Plastic timing belt tensioners

[Haakon]

A little warning to service stuff on time. Remember kids, these plastic pullys age out like belts

This is a Megane I bought as a fixer upper with no compression. Tensioner failed and the belt skipped.

This is a 2007 model with only 105,000kms on it, in remarkably good condition. But service by morons… Never had a belt changed - should be done every 4 years.

Factory parts made it to 15 years.

 

[JohnW]

My 2006 Scenic was one-owner, serviced by a Renault dealer since new. I bought it at 10-11 years, 120,000 km or a bit less from memory. It had never had a timing belt change. It had never had a coolant change. I asked the service manager of the workshop why not and he wouldn't reply. Hopeless. Now, in fairness, the owner might not have been willing to pay, but I rather doubt it. Although I owned the vehicle, they wouldn't give me the service records (I got them in the end).

 

[Haakon]

My 2006 Scenic was one-owner, serviced by a Renault dealer since new. I bought it at 10-11 years, 120,000 km or a bit less from memory. It had never had a timing belt change. It had never had a coolant change. I asked the service manager of the workshop why not and he wouldn't reply. Hopeless. Now, in fairness, the owner might not have been willing to pay, but I rather doubt it. Although I owned the vehicle, they wouldn't give me the service records (I got them in the end).

This is what gives brands a bad name, and certainly what gives the motor repair trade one!

The elderly couple that I bought this from had been doing the right thing they thought by getting it regularly serviced, and had bought it 3 years ago from the biggest used dealer in Hobart. The selling dealer would have known it was well past due, and whoever was servicing it subsequently obviously didn't apply any effort or lateral thinking to bloody check...

Cost this nice old couple many thousands. I'm guessing they would have paid something over $5K, and I paid them $800... I bet the local idiots probably told them it needed a whole new engine from the mainland and gave them a stupid quote.

 

[Haakon]

Renault coolant sure is good shit though - I'm going to assume its the factory fill and the coolant is clean and the block internals pristine.

 

[Haakon]

But as expected the pistons are ok. Only needs a set of exhaust valves, but easier to just grab another head.

 

[JohnW]

Renault coolant sure is good shit though - I'm going to assume its the factory fill and the coolant is clean and the block internals pristine.

That's correct.

This is what gives brands a bad name, and certainly what gives the motor repair trade one!

The elderly couple that I bought this from had been doing the right thing they thought by getting it regularly serviced, and had bought it 3 years ago from the biggest used dealer in Hobart. The selling dealer would have known it was well past due, and whoever was servicing it subsequently obviously didn't apply any effort or lateral thinking to bloody check...

Cost this nice old couple many thousands. I'm guessing they would have paid something over $5K, and I paid them $800... I bet the local idiots probably told them it needed a whole new engine from the mainland and gave them a stupid quote.

And, as you pointed out, it wasn't the belt that failed either.

 

[JohnW]

This is what gives brands a bad name, and certainly what gives the motor repair trade one!

The elderly couple that I bought this from had been doing the right thing they thought by getting it regularly serviced, and had bought it 3 years ago from the biggest used dealer in Hobart. The selling dealer would have known it was well past due, and whoever was servicing it subsequently obviously didn't apply any effort or lateral thinking to bloody check...

Cost this nice old couple many thousands. I'm guessing they would have paid something over $5K, and I paid them $800... I bet the local idiots probably told them it needed a whole new engine from the mainland and gave them a stupid quote.

That's so disappointing for them isn't it. Whoever serviced it for them should have checked timing belt requirements the first time he saw the car too. It's pretty basic.

 

[Haakon]

That's correct.

And, as you pointed out, it wasn't the belt that failed either.

You can get away with reusing tensioners on Japanese and Korean cars that tend to use steel belt pullys if theyre low kms but old. Plastic ones - they go with the belt as a system replacement.

 

[andrewj]

You can get away with reusing tensioners on Japanese and Korean cars that tend to use steel belt pullys if theyre low kms but old. Plastic ones - they go with the belt as a system replacement.

Welcome to Hobart Haakon

Your find on the Renault does not surprise me. I've had two good scores from misdiagnosis by local repairers - the first was a 406 coupe, where a high resistance joint in the gear box power supply was diagnosed as blown ecu. The next was low mileage 405srdt wagon where the customer was told the drips of water from a loose radiator clamp was an irreparable leak from the diesel pump.

Both are in service to this day as "daily" drivers.

 

[Haakon]

Welcome to Hobart Haakon

Your find on the Renault does not surprise me. I've had two good scores from misdiagnosis by local repairers - the first was a 406 coupe, where a high resistance joint in the gear box power supply was diagnosed as blown ecu. The next was low mileage 405srdt wagon where the customer was told the drips of water from a loose radiator clamp was an irreparable leak from the diesel pump.

Both are in service to this day as "daily" drivers.

Not confined to tassie, it’s a malady with the industry everywhere…

Lots of Alfas down here though, see another Guilietta quite often and usually get a wave back. Maybe there’s a good Italian car mechanic here?

 

[Haakon]

That's so disappointing for them isn't it. Whoever serviced it for them should have checked timing belt requirements the first time he saw the car too. It's pretty basic.

Wouldnt be surprised if they saw the alloy timing cover and thought it had a chain. Have had dealers and mechanics try to convince me these were a chain and not a belt a few times over the years... Sadly its an industry that doesn't tend to attract the thoughtful and curious types.

 

[FiveSoFar]

You can get away with reusing tensioners on Japanese and Korean cars that tend to use steel belt pullys if theyre low kms but old. Plastic ones - they go with the belt as a system replacement.

Is THIS not a Japanese engine?
A bloke with whom I worked back about 2010 bought a Megane, and said that it had an engine basically the same as the Silvia that he traded... Nissan MR4 engine??? (according to wiki). Did they use plastic timing pulleys from new?

 

[Haakon]

Is THIS not a Japanese engine?
A bloke with whom I worked back about 2010 bought a Megane, and said that it had an engine basically the same as the Silvia that he traded... Nissan MR4 engine??? (according to wiki). Did they use plastic timing pulleys from new?

This is an F4R in a Megane 2. Very much a Renault engine.

Anything non Sport in a Meg 3 and anything in a Meg 4 is a Nissan engine, but they’re all chain driven anyway.