My 99 Audi A4 had the timing chain break at around 30mph and the car shut down. I had it towed to the dealership and they told me what was wrong. They do not have an Audi repair person on site but they said they called an Audi dealership to help determine the repair cost. They infromed me that when the timing chain breaks it also damages the pistons and valves on the car. They said it would cost between 5-6 thousand to repair it. Any help you can offer would be great.
Thanks,
Bob Morgan
It depends on what engine the car has. The 2.8l V6 30v engine (1998 and newer) has a timing belt that runs the water pump and exhaust cams off the crank pulley, but the intake cams are driven by a timing chain assembly inside the head, with each intake cam driven by its respective exhaust cam. The car likely has valve damage, although if it shut down quickly, there may not be any piston or cylinder damage. The only way to know though, is to autopsy the motor and inspect everything. That alone is going to cost a lot. You'd probably be better off sourcing another engine from an auto recycler such as www.shokan.com in NY, or on eBay or Craigslist. I'd bet that you'd pay less to buy and ship that engine than you would to determine the full extent of the damage to your own existing engine.
Unfortunately they are correct in what happens to when the timing belt (its a belt on audi's, not chain) or the tensioner breaks during operation, the pistons and valves are usually smashed too.
Whilst i am unsure of the total correct price for a fix of this, it is usually going to be expensive, and more than the current worth of the car.
Thanks
Clint
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