tooth drive with a double-acting hydraulic tensioner was silent and lasted the life of the vehicle.

Edited by 659FBE on 13/04/2012 at 23:05

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Sat 14 Apr 2012 13:33
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - craig-pd130

Interesting and thanks for posting. A friend is currently wrangling with VW about his Golf with the 1.4 twin charged engine: the camchain jumped a tooth, luckily without major valve tangling. I'll pass this on.

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Sat 14 Apr 2012 13:45
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Collos25

This weeks autobild

www.autobild.de

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Sat 14 Apr 2012 14:56
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - unthrottled

Modern belts are so good that it is beyond me why they waste time pratting around with chains. The OEMs should fit a good quality belt that should be good for 80k+ miles, and include a voucher for a free belt change at the required mileage/age. Include the cost of the belt change in the purchase price of the car. This way, people wouldn't have to agoinise over the cost of replacing belts/chains.

Chains are great in OHV engines, somewhat less wonderful in OHC designs.

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Sat 14 Apr 2012 21:54
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Collos25

A good chain will last 1million miles as per German Taxis.

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Sat 14 Apr 2012 23:32
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - unthrottled

1 million miles? That's 50,000 miles/year for 20 years. How many twenty year old cars do you see covering 50,000 miles/year?

Manufacturers give away free cars to people who can produce a documeted 1 million mile car. They don't give away many free cars...

Most good timing belt/pulley/tensioner systems would turn in stellar miles without breaking. They are changed as a precautionary measure. Timing chains are like alloy wheels: Instinctively, people think that they are better without really knowing why. in reality they aren't.

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Sun 15 Apr 2012 13:43
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - 659FBE

This discussion could run and run, but I think from a user's point of view there are clear options which I list below in order of preference. My definition of "preference" is lowest maintenance costs to the owners of these vehicles - although purchase cost clearly is a factor in the longevity of any design.

Best option: A drive which will last the life of the engine to which it is fitted without attention. This could be a geared drive or a generously engineered duplex or triplex chain drive with a rolling tensioner sprocket - as used on earlier M-B engines.

Next best: A toothed belt drive in an accessible location which can be renewed once or twice (say) during the life of the engine. Belt drive components cannot be oil lubricated and the main failure mode is the lubrication of the rolling bearings of the tensioner/idler wheels. Grease lubrication here is marginal as these bearings are bolted to the block and run hot - so the oil component of the grease runs out.

Worst: A chain drive which requires renewal - an expensive job. Almost any single strand chain drive is not robust enough to run to engine life and some designs are made even worse by having crank sprockets with too few teeth. An example of a drive which many people have found to be non-durable in use is the single row chain used in some M-B engines.

For the average motorist, a good and accessible belt drive will give the best value for money as the purchase price of option 1. is high and the choice very limited.

In a belt driven system no grease lubricated idlers will run to the life of an engine (the belts probably would) so routine attention is essential. If vehicle makers had the good sense to consider belt accessibilty in their designs, maintenance would not be the issue it clearly is.

Option 3. is a disaster - a very expensive job at a time when the capital value of the vehicle is at a low point. Time to scrap.

The engine which is the subject of this thread may well prove to belong to this category as its durability becomes known.

659.

Edited by 659FBE on 15/04/2012 at 13:51

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Sun 15 Apr 2012 14:15
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - unthrottled

Best option: A drive which will last the life of the engine to which it is fitted without attention. This could be a geared drive or a generously engineered duplex or triplex chain drive with a rolling tensioner sprocket - as used on earlier M-B engines.

Geared drives take you back to my preferred cam location-in the block. It's not really practical to use a geared drive for an OHC engine.

A duplex or triplex chain is almost as wide as a belt which takes away one of the advantages of the chain-namely the small reduction in total engine width.

If vehicle makers had the good sense to consider belt accessibilty in their designs, maintenance would not be the issue it clearly is.

I'm sure that they do consider belt accessibility, it's just that there isn't much room to play with in modern engine bays.

