Bad Luck? New Owner...

[SaraJ]

After seeing a handful of dogs, we decided to bite the bullet and drive to Tyne & Wear to see a promised very tidy car, with FSH.

FIVE hour drive up there...

Get there, car as promised, all fluids good & looks pretty (well, that's my conclusion )
OH takes it on a test drive, lots of twisties to warm up, then gave it some beans on duelly - all good. Did the deal and she was mine.

I drive to Macdonalds to grab some munchies before the long drive home, loved how responsive it was. The set off again, about 10mins of driving, nice and responsive, using all gears. Very happy!

The disaster....

Come off some lights onto a duelly. 1st gear fine. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, sluggish and flat. 5th gear - dash lights up like a christmas tree and i lose all power, i flash OH loads and roll over to hard shoulder.... Car cuts out & brake pedal stays flat to the floor and i roll to a stop.

The car won't start. If you turn it over, it makes a funny spinning noise, like the starter motor running but the belts still on, not the normal car turning over noise. So we stopped trying, and I phoned RAC for the first time ever. Bloke comes out, reckons it's the cambelt, or cam shaft that's snapped.
OH phoned his Renault techy mate and ran through a few things but nothing worked.

So OH and I made the journey home in his car & i'm sat waiting for my new car to be delivered on a flat bed.

So there you have it, my intro to French motoring. Gutted i've sold my solid reliable MX-5? Too right.


Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance
Sara

PS i stumped up my £10 to join!!

 

[rob_clio197rs]

get it to a respectable specialist and get them to give you the low down, did you check with the previous owner if the belts had been changed?
What car is it?

 

[Fred@BTM]

sounds like a belt failure, did you not check before buying?

 

[woolford172]

How many miles has it done ? defiantly sounds like a belt

 

[SaraJ]

Full service history. 72k and 2 belt changes. Of course we checked lol. Was going to have the belt done again anyway in the next couple of weeks or so, was going to do that what ever 172 we bought...

Was a really slow powerloss, the camshaft still turns when car rocked. Someone's coming out to compression test in 20mins & few other things, he may use this site - Sukhi? Then next step is Renault techy mate doing diagnostics on Tuesday....

Hmmmppffff.

 

[woolford172]

hope you get ti sorted sara. i wanted to see this car about.

 

[Chili Red]

Sh*t, that is REALLY bad luck. You've also experienced the major downside of private sales.

Welcome to Clio ownership

 

[Da]

Doesn't sound like your typical belt/pulley failure as the power loss was gradual.

Either way, I hope it's not too costly and you manage to get it sorted soon Sara.

 

[SaraJ]

Well the engine has compression and back fires a little when turning over. Seems the belt has a scour on it so getting a cambelt kit tomorrow....

All plugs and that are fine and the camshaft is defo turning fine

 

[SaraJ]

Welcome to Swindon...

 

[rob_clio197rs]

gutted, hope you get it sorted

 

[Sam]

Did you buy it private or from a garage?

Sam!

 

[poopipe]

I'm crapping myself now - picking mine up during the week...

That's really bad luck Sara but on the other hand it is a brilliant colour and it doesn't sound terminal.

 

[SaraJ]

It was private....

I meant mis-fire not back fire!! lol

 

[SaraJ]

Well plugged into diagnostics yesterday & nothing came up...

Techy had a good old look & looks as though Aux belt skipped and damaged cambelt (i think that's what they said?) I've already got the cambelt kit & the aux belt. It's being taken on a flat bed tonight to Techys garage so he can take it apart tomo night to assess damage....


I don't even feel like i own a blooming car!!!!!

 

[Gally]

Aww bad luck hun, just look forward to getting it back.

These things can happen, just dodgy luck on the day.

 

[DMS]

Really bad luck that. Must be gutting for you.
If you're having the cambelt and aux belt changed, make sure you get all the tensioners etc done at the same time. It's not worth risking them failing again.
You say your mate's a Renault Technician, but make sure he actually knows how to change the cambelt properly. Many don't, and doing the cambelt wrong at best will cost you quite a bit of power. At worst it'll do some serious damage.

 

[EX-MX]

Eee!

I sold my third reliable mx5 last week and picked up my own Clio 172 cup that also requires a cambelt. I'm being quite careful where possible as I can't get it in the garage until the 10th. I'm a little on edge until it gets done...

 

[SaraJ]

Really bad luck that. Must be gutting for you.
If you're having the cambelt and aux belt changed, make sure you get all the tensioners etc done at the same time. It's not worth risking them failing again.
You say your mate's a Renault Technician, but make sure he actually knows how to change the cambelt properly. Many don't, and doing the cambelt wrong at best will cost you quite a bit of power. At worst it'll do some serious damage.

Don't worry, he's done more RS Clio cambelts then i've had hot dinners! lol


EX-MX, i'm sure yours will be fine, seems my luck is heavily tainted at mo!

 

[DMS]

That's all good then. Hopefully all will be forgiven when you take it for a spin
I thought mine was quite unreliable when I first got it, something was always broken, but after getting a load of stuff fixed under warranty it's only been wear and tear items that have needed replacing since.

 

[SaraJ]

That's all good then. Hopefully all will be forgiven when you take it for a spin
I thought mine was quite unreliable when I first got it, something was always broken, but after getting a load of stuff fixed under warranty it's only been wear and tear items that have needed replacing since.

Suppose i'm gutted because my MX-5 was 12 years old, went through every MOT without advisories, and the only thing that 'broke' in nearly 3 years was the alternator lol

 

[Turkish]

That's pretty s**t luck tbh, RS's generally only suffer minor niggles rather than full on mechanical dramas like that.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Unlucky but nothing you could have done

Welcome to French car ownership. Enjoy your stay 'til you go back to Jap...

 

[Silent_Scone]

silence you! failed cambelt is on par with pistons melting if you ask me That's a bit of a b**ch chap but it could happen to anyone. I've been looking into going back to Jap. Was looking at supras but they do cranks, stem seals n' all sorts...

tbh the definition of reliable is slow, standard and pants. (No disrespect to MX5's x)

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

silence you!

tbh the definition of reliable is slow, standard and pants. (No disrespect to MX5's x)

Silence ? Never ! Oh, and hush the dirty talk, you naughty scone.

 

[Silent_Scone]

I <3 your car. x

 

[badgerbite]

Silence ? Never ! Oh, and hush the dirty talk, you naughty scone.

LOL

 

[SaraJ]

Shut it kids If slow, standard & pants is an MX-5, then i must be boring My 5 was subtle but not standard, quick enough for town, and certainly not pants


Clio got taken apart yesterday. Seems the cambelt tensioner failed. It needs 16 valves and 6 cam followers? (might have heard that bit wrong?) All i want to do is drive the sodding thing.

 

[Jamie]

Wow, it bent all the valves? That's pretty hardcore.

Maybe cheaper to buy another head from someone who deals in parts.

 

[SaraJ]

I'm only relaying 3rd hand info! A crackly call did mention a new head, i'll know more tomorrow

 

[poopipe]

sad face

hope it works out ok and not too pricey Sara. They're a great laugh when they're running I promise.