any codes? codes are good to know the bad. some imbalance could be to blame to have your engine sounding like this.
but really it probably is time for a timing belt.. let us know the last time it was done.
and if you bought the car not knowing when it was done you should be getting it done anyways.

 

That's awful that you're being quoted that much labor for cam tensioners. According to the DIY, it's a quick job with the head in the car - more like an hour or less most likely. If you're quoting labor for a full timing job plus the tensioner I could see someone giving you that quote (even though when our little bunch here did a 30v for the first time, it was more like 6.5 hrs and would be a comfortable 5 hour max job the next time).

 

So how long could one go with this noise and cam chain tensioner business going on? I think I've got it too. It's been happening since I bought it, and seemed to be the case with every one I looked at, so I though nothing of it. But now I'm a bit worried.

 

Ya I ended up going to a place that did the tensioner, timing belt, wp ect in 7 hours. I mentioned the higher quoted times so the op wasnt shocked to hear it when they began calling shops in his area.

 

Thre is no telling how long it will last. It all depends on how long its been making the noise and if it has ate through the chain tensioner guides. I bought my a4 with bent valves and when i got into it the chain had rubbed through the plastic guides and then metal piece the guide attached to. I would get it replaced asap, because it will cause the same damage a broken timing belt will do.

 

sorry it's taken so long to reply. first off sorry about the sig, i gotta take that off. now the tick i actually have heard once in like the past two weeks, it hasn't really been happening lately after the 44k and before that. Also i never had the constint knock, it would go away after a tiny bit of driving. I will def. check the power stearing, and i'll check what part of the engine the knock is coming from, but it'll be hard, cause the knock hasn't been coming up lately at all. and the timing belt was last done at 70k and i'm at 98 right now, due for an oil change. thanks for all the help guys it's good to hear this stuff. also last time i got a code it said that the cam shaft was retarded. so i could that be part of the tentioner?

 

also i went to ecs tuning and found under engine timing a cam tensioner for $194. is that the right part, here is the link it's under the engine timing, the second one

http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...ro&engine=1.8T

 

I suppose if the tensioner was bad and the cam was lagging because of it, it could be. Another possibility for that code could be the cam position sensor (I had one fail on my car last year).

 

Does the ticking noise increase with revolutions?

Could be a belt, tensioner, fan or alternator.

 

so i got some codes, 411 and 011. 411 is secondary air injection system incorrect flow detected, and 011 is "A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit