any idea how much that cost (part) or how much the dealer would charge to fix/ how hard it is to do

 

At the dealer they are gonna rape you for about $500 just for the part, you can get one at www.ecstuning.com for under $200.
The job itself pays around 5.5 hours flat rate to change, its not really that hard to take out but you have to get the cams in time. So if your gonna do it yourself just make sure to line up the timing marks on the back of the cams and have exactly 16 chain links in between the marks/cams.

 

Might I ask if anyone has made a step by step about this yet? I was thinking of just doing it myself but don’t have the faintest idea where to start even though I have researched it. I was debating on just trading the car in and cutting my loses. That way I might not have the headache of this problem. Everything I read it seems like no fun at all, I did the timing belt and all that goes with that, how does this compare.

 

The cam chain tensioner is easier than the timing belt, if you can do that then you can change the tensioner no problem. Check audiworld for a DIY, if not give me your VIN number and i will look up the procedure for you on ELSA web.

 

I looked under the tech articles and the used the search function but it did not turn up anything helpful. If any assistance can be rendered that would be great. Also on ECStuing.com the part was just over $600, is that about right, because I have the AWM engine code.

 

$600 Damn! I would try e-bay then.
Its pretty easy to change, take off the valve cover, un-bolt some of the cam caps (they hold down the cams) Un-bolt the chain tensioner, lift it upwards and roll it out of there. Just make sure before un-bolting anything the cam arrows are pointing upwards. Stick in the new tensioner and count 16 links in the chain between the two marks on the cam and bolt it all back together. Easy sauce.

 

Yeah thats what I thought about that price. So let me get this right, the chain tensioner is under the valve cover and not behind the motor? that all seems easy. Also thanks for all the help!

 

Yep, take off the valve cover and it will be sitting there between the cams, the chain that connects both cams rides over it so it can adjust the timing. Let us know if you have any problems changing it, or PM me.

 

I took off the valve cover and wow that chain looks hard to pull off. I don’t really have the foggiest idea where I should start, if anyone could give me a how to of some sort, if you could be so kind. Im sure I could do it, im also sure I have a possibility of doing it wrong. Thanks.

 

You need to buy the new tensioner first which comes with a compressor tool that looks like this.

Without that its pretty hard to get the chain off. Your gonna have to un-bolt a few cam shaft hold down caps to get enough room to pull the whole sha bang out of there, just not all of them, enough to get the cam shafts to lift off the head though.