Cam belt failure 10 months after it was done

[domsclio182]

Just wanting peoples opinion on where I stand on this, I have been told the cam belt has failed due to the tensioner not being done up to the correct torque by the company who done the last belt change, this has resulted in the car needing a new head.

I am waiting for the company who done the work to get back to me to let me know what they are going to do about it. I am not going to mention any names at the moment until I know what they are going to do. Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar position and what I should expect from them.

Note from CS Staff;
This thread was started without the full facts being posted, this could have done damage to the reputations of whoever was involved with some of the work. This type of behavior is reckless and will not be tolerated. This thread has been left as a reminder, please read it in full.

 

[Addicted]

Shouldn't it be a minimum 12 month warranty for the work? Therefore the garage in question should pay for repairs - I assume you went back to the same garage that did the cambelt?

 

[Budgie]

Take it straight back.

 

[DrR]

Did

As above go straight back to them.

 

[BIGASH]

Ohhh jeez Dom Sorry to see this! Take it back to them and they will have to sort it out

 

[MicKPM]

It *should* have warranty but as with all things in life, it's not always that simple with some places. Be nice and if you've got paperwork, if they don't honour it, get ginger!

I hit something in the road whilst driving a customers R26 after a clutch change last week so I called him and explained the situation. It gone to an approved repairer and been fixed at my cost.

Mick

 

[domsclio182]

This happened last week, the car was at another specialist when this happened and I have only just been told what the cause was after I had asked them to find out what had happened. I would not be happy for the company had done the cam belt to work on the car again, and the work will be carried out by the specialist it is at now.

I don't think that it is unreasonable for me to not to want them to touch the car again but would still expect them to pay for some if not all the work to be carried out. I have informed them that the work will be done by the company it is at now, will just have to see what they say when they get back to me.

 

[LiamR172]

I think ill be having this problem soon. Had mine done late last year at renault and its already started making a noise again.

Personally i'd go back and be polite with the paperwork as said above, and see what they say!

 

[domsclio182]

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[p@blo]

Just wanting peoples opinion on where I stand on this, I have been told the cam belt has failed due to the tensioner not being done up to the correct torque by the company who done the last belt change, this has resulted in the car needing a new head.

I am waiting for the company who done the work to get back to me to let me know what they are going to do about it. I am not going to mention any names at the moment until I know what they are going to do. Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar position and what I should expect from them.

KTEC? Oh dear.

 

[domsclio182]

Not Ktec mate, had dephaser and belt change after the cams were fitted, will reveal the company responsible if they don't sort something out, they are a well respected Renault specialist though.

I don't think you should mate assumptions either mate, very unfair.

 

[DaveB666]

Dom, if you really don't want people to know who did it I'd edit one of your earlier posts in your project. You state who did the cambelt, and that (at the time your car was in the garage) that Ktec 'tightened some cambelt bolts'.

 

[p@blo]

Not Ktec mate, will reveal the company responsible if they don't sort something out, they are a well respected Renault specialist though.

Nightmare, hopefully you're back up and running soon.

 

[BIGASH]

but would still expect them to pay for some if not all the work to be carried out.

In the case of something like this they should be paying every penny, as long as you have decent proof that they have done it wrong then I wouldn't be paying for something where I had done nothing wrong

 

[Chip-mk1]

So you drove your car around for 10 months with no problems at all.
Then you put it into another specialist, and while the car was sat there idling the belt just happened to fail, and they are saying its because of something that was done 10 months ago not anything they were just doing?

Thats going to be a hell of a complicated one to try and get the first company to accept liability for I would imagine, especially if the second company have now gone as far as taking it all apart so you cant even take it back "as is" for the first company to rectify.

I know nothing about who either company are, but its a hell of a co-incidence that the engine did 10 months without a problem including no doubt being drive flat out, and then juts happened to fail as someone else was working on it?

 

[MicKPM]

Firstly, you should be fair to them and give them the opportunity to put it right.

 

[domsclio182]

Dom, if you really don't want people to know who did it I'd edit one of your earlier posts in your project. You state who did the cambelt, and that (at the time your car was in the garage) that Ktec 'tightened some cambelt bolts'.

A bit hard to edit it now mate, was just after some advice that was all, I will post who done the work once I now what they are going to about it, which I think is fair. The work was carried out on the 30/11/2011 and like I have said nothing to do with Ktec.

 

[p@blo]

Confusing. Appears to be Ktec & TDF but unclear who did what.

