VW Polo Timing Chain?

[Boogie]

Can anyone advise please?
I have a VW Polo 1.2, 07 reg.

It's is running with poor performance (especially acceleration), and after a short while (30mins if not held up in traffic, sooner if going very slow) the engine cuts out - stutters at first, then fails completely within a minute or two.
The engine warning light is always on.
If I stop the engine for 10 minutes when the cut out occurs or is about to, I can then restart and continue (though still poor perfomance).
I asked a local garage (I know the owners other half, so don't expect to be bullsh*tted), and he said that it sounds like a slipped timing chain, and said they had had a few like this from this model, and it could be a design fault. He said there was a replacement kit to fix the problem (not just a new chain), but said this could cost around £1000.

To be fair, he has not yet had the chance to look at the car (booked for next week), and the price was off the top of his head, so he could not be certain.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice please?

Cheers,
Boogie.

 

[Burnerman]

When timing chains wear, the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors get out of phase, and can give the symptoms you describe. I hope Mr. Nissan is listening to this.......anyway,
A thousand quid is one hell of an amount of money to flash out on any car - especially an 07 Polo.
Why not go back to VW, plead on their mercy for a correct diagnosis and with luck, a gratuity payment? I've no idea what the modification is, but on the failed timing chains I've seen it wasn't due to lubrication issues.
John

 

[Boogie]

When timing chains wear, the camshaft and crankshaft position sensors get out of phase, and can give the symptoms you describe. I hope Mr. Nissan is listening to this.......anyway,
A thousand quid is one hell of an amount of money to flash out on any car - especially an 07 Polo.
Why not go back to VW, plead on their mercy for a correct diagnosis and with luck, a gratuity payment? I've no idea what the modification is, but on the failed timing chains I've seen it wasn't due to lubrication issues.
John

Thanks Burnerman, the guy did say it was a guess (diagnosis and price), and I did pressure him a little so he may have been worried about under quoting and then banging a higher price on me later, and he did quote what seemed a very reasonable price for other work. I have good reason to believe he isn't a cowboy (in quality or cost), and he's yet to even see it, so I'm holding judgement for now. I really just want to be as best prepared to make a descision for when I take the car in to him and get a proper diagnosis and quote. If I'm not happy (and this seems nearly twice the price I'd expect for this) on his proper quote, I've heard it's best to contact VW directly for this (not through dealer) so I willl at least enquire about it).

One thing I wondered is whether I should expect to hear a rattle from the chain if it's loose enough to slip? I don't seem to, but maybe that's normal?

 

[Burnerman]

You might expect to hear a noise, as you say but for some reason that doesn't happen.....what does happen is that the chain stretches so effectively the crankshaft and camshaft are ever so slightly out of phase - hence the sensor confusion.
I've done one or two Nissans (Micra and Almera) and the engines were very quiet.
I hope the diagnosis is correct before the mechanic steps in - it can be a difficult one.
John

 

[Jimmyjaffa]

hydraulic tensioner used. Wrong oil and lack of regular oil changes effect the tensioner and causes the chain to slip, more so on the 1.0l 3 cylinder engines. if its any thing like the 1.0l special timing tool needed. but what you are discribing does not sound like timing unless the chain is expanding when the engine gets hot, once timing out its out.

 

[Boogie]

hydraulic tensioner used. Wrong oil and lack of regular oil changes effect the tensioner and causes the chain to slip, more so on the 1.0l 3 cylinder engines. if its any thing like the 1.0l special timing tool needed. but what you are discribing does not sound like timing unless the chain is expanding when the engine gets hot, once timing out its out.

Well, it's most odd (to an ignoramous like me), if I drive to work by my normal route, as long as there is no significant delay, it will start to stutter, and soon stall (around 30 mins), at very close to the same time very consistantly. But if I say have a 5/10 minute queue (roadworks, say), it may even conk out there and then, 10/15 minutes earlier than normal. Holding the revs very slightly up at a delay instead of letting it tick over, seems to reduce this effect of early stall. So the time the engine fails seems to be very consistant with relation to how the engine is used (according to road conditions), with higher revving delaying the stall.
Then once it's had it's 10 minute period of shutdown, it seems to carry on for quite a while (even up to an hour, not run it for longer) but doesn't stall anymore, but is always fairly consistantly under powered at all times. At first I wondered whether it was some sort of electronic/computer issue, as the gut feel of the nature of the fault, made me suspect it was not so much mechanical, as to do with engine control.

 

[Boogie]

You might expect to hear a noise, as you say but for some reason that doesn't happen.....what does happen is that the chain stretches so effectively the crankshaft and camshaft are ever so slightly out of phase - hence the sensor confusion.
I've done one or two Nissans (Micra and Almera) and the engines were very quiet.
I hope the diagnosis is correct before the mechanic steps in - it can be a difficult one.
John

I really don't know, other to that it has been occurring for quite a long time (I've had so little spare cash, I couldn't even consider doing anything), and yet has seemed to be very constant, hardly changing or getting worse, which I would expect if it was constant mechanical wear. There again, maybe I'm just trying to persuade myself it won't be something this expensive! )
It should go in sometime this week for a full service, plus new front pads, and maybe disks if needed, so I'm hoping he will get a definate diagnosis at this time, there are certainly engine codes to be read as the engine light is on.
I've got to see what he says, and take it from there, but the more opinions I know of, the better I can judge what he says.