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Sun 15 Apr 2012 17:18
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - 659FBE

Geared drives for OHC engines have been made it the past, usually with bevel gears and a vertical quill shaft. Backlash chatter is always a problem with geared drives but there are techniques such as polymer inserts and split/sprung gears which can mitigate this. Modern materials could now be used to make this a viable option - as on the latest DOHC VAG diesels where the slave camshaft is gear driven from its master. (The overall drive is still a toothed belt, however).

Chains are nearly always narrower than belts in total space because oil seals for intermediate and camshafts are not needed. If my "option 1." principle is adopted and the drive is made fit for engine life, no additional access space would be needed around it.

I find it hard to see that vehicle manufacturers seriously consider belt access - they are far more preoccupied with assembly cost. Without wishing to knock unduly the maker identifed in the header, on the Golf the blighters put an engine mount through the middle of the belt run. This turns a simple belt change into a fairly major dismantling job. The icing on the cake is that some of the fixings are single use.

Some owners of these vehicles have experienced a loss of engine mounting integrity with consequential damage following a simple belt change - beat that for an impractical design for the real world...

659.

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Sun 15 Apr 2012 17:34
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - unthrottled

This turns a simple belt change into a fairly major dismantling job. The icing on the cake is that some of the fixings are single use.

I thought you could get at the belt without disturbing the engine mounting. It was the water pump that necessitated the removal of the engine mount with its TTY bolts. It does seem rather silly, but I assumed there must be a genuine reason for it.

Mind you, having seen the myriad styles of fastener heads used by Renault, I'm starting to agree with you that they are not overly concerned with ease of maintainance!

Geared drives for OHC engines have been made it the past, usually with bevel gears and a vertical quill shaft.

I'm really not enamored with the concept of changing the plane of motion unnecessarily! Running a distributer off a vertical shaft is one thing, but an entire valve train?!

With turbos becoming mainstream on petrols, I see no reason not to return to OHV and 2 valves/cylinder. The design is compact, cost effective and the wedge chamber beats the pentroof hands down in terms of combustion efficiency. The belt/chain dilemma becomes moot. The reduction in the height if the engine is welcome both from an engine bay space perspective and in terms of pedestrian safety.

IMO VW got it almost right with the 1.2 TSI: 2 valves/cylinder, but the cam is still in the wrong place. If GM can get the 2.2" valves on the small block v8 to spin up to 6500+ RPM with pushrods, it can't be beyond the wit of VAG to get their tiny little valves to live at 5000 RPM or so...

Edited by unthrottled on 15/04/2012 at 17:35

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Sun 15 Apr 2012 18:34
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - galileo

Did not original vintage Bentleys have a camshaft drive by eccentrics and shafts, reflecting W.O.'s railway workshop experience?

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Sun 15 Apr 2012 20:03
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Oli rag

Honda - a company not generally known for its mechanical problems had just the thing with its Vf750 motorbike. The cam chain design, I believe, caused them numerous warranty problems and loss of face when they had engines going wrong within the first year of ownership. Their solution was a redesign of both bike and engine, which resulted in the vfr 750 with its bevel driven cams. This I'm told is totally bullet proof and restored their tainted reputation.

Reliability - it can be done.

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Mon 16 Apr 2012 11:08
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - madf

Where Toyota use chains: all smaller engines - they are multi link designs - about 5-6 sections wide. They still wear if there is gross abuse# but changing them is not difficult if rather time consuming.

I've done one - the chain alone cost c £130...let alone the tensioners etc..Not a job I would wish to repeat.

# like no oil changes for 30k miles..

Edited by madf on 16/04/2012 at 11:09

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Mon 16 Apr 2012 21:48
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Collos25

German DB taxis often go round the clock 3 or 4 times plent of 15 year old w210s on the ranks.

Edited by Collos25 on 16/04/2012 at 21:49

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Wed 23 May 2012 09:49
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - andrew_32

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

Does anyone have the link to the source where VW have admitted to problems with design of their cam chain system on 1.4 TSI twin charge engines? I have a stretched timing chain at 45,000 miles...Tks

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Sun 17 Jun 2012 22:50
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - andy dav

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

Does anyone have the link to the source where VW have admitted to problems with design of their cam chain system on 1.4 TSI twin charge engines? I have a stretched timing chain at 45,000 miles...Tks

Has anyone made a successful claim, I have a 5 year old GT 170, and the diagnostics have shown a fault. To fix it the engines has to be taken out and the potential bill will be 1400. At the moment there are no problems with performance. The car has had full servicing and I wouldnt call this normal wear and tear

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Thu 21 Jun 2012 11:37
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - spannerman

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

Does anyone have the link to the source where VW have admitted to problems with design of their cam chain system on 1.4 TSI twin charge engines? I have a stretched timing chain at 45,000 miles...Tks

Has anyone made a successful claim, I have a 5 year old GT 170, and the diagnostics have shown a fault. To fix it the engines has to be taken out and the potential bill will be 1400. At the moment there are no problems with performance. The car has had full servicing and I wouldnt call this normal wear and tear

Hello, I too would be grateful of where to find the VW admission of the timing chain problem. I have it on record from VW Customer Services UK that they have never heard of any timing chain issues. This is within the last month. (date, name etc available) . It was also stated that they,VW UK, would not consider any claims with the car out of warranty. (also on record).

I have also submitted a report to VW UK that I consider this be a potentially dangerous fault.

They have apparently logged my comment.

Failure/jumping of the chain would cause a complete and sudden failure of the engine without any warning. A potentially lethal situation in my opinion.

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Fri 22 Jun 2012 22:11
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - focussed

"which resulted in the vfr 750 with its bevel driven cams"

No, not bevel drive, an ordinary train of helical spur gears was what they went with on the VFR 750.


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Fri 22 Jun 2012 22:25
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - focussed

Any design engineer who can't design a camchain drive train to last the life of the engine deserves to have his a**e kicked out of the office door. All the mechanical parameters are published by the chain makers in their application data, and it's up to the design engineer to use them to best advantage.Another fault with most of the manufacturers who use them is that they don't install a mechanical backstop on the tensioner to limit the travel of the tensioner blade when the engine is running on low oil pressure, on startup or rundown idle with hot oil. They trustingly rely on the hydraulic tensioner to do the whole job instead of using the hydraulics just to regulate the tension when the engine is under power.

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Sat 23 Jun 2012 00:34
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - 659FBE

I detect an armchair design engineer.

One of several major problems associated with timing drive design is torsional resonance at certain critical engine speeds which can generate unreasonably high forces in the drive. Static and steady state forces are relatively easy to analyse.

Any mechanical tensioner design of repute incorporates a mechanical backstop which will prevent the chain from becoming too loose in the absence of hydraulic preload. Designs from Renold, Jwis and Borg Warner all incorporate this feature. Hysteresis is built into the backstop to prevent overtensioning on engine expansion.

Chain drives require careful detailing from a specialist such as Renold in order to achieve quietness and durability. My examination of the chain drives produced by the manufacturer at the head of this thread indicates that they may have adopted a "go it alone" approach - with less than sparkling results.

A well designed chain drive can be made to last the life of an engine. Quite possibly, the drive which is the subject of this thread was designed by a youth on a computer who had not pulled apart a few failed drives and who may not have a thorough grasp of the engineering principles involved.

659.

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Sat 23 Jun 2012 20:48
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - focussed

No, not an armchair design engineer-one of those that had to come along after the highly paid and qualified design walleys had taken the credit, screwed it up and walked away from it, usually saying-"It's a service problem" over to you old boy!

Torsional resonance should not normally a problem in chain cam drives providing that the engine's critical speed crankshaft resonance had been sorted out at the initial design stage by the incorporation of an effective crankshaft TV damper to the driver shaft, ie the crankshaft.

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Sun 24 Jun 2012 12:34
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - 659FBE

I wish you were right.

Most of my work has been done with diesel engines (big ones) in which the timing drive has to operate a fuel pump as well as the engine valve actuation camshaft. Both of these components store mechanical energy (for example, from the valve springs and fuel pump plunger return springs) which will result in various torsional resonances.

This would occur even if the crank were rotating completely without perturbation caused by engine firing. The combination of stored energy within the driven components and elasticity of the various shafts and drive medium (belt or chain) itself, will give rise to oscillation. In development, care needs to be taken to ensure that these resonances occur outside the normal operating region - sometimes requiring the stiffness of some driven components to be chosen very carefully.

If you have had to redesign inadequate drives, they probably have not been well engineered in the fiirst instance. Many engine makers "go it alone" with less than ideal results (M-B single chain drive for instance) but I have yet to see a chain drive designed by a specialist such as Renold give trouble when correctly maintained.

659.

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Sun 24 Jun 2012 12:53
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - bathtub tom

659FBE

Referring back to your post in April: "Belt drive components cannot be oil lubricated".

Any comment on the new Ford engine: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5D4wBfDOcA

49 seconds in: "the camshaft is operated by a drive belt immersed in oil".

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Sun 24 Jun 2012 14:24
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - 659FBE

Earlier comments refer to conventional belts.

Curiously enough, I have an engine with this type of wet belt timing drive - it's been living in my shed for the last 5 years.

Honda, to my knowledge pioneered oil immersed belts for camshaft drives but were rather canny. Rather than blowing their collective trumpets in a corporate video, they quietly fitted this drive to their lawnmower engines.

My lawnmower is small and totally ordinary - but embossed on the pressed valve cover are the letters "OHC" - on a single cylinder lawnmower. Obviously, I just had to look in there...

Honda now have thousands of hours' running experience with very little risk of exposure to Corporate image in the event of failure. To my knowledge, there haven't been many as the man in the lawnmower shop testified.

Not wishing to drift off topic, the Ford 3 is a brave try - but why is the oil filter on the back of the engine? Primary balance will be compromised without a balance shaft, despite weights on the crank at either end - I wonder what the max rev limit is? There is rather a long run of timing belt without a fixed node - but then if it can't rev...

We'll see. Nice try, Ford if you've got it right, but every engine from them I've examined has had good engineering innovation ruined by cost cutting somewhere or other.

659.

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Sat 7 Jul 2012 13:16
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Golfess

I experienced this fault with my 57 Reg Golf TSi 1.4. I complained and took to MD level Robert Hazelwood, but ended up talking to Micheal Jones - Michael Jones <Michael.Jones@volkswagen.co.uk> in customer services ( he initially handles executive complaints)

I did get a level of compensation for the remedial work completed at the local dealership. I was disappointed with that level, so don't expect too much, especially when it is based on VW rates for the work which are much inflated.

My experience was an engine failure (loss of acceleration) then complete lack of power. Talking to VOSA this is not a safety issue and no one was hurt, so they can not influence VW. Maybe an increased level of complaints may change VW's View

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Mon 17 Dec 2012 15:49
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Frustrated VW Customer

Hi

Do you have a copy of the text or the announcement please?

I have already had the failure and subsequently my engine if much rougher overall and uses a lot more fuel. It also knocks like a tin can full of bolts on cold start. The warrany is about to expire and I am concerned that it is going to cost me a lot of money. The dealer is being unhelpfull now, stating it is "NORMAL" .

thanks Paul.

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Mon 17 Dec 2012 16:23
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Collos25

If you google autobild and use the date of the original posting it should be there if not ask Autobild they will understand English.

Done it for you.

Ein Produktionsfehler beim Kettenlieferanten soll die Ursache für die gelängten und überspringenden Steuerketten bei VW-TSI-Motoren sein. Diese Erklärung lieferten leitende VW-Ingenieure beim Gespräch mit AUTO BILD in Wolfsburg. Volkswagens oberster Qualitätssicherer Frank Tuch führte aus, dass die Kettenschäden beim 1.4 TSI durch "sich addierende Fertigungstoleranzen bei der Steuerkette" entstanden seien. Genauer: Der Zulieferer der Kette hatte seine Stanzwerkzeuge über die Verschleißgrenze hinaus verwendet, sodass sie die Löcher in den Kettenlaschen nicht mehr präzise genug stanzten und winzige Grate am Stahl verblieben. "Späne und Grate sorgten dann für einen abrasiven Verschleißeintrag", so Tuch.

