Another Mk2 Fabia TSI CBZA timing chain post...

I know this is not exactly the first post about TSI timing chains here, so I’ll get the details out of the way quickly: October 2014 registered Fabia Mk2 TSI 86 (CBZA). Had it nearly 3yrs and has always rattled 1-2secs on startup – no longer than 2 secs and hasn’t got any worse over past 30k miles.

More recently however, I’ve noticed it is staying slightly rattly at idle following a warm restart – for about 30secs, then begins to quieten down. It’s not the intense rattle like at startup – indeed if you weren’t familiar with the engine you might not notice it wasn’t normal, but I think this has developed within the last 10k miles.

Here’s the thing – I would be minded to replace the chain/tensioner, but in total now, I have approached 4 garages over the last 2 years (which each claim to be VW specialists to varying extents), and the responses vary from “we reckon you’ll get away leaving it”, to not getting back to me at all, to “sorry, we don’t offer that anymore”.

My local garage advised me a couple of years ago, regarding the startup rattle, it’s okay, and I should only be concerned when either an engine management light comes on, or the chain rattles when you blip the throttle in neutral to spike the revs, and as it didn’t do this, their opinion was the chain had not stretched.

So… what should I do? Leave it and hope it doesn’t fail without warning, or be slightly more forceful in asking for the job to be done? I’m unsure whether to wait and see if I encounter the symptoms above or whether the more recent (I think) development of the slightly rattly idle following a warm restart is a cause for concern. 

I don’t really want to risk it but it’s strange I can’t seem to find somewhere easily that’ll book it in for the work without questioning it.

Any advice much appreciated if anyone’s got some experience or opinion on the matter. 

Thanks!