Mk5 GTi timing chain issue? At whits end!

[Royalnoob]

Hello all. I need help! after being fully resprayed and the engine from my ed30 being installed (long story), right on the last hurdle... It decided to throw a code for camshaft timing, I went into live data and saw the camshaft adjustment was 7 degrees, spec is 28 degrees. Since I hadn't changed the tensioner when the engine was swapped and never had it done in 30k miles on my ed30, I went ahead and started the job. It went well up until I drove it for the first time, it started right up but after I got back from a short and slow drive around the yard it had developed a very rough idle. I scanned it again and what I saw shook me to my core! Absolutely terrible stats on live data banks 91-94. I headed back in to see if my timing had skipped but all seems to be well, cams line up, tool fits in and belt is at tdc, I could be a tooth out due to the cam locking tool being absolute *insert expletive here* but these readings seem VERY far out. I've attached some photos hoping someone with more knowledge than me (well, that's not really that hard) will chime in, call me an idiot and tell me what I did wrong... Please!

[pudding]

Oh dear.  Block 93 is waaaaaaay off at 17 degrees.  It needs to be within the 0 - 3KW range.

I would say the timing is off, or one or more of the 3 plastic oil control rings broke when you put the timing cover back on.

[Royalnoob]

Hi, thanks for the reply and apologies for my late response.

I had a bit of a nightmare with those rings but on the second pack, second pack for £45 should I say 🤬 I did get them in ok and they are all still intact now (I took it all back apart and had a look).

I think I'll just have to give it another go and hopefully I get the timing right, these cam locking tools are total trash though, so may just bite the bullet and get a good one to make sure I don't have this much wiggle room.

On another note, look at my camshaft adjustment spec in obdeleven, its 24kw, last time I checked it had a spec of 28kw and even have a screenshot of it. I find that very odd, I presume the spec changes with vehicle temp or something 🤔.

[mjmallia]

It should be checked when engine it up to temp

[Royalnoob]

Hi Mike, just what I thought but cheers for the clarification. It was one of those that as soon as the car started getting warm the noises got really bad and such a lumpy idle too so wanted to get in and get out with the live data! Now, I have an update. I'm fortunate enough to have 2 2.0tfsi engines lying around and know 100% they are in time, so I nabbed one and brought it to the car. I used this as reference for where the cam lobes should be and even took every measurement I could to make sure they are exactly the same and am pleased to say, they are! Photos attached below. Going to chuck it all back together tomorrow and hopefully will be good news, otherwise I'm going to finish off the restoration and have it shipped off to the specialist, they are doing my stage 3+ map anyway so I'm already prepared to be bankrupt!

[rxpx69]

It might be unrelated, but it could be worth checking the timing on the belt side as well. When I replaced my timing chain, it brought the KW figure from 5 degrees to 4 degrees which was disappointing. Last month I also replaced the timing belt, which was last changed back in 2014, and now thankfully see 0 KW.