Cam Chain Tensioner / Starter Motor Query

[HHS3]

Hello,

My 2007 Audi S3 (BHZ engine) with 55K on the clock is now due for a service, the only issue I'm experiencing with it is the odd prolonged start up, predominately once the engine has warmed up but also the rare cold start up as well.

There are no fault codes and the battery/electrics are fine, I've had the coolant temperature, crank shaft and cam shaft sensors all replaced but to no luck, so all that's left is for the starter motor to be done, now is this a pain of a job to do?

I know that due to the nature of the TFSI engine, they're always going to sound a little noisy/tappety similar to a diesel but I believe mine is more pronounced then it should be. Now this could be down to just needing an engine carbon clean/decoke which I've got planned but it could also be due to the cam chain tensioner.

So I asked my brothers work (a Toyota garage) to do a service as well as the starter motor and cam chain + tensioner, however one of the technicians said that the latter would be a costly job and only Audi can do it because of the tools required in order to replace the tensioner.

I was only getting the cam chain & tensioner done as a precaution (as neither have been replaced before) so how can I tell if either needs doing? Even though they're unable to change the parts, I take it that it wouldn't be too much of a task to ask them to inspect both parts to check their condition and advise me? Or is that labour intensive in itself?

Many Thanks.

 

[Techen]

My 82k 2l tfsi sometimes has long starts and sounds like a diesel. Infact when you put it next to a diesel its hard to tell which is the petrol. Just something you need to live with. My tensionor has failed too. Been like that for ages, i'll get it done sometime

 

[HHS3]

My 82k 2l tfsi sometimes has long starts and sounds like a diesel. Infact when you put it next to a diesel its hard to tell which is the petrol. Just something you need to live with. My tensionor has failed too. Been like that for ages, i'll get it done sometime

I get that it's always going to sound very similar to a diesel engine, however my friend and I are both certain that it's a definitely more pronounced than it should be.

How do you know that your tensioner has failed? It's a pig to get to apparently so how can you check? I've heard that if left, it can cause the cam chain to snap resulting in a lot of damage to the engine which is very costly to repair, so you might want to get it done pretty soon before your luck runs out haha.

 

[southylad]

I get that it's always going to sound very similar to a diesel engine, however my friend and I are both certain that it's a definitely more pronounced than it should be.

How do you know that your tensioner has failed? It's a pig to get to apparently so how can you check? I've heard that if left, it can cause the cam chain to snap resulting in a lot of damage to the engine which is very costly to repair, so you might want to get it done pretty soon before your luck runs out haha.

Mine sounds same im a bit worried now thought it was only the s4 with scary cam chain issue!

 

[HHS3]

Mine sounds same im a bit worried now thought it was only the s4 with scary cam chain issue!

I thought mine had already gone but that was just the standard sound of the TFSI, it was only a couple of weekends ago it became very apparent that it had actually gone.

Posts 5 and 9 on the following helped me diagnose mine, the pronounced tapping was coming straight from the area shown http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/ticking-tapping-noise-s3-tfsi.250123/

Just had mine replaced and about to go pick it up!

 

[southylad]

What was cost mate

 

[HHS3]

What was cost mate

mjr901 (Mike) on here provided me with all of the parts required (chain, tensioner, 3 bolts for tensioner, end case gasket and rocker cover gasket) for £178 and then I got a VAG garage to fit it all for £240.

 

[southylad]

Not realy that bad then mate eh is it nice and quiet now .

 

[HHS3]

Not realy that bad then mate eh is it nice and quiet now .

Yeah it's not too bad to be fair, it's only the parts which seem expensive for what they are, the horrible diesely sound of the chain hitting the metal case has gone which is great. My only problem is that there's a new sound which came about a few days after the tensioner went of which I thought it was related, however this other sound is still there so now I need to get that looked into ***..

 

[southylad]

****** hell theres always something.
Can you tell me what i need and best place to get it to do the job mate

 

[HHS3]

****** hell theres always something.
Can you tell me what i need and best place to get it to do the job mate

I know mate tell me about, I'm getting fed up now to be honest with you..

PM @mjr901 (Mike) with your registration number, asking for a quote on the following: cam chain, tensioner, 3 bolts for tensioner, end case gasket and rocker cover gasket. He'll then reply with a reference number, give him a call quoting this reference number and he can take payment & put the order through, my parts came within two working days.

As for getting it done, it depends where you are based? I'd personally only go to a VAG specialist garage (you can go to Audi but they're more expensive) and I wouldn't trust going to a garage who's never done one of these before. I googled VAG specialist garage and MS Autos in Reading came up, saw they had good reviews so gave them a bell and they quoted me there & then the price for this, so they knew what I was after, whereas a previous VAG garage didn't know what I was on about.

