Not actually a post about a Skoda - but looking for some general VAG engine related advice.

My Dad has a 2006 Golf 1.4 FSI with 52K on the clock which he bought last year. A few months ago, the engine timing chain tensioner failed, resulting in some serious valve damage. This was eventually repaired. Having been advised by the garage when we bought the car that the chain would never need replaced (as its a chain), and the manual making no reference to changing it, we were surprised that this happened.

Anyway, after it was all repaired at a local independent garage which recovered it (and a hefty bill was paid - the car was out of the 6 month purchase warranty) we got in touch with VW to complain. VW were not interested (surprise surprise) blaming the wrong oil being used impacting on the oil pressure in the tensioner - so human error. So we thought that was the end of it.....

Two weeks ago, after a 250 mile drive, the car was started.....and the timing jumped again. The garage (same one who did the recent work) have investigated and advised that the timing chain stretched and jumped. They never replaced the chain as part of the previous repair! The fact that both failures have happened after long drives suggest that oil viscosity may be a factor.

I now of course know that the FSI engines are bad for this - but it is ridiculous. Both my Dad and I have run previous Golfs to well over 130K miles with no major issues like this.

So - is there anything we can do in terms of claiming against VW for designing crap engines or the garage for not changing the chain??????

Help

thanks

Why didn't they change the chain?

They thought the chain was ok at the time!

Isnt it common sense to replace the chain if its jumped as you cant guarentee if the chain may be at fault. Personally this will be down to the garage who carried out the repair.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

+1

If a tensioner had failed, how were they certain the chain hadnt suffered any damage? It appears it clearly did to have failed so soon.

I'm sure VW would have replaced the chain, so if they can back this up in writing you can claim from the garage that did the repair.

Thanks for the advice, so you suggest it could be a claim against the garage then?

Cheers

Yes but you need something from VW to say they should have replaced the chain originally given the original failure.