Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam?

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 18:53
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

As the title says. I'm interested in finding out whether the current model Renault Megane (actually, a 2010 model to be precise) with a 1.5dci 110PS engine is chain or belt cam?

HJ's reviews say the Laguna 1.5dci is a chain cam - is it the same in the current Megane? In fact, is HJ right regarding the Laguna?

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 19:04
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - unthrottled

The 1.5 dci is a belt engine.

The 1.6 dci is a completely different engine. It's a chain engine.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 19:21
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

So this HJ review of the Laguna is incorrect?

www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/renault/laguna-iii-2...d

Clearlty states the 1.5dci is chain.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 19:41
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - unthrottled

Pretty certain it's a belt.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 19:48
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Collos25

Its a belt on the 1.5dci,plenty of belts for sale on the various web sites but no chains.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 20:38
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Avant

I'll ask HJ to have a look at this thread.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 20:42
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

That would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking to buy a Megane or Laguna in the near future, ca;t decie between 1.5 and 2.0 at the moment. Erring towards 2.0 for chain reasons, but the 1.5 is mighty economical............

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 20:43
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - daveyK_UK

1.5 is belt

the same engine is belt in the dacia sandero and sandero stepaway

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 20:52
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - unthrottled

Belt or chain really isn't a good way of differentiating between two engines. Do you want the extra power afforded by the 2.0 enough to stump up the extra capital and running costs?

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 20:48
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Avant

Belt or chain, if it were me I think I'd go for the 2.0 anyway, especially in the Laguna. The 1.5 would have to work harder to make reasonable progress, and the economy savings will be worthwhile only if you drive very gently.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:08
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

Thing is, vast majority of my time is spent in the crawling Reading traffic (I'm sure you're familiar, Avant). So the 1.5 would be fine. Even on the occasional motorway journies I do, 110bhp is quite sufficient. I don't stray over 70. I'm used to a 115bhp diesel Galaxy. But yes, a bit more grunt would be nice. But I'm not really after Octavia VRS performance ;-).

A 2.0 laguna does 36ish mpg in town, a 1.5 Megane nearly 50. I'm sure you see the dilemma.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:15
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alby Back

Ok, so scroll on however many decades you think is reasonable, you're lying on the trolley staring at the striplights, breathing your last, thinking, "well, at least I didn't spend too much on diesel"...

Jeezo !

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:21
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

Huh? I like diesels. What a bizarre thing to say! Each to their own.

I like petrols too. But I don't see driving a diesel as a sacrifice. I'm a Volvo 300 enthusiast, so it takes all sorts. Most car fanatics would have me locked up for that one.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:28
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alby Back

Ok, just for clarity, ( as you've maybe got hold of the wrong end of my stick ) replace "diesel" with "fuel" then...

Only trying to encourage you to have a car which actually moves when you ask it to, y'know.

Chill bud !

:-)

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:35
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - unthrottled

Only trying to encourage you to have a car which actually moves when you ask it to, y'know.

But not everyone asks it to... :)

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:49
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

OK, Alby. Gotcha now.

Suffice to say I'm built for comfort more than speed these days. If I hit the loud pedal too much, I tend to get a load of child's breakfast in my hair. No-one needs to arrive at work smelling of regurgitated Aldi's Multigrain Hoops.

:-)

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:24
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - unthrottled

The 1.5 will cope-it just won't be scintillating. If you're after urban mpgs, it'll do better than the 2.0. It's a good engine which has had a healthy export market. It's a simple 2 valve engine and hence no swirl flaps.

The 2.0 will be better on the motorway though.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:52
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

There's the dliemma, unthrotlled. I'll only need the 1.5 most of the time, but every now and again it'd be nice to winch the 2.0 in its place.

2.0 is winning at the moment, but if the 1.5 turns out to be chain cam in the Laguna, as HJ's review states, then it'll be mighty tempting.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 22:04
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - unthrottled

Why does the absence/presence of a chain act as the clincher? Belt changes on the 1.5 are either 72,000 or 100,000 miles. Basically, you're looking at a one-off charge of £300-400 to change it over the lifetime of ownership.Factor it in to your comparison then forget about it.

I know HJ thinks chains are maintainance free, but they when they go wrong (which admittedly isn't that likely), they can be very expensive.

Only you can decide how much you'll miss the extra oompf of the 2.0, but don't don't be tempted to contrive economic arguments about the 1.5's running costs: It'll be the cheaper engine!

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 22:14
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

Well. I do 10k per annum, mostly. Do the fuel savings the 1.5 offers compensate for the belt change in financial terms? I'm likely to keep the car for 3 years.

If all is equal, I'm better off taking the extra power of the 2.0.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:35
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Avant

Point taken, Alanovich (and it's very nice to see more of both you and Alby on this forum). In the Megane the 1.5 should be fine - I think Alby was referring to one diesel engine being more economical than another.

I'm not a great admirer of either Basingstoke or Milton Keynes, but at least they both have more roundabouts than traffic lights so that traffic mostly keeps going - as opposed to Reading's endless traffic lights and its so-called Inner Distribution Road, half of which someone has forgotten to build.

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Fri 29 Mar 2013 21:56
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

Aye. I love Basingstoke for driving through (in comparison to Reading). But I know where I'd rather live. Caversham Heights has to be one of the best value bits of real estate in the Thames Valley. I'm here for the duration.

Thanks for the nice comments. Maybe one day I'll pop down of a Sunday to hear you torture the pipes. ;-)

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Sat 30 Mar 2013 14:33
Renault Megane - Chain or belt cam? - Alanovich

Thanks, HJ.

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