1.2 TSI timing chain failure should I be worried

loonymoon

Full Member
A friend of mine has a Skoda Fabia 1.2TSI he posted today on facebook that at 30,000 miles it has had a timing chain failure which has destroyed the third cylinder, he then posted about problems with the 1.2 timing chain being pushed out too early and cheap parts used. I'm taking this with a pinch of salt, but should I be worried? Mine is at 60,000 miles and at 4 years old I've just spent a grand on it to get the paintwork and wheels sorted, service and fix an electrical fault with the reverse sensor switch.... I don't want it to go belly up on me now!!
 

Fmxvxx

Active Member
Dec 21, 2014
388
3
The chain has been known for fail on the 1.2 tsi due to the cam chain tensioner failing typically the chain is noisy for many months before the chain actually fails only time I've ever seen one get bad enough to fail is people who have there speakers cranked up all the time and manage to ignore the noise for months.
 
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loonymoon

Full Member
Cheers guys, I'm just being paranoid I guess. The other day on startup it made a quick noise very loud as it was starting up but then settled down after a second or two. In normal running I can't hear anything too bad.

I'll take it as it comes for now, I did have service recently and the guys said they couldn't find anything else wrong with it except a bit of corrosion on the exhaust. I trust them though I didn't ask them to check this specifically at the time. They're not a specific VW/SEAT garage however.
 

R3k1355

Active Member
Oct 30, 2014
1,778
247
Yorkshire
Maybe contact Seat and ask if there has been any recalls done on your car??
If there was an issue with the tensioner then a recall might have been issued.
 
Feb 8, 2011
743
1
Hi loonymoon,

My understanding is like Fmvxvxx - you should get some warning since the chain can stretch so much that the tensioner is no longer able to take out the slack. I've read reports of that happening but read none concerning a sudden failure.

The handbook mentions, and I've heard it on mine, that you can get a noise just after a cold or warm start. On mine it's a kind of rasp for a second or so but that is just the hydraulic tappets coming up to pressure.

I was paranoid about mine for a time but I don't worry now. My guess is that some cars came with duff timing chains and some didn't.
 

MJ

Public transport abuser
Apr 22, 2008
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Manchester
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When the chains do stretch to the point where they become an issue it manifests itself as a cam/crankshaft correlation error in the ecu.

A brief noise on start up can be the oil pressure building up and subsiquently taking out any slack from the tensioner.

A faulty tensioner would result in a thrashing noise all the time, the tensioners fitted these days have a fail safe mechanism that prevent the chain becoming slack to the point where it slips and allows piston to valve contact.

I've only ever replaced one chain on a 1.2tsi and that was a 2010 polo. I have however replaced many 1.2 12v chains all across the brands.
 

elnigel

Active Member
Nov 25, 2002
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I have a 2010 fabia and a 2010 Leon. Both have had new chains around the 30k mark. Changed them both myself and they were very stretched when you put the old one next to the new one. The part number I replaced them with was on its 5th revision!I have friends with 2012 1.2s and they are at much higher miles without issue. Both my cars are some of the earliest of the 1.2tsi sold so as vw revised the parts the longevity has improved. I have heard that the early chains were not a good enough specification for the job, i can vouch for that!!! Love the tsi though, great to drive and I'm hoping the upgraded chains I have fitted won't need changing again.

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RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
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South Scotland
I have a 2010 fabia and a 2010 Leon. Both have had new chains around the 30k mark. Changed them both myself and they were very stretched when you put the old one next to the new one. The part number I replaced them with was on its 5th revision!I have friends with 2012 1.2s and they are at much higher miles without issue. Both my cars are some of the earliest of the 1.2tsi sold so as vw revised the parts the longevity has improved. I have heard that the early chains were not a good enough specification for the job, i can vouch for that!!! Love the tsi though, great to drive and I'm hoping the upgraded chains I have fitted won't need changing again.

Sent from my XT1072 using Tapatalk

A guy at work also had noise issues with his Leon 1.2TSI round about that same age, he talked to his local dealer about this at service time, but they reported NFF and no known issues, it continued to make a lot of noise at cold start up and I told him about what I had read on VAG forums, so he eventually got his dealer to look at it and condemn the tensioner, then after another month give in and replace the chain - I think that chains were on back order, a fact that usually means something from any brand! Shortly after that, he had rough running issues, back to dealer, dealer discovered that the coil pack was corroded due to water running down into it due to a design error, the design error was resolved but he had to pay for new leads and coil pack which did not seem right! Then he wanted rid of that unreliable car, can't blame him but I managed to get him to come round to thinking that the worst was over so why chop the car in and lose money!
 
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