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CriticalCommonEngine

Audi A3: Timing chain tensioner failure (1.8 TFSI EA888 CDAA, built before May 2012)

Timing chain tensioner failure (1.8 TFSI EA888 CDAA, built before May 2012) is a common engine fault on the Audi A3 on the 2008–2013 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $1,800 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 43 documented faults on the Audi A3.

Vehicle
Audi A3
Engine
1.8L
Years
2008–2013
Fuel
petrol
System
Engine

This page covers the Audi A3 as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Audi A3 faults43 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

The front of a dual overhead camshaft engine with the timing cover removed, exposing the timing chain and sprockets.Example of the part — not this vehicle

The front of a twin-cam engine with the timing cover off — chain, sprockets and guides.

Logansenf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

The 1.8 TFSI EA888 petrol (engine code CDAA and earlier Gen1 versions) in the 8P A3 used a timing chain tensioner retainer that can fail on engines built before 1 May 2012. When it lets go the chain goes slack, rattles on start-up and can jump teeth, and the pistons can then hit the valves and wreck the engine. VW Group fixed it with a third-revision tensioner (part 06K 109 467 K) from May 2012 builds. Audi ran a warranty extension for the same fault on 2.0 EA888 engines in the USA, but there was no NZ or Australian recall, so any cover has long expired.

What you would notice

  • Metallic rattle for a few seconds after a cold start
  • Engine warning light with camshaft timing faults
  • Rough running or loss of power
  • Engine will not start after the chain jumps

How to check it

Where to look. Timing chain at the gearbox-side end of the engine, behind the timing cover

  1. Ask for the engine to be completely cold before you arrive, then listen at the engine bay during the first start: a chain rattle lasting more than a second or two is a warning sign.

  2. Ask for paperwork showing the timing chain and tensioner were replaced with the updated tensioner, and look for an invoice listing part 06K 109 467 K or a timing chain kit.

  3. Watch for an engine warning light on the test drive.

  4. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the cam/crank timing deviation values read with a scan tool and the tensioner checked through the inspection port.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$1,800 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the timing chain and tensioner been replaced, and do you have the invoice?”
  • “Was the updated tensioner fitted?”
  • “Does it rattle when started from cold?”

Now check the Audi A3 you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

Audi A3 buyer questions

Is timing chain tensioner failure (1.8 tfsi ea888 cdaa, built before may 2012) serious on a Audi A3?

We rate it critical and common on the Audi A3. The 1.8 TFSI EA888 petrol (engine code CDAA and earlier Gen1 versions) in the 8P A3 used a timing chain tensioner retainer that can fail on engines built before 1 May 2012. When it lets go the chain goes slack, rattles on start-up and can jump teeth, and the pistons can then hit the valves and wreck the engine. VW Group fixed it with a third-revision tensioner (part 06K 109 467 K) from May 2012 builds. Audi ran a warranty extension for the same fault on 2.0 EA888 engines in the USA, but there was no NZ or Australian recall, so any cover has long expired.

How much does it cost to fix on a Audi A3?

$1,800 to $8,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Audi A3 years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2008–2013 Audi A3. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Ask for the engine to be completely cold before you arrive, then listen at the engine bay during the first start: a chain rattle lasting more than a second or two is a warning sign. Ask for paperwork showing the timing chain and tensioner were replaced with the updated tensioner, and look for an invoice listing part 06K 109 467 K or a timing chain kit. Watch for an engine warning light on the test drive. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the cam/crank timing deviation values read with a scan tool and the tensioner checked through the inspection port. Look here: Timing chain at the gearbox-side end of the engine, behind the timing cover