Lesen Sie auch: Wunder Punkt bei TSI-Motoren von VW <*** src="http://1.1.1.1/bmi/i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/9/8/3/9/8/3/Bietet-VW-bald-mehr-Kulanz-304x202-1f39b6d8e72747b4.jpg" alt="" />

"Wir haben kein Serienproblem": Frank Tuch von VW<*** id="itxthook0icon" class="itxtrst itxtrstimg itxthookicon" style="padding-top: 0px!important; padding-right: 0px!important; padding-bottom: 0px!important; padding-left: 4px!important; vertical-align: baseline!important; margin: 0px!important;" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" alt="" /> (rechts) erklärt AUTO BILD-Chef Bernd Wieland seinen Standpunkt.

Folge: Die Kette leiert aus. Von einem Serienfehler könne jedoch keine Rede sein, die Fallzahlen bewegten sich im "niedrigen dreistelligen Bereich" – bei knapp zwei Millionen auf den Straßen befindlichen 1.4-TSI-Motoren. Inzwischen habe man die Fertigung beim Zulieferer optimiert. Seit wann die Ketten fehlerfrei vom Band laufen, wollte VW nicht verraten. Neben diesem Fertigungsproblem könne auch das Fahrverhalten entscheidend sein: Autos, die im "Brötchenholerprofil" bewegt würden, also überwiegend im Kurzstreckenbetrieb, seien von gelängten Steuerketten überproportional betroffen. So führten viele Anlassvorgänge oder das Abwürgen des Motors zu einer besonderen Belastung der Kette.Welche Rolle spielt das Öl beim TSI-Problem?

Edited by Collos25 on 17/12/2012 at 16:27

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Thu 11 Apr 2013 13:48
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Chelagasa

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

We have just experienced what the garage described as a stretched timing chain at 48,336 miles for which the garage (An official Volkswagen Distributor) wanted to charge us £1,400+ to repair, feeling this was unreasonable I researched the internet & discovered this thread, in particular that one member got a 70% reduction on parts & 30% of labour in Feb 09.

For any one else with this problem I am pleased to say that as soon as we quoted the internet as having disclosed this problem we to were suddenly offered a 50% parts reduction & 70% labour reduction giving an all up cost of £417.48 which is considerably less than £1,400+.

Full marks to Volkswagen UK for supporting, but what a shame they didn't offer this straight a way, if I hadn't done my research they would have happily taken our full £1,400 plus, which means they haven't created nearly as much good will as they could have done.

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Tue 16 Jul 2013 15:03
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - andrew_32

"For any one else with this problem I am pleased to say that as soon as we quoted the internet as having disclosed this problem we to were suddenly offered a 50% parts reduction & 70% labour reduction giving an all up cost of £417.48 which is considerably less than £1,400+."

Wow. Last year, in April 2012, we had to replace our Golf GT TSi 170 timing chain at 46k miles - 6 years. Dreaded Camshaft sensor fault.

I was on the ball and had read this article (As far as it existed then) and reference to Auotbild magazine. I also noted other occurences of timing failures on the internet. I wrote severall letters to VW UK indicating this was a manufacturing fault and not acceptable durability / performance. Especially for a part they advertised as for the life of vehicle - no maintenance.

Got precicely nowhere and had to pay the £1300 and something pounds for the repair at a VW garage.

Were you the original purchaser of the Golf that you made the claim on, as I would have jumped at £400 pounds had they offered to me and my wife made phone calls to VW and she is polite and calm so it can't have been me rubbing them up the wrong way! Inconsistent response from VW UK.

Andrew

Edit: typos.

Edited by andrew_32 on 16/07/2013 at 15:07

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Tue 16 Jul 2013 17:08
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - madf

VW make the best cars in Europe.. the motoring magaizines say so, so it must be true

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Wed 17 Jul 2013 14:08
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - balleballe

They've never really built the best chains

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Wed 17 Jul 2013 21:00
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Collos25

Your correct they do not make the best chains the reason is they buy them from a third party.

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Thu 18 Jul 2013 11:39
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - balleballe

Sorry, Should have said chain drives

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Fri 3 Jan 2014 22:06
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - leb2881

Hi there,

Looking for advise....had a 57 plate golf gt tsi for three years, i'm the 2nd owner. Bought from a VW dealer, FSH (outwith VW). 35,000 LOW MILEAGE!! Timing chain has gone last week....paid for diagnostic.....needs a new engine......VW don't want to know and will not give me any goodwill.

