Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures

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Mon 16 Oct 2023 15:52
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Jordan Clark

Hi everyone,

New to the forum and want to see if I can get any help.

I recently brought a 2012 VW Polo 1.2, 2 weeks ago. I did a bit of research before buying the car and I did come across some posts here about the timing chain going bad. The car has only done 35k miles and I was certain that the timing chain should be fine. I honestly got "swept up" in the moment of getting a car since moving to the UK.

It's been bugging me that what if I just brought a ticking time bomb with the chain. So far the car runs really well, has full service history, and was well cared for.

Is there any pre-emptive measures I can take to make sure I can get as much life out of the timing chain as I can? Would getting a cheap OBD reader to check the car here and there help? It did recently have an oil service.

I do have a 3 month warrenty from the dealership that does cover a timing chain issue, should it happen in that period.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

Edited by Jordan Clark on 16/10/2023 at 15:56

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Mon 16 Oct 2023 16:32
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - elekie&a/c doctor
I’ve seen timing chains fail on these at 20 k miles . Not much you can do other than maintain a good oil and filter replacement regime . Change at 8-10 k miles . Obd may throw up a code for camshaft sensor, which is often the fault when the chain is worn .

Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 16/10/2023 at 16:33

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Mon 16 Oct 2023 17:03
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - skidpan
Not much you can do other than maintain a good oil and filter replacement regime . Change at 8-10 k miles.

Not only are frequent changes required but you need to use the correct spec VAG oil. Your handbook is your friend in this respect.

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Mon 16 Oct 2023 19:12
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Big John

If parking in gear on any hill always select a gear that would turn the engine in the correct direction if it rolled down the hill. Ie ensure engine never turns backwards - even just a bit as if the tensioner has wear or is faulty it can possibly be retracted leaving a slack chain for the next start up. It's good practice to dip the clutch as you release the foot brake.

Regular oil changes are crucial. There were quite a few mis manufactured chains depending on when in the tooling schedule they were manufactured but I suspect most of those will have shown up by now. Also by 2012 there had been a few revisions.

I have a 1.4 16v version of this camchain EA111 engine in my 2014 Skoda Superb that has now done 116k miles. Negligible oil burnt and it still does late 40s mpg.

Edited by Big John on 16/10/2023 at 19:37

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Mon 16 Oct 2023 22:51
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - bathtub tom

If parking in gear on any hill always select a gear that would turn the engine in the correct direction if it rolled down the hill. Ie ensure engine never turns backwards - even just a bit as if the tensioner has wear or is faulty it can possibly be retracted leaving a slack chain for the next start up.

What a load of old guff! If this were true we'd be seeing loads more broke engines.

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Tue 17 Oct 2023 03:21
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - edlithgow

If parking in gear on any hill always select a gear that would turn the engine in the correct direction if it rolled down the hill. Ie ensure engine never turns backwards - even just a bit as if the tensioner has wear or is faulty it can possibly be retracted leaving a slack chain for the next start up.

What a load of old guff! If this were true we'd be seeing loads more broke engines.

Nope.

The statement is conditional on a faulty tensioner, so the impact would depend on how many of those there are, as well as the avoidance/workaround behaviour advocated.

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Tue 17 Oct 2023 16:50
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - skidpan

If parking in gear on any hill always select a gear that would turn the engine in the correct direction if it rolled down the hill. Ie ensure engine never turns backwards - even just a bit as if the tensioner has wear or is faulty it can possibly be retracted leaving a slack chain for the next start up.

What a load of old guff! If this were true we'd be seeing loads more broke engines.

Nope.

The statement is conditional on a faulty tensioner, so the impact would depend on how many of those there are, as well as the avoidance/workaround behaviour advocated.

Eds history of car maintenance is very different to the rest of humanity so I would put zero value on his views.

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Tue 17 Oct 2023 20:39
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Metropolis.
Of all the people to doubt on knowledge of maintenance, Ed is not one of them.
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Sat 21 Oct 2023 06:03
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - edlithgow
Of all the people to doubt on knowledge of maintenance, Ed is not one of them.

Well thanks. Clearly, however, my maintenance experience is limited to old tech, which I suppose is different to that of most of the rest of humanity, who mostly either have recent maintenance experience limited to new tech, or they have no maintenance experience at all (or both, since that tends to be the way new tech is).

Going...er...forward, my basic experience will become increasingly obsolete, and I've been thinking that since I no longer have a car it will probably become inappropriate and irritating to continue posting

The post being panned, (or, more accurately, triggering the panning) however, wasnt dependent on technical knowledge, but on simple logic, which never goes out of style, though its never very popular.

Edited by edlithgow on 21/10/2023 at 06:59

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Tue 17 Oct 2023 20:05
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Big John

Nope.

The statement is conditional on a faulty tensioner, so the impact would depend on how many of those there are, as well as the avoidance/workaround behaviour advocated.

Indeed with the direct injection VAG petrol cam chain engines the cam also drives the High Pressure fuel pump etc - fine in normal rotation but in reverse rotation the tensioner is acted upon by the chain so if the tensioner was very worn/faulty it MAY retract. The original Poster asked the question about reducing the risk,and the tensioner and /or chain a known fail on earlier EA111s indeed many did fail, usually at startup. The 8 valve version 1.2 EA111 was affected more by this.

To be honest by 2012 I think all the revisions were in place so I think the OPs car will be just fine but the suggestion costs nothing.

Edited by Big John on 17/10/2023 at 20:42

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Tue 17 Oct 2023 14:25
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - John F

I wouldn't worry. With that history the previous owner was possibly a little old lady so at 35,000 miles the chain and its tensioner will be hardly worn. As said, the most important thing is the oil quality, which nowadays is more important than it used to be. You can only hope garages always use good stuff rather than the cheapest available from the generic trade drum. That's why I change the oil and filter myself, ensuring quality replacements.

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Tue 17 Oct 2023 15:40
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - gordonbennet

You only change the oil once in the vehicle's lifetime John :-)

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Wed 18 Oct 2023 09:20
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - John F

You only change the oil once in the vehicle's lifetime John :-)

Ho ho! But it did take several years and much opprobrium before most people now accept that with modern engines and oils there is no need to change it every 365 days if you only do a very few thousand miles a year. I only do a few hundred miles a year in my 1980 TR7 and I can assure you it has had three oil changes since 1997, at least every 6,000 miles and recently a lot fewer.

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Wed 18 Oct 2023 10:06
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Oli rag

Is this the 3 cylinder 12v engine, or the 4 cylinder 1.2 Tsi ?

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Wed 18 Oct 2023 20:48
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Big John

Is this the 3 cylinder 12v engine, or the 4 cylinder 1.2 Tsi ?

Hmm, good point. I was presuming 1.2tsi but at that age I think both were available.

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Thu 19 Oct 2023 08:45
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Jordan Clark

Is this the 3 cylinder 12v engine, or the 4 cylinder 1.2 Tsi ?

It is the 3 Cylinder 1.2.

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Thu 19 Oct 2023 08:46
Volkswagen Polo - Polo 1.2 Timing chain pre-emptive measures - Jordan Clark

Thank you everyone for your helpful insigits and assistance with this.

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