Clio 182 FF Cup
Up the Renault Customer Care!!
My cars a '04 Clio 182 with 45K on the clock, its been regularly serviced slightly ahead of schedule by Renault and has been perfectly reliable up until Tuesday.
Iv been away on business and then went to Silverstone, so hadnt driven the thing for about a week. Gets home on Monday and there is this little puddle, about palm sized, of oil on the drive under the engine. Don't really think much to it; its dark and getting the dipstick back in is like opening a tin of beans with a plastic fork, oil dash read out is normal.
Wednesday. I drive approx 30 miles (to work) and oil light and SERV light come on. Bugger. Buy oil, pour 4 litres in the car (used the dipstick - was amazed it took so much!) phoned Sunwin Renault in Preston and they said bring it in ASAP, advised me not to drive it, but it was at my risk.
Drove it to Renault. Light came on again (used 4 litres of oil in ~20 miles....). I stick the remaining 1 litre from the can in (bought 5 litres previous evening) and make it to the dealership.
Dealers get car on ramp and mechanic comes back out wearing much more oil than he started with, says he can't quite see exactly where the leaks coming from, but thinks its near the top of the engine where the cam belt and pulleys are as they are soaked in oil - I empty my bowels knowing full well what happens when you get loads of oil on a cam belt.
Mechanic tells me I need a new cam belt (thats ok as I needed one any way as the car is almost 5 years old) and says he will ring me the next day with the oil problem diagnosis and a price.
Thursday. Get a call from Renault, its the phaser something thats gone and has been shoving oil out the side of the engine for fun, cost £1890 to fix. (empty bowels again). I bargain them down to £1400.
Thursday afternoon, I call Renault UK (08000723372) speak to a lovely girl and I explain that the cars got a whopper of a fault, on a non-servecable item, its 2 years out of warranty but its been meticously maintained and serviced only by Renault. She phones Sunwin garage, confirms my story and phones me back - she offers 60% of the repair cost!!!
Total Cost to me £600.
Thats about what I would have paid for the Cam belt and aux belt anyway.
Renault Customer service: Just ask them, be nice, be honest and be lucky.
My cars a '04 Clio 182 with 45K on the clock, its been regularly serviced slightly ahead of schedule by Renault and has been perfectly reliable up until Tuesday.
Iv been away on business and then went to Silverstone, so hadnt driven the thing for about a week. Gets home on Monday and there is this little puddle, about palm sized, of oil on the drive under the engine. Don't really think much to it; its dark and getting the dipstick back in is like opening a tin of beans with a plastic fork, oil dash read out is normal.
Wednesday. I drive approx 30 miles (to work) and oil light and SERV light come on. Bugger. Buy oil, pour 4 litres in the car (used the dipstick - was amazed it took so much!) phoned Sunwin Renault in Preston and they said bring it in ASAP, advised me not to drive it, but it was at my risk.
Drove it to Renault. Light came on again (used 4 litres of oil in ~20 miles....). I stick the remaining 1 litre from the can in (bought 5 litres previous evening) and make it to the dealership.
Dealers get car on ramp and mechanic comes back out wearing much more oil than he started with, says he can't quite see exactly where the leaks coming from, but thinks its near the top of the engine where the cam belt and pulleys are as they are soaked in oil - I empty my bowels knowing full well what happens when you get loads of oil on a cam belt.
Mechanic tells me I need a new cam belt (thats ok as I needed one any way as the car is almost 5 years old) and says he will ring me the next day with the oil problem diagnosis and a price.
Thursday. Get a call from Renault, its the phaser something thats gone and has been shoving oil out the side of the engine for fun, cost £1890 to fix. (empty bowels again). I bargain them down to £1400.
Thursday afternoon, I call Renault UK (08000723372) speak to a lovely girl and I explain that the cars got a whopper of a fault, on a non-servecable item, its 2 years out of warranty but its been meticously maintained and serviced only by Renault. She phones Sunwin garage, confirms my story and phones me back - she offers 60% of the repair cost!!!
Total Cost to me £600.
Thats about what I would have paid for the Cam belt and aux belt anyway.
Renault Customer service: Just ask them, be nice, be honest and be lucky.
