bit of bad news with belts

[benmore]

hello

I have just been looking thru my service book, and it has full service history upto 10k miles ago, but none are renault.

I was told that the guy I bought it from was told it had had the aux belt done, but it didn't as I have phoned the service statios in the stamps.

so now I have discovered, to my displeasure, that it is now on 48,000 miles with the original aux belt and cam belt and it is a 52 plate.

this is bad bad bad am I correct?

over 5 years old or 72k for new cambelt so due this,
most of all every 32k for a new aux belt(?) so due this,
aswell as a service.

this means she needs over 1400 quid worth of work at renault I was quoted?!?

850 for cambelt alone.

my local garage have quoted me 50 quid for the aux belt, and 300 for the cambelt.

however, has anybody ever used a local garage to carry out these jobs and if so, are they reliable?

I understand renault is best but having just paid alot of money for the car (alot to me anyway), I simply cannot afford that sort of outlay for a good 2 months and am now panicing thinking the belts are so urgent that it may simply die if I drive it!!!!

I have seen rentech listed on here as recommended and am about to phone for quote but they are 2 hour drive from me altho may be worth it.

thanks for reading

lee

 

[Goders172]

Go to Birchdown mate - top guys there mate i drove 190 mile round trip and was more than worth it bloody good price too.

http://www.birchdown.com/

 

[24Seven]

Definetely worth getting it done mate. Rentech will be miles cheaper and better than renault. I'm biting the bullet myself today and booking in at birchdown for cambelt/auxbelt.

 

[benmore]

just booked it in to have the aux belt done locally just to safe it up until I can get the cambelt done.

would like the water pump done while they are doing the cambelt.. not sure on the quote price from my local garage, they say roughly 300, but they want to have a look while they are doing the drive belt to be sure they can do it.

one garage I just phoned said they won't do it because it's an engine out job and they don't want to get involved! how incompetant is that?!

thanks mate will phone them for pricing

 

[thecremeegg]

dont use renault to do it, they rip you off big time and most of the time the independents will do a better job

 

[Timmay]

if non reno peple do it make sure they have the right tools

 

[benmore]

located in kent, near lakeside/bluewater shopping centre if that helps.

just off j2 of the m25.

I am defo getting the aux belt done this fri at the local garage for 50 notes as this seems worth it to half put my mind at rest.

the cambelt and water pump are another story.. but suffice to say, I am actually concerned about driving it until such times the belts are done as renault are telling me if it snaps I'm looking at 3-4k to repair it.

 

[Goders172]

Speak to birchdown about the waterpump too. I was worried about mine but they advised me it didnt need doing. (they havent seen one fail yet iirc)

Also if you get the aux belt done on its own it 'should' be done again when they do the cambelt as your not supposed to re-use once taken off

 

[Dan R]

located in kent, near lakeside/bluewater shopping centre if that helps.

just off j2 of the m25.

I am defo getting the aux belt done this fri at the local garage for 50 notes as this seems worth it to half put my mind at rest.

the cambelt and water pump are another story.. but suffice to say, I am actually concerned about driving it until such times the belts are done as renault are telling me if it snaps I'm looking at 3-4k to repair it.

50 quid for aux belt!!!!! Theyve obviously never done one. They will lose alot of money on that job!! lol

 

[benmore]

birchdown are a 4hr 30min drive from me... seems a huge distance..

 

[Steve]

^^you need the tensioners & pulleys as well!

£50!!!! it's a big job?

 

[benmore]

located in kent, near lakeside/bluewater shopping centre if that helps.

just off j2 of the m25.

I am defo getting the aux belt done this fri at the local garage for 50 notes as this seems worth it to half put my mind at rest.

the cambelt and water pump are another story.. but suffice to say, I am actually concerned about driving it until such times the belts are done as renault are telling me if it snaps I'm looking at 3-4k to repair it.

50 quid for aux belt!!!!! Theyve obviously never done one. They will lose alot of money on that job!! lol

I thought it sounded cheap. the garage always does a good job, they done my escort aux belt for 30 quid and cambelt for 180, 16v zetec lump.. but obviously that is a great deal easier.

perhaps fri afternoon when they've had it an hour I'll get a call saying "50 notes no can do more like 200" lol...

 

[Goders172]

birchdown are a 4hr 30min drive from me... seems a huge distance..

Think they charged me something like £620 that was 48k service all belts new backbox fitted and a few other odds and sodds.

May be worth the petrol with prices like that

I think the service and belts was about £530 iirc but would have to check with them

 

[benmore]

is the aux belt a big job then?

my other cars were always 20 30 quids at the local garages including my older clio rsi 8v (mk1)...?

hmmm they asked if I had air con, and said it will be more like 50 than 30 if I have air con. are they just ignorant then?.. getting the impression this is impossible to achieve from you lot? lol

 

[SkidMarx]

I wouldnt take it anywhere thats not familiar with the 172 belt set up. Seen many threads on here with bad timing issues because a, backstreet garages aint got the tools and b, they wouldnt know how to set em up anyway.

Anywhere chargein 300 for a cambelt and 50 for an aux belt wont be using gen parts, and wont be doin a complete job ( i.e changing tensioners and idlers ) And as for water pumps ive oly ever seen em leaking, never seen the bearing pack up.

 

[benmore]

what should I expect to pay for the aux belt then? any rough idea?

 

[SkidMarx]

Well the kit with tensioner, belt and idler is about £110. Depending on where you take it depends on the labour rate. But in reality at least an hours labour.

 

[benmore]

ok I have phoned ren tec in portsmouth and they are quoting genuine cambelt kit (full kit), genuine aux belt kit (all of it) 450 all in (or 470).. I would love to choose this option, I have my holiday coming up and thus have absolutely no free cash at the moment so it would have to wait until sept 25thish.. I am just worried this is too long and could cause the belts to break and ruin my car completely.

I am going to cancel the appointment with the garage, as you said they simply cannot be trusted quoting those prices and it is not a good idea for them to even try as they may just make a risky situation bad.

 

[Timmay]

^ good idea

 

[benmore]

thanks for the advice guys I have just booked it in with ren tec for the 20th aug, 570 for the full kit cam and aux belts, and I am just gonna have to bung it on the credit card until I get back from holiday.

I know you don't want to know how I am gonna pay for it but you may notice I tend to ramble this is something I can't help lol

thanks guys just hope it doesn't go from now til then or the long drive to portsmouth

 

[SkidMarx]

£470 is a good price

£570 is good also!

 

[benmore]

yep that's with vat and suchforth. it increased from 470 coz I asked if they could do both full kits inc all pulleys and such and use genuine parts.

IMO it has to be worth it. then I can run 72k without doing a cambelt, and 32k without doing the aux belt, right?

 

[SkidMarx]

36K with the aux belt.

 

[lemonnobby]

where u from?

 

[stevem42]

i carried out a full service incl cambelt and aux belt with all tensioners etc by myself for about £250