Documenting possible timing chain problem

[Sc629]

A lot of people have said that the timing chain and related components isn’t an issue for the Gen 3 EA888. Since that may be my issue now, thought I would document it since I couldn’t find anything when I was searching and could help someone else.
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2015 Golf 1.8T Auto
Engine code: CNSB
64k miles, tuned since ~55k with Uni Stg 1+
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Started with a CEL.

Car ran fine and made power fine. Always had the occasional “fish bite” at idle and some weird shakes while idling (search’s said it was normal, but now suspect it has always been camshaft related).

Scanned with OBDeleven and codes P0011 (camshaft position) and P0341 (camshaft position sensor) showed.

Car ran fine so I ignored it for a few hours till I had time to drive it to the dealer. Later noticed some rattling coming from timing chain area. Started getting worried but dealer couldn’t get me a car so I decided to wait till they could.

Rattling progressively got louder and worse later that day. Rattling disappears above 2k rpm. Drove fine still but now gave p0016 (crankshaft/camshaft position sensor?).

Flash back to stock, now only codes p0341 and p0016 present (p0011 no longer shows).

Next day I start it up and it misfires horrible at idle. Turn it off then back on but it won’t start unless I give it throttle. Decided to find alternative transportation.

Later that day, it starts up fine, but continues to rattle loudly and misfire (not as heavily tho) at lower rpms.

I take it to a friend of mine, who is a tech at audi, first and he seems 99% sure it is timing chain slap I’m hearing and advises to not drive it anymore.

Now at VW dealer. Will update with what they find out.
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Of note was I consistently heard a rattle type noise when slowing down off throttle for about a month. Possible just fuel line rattle but may have been an early sign of this. Also always just assumed my idle not always being smooth was normal but maybe it wasn’t.

 

[MeltedSolid]

Idle not being smooth is pretty normal, but the rest of it does sound concerning... You're definitely the first person I've heard of having timing chain issues.

 

[ReadTheBook]

Any updates here?

 

[Sc629]

So tech said the timing chain tensioner was 10 notches out. Not sure if that means that the tensioner failed? They told me that the chain was stretched to the max and was on the brink of failure.

Either way timing chain, tensioner, guides needed replacing. They also replaced the intake camshaft which my advisor mentioned it may be more precautionary rather than needed. Cost was quoted to be about $2600 in parts and nearly $5000 once labor was factored in.

I did get lucky enough for VW to cover it under goodwill as I am 4k miles over warranty but under the time amount still. Only had to pay a deductible.

Not sure if I missed any details, but feel free to ask questions. I will update og post eventually with transcribed list of parts and such.

 

[Mercfh]

Dang that sucks, at least it's covered under warranty. Feels odd as I haven't seen any mention of timing chain/tensioner failures for this engine/model year really right? But I guess anything can happen on any car so maybe you just got unlucky?

Im not an expert or anything, but would being tuned make it more likely for timing chain/tensioner to fail?

 

[GeorgeTDI]

Scary stuff, hopefully yours is the odd exception. Do you know the price for the chain/tensioner kit alone ?

 

[Sc629]

Dang that sucks, at least it's covered under warranty. Feels odd as I haven't seen any mention of timing chain/tensioner failures for this engine/model year really right? But I guess anything can happen on any car so maybe you just got unlucky?

Im not an expert or anything, but would being tuned make it more likely for timing chain/tensioner to fail?

I had not seen much about it either but multiple vw advisors see it quite often on the gen 3 ea888. One mentioned seeing more on the 1.8t.

Not sure if it does but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does accelerate failures

 

[Sc629]

Scary stuff, hopefully yours is the odd exception. Do you know the price for the chain/tensioner kit alone ?

I don’t, but part numbers are there if you wanna search them up. iirc, tensioner and chain might be the same as the mk6 but I have also found that my engine codes uses a lot of different parts than most 1.8Ts out there. Think my engine was built in euro factory so is like a parts bin of various engines

 

[GeorgeTDI]

Thanks I was curious what the prices are in the US for the 1.8 made in Mexico (esp CXBA/CXBB), maybe someone else knows this.

 

[Sc629]

Thanks I was curious what the prices are in the US for the 1.8 made in Mexico (esp CXBA/CXBB), maybe someone else knows this.

Yet unfortunately I don’t know if the part #s are the same compared CNSB/A. FYI I am state side but I have one of the earlier built golfs

 

[Mercfh]

I had not seen much about it either but multiple vw advisors see it quite often on the gen 3 ea888. One mentioned seeing more on the 1.8t.

Not sure if it does but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does accelerate failures

Weird. I know the previous gen (or I guess was it still the gen3?) had timing chain issues (like 2012-2014 models I think maybe?)

 

[GeorgeTDI]

Gen2 EA888 engines had big timing chain issues, including sudden death problems, where you would start the car and kill the engine at the same time This was mostly with the first revision timing chain kit. The last rev was relatively ok. They had a great many other problems too, including internals (pistons/rings) which would have you rebuild the engine or get a new one.

But Gen3 are relatively safe, right ?

 

[Jacobmk7]

The earlier gen3 motors had the old style timing chain. Sometime in 2015 they put a new style timing chain with doubled up links. Not sure if the tensioner was changed though.

 

[GeorgeTDI]

That's interesting, do you know when in 2015 more precisely ? Was it in the second part of the year, that is MY2016 ?

 

[Carlosfandang0]

That's interesting, do you know when in 2015 more precisely ? Was it in the second part of the year, that is MY2016 ?

I don’t know the answer but I’d presume it would indeed be MY2016 cars that also had MIB2 installed that have the upgraded chain, although I’ve not read anywhere else that there was a revision made to the chain at all!