What kind of damage would a cam chain tensioner failure cause?

[Alex S]

I ask because I'm planning on going to look at a 2008 1.8 TFSI on the weekend. Looks to be in very good condition from the pictures, full service history, extensive receipts for every single thing done to the car over the years.

Today however I was talking to the garage and chatting about the history of the car and they mentioned that there had been about £3,000 worth of work done to the engine back in 2016, about 10,000 miles ago.

I'm planning on asking them to send me a picture of the receipt for that work tomorrow so I can see exactly what was done.

In my mind it could possibly be the result of a cam chain tensioner failing because having had that happen to me on a motorbike a few years ago I know it can do major damage, and I asked them to have a look through the history before that to see if the tensioners had been replaced before then and they hadn't been.

When I get the list of what was done in that big engine rebuild what kind of things am I looking for that would point towards it being the result of a tensioner failing?

 

[paddy]

TBH it wouldn't take much to clock up £3k worth of work on an Audi. I spent twice that last year alone, £4.5k on a whining rear diff.
10 years ago when i had trouble with my 3.2 cam chain, Guildford Audi were charging £200 an hour so that just 15 hours work or less than 2 days for £3k. the bill was just over £5k
I should wait and see what the receipt says. Probably just new wiper blades

 

[samisnake]

as long as it wasnt you picking up that 3k bill, id see the work as a good thing?

 

[nluk100]

Did they say it was due to a failure? It could be uprated rods, pistons etc... Also, depending on who you spoke to, it could be something as simple as a stage 2 upgrade (ECU, intake & exhaust)

 

[smurfworth]

Generally valves and pistons being replaced as the two would meet if it every occurred.

 

[Alex S]

TBH it wouldn't take much to clock up £3k worth of work on an Audi. I spent twice that last year alone, £4.5k on a whining rear diff.
10 years ago when i had trouble with my 3.2 cam chain, Guildford Audi were charging £200 an hour so that just 15 hours work or less than 2 days for £3k. the bill was just over £5k
I should wait and see what the receipt says. Probably just new wiper blades

as long as it wasnt you picking up that 3k bill, id see the work as a good thing?

Did they say it was due to a failure? It could be uprated rods, pistons etc... Also, depending on who you spoke to, it could be something as simple as a stage 2 upgrade (ECU, intake & exhaust)

Generally valves and pistons being replaced as the two would meet if it every occurred.

Got the garage to send me through the receipt for that particular bit of work.

So to me it looks like it was a tensioner failure that caused a load of damage. Anything on that receipt to be worried about?

Work was done about 15,000 miles ago.

 

[smurfworth]

I wouldn’t say so, it’s a 60k car that had a top end rebuild 15k ago. If you really wanted to split hairs over something you could imagine the top of the piston could have damage to it as it’s not been replaced but 1 valve has. Tensioner obviously failed at low engine speed otherwise you’d have more than 1 valve been replaced. Also had a new clutch 15k ago and a new tensioner which would be something to consider when looking at any others as most haven’t been replaced. Up to you really

 

[A3JP]

As I said in reply to your other post cam tensioner is a big issue on these engines. But the car you're looking at has had it replaced and updated to latest revision (with a very expensive repair for previous owner!). Don't think you need to worry about it as it's been sorted.