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Otherwise, a refund between $1,100 and $1,500 will be awarded depending on what needed fixing. If the work was done at an authorized VW dealership, 100% of the cost will be refunded. If you've already repaired or replaced the timing chain system, you may be eligible for a reimbursement if the service was done within 10 years or 100,000 miles of when the vehicle first entered service. Note: You can find out which VW vehicles are involved in the settlement over at Reimbursements for timing chains and tensioners ∞ Owners and lessees of the vehicles are automatically awarded the extended warranty unless they opted out of the class-action by December 3rd, 2018. Extended warranty ∞Īs part of the settlement, the following Volkswagen vehicles were given an extended “new vehicle limited warranty” to cover future repairs or replacements of the timing chains and tensioners. Volkswagen and Audi Timing Chain Settlement ∞Īs the court fees piled up, Volkswagen agreed to settle 7 class-action lawsuits in one combined action in May 2018. The lawsuits were eventually combined in a New Jersey court, despite VW’s motion to dismiss the cases. It placed blame on the tensioner system and said VW should help pay for repairs.Īnother class-action lawsuit soon followed by 24 plaintiffs in 17 states claiming the timing chains "jump a tooth" in the camshaft. One of the most popular responses was to accuse owners of improper oil and filter maintenance, and ask for records (including receipts) before doing any warranty work.įed up and facing massive repair bills, the first timing chain lawsuit was filed in May of 2016.
TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HOW TO
The TSBs outlined how to respond to customer complaints about the timing chain. As the problems piled up, the lawsuits rolled in ∞Īudi began releasing Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) to its network of dealerships around 2010. If a loose timing chain isn’t addressed immediately it could break, and cause catastrophic damage to the engine. That’s because the timing between the valves and pistons are out of sync, and the combustion part of you internal combustion engine is busted.
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With a loose timing chain you'll have trouble starting the engine or it might misfire while driving. The rattle might be accompanied by a check engine light triggered by sensors in the crankshaft and camshaft that are detecting timing issues. When a timing chain is loose you'll likely hear a rattle during startup or idling in the engine. If the tensioner fails and the chain becomes loose, the timing of the engine is thrown off. Tensioners make sure the chain is tightly wound to the pulleys and gears. It's likely a timing chain tensioner failure. So why are Audi's timing chains failing so early? Volkswagen, parent company of Audi, says you shouldn't have to worry about timing chain maintenance for 120,000 miles in their own maintenance schedules. One of the main reasons chains have replaced belts in high-displacement engines is their longevity. What’s Happening in Audi's EA888 Engine ∞ If the timing chain becomes loose, either by stretching or a failed tensioner, there are serious problems ahead.
TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER SERIES
Through a series of guides and tensioners, the chains are responsible for keeping the cylinder head valves in sync with the combustion chamber pistons. Timing chains are the critical link between the crankshaft and camshaft.
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