MY13 B7 V6 FSI cam chain rattle of death (happy ending)

[NinetySix]

So I did a fair bit of research on my car before buying it, and was aware of many earlier V6s needing to have the chains done for various reasons... But my research (pretty sure it was this forum) from somebody who sounded like they knew their can chain from their elbow indicated that all the bugs had been worked out after around MY12 or MY12.5... so finding an MY13 V6 sedan in good nick for a good price was sure to be a safe bet right?

So I was a little horrified when my V6 would sound like a diesel when starting it up, particularly when the engine was warm... Started from about 140k km, and by 180k it was embarrassing taking off after filling the tank.

Switching to 5w-40 (502) didn't help, tho I think it did help with oil consumption... So I just turned up the stereo and tried not to think about how big/expensive a job it is to replace the chains on a V6 FSI...

Cold start wasn't so bad, but hot start would get people recommending a good mechanic to me... Tho it would clear up a bit after a short drive, but still kinda always there, clack clack clack... Sounded like it was coming from the upper chain.

Then I read a bit about hydraulic chain tensioners and that everything I'm experiencing matches the way they tend to fail... Then read (here I'm sure) about how easy the upper tensioner is to replace, found a guy in Melbourne selling them for $30... Primed it in a jar of oil and 20 minutes later it was swapped.

Initially it sounded even worse (still priming?) but cleared up after a quick drive, and now no rattle! Not hot, not cold, easy as that. I guess it's probably true then that the later VR6's are bulletproof, so don't let a rattle spoil your day, I guess.

[Passat R36]

Great news!

To replace the update chain tensioner, is there a how-to on it? Thanks in advance.

[NinetySix]

Great news!

To replace the update chain tensioner, is there a how-to on it? Thanks in advance.

There's really nothing to it, just remove the airbox and the intake hose to the throttle body, and it's the big 27mm bolt hanging off the back of the cylinder head pretty much under the throttle body facing towards the firewall. I didn't have a 27mm spanner or socket so I used a 10" shifter and it was child's play. It helped to unbolt what I think was a coolant pipe running nearby, two torx screws and it was free to move just enough.

Just unbolt the old one, and bolt in the new, wasn't especially tight.

But first of all you need to prime the new tensioner with oil, drop it in a small jar full of engine oil and pump the plunger till it gets stiff.

Could probably get it down to 10 minutes with practice

[NinetySix]

This here is the one I ordered, not OEM but made in Germany and certainly looked the part. Still rattle-free 5 weeks later on hot start too.

[Passat R36]

This here is the one I ordered, not OEM but made in Germany and certainly looked the part. Still rattle-free 5 weeks later on hot start too.

Thanks mate! Saved, in case I need one. Cheers!

[NinetySix]

Little update here for those of you sporting a 3.6 V6 FSI diesel

Whilst the upper chain tensioner definitely did make the motor quieter, since then a slightly different rattle was starting to get hard to ignore, one that was genuinely diesel-like.

This video (not mine) demonstrates perfectly the sound I'm talking about: VW 3.6 Hi Pressure fuel pump noise - YouTube

Not the high pitched ticking so much, but the lower "clacking". Mine was probably louder than the motor in the video.

Like many things v6 FSI related, I couldn't find one locally, and even in the US the price was pretty wild. Best I found was from Latvia, via the 'bay: Fuel Pump Cam Follower Tappets Audi A5 S5 A6 S6 quattro A8 S8 VW Golf Passat | eBay

03H127307A

Came in just on a month, and it was $7 cheaper then too.


Long story short, it's no longer a diesel tho it is definitely still direct injected. Very easy job, even with 17mm spanners instead of the official VW offset ring spanner with a notch to slip over the hi pressure fuel line. I put a new o-ring on the pump, $20 locally from vagparts I think, though my inner bush mechanic was confident that the old one could have gone back in without incident.

Strange that the 200k km follower from late 2012 looked to be still in serviceable condition, the roller felt pretty smooth still, no obvious play

Pic here of the old one: Shared album - Ian Price - Google Photos