Quick answer. This 2012 Audi A4 came to us for a timing chain job. The record says the engine was locked. Our tech did a full tear down and the answer was bad news. It needs a new engine. We gave the owner credit for the timing job toward the engine swap, and the swap starts November 14.
Key Points
- The car came in for timing work. The tech found the engine locked.
- After a full tear down, the call was a new engine, not a repair.
- The tear down also found oil in the pan.
- The timing job on the record went as credit toward the swap.
- Certain 2012 A4 cars are part of a timing chain settlement. Check yours.
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It Came In for Timing, and the Engine Was Locked
Worst first. The engine in this A4 was locked. It would not turn the way an engine should.
The job was written up as timing. The plan on the record was a new timing chain, new tensioners, new guides and new gears, with 10 hours of labor at $150 an hour. The rest was the small stuff that goes with it. A valve cover gasket, an oil filter, a drain plug gasket, six quarts of 5W-30 full synthetic and coolant.
The record does not say what made the engine lock. So we will not guess here either.
What the Tear Down Showed
To reach the chain on this car, the front comes off. Bumper, radiator support, the works. You can see it in the photo at the top. Oil is draining into the pan on the floor.
Then our tech kept going. The plugs came out. A camera went down the plug holes to look at the tops of the pistons. The record calls it a full tear down.
The tear down also found oil in the pan. And the end result was clear. This engine needs to be replaced.
Why the Timing Job Became a Credit
A new chain on a dead engine is money thrown away. So we did not stop at the chain and call it done.
The timing job on the record came to $2,320.05 for the labor and parts. We gave the owner credit for that job toward the engine swap. The swap starts November 14.
2012 Audi A4
Came in with: a timing job. Engine locked.
The tech found: after a full tear down, it needs a new engine. Oil in the pan.
What was done: front end off, timing cover off, plugs out, camera check.
The money: the $2,320.05 timing job went as credit toward the engine swap.
Every photo and every line of this job lives in Shop Desk, the software our San Jacinto shop built. Any mechanic can use it free.
Timing Chain Trouble on These Audis
This part is general. It is not what happened to this car.
The 2.0 liter turbo four in these A4s runs a timing chain, not a belt. The chain keeps the cams and the crank in step. A tensioner keeps the chain tight. If the tensioner lets go, the chain can jump teeth. Owners of these engines have reported damage up to the valves and the whole engine (CarComplaints). The second suit names the second generation 2.0 liter EA888 engine (KTMC).
Owners took that to court. A class action against Volkswagen and Audi covers model year 2012 to 2015 Audi A4 cars with the second generation 2.0 liter EA888 engine (KTMC). The court gave final approval on August 14, 2024. Volkswagen agreed to pay back dealer repair costs for failed tensioners and chains, and up to $7,800 for engine repair done at an independent shop, based on miles and age (KTMC).
That same settlement extends the warranty on the timing chain and tensioner to 100,000 miles or 10 years from the in service date (KTMC). An earlier settlement covered older years and listed 2009 to 2013 A4 cars. There, the extended warranty applied only to work at an Audi or VW dealer, and the owner had to show they kept up the maintenance schedule (CarComplaints).
Owners in those suits said they paid thousands to replace cams, chains, tensioners, valves and in the end the engine (CarComplaints). The same report says Volkswagen expected the tensioning system to last about 120,000 miles.
Owner complaints filed with the government for the 2012 A4 include timing chain tensioner failures. You can read them on NHTSA's 2012 Audi A4 page. Put your VIN in there too, to check for open recalls on your car. This job record does not show whether this owner made a claim under either settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when an engine is locked?
The engine will not turn over the way it should. Something inside is stopping it. You find out what only by taking it apart.
Why not just put a new timing chain on?
On this car the tear down showed the engine needs to be replaced. A new chain on a bad engine does not fix the car.
Does the Audi timing chain settlement cover my 2012 A4?
It may. The second settlement names 2012 to 2015 A4 cars with the second generation 2.0 liter EA888 engine. Check the settlement terms with your VIN and keep every repair receipt.
What happened to the money for the timing job?
We gave the owner credit for the timing job toward the engine swap.
Can you check a timing chain before it fails?
Yes. A rattle at cold start is a reason to have it looked at. We test first and tell you what we found before you pay for parts.
What We Read
- KTMC, Volkswagen Timing Chain II
- CarComplaints, Audi and VW Timing Chain Warranty Extended
- CarComplaints, VW Timing Chain Class Action Lawsuit
- NHTSA, 2012 Audi A4 Recalls and Complaints
Supercanic tip: If your Audi rattles for a few seconds when it starts cold, do not wait on it. Call us at (951) 904-2477.
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