MK5 Golf GTI
All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: TheBALDpuma on March 08, 2018, 10:27:13 am
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I've got a Pirelli Edition GTI, just ticked over 76K miles. All my previous cars have had cam belts that of course I have got changed at the respective intervals. What do I need to do with this car? I haven't given it much consideration until I thought about it today - does it need to changed at a service? Inspected? Do I need to listen out for noises of wear and tear? Should I have done something already?
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General rule of thumb is, if it sounds more rattley/diesely when hot compared to cold it probably needs changing.
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These engines have a cam belt and a cam chain.
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Yes, it has a cam belt. It should be replaced, if wanting to do so by interval, every 80k miles. You can go by inspection if you like, but not the easiest to get at. You'll want to plan on replacing the water pump at the same time.
The crank drives the "timing" belt and turns the exhaust cam at the front of the engine. The exhaust cam drives the cam chain at the rear of the engine and turns the intake cam. The cam chain is usually replaced, as said, when it begins making a ridiculous slapping noise due to a worn composite portion of a chain tensioner mostly. None, I am aware of, have measured the cam chain to report if there was actually chain stretch or whatever, but it is a good time when adding a new tensioner to just go ahead and add a new chain and vacuum pump while there. If were going to add this to an interval...would probably be at about 120k miles if no symptoms appear before then. I've seen posts, by VW repair shops, stating VW timing chains should last at least 120k miles.
Just having got the car @ 76k miles...I would first replace the HPFP's cam follower. It will go out at any time between 80k miles and 120k miles ±10k miles. It is $40-$50usd and can be done yourself if you can manage the banjo bolt at the low pressure fitting at the bottom of the HPFP-(high pressure fuel pump) at the top/rear of the engine. My vids ↓:
If it fails, you will be replacing the intake cam and HPFP w/cam follower at the very least. I would suggest doing this every 80k miles along with the timing belt and water pump. So yes, you are coming up on the time for a new timing belt and water pump.
You didn't mention its transmission, so if it is DSG you'll need to also do a DSG service every 40k miles. So, if this was done at 40k miles or not, you are due at 80k miles and every 40k thereafter. This is a costly service so you may want to do some research and learn how-to if so inclined.
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I've had it since 49k so I've put a few miles on myself.
Ahh so I'm glad I asked - I didn't realise they had a belt too. I've literally just had a minor service (big one was done last year) - I'll just have to get it done at 80k. I'm not handy enough to do it myself.
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Cam belt is every 40k miles or 4 years, whichever is soonest. Yours should have been done long ago, in fact should be due it's second at 80k miles/8 years.
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Hmmmm, thanks for reminding me. My third belt is 2K over due. Ooops.
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I've got a bad feeling mine is over a year over due! Hopefully its 2 months opposed to 14 months. Still only done 30k on it annoyingly.
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IIRC Audi quote 5 years / 60k for TFSI cam belt changes, so I guess there is a fair margin of error.
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Why did VW design an engine with a cambelt and a cam chain? I don't get it. Surely both cams could have been driven by a (single) camblet.... Like the Cosworth used on the Mk1 Escort RS1600 BDA engine .....Roger Clark etc if I remember right.
Is there a good reason for it?
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I guess it's because of the variable valve timing.
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Vauxhall use VVT cambelt sprockets, so I reckon it's down to packaging. 1 cambelt pulley and a small chain connecting the cams is more compact overall. VW have always done it that way though. MK2 16V, 1.8T and EA113 TFSI, all cambelt + chain. EA888 is all chain, like the V6s. And yep, every single chain driven VW engine needs a new chain at some point! It's not a design flaw, it's just how chains are. They wear out. People seem to think they last forever because there is no service interval.......and the only reason there is no service interval is because they wear out after the warranty expires, at which point car makers don't give a toss.
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You'd think for someone that makes chains a lot, they'd get good at making chain tensioners. I think they are on their 4th revision of chain tensioner for the ea888 and they're still snapping!
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Yeah it's catch 22 unfortunately. A huge chain with 100s of rollers and links, each subject to wear. Add it all up over the length of the chain and the tensioner runs out of travel to take up the slack. So do they make chains last forever, or make tensioners with 5 inches of travel? :grin:
If they made chain rollers that didn't wear out, the sprocket teeth would get eaten away instead. The only answer is to make both out of exotic materials, but that isn't going to happen any time soon! Or they could use gears to connect the crank to the cams...... but it all increases cost.