how much chain noise is normal??

[lewisvr6 0]

sorry guys i kno this has been covered loooooads before but i just wondered how much chain noise is natural for a vr engine. my car is on 100k with 12 vw service stamps, only the best oil etc.. the other day i noticed a VERY VERY slight noise down by gearbox. people r on here sayin they r just about able to hear their chains wit the radio on!! but n i can literally only just about hear them with my ear literally down in the engine bay on the cover! totally quiet with bonnet shut let alone inside the car!. am i bein paranoid?? the car runs perfectly n hasnt developed any problems.

also i got a vw specialist to look at it n they quoted me 885 quid to do them!!! no way am i payin that, id rather do the things myself..i wud obviously follow the comprehensive guide on the forum n i reckon im a pretty competant diy mechanic.. can any1 tell me if these garages try to put the fear of god in you when it comes to these things? cant be that hard to do them yourself if time is taken can it??

thanks. lewis

[lewisvr6 0]

oh n its a late 97 R reg model if that makes a difference?

[SankysVR6 1]

It sounds like the cahins but could also be the thrust bearin in the gearbox. Have somebody press the clutch pedal while the engine is running and have a listen.

But to be honnest i wouldn't worry about it until it's noisey as the sound in the guides on this forum.

[kilokilla 0]

As long as your competent with engines and follow the guides it really isnt that hard a job i charge 500 supplied and fitted for chains and tensioners and 75 for the clutch which is generally worth changing while your doing the job most garages dont like the job and thats why they try to charge the earth so as to scare you into going somewhere else the parts come to between 200-300 depending where you source them from and i can do the job in a day .but as sanky has said unless they are quite noisy i wouldnt bother just yet as the later models like yours have the better longer lasting tensioners anyway.

[Buzzark 0]

Sounds like you're being paranoid. All chains make some noise when they're running it's normal.

Belts are generally quieter but bring their own problems.

There are also different causes, not always the chains themselves e.g. the tensioner bolt is stiff, the oil feed to the bolt is partially blocked etc.

Mine has the latter but it's getting better each time I short change the oil now it's on synthetic.

If you're sticking your head right in there to hear the noise I expect what your hearing is normal.

[james4287 1]

same here, i can hear the chain but only if i put my head right in there to listen for it, bonnet down can't hear a thing. mines low milage late one aswell.