It seems that 'Yellow OTS' doesn't cover my car, at least, according to Renault Customer Service. I've joined the 1.9DCi debate over at Parkers but it looks as though the '800 model' which is what mine apparently is, was made after the June 03 timeframe and therefore falls outside of Yellow OTS despite having exactly the same symptoms as those pre June 03 :(
I actually feel physically sick that a car manufacturer can let thir customers down so badly! When you consider that the vehicle was bought brand new at a cosf £17k and that in just over 3 years it is now worthless I am lost for words!
|
I can only suggest trying to source a secondhand engine, fitting it, and then putting it through auction - you might get £1-2k back when you've done the figures.
To be honest I think these Renault Diesels are absolute rubbish - I've heard so many bad things about them through the trade. It always pays to research a car prior to purchase - basically that means stay away from Renault.
|
>>basically that means stay away from Renault.
Couldn't agree more - I only recommend them to people I don't like!
NumbeR_Cruncher
|
|
|
|
|
Much sympathy over your plight but I think you have come to Renaults final offer. i would go back to the dealer and ask for them to contribute to your new engine too. If that goes pear shaped then I would ask citizens advice for help or even tradingf standards. I nearly bought one last year at 1 year old but now I am mighty glad I didn't. Best of luck.!
|
|
Sorry to hear about all this mate, I hope Renault dealer changes his mind and sorts out the problem or at least assist you to get your car fixed. I've had a Renault Megane in the past and learnt my lesson to never buy one again. But what I'm amazed is if Renault diesels are so bad then why Volvo decided to have their diesel engines in S40/V40 (mine is 98/S plate) and its got Renault engine and so far it seems to be OK!!!
|
1.9dci is actually a good engine. Its powerful, smooth & economical. Its basically sound, seems to suffer less from pump and injector problems of other common rail designs, more tolerant of misfuelling, less problems of belt breakages. (although the 2.2 dci does seem to have shedloads of pump & injector problems)
It does however seem to have a crap EGR design, and a less than desirable turbo/intercooler design & construction, The 18k mile oil change intervals are hoplesly optomistic.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
Yes, I've just been doing a bit of reading up the EGR Valve. When the turbo-charger was replaced back in April 06 the EGR valve wasn't replaced, I got that info confirmed today from the dealer, and I believe that this is where the problems originate.
Before reading up on it I wouldn't have known, for example, that symptoms such as low engine power, (and I mean foot to the floor = 10mph low), could be attributed to a safety function when a fault occurs in the EGR. Put this together with the excessive oil consumption, turbo, and ultimately engine, failure and everything starts to fall into place.
Having just spoken with Renault Customer Service I've just about lost the will to live! Even with two brake failures, attributed to the Vacuum Pump (anyone know if these parts/faults are associated with each other? i.e. turbo unit, vacuum pump and EGR) and Renault are still not offering anything in the way of assistance.
Thanks for the comments btw, have some comfort in sharing it all.
|
I think some of the problem is that they get driven too gently, I could kind of feel when mine was going a bit flat, and some *very* hard driving (to the rev limter) brought it back on song. It was fine for some 50k miles till its demise at the hands of a bus.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
"demise at the hands of a bus"
If Adam was here he'd have something to say about that.
|
|
|
|
Sorry to hear about all this mate, I hope Renault dealer changes his mind and sorts out the problem or at least assist you to get your car fixed. I've had a Renault Megane in the past and learnt my lesson to never buy one again. But what I'm amazed is if Renault diesels are so bad then why Volvo decided to have their diesel engines in S40/V40 (mine is 98/S plate) and its got Renault engine and so far it seems to be OK!!! I was told by a ma
echanic that when Volvo use Renault engines they are of a higher specification than the ones Renault use in their own cars. Wonder if anyone knows anything about this?
|
|
Send a formal letter back to renault by recorded mail thanking them and declining thier offer of 30%, also thank them for putting in writing that they would expect the engine to see 100k and point out how trading standards would now be interested in the fact they are admitting that the engine is faulty well before its expected usage. By their own words they are admitting the engine isnt fit for the purpose intended. This is pretty much rule one with trading standards. If they then fail to resolve I would take copies of everything to TS and ask them to intervene.
|
|
What I find amazing is the cost I have just aquired a BMW 520 Se and it has just had a new enginge supplied and fitted by BMW(they forgot to fasten the sump up while replacing a gasget and completely ruined the engine and just about everything under the bonnet when the engine exploded)the total cost for a complete engine with starter,alternator ,radiator ,fan,injection unit,maf,wiringloom etc.was £6200 all documented how on earth can a Renault unit cost so much ? I am pretty sure a complete unit could be sourced for far less then £3000 .What Renault will say that they cannot be held responsible if the owner mistreats one of its products and no matter how carefull you have actually been its hard to disprove I would think 50% and the parts at trade price would be a fair result.
|
You would not get the BMW motor with all the bits mentioned for £6200, not unless it was secondhand. Think about what the car costs new and what proportion of the car cost those bits would account for.
I suspect £6200 is some kind of heavily discounted 'cost' price to the dealer from BMW.
|
Renault should make a contribution based on an engine at cost price to them. That way they are not losing out and the customer gets his car fixed at a more reasonable cost. To lose 17K in just over three years is totally unaccetable. Stories like this do the company no good at all and it would be in their interests to effect a satisfactory remedy.
If Renault expect people to buy their cars then they should show some commitment themselves.
|
|
I have the full invoices from Synter and they are full retail prices including Vat, having checked the invoices authenticity and are covered buy a full three year BMW gaurantee.
|
|
Sorry, but there is something wrong there. If it is an M52 engine then, for example, a recon cylinder head alone is over £1k from BMW. A new one probably £2k+ and that's just the head. Full engines used to around the £7-8k mark a couple of years back, which was last time I had a quote for one. With all the other bits you quoted, if all new, then you have £10k+ worth of parts. That's if its M52 (VANOS), as per E39. If its an older engine then maybe it would be a lot cheaper.
|
Thanks for that Andy but I'm hoping for some kind of vehicle inspection, either VOSA or some independent, before I touch the car further. Tbh, I think I'd rather do a barrel run off Niagra Falls before I spend a single penny more on this car!
mark
|
I have just written a letter to the Safety Branch of VOSA, Vehicle & Operator Services Agency, as, apart from the cost and inconvenience issues, there are some clear safety issues as well. Brake failure x 2 and turbo failure x 2, in a car that transports my wife and kids daily, just doesn't bear thinking about how this story could have so much worse than it already is.
You would have thought that Renault would show a certain amount of consideration based purely on these safety issues alone but their attitude is one of leaving their customer absolutely high and dry. The history of the car is unchequered. One owner, full service history maintained to, and by, Renault standards and requirements. In this day and age how can the supplier of any goods, let alone a car, get away with stone-walling someone who has paid so much money? The final insult, I guess, is asking for more money to rectify it!
I was hanging on to the hope that the 'Yellow OTS' scheme by Renault would cover me but alas no. Despite the car suffering exactly the same symptoms as those that are covered it would appear that my car falls some 2 or three weeks outside of this scheme that would have rectified all of the problems. I'm still trying to find the exact date my car was actually built that confirms this timeframe but the only visual indicator I've seen is a tiny green sticker within the engine compartment that indicates a date around July. If it had of been June or before then my car would have been covered. Something tells me that this car was still one of the faulty ones despite the sticker saying July as the faults have experienced are uncannily similar to those that are well documented above in 'Honest Johns' appraisal of this car.
A new statistic that Renault can add to their Megane brochure:
£17,700 to Zero in just 3 Years!
|
|
just out of interest, is there normally any kind of date identification on engines? I know it's a long shot but if I can find something that says 'June' or before then 'hope' may start to emerge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
