FSI engines - Chain or Belt ?

[doobs]

I am a newbie to this forum and are looking to get either a 2004 or 2005 1.4FSI or 1.6FSI

I have looked at two 2004 models - one 1.4FSI & one 1.6FSI - when I checked with local dealers they said both had chains (although I found that initially they seemed to automatically say/assume they were belt driven but when they bothered to check exact engine/vehicle reg plate found they were chain driven) - however it seems there is a mixed bag of answers - perhaps some later model years were belt driven? - Does anyone have a definitive list of which engines (and model year) where belt and which were chain drive?

I am also horrified by the number of emission warning light issues , Nox sensor, temp sensor, egrv etc etc - Is it safe to buy one of this age? (or have the poor souls who owned them from new sorted these issues by now so that us later owners can benefit??

[Crasher]

They are chain drive.

[knt]

Might be a stupid question, but does the chain need changing at specific intervals like the belt (as it is suppose to be maintenance free)?

As my friend had a Seat car and the chained broke @ ~70K, resulting in a costly repair to the engine.

[Crasher]

The latest cars with chains are becoming an issue, certainly I think they should all be done at 100K at the most, some struggle to make 35K though.

[doobs]

They are chain drive.

Is that all 1.4 & 1.6 FSI model years/engines or just 2004 models as elsewhere on this site appears others still think some (?later) models are not chain driven. I might just get a 2005 model and hope that would be chain driven as well

P.s how come so many golfs have a reg prefix of A* (East Anglia-my neck of the woods) and yet there are so few used ones locally about!

[Crasher]

Some are belt such as BAD code A2 and Golf 4 and some are chain.

[doobs]

Some are belt such as BAD code A2 and Golf 4 and some are chain.

Thanks - as I a newbie I don't understand BAD Code A2 ?
Golf 4? Do you mean Mk4 ? - I don't understand that either - sorry!

[Crasher]

Yes I mean Golf Mk4 when I say Golf 4, it is only us that tend to call it a Mk 4, the Americans say A4 for Golf 4 which would really confuse you and in Germany they say Golf 4.

Golf 1 = A1 = Mk1
Golf 2 = A2 = Mk2
Golf 3 = A3 = Mk3
Golf 4 = A4 = Mk4
Golf 5 = A5 = Mk5
Golf 6 = A6 = Mk6

All engines have code designation to identify them, a typical engine type code that is and FSI with belt drive cams is BAD, one that is chain drive and from a Golf 5 is BAG but not all engines codes are words, usually they are meaningless like BLP which is another chain drive FSI.