ANY SUGGESTIONS?? PLEASE?

leb

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Fri 5 Dec 2014 02:54
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Rogkate

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

We have just experienced what the garage described as a stretched timing chain at 48,336 miles for which the garage (An official Volkswagen Distributor) wanted to charge us £1,400+ to repair, feeling this was unreasonable I researched the internet & discovered this thread, in particular that one member got a 70% reduction on parts & 30% of labour in Feb 09.

For any one else with this problem I am pleased to say that as soon as we quoted the internet as having disclosed this problem we to were suddenly offered a 50% parts reduction & 70% labour reduction giving an all up cost of £417.48 which is considerably less than £1,400+.

Full marks to Volkswagen UK for supporting, but what a shame they didn't offer this straight a way, if I hadn't done my research they would have happily taken our full £1,400 plus, which means they haven't created nearly as much good will as they could have done.

Hi, Could you please help? My VW Sharan 1.4TSI with 29,000 miles on the clock and one year out of warranty appears to have the same problem and I'm faced with a huge bill. What should I do? Who did you speak to? Our car's out of action and we need it! Thank you
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Mon 15 Dec 2014 00:32
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - Andecoro

VW have admitted that there is a problem with the manufacture of the timing chain which could and has resulted in total engine damage.Source Autobild.

We have just experienced what the garage described as a stretched timing chain at 48,336 miles for which the garage (An official Volkswagen Distributor) wanted to charge us £1,400+ to repair, feeling this was unreasonable I researched the internet & discovered this thread, in particular that one member got a 70% reduction on parts & 30% of labour in Feb 09.

For any one else with this problem I am pleased to say that as soon as we quoted the internet as having disclosed this problem we to were suddenly offered a 50% parts reduction & 70% labour reduction giving an all up cost of £417.48 which is considerably less than £1,400+.

Full marks to Volkswagen UK for supporting, but what a shame they didn't offer this straight a way, if I hadn't done my research they would have happily taken our full £1,400 plus, which means they haven't created nearly as much good will as they could have done.

Hi, Could you please help? My VW Sharan 1.4TSI with 29,000 miles on the clock and one year out of warranty appears to have the same problem and I'm faced with a huge bill. What should I do? Who did you speak to? Our car's out of action and we need it! Thank you

Hi I also have a similar problem with my 2009 1.4 Tsi Scirocco (66,000 miles) The engine management light is on and I have been told that I will have to pay half of a £2000 bill to replace the timing chain,tensioner and cover plus oil pipe and strainer.The report also says if there are bolts missing a new engine is required . The car seems to be running fine at present but my MOT is due and I believe an engine warning light is now a fail . The light actually went out during the service last Thursday but returned on Friday. This means I haven't discussed any actions with the dealer yet but I'm going to bring up the AutoBild comments tomorrow and see what happens . Any advice is appreciated .
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Mon 15 Dec 2014 20:24
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - balleballe

You could mention autobild and the fact that others have had a 70% contribution and see if they're willing to negotiate on the 'goodwill'

In the future, vote with your wallet and avoid VAG cars. Choose a manufacturer who knows how to build reliable engines or at least admit that their engines have issues when they clearly do!

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Mon 31 Oct 2016 22:30
VW 1.4 TSI - Timing Chain - gaz3097

i have a 2010 golf gt tsi, purchased in 2015 on 32,000 miles from the get go problem after problem after problem, to name a few ive had the timing chain go 3x, pistons had gone, instrument cluster went, battery went, spark plugs, coil packs, an engine control module costing £500, supercharger pulley, water pump, the flap for when supercharger switches to turbo broke, the alarm horn has gone, the air con broke, oh and vw has done a lot of the work on it only to get the car back with an oil leak that they caused and then took them 6 attempts to fix it, also had a leaky exhaust, oh and vw also put in an extra litre on oil in the engine which caused it to oil leak again, just owned the car for a year now and have had 17 problems with the car its on 43,000 now and it will be sold after the extended warranty is up next year, think you got problems i bet a set a record

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