Mk5 GTI Sounds Like a Diesel on idle!

[chuckygti]

Ive noticed recently that, my gti sounds like a diesel on idle it does not do it all the time but recently started noticing it alot when i park on the drive to let the car cool down! lifted the bonnet and the throttle body sounds quite tickety but thought thats a norm as electronic TB, anyone had any similar probs?

[L17JDH]

I had the same problem when I bought my car I ended up changing the cam chain and tensioner that solved the problem, it's not a cheap job but we'll worth getting sorted.

[TForrest94]

I had the same problem when I bought my car I ended up changing the cam chain and tensioner that solved the problem, it's not a cheap job but we'll worth getting sorted.

How cheaps not cheap if you don't mind me asking? Mines starting to really annoy me! Miss a petrol car sounding like it should

[J400uk]

They are quite diesel sounding by nature and the exhaust doesn't help. I don't think I'd do the cam-chain unless it failed completely. The actual engine drive is belt. Sometimes just have to accept than an older car won't be 100% perfect!

[john87]

If your cam chain is rattling, I'd get it changed sooner rather than later. It'll be more expensive to fix the car if it goes wrong 

The cam chain issue only exists on 05-06 models AFAIK

[Gide76]

I got mine done after at last not needing a diesel didn't want a petrol that sounded like one. At idle you could feel the vibration in the cabin.

Paid around £450 all in (could be cheaper) local garage did it. It's not a complicated job apparently.

I wonder if I should lived with it as I suspect failure is rare as its the noise cited as the issue rather than failure on forums. Let's face it if failure was the issue it would be all over this forum and others.

Sounds much much better ticking over.


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[ROH ECHT]

It's injectors firing...

[J400uk]

If your cam chain is rattling, I'd get it changed sooner rather than later. It'll be more expensive to fix the car if it goes wrong 

I'm not convinced that's necessarily true. Whilst for a Mk6 I'd agree as its engine is timing chain driven, the Mk5 has a timing belt doing the important stuff. I don't know the specifics on what the mk5 chain is doing but not convinced it failing would damage other components.

The cam chain issue only exists on 05-06 models AFAIK

Maybe only for the AXX engines then?

[Viking]

If your cam chain is rattling, I'd get it changed sooner rather than later. It'll be more expensive to fix the car if it goes wrong 

I'm not convinced that's necessarily true. Whilst for a Mk6 I'd agree as its engine is timing chain driven, the Mk5 has a timing belt doing the important stuff. I don't know the specifics on what the mk5 chain is doing but not convinced it failing would damage other components.

The cam belt drives from the crankshaft up to the cylinder head and turns one camshaft. The cam chain links that camshaft to the other camshaft and drives that. If the cam chain fails then one camshaft stops and the valves it drives are stuck in whatever position. If they're all closed then all the pistons can continue to move without damage. But the nature of the beast is that some valves are open and some are closed all of the time, and they can't all be closed. Head, valve, and piston damage will result from a failed cam chain just the same as a failed cam belt.

[chuckygti]

I doubt it could be my tensioners or pulleys though?? Only got 43k miles?

[BlueGraphite]

Yes I think it is only AXX engines, as far as I understand it the reason for the high price is because you need to replace other parts in addition to the chain and tensioner after VW modified them.
I’ve lived with the sound for over five years, quite possibly the reason I like the car but have never loved it exacerbated by coming from a BRM modified VR6 Corrado (a car I loved especially the sound)

[MikLSP]

Funny you should mention a Corrado VR6 there as I couldn't help but think back to mine as soon as I saw the talk about timing chains.
My previous car was a Corrado VR6 and they usually do sound fantastic, however, one day it made the worst sound I've ever had from a car and that was because the timing chain tensioner bolt lost oil pressure, the chain came loose, skipped teeth on the cam shafts and did a lot of damage! I had 8 bent valves, a damaged cylinder head, cylinder walls, piston rings and bottom end bearings! So yeah, it's worth getting any timing related belts or chains done if they're at all loose.

Having said that, usually loose chains sound like exactly that; a loose streaming metallic chain and not a regular tap / tick.

That video of the injectors is interesting and I would expect that is more the noise you're describing if you say it is like a diesel.

[L17JDH]

I had the same problem when I bought my car I ended up changing the cam chain and tensioner that solved the problem, it's not a cheap job but we'll worth getting sorted.

How cheaps not cheap if you don't mind me asking? Mines starting to really annoy me! Miss a petrol car sounding like it should

I think I paid around £400 for mine

Mines also a 2005 with an Axx engine

[TForrest94]

I had the same problem when I bought my car I ended up changing the cam chain and tensioner that solved the problem, it's not a cheap job but we'll worth getting sorted.

How cheaps not cheap if you don't mind me asking? Mines starting to really annoy me! Miss a petrol car sounding like it should

I think I paid around £400 for mine

Mines also a 2005 with an Axx engine

I've got a 2005 with just over 83,000 my old man said it don't sound right. I know by nature they are quite diesely mine sounds like a rattle more than a tap so I might look into it, cars going for mot next week so I'll get a price while I'm there