Tapping valves

I have an 01 a4 1.8t QT with 60K on it, and have a couple of questions about it. I am aware of the timing belt tensioner issue, but does it pertain to the 01's? Also I heard that the 01's started having variable valve timing on the engines, if this is so, I have something funny going on. I noticed when i first got the car that the valves sounded like they were tapping when i would drive the car for 20 or so minutes, then park the car. if they started to tap, i just hit the gas a little bit and the tapping would go away, then it would go back down to idle (around 750 rpm's). today they are sounding allot louder, and the engine was idling about 1200rpm's but also had a low rumble that would shake the car. anyone with a clue about what this is???

hmm....i dont know.. 1.8t's have are notorious for that ticking at idle...so i'm thinknig its just normal.. dont know anything about variable valve timing..i wasnt aware of that..and the tensioner issue is for 99 and below...

Thanks Marked, for clarifying the tensioner update. M dad's friend is aprivate VW Mechanic after working for VW for aobut 10 years. He works on penty o' Passats and never heard that tapping. He spent about 45 minutes on it because of how horrible it sounded. He was mainly baffled by the tapping going away after you rev the engine at idle. I am just worried about it being louder and how the engine was shaking the car.

sounds like a bad oil pump. but i would try to run some mobile 1 synthetic

Sounds like either a bad oil pump as stated above, or a bad cam adjuster. ITs alot easier to replace the cam adjuster and they normally go bad before the oil pump. Its the lack of oil pressure on the top end caused by the bad cam adjuster.

sounds informative where is the cam adjuster located? i would still try good oil mobile 1

Cam adjuster is at the rear of the valve cover where you see a little hump. its bolted to the head under the valve cover and the electrical portion is outside of the valve cover.

yeah, I am pretty sure it's the cam chain tensioner, due to the fact that it goes away when the engine speed rises from Idle. What I have found out is that my engine is a AWM and supposedly has variable valve timing. Not sure if this has helped the Cam chain tensioner to wearing out, but i'm not going to replace it right now. i'll wait some more considering the part costs just shy of $500.00 with gaskets. Also, I have been using Mobil 1 ever since i got the car with 45k.

I think it may be Oil Sludge,
Oil sludge will clog the oil bays, and only allow oil through at higher pressure/ higher RPM.

Easy to tell, Do you use Synthetic?? Latest VW/ Audi Tec Bulliten states to ONLY use Synthetic oil, Due to oil Sludge problems on 1.8t engines.

If you dont that may be whats wrong.


Easy way to tell, pull off the valve cover, and if its coated with sludge on the parts inside, thats whats wrong.

Oil sludge looks like cold hot fudge, not thin like oil.

This is my $.02
Cant tell for sure without hearing it.