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This weeks autoexpress states that 18,000 1997-2000 Renault Megane, Scenic and Laguna 1.9 DTi are being recalled due to 'an engine fault' - any ideas what exactly the fault is???
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The fault is with the alternator pulley, which is causing the belt to fail. It has caused quite a scandal in France as Renault have refused to admit the problem for some time, only pressure from a group of owners, who have suffered major engine failure and sometimes accidents as a result of this, has forced them to issue the recall. This campaign was co-ordinated on-line at www.scenic-renault.com
A quick look at your alternator will tell you whether your car is involved, if the pulley is black, no problem but if it is gold you should take it to a renault garage, needless to say, but if the belt is at all worn, stop immediately. However, I have a late 2000, Kangoo that also seems to be affected (F9Q engine, gold pulley and now degrading belt) yet it is not included in the current recall. I am seeing my (French)dealer on Monday, to try and find out what the score is, wish me luck!!!!>> This weeks autoexpress states that 18,000 1997-2000 Renault Megane, Scenic andLaguna 1.9 DTi are being recalled due to 'an engine fault' - any ideas what exactly the fault is???
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rupert is quite right. i've seen a figure of 1 200 000 vehicles being possibly affected. i assume the 18 000 is for the uk only. there's also been some discussion in the french pressure group as to how the problem isn't limited only to turbos. seems that non turbo diesels could be affected. only time will tell as people write in with their sorry stories and the evidence accumulates.
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Funnily enough, my brothers 1998 DTi Scenic broke down last week with a pulley failure, I think it was that pulley, it was replaced but the car was running badly and it was found that the cambelt had jumped 2 teeth, it was rectified and a new belt fitted - if it is the same problem if the belt had failed or been weakened he could have ended up with a big engine rebuild bill... good old Renault
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HJ
I successfully argued with Vauxhall that their timing belt life being reduced from 80K/8years to 40k/4years without any customer communication was not acceptable. Hence they paid me compensation towards my Ecotec belt failure repair at a non Vauxhall garage with partial non-vauxhall service history.
Charles
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'only time will tell as people write in with their sorry stories and the evidence accumulates'.
I've just picked up my 1998 1.9dti Scenic from the garage after a 4-5 week wait following an alternator belt shredding incident.
The timing belt skipped two teeth and I am assured there is no engine damage. I had both belts replaced during a 60,000 mile service in July. I didn't have them replaced at 50,000 miles because exactly the same thing occured at 20,000 miles!!!!! On that occasion Renault asked me to contribute £120 due to the vehicle being out of warranty. I now have a 'black' pulley but do I trust the vehicle? - do I hell!
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I never bought Renault as I thought their engineering was poor and their designs looked awful.
Thank you for this thread: I now have another compelling reason to back up my prejudices:-)
Refusing to admit liability for a design problem is terrible customer service and muppet like as it rebounds on consumer confidence in the brand.
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I have not trusted the vehicle since October and have barely used it. The heater has not worked since its return and two glow plugs failed. Why do I bother having it serviced? I'm sick of the damn thing! I get rid of the 'thing' this coming weekend!!
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How many of you have rceived a letter from Renault UK this week?
'Quality Assurance' is the new term for 'Recall for what we've got wrong'!
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glad i've found this site.dec 99 personal import. currently on 125,000 miles cam belt change @ 69,000 miles with new alternator belt. approx 1,000 miles later alternator belt shredded went into cam belt teeth jumped pistons hit valves. known problem according to renault service manager renault paid for rebuild. then had the fluctuating temp gauge it was at the top of the gauge but engine running normally. renault could not get it to do it. approx 115,000 miles alternator failed and renault would not accept that previous damage had anything to do with it! BUT temp gauge now solid as a rock as it always was prior to engine damage. car has been back to agents at least 5 times with what i call 'the death rattle' ie alternator adjuster rattling. now renault say i need a new adjuster at a cost of approx £115 and they won't accept it as a known fault????? anybody else out there with similar problems, perhaps we could instruct solicitors as on the french site. love the car though, it has a real hard life, work hack, towed caravan 2800 miles through france this year right over the A75.
as a big miler i'll keep an eye on site to see if theres more
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I think this has happened to my car yesterday, after shredding the alternator belt the cam belt broke, bending valves,etc.I'm told by my Renault dealer that a new engine is needed.Mileage 69500, all servicing done at Main dealer.How did you go about claiming compensation? All help welcome! Thanks.
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Same thing happened with us, just after Christmas we visited my grandmother and on our way back we suddenly heard a strange noise and the computer said fuelinjection failure. Week later garage called to say damage was ? 3.500,- and Renault would pay a minimum off 60%. We visited the net and found this forum, garage never let us know that it was a common failure only said that there had been a news letter sent by Renault which mentioned this problem. Now we go for 100% compensation!
