I have the classic symptoms of a bad tensioner on my AWM engine, so went online to find my best value option for a replacement. Did not want to go Chinese, but did not want to spend dealer prices. Settled on ECS Tuning's $199 version, but that had a rolling backorder date, so changed to their $299 OES version, which was in stock.

It is advertised as the updated 'K' version, which seems to be the latest and greatest since all the other reputable vendors make sure to tell you that is the version you are getting.

Box arrived today (a Volkswagen Group part box, yay!). The ECS label shows the part as indeed being a 058 109 088 K. But the factory label shows it as 058 109 088 H. It does have a date stamp, I think: Stueck PP 13.08.2010.

So do I have the latest and greatest? Even if I have the 'H' version, am I missing out on anything significant?

I am normally not so ****, but interference engines scare me . . .

 

Im in the exact same situation as you. Check out my thread on audizine, there are some helpful replies. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...hain-tensioner

 

Wow, I am going through this too! I ordered the 199 one from ecs and they tell me 3 weeks later itll be another month so I did the more expensive 299 one. Itll be here tomorrow so I will post up what I find. If I get some chinese stuff or its not the version they said it would be, I'm gonna be pissed....

 

Unfortunately for me i need my car running as soon as possible so its actually getting replaced right now. Better not be some cheap china ****, the logo with the chinese letters makes me suspect that it is. And its the "H" version, as it says on it, not the "K" as claimed by ECS.

 

Wow. Yuriy, your label matches mine, and weirder still, your box has been crushed in exactly the same places as mine!

 

It looks like a Chinese conterfeit part possibly. I have never seen that sticker on those before. There may be a reason it's less than half the price of a real one from the dealer. Buyer beware. The real ones are made in Germany. Only OEM part I've ever seen for Audi or VW that's from China is the old style TDI fuel filters.

I noticed the box label shows a date of August 13, 2010 yet the solenoid has a date code of May 10, 2007. Seems kind of fishy to me.

 

There was an even cheaper tensioner though, we bought the second most expensive i believe. Someone at ECS told me that with the OES brand, its the exact same part that originally came on the car just not sold through VW/Audi. My car should be ready in a day ot two, ill tell you how it goes.

 

Well if someone needs a VVT chain tensioner let me know, I have a used one that a customer didn't want for his head build which I had to replace with a brand new one. This is a OEM part and in very good condition.

It has even been slightly modified to work with schrick cams if the person is looking to go with cams. It is a 088 H part number and has the dark colored cover.

 

How much mike?

 

$110 shipped. So $100 for the part and $10 shipping.