The timing chain and tensioner on the 2005.5-2008 Audi A4 2.0T engine commonly causes issues and it has been difficult to find a concise DIY walk-through, so I thought I'd write one since recently doing the job myself. I'm going to start by talking about some symptoms and causes of a faulty/broken tensioner. Then I'll give you a breakdown of the tools and parts necessary to do this job, recommend additional optional parts to replace, and give you a walk-through of the job step by step with a few tips along the way.
I know that a lot of people visit the main forum and few go to the B7 A4 Tech section, so I thought I would post here first so that people can see the walkthrough before I have it moved to the tech section.
Time: 6-10 hours
Difficulty: 8.5/10
Although there are only a few parts to take off, the bolts can be in unforgiving locations. The most difficult part of this job is ensuring that the exhaust cam sprocket/adjuster bolt is not stripped when you are removing it and that the timing is set right before you close everything up. I hope to make this process simple and less overwhelming so that anyone who can keep track of where their bolts and harnesses go can do this job with confidence.
Special thanks to Timmy at Astral Auto Repairs on Youtube for his videos… "can ya dig it?"
These videos were the only thing I could find to guide me through the daunting task of replacing my timing chain and tensioner. Please feel free to use the videos as a supplementary reference to this DIY.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Symptoms:
Metal clinging or slapping sound from back of valve cover at idle which may or may not go away under load.
P000A check engine light sometimes precedes serious symptoms and may be intermittent.
Power loss, poor fuel economy or limp mode with check engine light.
Causes:
Most commonly, the plastic guides for the timing chain on the tensioner break.
Poor cam follower maintenance causing metal pieces, flakes and shavings to enter cam cover causing tensioner to wear prematurely.
Low oil levels/pressure causing tensioner to wear prematurely, this may be due to oil consumption commonly due to broken PCV, valve cover issues, or oil leak due to warped oil filter housing assembly.
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WARNING:
I am not responsible for any injuries or complications that may occur due to your actions while using this guide. By reading further, you acknowledge that you are performing these tasks at your own risk of bodily harm or injury as well as any malfunction of your vehicle which may require costly repair. Improper technique or using low quality tools when removing the exhaust cam sprocket bolt may cause it to strip, requiring further removal of the cam girdle, drilling out the bolt, and/or replacement of the exhaust cam and sprocket. Improper technique when setting the timing may result in catastrophic engine failure, and you perform this maintenance acknowledging these facts at your own risk and financial burden.
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Parts necessary (click on links to purchase):
Timing chain and tensioner kit
Assenmacher T12052 cam locking tool DO NOT USE ANY OTHER BRAND!
Assenmacher #10 polydrive socket (VW5220) DO NOT USE ANY OTHER BRAND!
1/2 inch drive ratchet
1/4 inch drive ratchet
4" long 1/4 inch drive extension
18” long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar
1/2 inch drive torque wrench (rent from autozone for $100, return for full refund)
19mm 12 point socket (1/2 inch drive)
Phillips head screwdriver
Flat head screwdriver
5mm Allen wrench (NOT pictured)
10mm, 13mm, and 17mm wrenches
Torx T20, T25, T27 and T30 sockets (1/4 inch drive)
2 pairs of vice grips (NOT pictured)
M5 Triple square bit (NOT pictured)
5w40 engine oil and assembly lube/grease
Oil filter
Black sharpie or brightly colored marker
Assorted size worm clamps
Coolant not required; necessary only if replacing rear coolant flange
Additional Recommended Parts:
Timing Cover Rebuild Kit with cam adjuster seals (06F198107A). This is pretty much required. You will be taking off the timing cover, however the ECS kit only provides the gasket for the main housing. The gaskets to rebuild the vacuum pump and cam adjuster seals which will almost certainly be worn or broken are not included with the kit.
Rear Coolant Flange replacement kit. The rear coolant flange is prone to leaks and is difficult to get to due to its location. This is an ideal time to easily replace this piece.
N205 valve. This may or may not be necessary. If you threw a P000A code, it might be a good idea to easily replace this.
Pressure Control Valve (PCV) replacement kit. You will be removing your OEM PCV, which is prone to failure causing high oil consumption rates. The ECS kit comes with a new PCV gasket, but getting the complete PCV kit is always a good idea since most of the top of the motor will be removed making replacement easy. Make sure you buy the correct kit. ECS has 2 kits, one for models up to 2006 and one for models after 2006. You can double check which one to buy by referencing your VIN with their staff.
Spark plugs are also a good idea for general maintenance at this time.
Torque Specs:
Exhaust cam sprocket/adjuster bolt: 15ft/lbs + 1/8 turn per the factory manual, ELSAWin. (Timmy from Astral Auto Repair torqued his down to 75.3 ft/lbs.)
Timing Tensioner bolts: 7ft/lbs
Timing Chain Cover bolts: 7ft/lbs
Valve Cover bolts: 7ft/lbs
HPFP bolts: 7ft/lbs
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Step by Step Removal and Replacement of Timing Chain and Tensioner:
1.) Using 10mm wrench, disconnect the negative battery terminal.
2.) Remove the plastic engine cover by pulling up at the front of the engine.
3.) Using T20 Torx, remove the two bolts holding coil harness in place.
4.) Starting with middle two coils, push forward on the coil harness and pull back on tabs slightly.
5.) Repeat with outer two coils, then pull the entire harness off of coils.
6.) Remove the coil packs.
7.) Using flathead screwdriver loosen the fastenings of the breather tube to turbo.
8.) Using adjustable pliers, pull the clamp back on the valve cover hose to turbo.
9.) Twist and move the hoses back and forth to break any seal that may have formed due to heat and age. This will make valve cover removal easier.
10.) Release the upper PCV hose by hand and remove it.
11.) Using a flat head, gently pry open the breather hose to the oil filter housing assembly from each side (top, right, left and bottom) while pushing back on it with your thumb.
12.) Release the hose on the valve cover by hand.
13.) Place a towel under the High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) to absorb fuel leaks in upcoming steps.
14.) Disconnect the 2 harnesses to HPFP.
15.) Relieve fuel pressure from the HPFP by pressing down on the pressure valve core and use 13mm wrench to remove pressure valve.
16.) Using 17mm wrench, disconnect the flair nut on the hardline from the HPFP. It is behind the coolant hard pipe in this image.
17.) Using pliers, loosen the clamp to disconnect the rubber fuel hose from the hardline (refer to other walkthrough for HPFP with banjo bolt fittings). I have upgraded my HPFP internals, so my clamp was replaced with a worm clamp for easier install and removal.
18.) Using T30 Torx, remove the 3 bolts securing HPFP to head and remove the HPFP and cam follower. Make sure to replace the o-ring around the HPFP when reinstalling.
19.) Using T30 Torx, remove the 2 bolts on the front of the timing belt cover.
20.) Disconnect the timing sensor harness.
21.) Using T30 Torx, remove the bolt securing the timing sensor in place. It may be difficult to fit a ratchet in this space. You can use a T30 Torx bit and a 1/4 inch wrench to loosen the bolt as a secondary method. Click on the link for the video of Timmy from Astral Auto Repairs performing this technique.
22.) Remove the timing sensor.
23.) Using T30 Torx, loosen the 14 bolts on the valve cover.
24.) Using a flathead screwdriver, gently pry open the driver’s side of the valve cover by twisting at bolt holes. Watch Timmy from Astral Auto Repairs perform this step by clicking here.
25.) Lift up on the valve cover and pull it off of the PCV hoses to the turbo. Watch Timmy from Astral Auto Repairs perform this step by clicking here.
26.) Remove the timing belt cover.
27.) Using T25 Torx, remove the 4 bolts on the PCV and remove the PCV. Replace the PCV gasket and PCV. You may skip this step if you do not intend to replace the PCV.
28.) Using pliers, remove the clamp on the vacuum hose from vacuum pump to break booster and remove the hose. You will have to replace this clamp with a worm clamp when reinstalling.
29.) Unplug the N205 harness.
30.) Using M5 Triple square bit, remove the wire harness bracket and move the wire harness out of the way.
31.) Using T30 Torx, remove the top 2 bolts on the vacuum pump.
32.) Using T27 Torx, remove the bottom bolt on the vacuum pump and remove the vacuum pump. It might be difficult to find, so use this picture with the ratchet in place along with landmarks to help.
32a.) Note that a bracket with one of the big 3 ground wires found in the engine is secured into place by this bolt. The T27 bolt goes through the hole circled. This needs to be reinstalled back into place or the car will not run right.
33.) Remove the vacuum pump. If you purchased a rebuild kit/vacuum pump seals, you will want to replace them at this time.
34.) Using T30 Torx, remove the 7 bolts holding the timing chain cover in place. There are 4 on top and 3 on bottom. Of the bottom bolts, there is one on each end of timing chain cover and 1 in the middle. You can locate it by feeling for a groove on the bottom surface of the timing chain cover. The bolt on the bottom passenger's side should be easy to find. Be careful not to mistake rear coolant flange bolts (silver) for the middle lower timing chain cover bolt (black). Use the pictures below to help find the bottom driver's side and middle bolts:
34a.) Bottom driver's side bolt on the timing chain cover.
34b.) Bottom middle bolt on the timing chain cover. It is located within the groove on the bottom surface of the timing chain cover just above the top of the rear coolant flange. You will need to use a 4 inch extension to reach it.
35.) Pull out the timing chain cover and inspect the 3 seals on the cam adjuster inside. Clean out any oil and debris from the inside of this cover. If you have a worn out cam follower, metal pieces and/or shavings will be found here. Replace all/any broken seals. Notice that 2 out of 3 of my square seals on the adjuster unit were broken. Although ordering these seals is not required to do this job, it is highly recommended! Also, if you have had a P000A code, it would be a good idea to replace the N205 valve.
36.) Jack up the front of the car and place it on jack stands. Make sure to pull the hand break up and place some kind of stopper under the rear wheels to prevent the car from rolling before performing this step! Not taking these precautions may seriously injure or kill you!
37.) Using flathead screwdriver, remove quick screws securing belly pan. (Image sourced from Cottonmouth's Snub Mount Installation thread).
38.) From underneath the car, pull the harness off of the radiator fan and move it out of the way to provide more room accessing the crank pulley. You do not have to undo the harness as it is fastened to a metal clip. You can pull on the entire harness and the clip will come off of the radiator fan, allowing you to move the harness out of the way. I apologize for only having a picture of this from above, but you can find it in this location easily from underneath.
39.) Use 19mm 12 point socket with your 1/2 inch drive ratchet set to "tighten" to rotate crank pulley CLOCKWISE until top dead center. DO NOT ROTATE THE CRANK PULLEY COUNTERCLOCKWISE!!! You can ensure this by aligning the mark (painted silver in the picture) on the exhaust cam gear with the arrow on the timing cover. If you overshoot the timing mark, DO NOT GO BACKWARDS/COUNTERCLOCKWISE!!! Continue to rotate the crank pulley clockwise until you return to the timing marks again.
39a.) You can ensure that your timing belt is timed correctly by looking at the timing mark on the crack pulley and cover to make sure they align as well. I could not get a picture of this on my car, but you can watch Timmy from Astral Auto Repairs do it by clicking here!
40.) Place the Assenmacher T10252 cam locking tool between the farthest grooves on the cams. If the timing is set correctly, it should slide freely in and out between the cams. Tighten down the 5mm hex bolts to "hand tight" using a 5mm allen wrench to hold the cam locker firmly in place. Do not overtighten these bolts as they will strip and break off in the girdle.
41.) Using Assenmacher #10 polydrive socket and 18" long breaker bar (1/2 inch drive), remove the cam adjuster bolt. Make sure to keep the polydrive socket and breaker bar as straight as possible. You may want to have a friend help. Click here to watch Timmy and Marcus from Astral Auto Repairs perform this step!
42.) Remove exhaust cam sprocket and chain.
43.) Using T30 Torx, remove the 3 bolts securing timing chain tensioner in place. Make sure to inspect chain guides for any broken or missing pieces and clear them from the area.
44.) Clean all surfaces to remove any residual gasket material and/or metal shavings on the back of the head. At this time, it is a good idea to replace the rear coolant flange. Look at how much room you have to work! It won't be this easy if you have a coolant leak from the rear coolant flange down the road.
46.) Slather a small amount of engine assembly lube long the plastic chain guides on your new timing tensioner.
47.) Using T30 Torx, install the new timing chain tensioner. DO NOT REMOVE THE PIN.
48.) Take the timing chain and arrange it so that the copper link on your left facing you.
49.) Count 18 pins to the right of the copper link.
50.) Mark the 18th and 19th pins with your sharpie/marker.
51.) Identify the timing mark on the exhaust cam sprocket (at the 12 o'clock position in the picture).
52.) Use some 5w40 oil to lube up the timing chain and place it onto the exhaust cam sprocket with the 18th and 19th pins over the timing mark with the colored portion facing you.
53.) Identify the timing mark on the intake cam sprocket (small dot at the 12 o'clock position in the picture).
54.) While making sure not to let the timing chain slip off of the exhaust cam sprocket, place the timing chain over the intake cam sprocket facing with the copper link facing the front of the engine. Note that in the picture, the copper link is facing toward the front of the motor while the timing mark on the intake cam sprocket is between the 2 pins of the corresponding link (This arrangement is highlighted by the red box).
55.) While taking care not to let the timing chain slip off of either sprocket, install the exhaust cam sprocket with timing chain onto the exhaust cam. If you are having trouble installing the exhaust cam sprocket, click here to use Timmy's vice grip trick as shown on Astral Auto Repairs!
56.) Place 2 pairs of vice grips onto the exhaust cam, as shown by Timmy from Astral Auto Repairs. I apologize for not taking a photo of this step.
57.) Install the exhaust cam sprocket/adjuster bolt and torque it to 15ft/lbs + 1/8 turn (per ELSAWin manual) or 73.5ft/lbs (per Timmy) depending on your preference.
58.) Pull the pin from the timing chain tensioner.
59.) Remove the cam locker.
60.) Ensure that all timing marks still line up by either "tightening" the exhaust cam sprocket bolt with the #10 polydrive socket or "tightening" the crank pulley clockwise using the 19mm 12 point socket to move the motor "backwards" and "forwards" respectively. The cams, timing chain, and timing belt should all move together, and all marks should line up.
61.) Re-install everything in reverse order starting from #35. Leave the belly pan off for now.
62.) When installing the vacuum pump, make sure to line up the slot going vertically. If your intake cam is timed right, the slot which the vacuum pump lines up with should also be going up and down. (Refer to image on Step #34a. You can see that after the timing is set, the slot should be arranged vertically in the top right corner of the image.)
60.) When installing the valve cover, make sure to put the bolts through the gasket before placing it on the head. You should be able to turn it upside down without the bolts falling out with the gasket on, as shown in this picture.
60a.) Here is the torque sequence for the valve cover.
61.) Change the oil and oil filter. Add coolant if you replaced your rear coolant flange.
62.) Turn the key to the ignition on position to prime the fuel system. Give a couple of quarter starts to prime the oil system. Start the car and let it run for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Check for any leaks. If you replaced the rear coolant flange, make sure to leave the coolant reservoir uncapped and set your climate control to the highest heat setting with the lowest fan setting. Allow the car to get to temperature and massage the front rubber coolant hose to remove any air bubbles from the cooling system.
63.) Take the car out for a leisurely drive to ensure everything is in working order. Once you are satisfied that the car is running well without leaks, reinstall the belly pan.
Congratulate yourself on completing one of the most difficult jobs on this car!
Here is a picture of all the valves, sensors, hoses, and seals I replaced:
A final special thanks to Timmy from Astral Auto Repairs for the initial guidance and confidence to do this job, and for allowing me to simplify his approach to make this DIY!
Can ya dig it?
Edit 1: Updated torque specs for exhaust cam sprocket/adjuster bolt per ELSAWin manual. Added oil, ratchets, and 5mm allen wrench and clarified drive sizes to required parts list. Clarified and more clearly defined "clockwise" and other key actions with a more detailed explanation. Fixed a few typos.
Edit 2: Added valve cover torque sequence.
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Originally Posted by medrads2020
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