 

[southylad]

Cheers mate i see your on revo st1 im thinking of st1 for mine what power you at and any other mods

 

[HHS3]

Cheers mate i see your on revo st1 im thinking of st1 for mine what power you at and any other mods

Definitely go for a stage 1 remap, you won't be let down by it, it's how the S3 8P should've come as standard. Whilst I'm happy with the service I received from VAS Motion in Guilford, I wish I had done some more research prior, as I would've gone down the APR/AMD generic map or custom mapping route instead of Revo as it has the lowest gains nowadays due to not updating their maps for many years now.

VAS Motion don't have a RR and so they remap it on the road which I like, however I haven't got any figures. The increased torque is highly noticeable and power delivery is smooth considering how aggressive it is when the K04 kicks in above 3000rpm. I know it won't have reached the 310bhp and lbs-ft quoted by Revo's website though which is poor considering they're still charging premium prices for what is no longer a premium product. Plenty of other S3 owners have had the same issue at stage 2+ where they are seeing up to 30bhp less at this stage compared to software from other companies.

This is why I'll be going to Storm Devs in Aldermaston for a custom stage 2 remap, they have a RR so I can see what my current figures are and what it is after stage 2 which I expect to be around the 330 mark.

You don't 'need' any other mods for a stage 1 remap but I went for the Revo cold air intake (camcoated) and I must say that it is a fantastic bit of kit. Many owners (some of multiple different CAI systems) state that this is the best around and I too also highly recommend it, if you're a fan of Darth Vader then you'll love this!

 

[southylad]

Good info mate thanks i have just finnished instaling a ramair cold air intake kit and going for a remap sat and a cat back in two weeks i am going with dna remap i know an agent for them local he owes me a favor so the 350 charge is now 250 for me he has quoted 315 to 320 but no rr. What mileage you on now mate

 

[HHS3]

Good info mate thanks i have just finnished instaling a ramair cold air intake kit and going for a remap sat and a cat back in two weeks i am going with dna remap i know an agent for them local he owes me a favor so the 350 charge is now 250 for me he has quoted 315 to 320 but no rr. What mileage you on now mate

No worries, the ram air CAI is good from what I've heard, so it should serve you well bud. Ah nice that's handy, do DNA offer a generic off the shelf map (so the like of Revo/APR etc) or their own custom mapping service? I presume it's the latter.

It just hit £56K not long ago, I picked it up in May last year on 48K.

 

[southylad]

They are custom maps i thought 320 sounded ok thats about best you get from st 1 isnt it

 

[HHS3]

They are custom maps i thought 320 sounded ok thats about best you get from st 1 isnt it

Decent, custom maps are the way to go to be honest mate, you get the most out of your car and it's mods that way. RR always have to be taken with a pinch of salt as it depends on the weather conditions temperature wise and how the Dyno is calibrated but yes, you should see a true 310bhp+ with a remap and CAI.

You mentioned that you're getting a cat-back which could potentially free up a couple of extra ponies, but it's the downpipe which is the most restrictive part of the exhaust system and will net you another 10bhp. If you get a DP then you could go straight to stage 2 as you already have a CAI, so that would get you around 330bhp for sure.

 

[leshkin]

Best way to compare power figures is to attend a RR day, so you have a few other cars to benchmark against as air temps and air pressure play a big role on figures. Plus the usual RR lottery factors

ASN organise plenty of these throughout the year at various places, so why not attend the next one?

 

[southylad]

At the mo i think 310 to 320 will be enough and still nice and reliable as the mrs drives it more than i do

 

[southylad]

Remaped today mate feels a lot faster now getting a bit of turbo chatter or flutter aswell

 

[HHS3]

Remaped today mate feels a lot faster now getting a bit of turbo chatter or flutter aswell

Sounds good mate, hope you enjoy it!

 

[southylad]

Hi mate cant get a reply from the guy you told me to ask about cam chain parts

 

[HHS3]

Hi mate cant get a reply from the guy you told me to ask about cam chain parts

Hi mate, Mike is currently away on holiday in France but he's back on Monday!

 

[southylad]

Oh right cheers mate can you tell me how long did it take the audi specialist take to do your chain?

 

[HHS3]

Oh right cheers mate can you tell me how long did it take the audi specialist take to do your chain?

I'll have to double check the receipt to confirm but they quoted me prior to the work (they checked on the phone whilst I was booking it in), I believe it was around £240 so probably three hours work I imagine.

 

[southylad]

Cheers mate

 

[southylad]

Still had no reply from the guy mate

 

[HHS3]

Strange he's normally pretty good at replying to messages. Although I have recently found that using the parts request function at the top is a better way of contacting him because he manages that pretty much everyday.

 

[southylad]

He has just pmed me mate so hopefully get the bits sorted cheers