The engine is coming out!!!

[paulyd65]

Hi all.

Further to my previous posts regarding the various sensor failures it now transpires that one of the cam tensioners has worn and has caused one of the cams to move one tooth. Basically, it's an engine out job.

Audi have quoted £1500 to pull engine and see what's what and replace what's necessary. Looks like I am looking at a bill the thick end of £3K. Ouch!

Anything else I should get sorted while the engine is out. Clutch has already been done so that's ok. Worth uprating anything. I love my S4 so I don,t mind making it bulletproof if it's going to last.

Mind your motor when our get close to 100k on the clock. It could happen to you! Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!

Cheers all.

[nihc]

Hi,

The chains must be rattling like crazy all of the time for that to happen.

Do you have chain rattle all of the time instead of just for half a second at start-up?

Cheers.

[paulyd65]

Hi,

Thats the weird thing. The car has been running fine apart from the normal rattle in the morning when you first startup. The car has been missing and when they checked the static timing it confirmed that one of the cams was out by one tooth and warned me that if I continued driving it, the chain may slip further and cause serious damage to the engine.

Not much I can do. Either get the car towed home and leave it in the garage or juts get it fixed. Hopefully, once the works have been done then it will be good for another 100'000 miles.

Cheers.

[nihc]

Hi,

That just doesn't make any sense.
It also doesn't explain all of your other sensor failures.

I would get a second opinion !

These engines are designed to go 250,000 miles before any internal engine work MAY be necessary. That figure is from audi for the 4.2 V8.

Your engine should be running very badly if the cam timing is out - and how exactly did the chain jump if there's no rattle during running?

There used to be a guy on here who bought a "lemon" that must have run out of oil/ had cheap oil, 'cause the chains rattled all of the time and he never had a problem with the chains jumping teeth. He brought the car around to my house a few times and there was a terrible constant rattle of chains.

Cheers.

[BlingBling]

Hi all.

Further to my previous posts regarding the various sensor failures it now transpires that one of the cam tensioners has worn and has caused one of the cams to move one tooth. Basically, it's an engine out job.

Audi have quoted £1500 to pull engine and see what's what and replace what's necessary. Looks like I am looking at a bill the thick end of £3K. Ouch!

Anything else I should get sorted while the engine is out. Clutch has already been done so that's ok. Worth uprating anything. I love my S4 so I don,t mind making it bulletproof if it's going to last.

Mind your motor when our get close to 100k on the clock. It could happen to you! Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!

Cheers all.

Get a second opinion it could save you money either through incorrect diagnostics or through the cost savings an idie can provide.

[paulyd65]

Hi nihc,

Do you know any good indies in the North East.

Ta.

Paul.

[gottanS]

This still sounds like a fishing expedition, firstly the cost for pulling the engine. Does this include putting it back in or is it just out, before you let them do this I would suggest you confirm the total cost of getting your car back together if no fault is found. Secondly did they identify which cam? or cam chain is suspected of being at fault, the V8 engine has 4 chains and tensioners on the back. If they say it is an intake camshaft then it could be the variable timing adjuster not going to back to initial position which would show as mechanically out of alignment.

If you google 'audi s4 v8 engine' for images you will find one showing the back of the engine and that a lot is going on. I would want much more detail before going down this route. I would talk to Unit 20 or MRC about this.

[nihc]

Hi nihc,

Do you know any good indies in the North East.

Ta.

Paul.

HI,

A few people around here use Revolution ( http://www.revolution247.com). They are based in Gateshead. I haven't had any dealings with them myself, but it might be worth having a chat with Glen from there.

Regards, Chris.

[Ian_C]

If you google 'audi s4 v8 engine' for images you will find one showing the back of the engine and that a lot is going on. I would want much more detail before going down this route. I would talk to Unit 20 or MRC about this.

Incredibly complex, you have to see if to believe it! Had this image saved on my 'puter before I even bought mine, makes you wince at Audis book 20k oil intervals. One reason I paid a fraction more for a car that had been serviced more regularly than the others I looked at (had 5 AVS stamps - others of the same age and mileage only had 2 as per Audis guidelines)

[P_G]

Hi nihc,

Do you know any good indies in the North East.

Ta.

Paul.

HI,

A few people around here use Revolution ( http://www.revolution247.com). They are based in Gateshead. I haven't had any dealings with them myself, but it might be worth having a chat with Glen from there.

Regards, Chris.

I'd vouch for them and they have taken the top of my V8 so have knowledge of a similar type of engine. Plus their labout rates are some 20-30% chepaer than Audi so the overall cost won't rack up as much. Mine is in next week for some more R&D work.

[paulyd65]

Right an update. Get the tissue ready.

Bit the bullet and instructed Audi to proceed. Engine out and stripped back and they have found that two of the the chain tensioners were knackered and were just about to fail. Been to see them myself and part of one is broken and it was only the mounting bolt that was keeping the chain in place which meant no rattle. One of the chains is worn also where it was hitting the bolt.

Anyway, getting all the chains, tensioners, actuators and all other ancillary bits and pieces replaced and also the clutch has never been replaced so getting an uprated unit stuck in and new flywheel.

The cost I hear you ask!

£5200 all in including parts, labout, vat (the clutch and flywheel is a £1000).

Thanks for all you advice and help.

Will post some pics of engine out and damage soon just for your info and future reference.

Cheers

[nihc]

HI,

Can you get pictures up here of the parts that have been damaged?
If the chains weren't making a noise, then there should have been no problem. There is no way that the "screws" would be keeping things calm - you would have heard them from 10 metres no probs'.
Get some pics for your own benefit. Take pics of the tensioners, chains - the chains will be REALLY worn if rubbing against the "screws".

Again, if there really are no tensioners, then you would hear the chains ALL of the time.

It's very odd.

Regards, Chris.

[nihc]

Just as an extra:

The damaged chain should be "damaged" across it's full length, so check that as well.
You can probably tell that I know what Audi stealers can be like

[Ian_C]

£5200

Gulp!

[gottanS]

I spent a long time looking at that photo, very scary but driving it makes you forget, stil £5.2k is going some.

Out of curiosity, what is the service history on your car, was it AVS servicing?