MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => How to Guides / Troubleshooting => Topic started by: raz469 on August 08, 2016, 04:01:03 pm

Title: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: raz469 on August 08, 2016, 04:01:03 pm
Afternoon all,

Well this is annoying seeing everyone on here grabbing bargains and modding, but my gti sounds like a diesel and I need to get it seen to rather sooner then later.

I took the car to a local vw specialist in nw london, and the chap quoted me £1200 inc vat for supply and fitting all 3 items named above.

£1200 is alot, but the work needs doing.
Since I'm paying to get someone else to do the work for me here is there anything i should get done at the same time to save cost down the line.

They said cause the tensioner needs doing, some time would be needed to set it up? Does that mean me n a mate can't do it at his shop?

Also someone said i should check my cam lobe peaks for wear, but cause I don't know how to, i don't know how to plan for any work required.


Anyone got any better ideas?
Title: Re: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: PatchySan on August 08, 2016, 04:26:50 pm
I share your pain as I had to do this for my GTI 2 weeks ago. :sad1: My local garage in the Midlands did my cam chain tensioners for £800 (all parts and labour) so £1200 for the same job is rather steep in my opinion. I would try other specialists to see how much they can get this done for you and possibly try price matching with your local one to see if they're willing to budge?
Title: Re: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: rich83 on August 08, 2016, 04:33:26 pm
Do you need a new adjuster? Because they are not cheap 350-400 IIRC
Title: Re: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: raz469 on August 08, 2016, 06:36:12 pm
I share your pain as I had to do this for my GTI 2 weeks ago. :sad1: My local garage in the Midlands did my cam chain tensioners for £800 (all parts and labour) so £1200 for the same job is rather steep in my opinion. I would try other specialists to see how much they can get this done for you and possibly try price matching with your local one to see if they're willing to budge?

Thanks Patchy. Will definitely try and get it cheaper knowing that now mate. My normal mech should do the work too tbh, but he's not having the best of times were he's working, plus the specialist should give me a warranty which would be nice since he's messing with timing and cams.

Do you need a new adjuster? Because they are not cheap 350-400 IIRC

Sorry to give such a sh*t answer rich, but I believe so.
I told the specialist my car sounds like a diesel, how much for new chain and tensioner. He priced it up and told me £650. And after chatting for a while, he said the tensioner would also likely need changing if we're doing it because of a noisy engine.

Tbh rich, i don't know anyone that will be able to check for me. All the "experts" keep telling me "it's a chain. There lifetime. It dont need doing, time waster" etc. So they don't even bother looking into whether the tensioner needs doing, which we have seen on here are made of playdoe.


For ref. These guys wanted £180 for dsg oil n filter change. I thought they were pretty close considering its london.
Title: Re: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: rich83 on August 08, 2016, 07:02:09 pm
It's unlikely to be the adjuster.
Title: Re: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: doylebros on August 08, 2016, 08:48:15 pm
Don't you just love the price uplift for London they seem to want to retire off their next job.

Why not join Green Flag and use them to transport it up to Rich who'll do the job for less than that if he's free to do - seriously find an out of London place cause there just to expensive.
Title: Re: Cam chain +adj +tensioner
Post by: rich83 on August 08, 2016, 09:13:14 pm
Quite happy to watch over and tell someone what to do but I wouldn't want to undo the cam bolt on someone else's car.  :signLOL: