Following a service at 15000 miles my dealer says that I have to have a new alternator fitted as the drive belt is shredded. A Renault service bulletin states that if the belt is shredded then a new alternator has to be fitted. When asked why a new alternator is needed the only answer I get is, "the alternator is miss aligned". Renault are prepared to pay %40 of the cost of the part. As the car is only 2 1/2 years old and it has only done 15000 miles I feel a little miffed. Has any one else had similar problems the car has a 1400cc 16v engine and was registered in 2000

Hwyl Read more

Hi

I have just been charged £96 exc. V.A.T & Labour (2 Hrs) to replace a Brake Pressure Valve Limiter for my Clio 16v 1992. I was assured this was a genuine Renault part. Was this is a fair price to pay? The total charge was about £190. Should I be able to see this part if I look under the car. If so, where do I look.

Thanks

Johno Read more

"Thirteen leaders of the world's largest car companies have come together for the first time in history to discuss the global environment and traffic safety. "http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2285917.stm

My suggestions, with nowt to do with the emmissions factors:

Make sure the handbrake is ALWAYS between the seats; the hooter is always in the centre of the steering wheel; and the indicators are always on the side of the control column nearest the gearshift.

(oh, and that reverse gear is always 'across and up')
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A recent press article stated that the number of people taking driving tests is deminishing because they are told,the exam is too difficult,particulary the theory tests.Consequently they are not bothering taking any driving test at all.Therefore we have the usual senario of people driving around with no licence,no tax,no insurance etc.Any suggestions how we can get solve this problem?
I am in favour of the French system i.e. lock up the car and remove to a compound until all fines are paid. Read more

With regard to points made in two recent previous threads (the Backroom moderation and the acronyms ones – and probably a few more I’ve missed, actually) I’ve decided to put my four penn’orth in after all about the “feel” of the BR, and why I don’t post so often these days.

I like a lot of the features of the new site but I think the BR has lost a lot of its bar-room atmosphere, which was an aspect of it I really enjoyed before. I liked the banter, even if it sometimes had the most tenuous of motoring links, which was usually carried out with much humour and little aggression. The site has gone through a number of periods where the tone has become less friendly but this has usually worked its way through after some sensible postings by regular visitors. From my recent visits, it seems to be at that stage again, with some aggressive and intimidating postings that go beyond simple debate and discussion. I’m not necessarily saying here that arguments, for want of a better word, have no place but I always steer clear of controversial postings anyway and don’t want to get involved in unpleasant exchanges. So that’s my own moderation, if you like. I have the power of choice - but even so, I wouldn’t keep going to a pub where the atmosphere was unfriendly.

Which gets back to the bar-room issue. The banter-type posts seem to have decreased over the past months, and even some of those seemed to attract some waspish comment or other about them being trivial and having no place on a forum like this. As I’ve said, I’ve always liked this bit of the site, though I can talk cars as well as the next person – dammit, I’ve got one, haven’t I? – though posts about specific car-related issues are fairly self-limiting (I might read one about Citroens but I wouldn’t probably bother with one about rear flange-sprockets on a twin overhead cam gyratory system). I have opinions about motoring related issues too. I also know that not every post I do make is the epitome of wisdom or wit, and I try never to post just for the sake of it. I’m not saying either that every post a contributor makes needs a reply or acknowledgement, although previously that tended to be the case (not just for me, but for most contributors). But – and here comes the nub of it all - recently I haven’t felt very welcome. I started to feel that nothing I ever contributed was of any interest to anyone, because unless I asked a specific question about some aspect of mechanical difficulty there was a very loud silence. I could be really cynical here and say that was because you blokes (and let’s face it, you mostly are) then replied so you could then come dashing to a girlie’s rescue - though I think that's probably unfair: I don’t think it is a gender issue even if it is obvious that there aren’t many female contributors to the site. So in this virtual pub (as I believe someone once termed it) I began to feel a bit like Billy No Mates at the bar, nursing my pint and trying to muscle in – unsuccessfully and somewhat embarrassingly - on everyone else’s conversations. Well, in the end I got the hint, drank up, and went home.

I really hope that doesn’t come over as mardy; and I suppose in writing this I’ve laid myself open to the very thing I was concerned about, because there’s a part of me that feels my four penn’orth will be of no interest to you anyway (despite what David W. said in his reply to my previous post). Hmmmmm. That does sound mardy doesn’t it?

Oh well, I’ve said it now (finally). One of two things will happen. Either: there’ll be loads of really witty, conciliatory or plain well-considered responses (though hopefully no aggressive, rude, unnecessary ones). Or: nowt. If the former, well, great: I like this site and I want it to be successful, preferably with me playing a minor part in it. If the latter: well, I could take up knitting……
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