Chris Knott Insurance - Competitive quotes for forum members

Cam belt not done properly?

Sounds like they are making it up to me - if the timing is out it is because they haven't but the belt back on properly. Dont pay a penny in my opinion - its their job to do it right in the first place.

I would get a secong opinion on the cause and remedy, then tell them you've just had the cambelt done, and if that could be the cause.
 
A second opinion is a fair enough suggestion but spitting your dummy out at them wont achieve anything. Just tell them you wish to get a second opinion before any work takes place BUT take it to another dealer (preferably a vag one), not an indipendant garage as most will take any opportunity to knock a dealerships work.
 
Well they haven't come back to me with a diagnosis yet, so I'm not jumping the gun and blaming them or anything. It seems like more than a co-incidence but who knows. Getting a second opinion is easier said than done when the garage are saying it shouldn't be driven.

I'll report back when I know what they diagnose the issue as.
 
Just tell them you've been driving it since they last had it and drivability hasnt changed.
 
most usually its moved during tightening..
set it back to TDC and I bet the cam sprocket is a tooth off.

it would flag an immediate faultcode, not a delayed one.
 
Argggg still nothing from them. I've left a message now asking why they haven't got back to me. "I think they're busy with people collecting their cars now at this time..." well good for them, why wasn't I called earlier when I only authorised them to take the rocker cover off for a look... so annoying.
 
So now I know what it is, and I'm going to be £620 worse off.

Apparently its the chain tensioner that has failed and caused the chain to jump. It's not done any damage which is lucky but it's not something that can wait on the fix. So out with the credit card :(
 
Mate, that is boll*cks, the chain cant slip, its too tight and the tensioner is designed to prevent slippage (it has a bloody big spring in the middle which means it can only be depressed slightly). The likelyhood is that you have low oil pressure and the tensioner is not opening fully (this would mean that the timing is not fully advancing, so at certain times of use the ecu senses a timing problem).
The tensioners do not just fail. 99% of the time another fault is causing the faulty operation of the tensioner. It works on oil pressure, if your oil feed pick up is slightly blocked then this will cause the pressure to drop and as the tensioner is right at the top of the engine so this will be the first component to be effected.

As mentioned by ibizacupra - a timing fault will log straight away, but chain related timing faults will only occur when it is operated (the vvt function) or once the ecu's test cycle is complete, this is why its taken a month or so to come on.
 
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It was definitely the chain tensioner that has failed. Ouch at the cost though, £299+vat for the new tensioner. TBH the labour charge wasn't too bad when you consider the total :confused:

How often are you supposed to change the chain and tensioner?

Working smooth as silk now though, and starts without any derv noises.

Pete
 
Icecavern said:
It was definitely the chain tensioner that has failed. Ouch at the cost though, £299+vat for the new tensioner. TBH the labour charge wasn't too bad when you consider the total :confused:

How often are you supposed to change the chain and tensioner?

Working smooth as silk now though, and starts without any derv noises.

Pete
Click to expand...

Did they explain exactly what was wrong with it or just say it wanted replacing?

Chain tensioners dont need replacing as a maintainence measure and cant really fail. The only thing that effects them is oil pressure.
 
It has 2 pressure plungers which have no seals on them and only move up and down and a large spring (to prevent the timing becoming too retarded), if a leak was to occur, one that would effect the function of the tensioner it would have to be the gasket undernieth it which creates the seal between the tensioner and the oil galleries feeding it and it would have to leak externally onto the side of the head.

I and i'm sure others would agree say there is an underlaying oil pressure fault occuring which is limiting the function of the tensioner - thus flaging up the fault.
 
Yep ive had this on a customers 20vt octavia. The oil pump feed pipe had become blocked with sludge and carbon causing the cam chain tensioner to fail giving you the above fault codes.
 
I know it's an old thread but I've recently had eml light come on with slight rough running and iratic idle.I had it scanned and it came back with a camshaft position fault.I turned the light off and the car was ok for afew weeks.but once a week or so the light comes back on for a day or two then goes off again.could this be the same problem with the oil pick up pipe being blocked?
 
My oil pickup went and destroyed my chain tensioner but I never had an error code I got a loud tapping for the first few seconds of start up and eventually it started to tap on idle I've post a fee videos of it on here in the past if you search tapping sound you'll find one Somewhere if the tensioner has failed or become slack you will get a tapping sound at some point I would think or is that always the case MJ?
 
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