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Maybe Renault are going to do the decent thing,like Lancia in the late '70s and start buying back all of their sad old junk and crush it!Why do we Brits buy Renault?
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My wife has got a 1998 Scenic 1.9dti but according to a local Renault dealer only those models with power steering and air conditioning are affected. Even though we've got the gold pulley we don't have aircon.
Can anyone confirm that this info. is correct?
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Have you had a letter, 'Quality Assurance', from Renault this week?
Roger.
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I have a Clio, it has done 66000 miles. last night my alternator pully belt shredded, has jumped under the cam belt and knackered the engine as a result. The cambelt was not due to be replaced untill 72000. can i claim compensation and what is the best way to go about it? I would be grateful for any help,thanks
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If you have a full service history carried out by Renault Dealerships I think you are well on your way to negotiating compensation. If not, I think you will be unsuccessful.
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I have a 2001 clio dti and in my service book (and in a technical sheet acquired from a main dealer) the cam change is specified at 45k for this engine. Having done 42k I'm starting to feel nervous. Should I get it done now?
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Is there a service due within the next 3000 miles? If not, get it done, otherwise you may as well wait until the next service as I'm sure this has been revised down to err on the side of caution.
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I spoke to the renault dealer ref my clio 66000 miles. At first they said they do not put a life on the alternator belt. However it clearly states in the servicing schedule \'timing belt AND associated belts to be replaced at 72000miles therefore you are giving a minimum life of 72000miles. I quoted the court case in france that they lost and also that trading standards had said they were in breach of contract. The next day the dealer telephoned me stating all repairs have been done free of charge. They changed cambelt, alternator belt, power steering belt and fan belt and a free valeting. Thanks to this web site i have been saved a hefty bill. Many thanks!
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Just to let you know that Renault UK paid 100% of the repair bill, after a 'reminder' of the court case in France which I heard about via your website. They are keen to avoid adverse publicity, so use the threat of it as a lever for them to pay up. Good Hunting!
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Hunting has been good. I have some compensation!
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Thanks for this thread - I am collecting my 1998 Scenic 1.9 DTi on Saturday from a local dealer and managed to get them to put it into Renault for the recall first. Hopefully no self-destructing engine for me!
116k miles - is that ok for one of these? The price reflected it, but no good if it's nearly knackered.
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From posting the original message last year (198 Scenic DTi pulley failure) I got enough evidence that my brothers pulley failure was due to the 'known problem'.
We wrote to Renault claiming the cost of the pulley replacement and the resultant cam belt change after the cambelt jumped 2 teeth and within a couple of weeks Renault offered the parts cost of the pulley and cambelt, but would not offer to pay the labour cost (local garage) as 'the repair has not been carried out by a Renault dealer we have no control over the standard of the work'. Obviously I wrote back saying that the labour cost was an essential element in getting the car back to the state that it was prior to the pulley failure and the fact that a non-Reanault dealer repaired the pulley was irrelevelant.
Waiting to hear if Renault will pay the labour costs...
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Latest and final info:
My brothers out of pocket expenses from the original pulley failure which started this thread:
£180 parts (pulley/cambelt)
£140 labour(local garage)
Total £320
Original Renault offer was £180 (parts only), we replied asking for labour costs and Renault wrote back offering £250 which we accepted (law of diminishing returns). Renault queried whether we had received a recall notice which we had not, however it may have been sent to the previous company owner and been lost in the company system. Goood result on the whole and to be fair to Renault they replied promptly with their offers...
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If only I knew about this earlier - we were robbed last year £2400 repair by a company called deleted - looks now like theyve used another gold pulley! (which the pin has sheared off of again.
just out of the 1 year warranty for engine reuild including new piston and extensive headwork and its gone again!
I can't believe our luck.
Does anyone know the current stance on this from renault? IE if the recall has ended - as We never received any letter stating so and I'm so loathed to spend thousands again on putting this car right - its only done 66k miles - advice would be much appreciated. worse than that - ive just been in to buy another cam pulley and I think theyve sold me another gold one. can anyone give me the visible differences between pulleys?
thanks
{Name of company alleged to have robbed you removed. No naming/shaming - thankyou. DD}
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I have a 2001 Clio Alize 1.9dti and I was wondering if this problem affects the Clio too.
James.
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Dragging up this old thread because I have a problem of my alternator belt, keeps shredding on my Megane Mk1 1.9Dti.
I understand that black coloured alternator pulleys are ok but the gold coloured ones are the problem ones. Looking on ebay many of the ones listed are gold, so are these safe. I would be very interestedto know what exactly is the problem with the problem pulleys? Which may help in finding a suitable replacement alternator..
Edited by jazzyman on 12/06/2012 at 20:16
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