 

[BIGASH]

Ohh I thought it had failed and then he took it elsewhere to be inspected! My bad if so

 

[MarkCup]

Did

+1

 

[domsclio182]

All I know is what I have been told and that I am looking at a huge bill to fix the car. Don;t want loads of messing about just want my car fixed. I asked the company to fix the car thinking it was just one of those things, and they have now told me why it happened. I am in a crap situation, that is why I have asked you guys for some advice.

 

[Scrooge]

I'm with Chip on this one.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Ohh I thought it had failed and then he took it elsewhere to be inspected! My bad if so

I was going by this:

This happened last week, the car was at another specialist when this happened

Which kind of reads like:
Car was fine
Booked it in somewhere to have some work done
Person doing work dropped a tool into the belts
Belts destroyed
Engine dead
Person with car now pulls it all apart and diagnoses an incorrectly itghtened tensioner when belt was fitted even though it was fine for 10 months


But that might just be me being too much of a sceptic I guess, and I am not saying that IS the case, just saying it certainly needs to be considered as a possibliity.



What work were the new company doing when the cambelt just happened to fail?

 

[BIGASH]

Ah yes I missed that bit lol! Sorry to see this Dom and I hope you get sorted

 

[p@blo]

I was going by this:


Which kind of reads like:
Car was fine
Booked it in somewhere to have some work done
Person doing work dropped a tool into the belts
Belts destroyed
Engine dead
Person with car now pulls it all apart and diagnoses an incorrectly tensioned tensioner when belt was fitted

Quadruple facepalm if this is the case.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Confusing. Appears to be Ktec & TDF but unclear who did what.

JMS did cambelt
Ktec fitted cams in Aug 11
TDF did the de-phaser in Oct/Nov 11

If you want a new engine, Nick172Cup has a 182 one for sale on 80k with new belts done by Stone Automotive. Circa £400 iirc.

 

[domsclio182]

Was at the specialist to be mapped, no work was carried out on the engine by them, car failed on the dyno.

 

[Chip-mk1]

p@blo just to be clear, I dont even know who the company was, and I certainly no NOTHING about what happened, was just playing devils advocate about a possible explanation that seems more likely than a bolt being loose for 10 months and thousands of miles including 7K+ thrashes etc, and then just happens to come loose when its sat having work done.

 

[Chip-mk1]

JMS did cambelt
Ktec fitted cams in Aug 11
TDF did the de-phaser in Oct/Nov 11

To clarify that for anyone not sure, that would mean it was TDF who last undid and then retightened the bolts, so not much point naming JMS/KTEC who happened to have been there before

 

[Chip-mk1]

Was at the specialist to be mapped, no work was carried out on the engine by them, car failed on the dyno.

Dyno is certainly a good potential environment for something to get into the belts, with the bonnet up and engine running etc and people obviously leaning in to connect pipes and sensors etc.

And of course if they are short of work, even more likely to have an "accident" if they are unscrupulous!

 

[p@blo]

JMS did cambelt
Ktec fitted cams in Aug 11
TDF did the de-phaser in Oct/Nov 11

If you want a new engine, Nick172Cup has a 182 one for sale on 80k with new belts done by Stone Automotive. Circa £400 iirc.

Ta Dave. Worst case a cheap fix tbf.

p@blo just to be clear, I dont even know who the company was, and I certainly no NOTHING about what happened, was just playing devils advocate about a possible explanation that seems more likely than a bolt being loose for 10 months and thousands of miles including 7K+ thrashes etc, and then just happens to come loose when its sat having work done.

Seems legit.

 

[Goodj]

Chip knows.

 

[Chip-mk1]

If you want a new engine, Nick172Cup has a 182 one for sale on 80k with new belts done by Stone Automotive. Circa £400 iirc.

Sounds a good deal for someone after a good standard engine, but new belts wont be very much use to the OP if he wants him cams to go into the new engine though

 

[fletch8]

im going along with chips thoeries at the moment too.

whatever has happened, i hope the company that is responsible pay. and at least they are all well known companies which i imagine helps.

 

[Keyser Soze]

They might try and wiggle out of it seeing as someone has touched the car after themselves. Theres no way to prove anything.

 

[domsclio182]

This happened when the car was doing the finale power runs after being mapped.

Just to clear this up TDF/Track group did the cam belt change last, so if they decide to help me out than that is great but if they don't then I will just have to pay for it my self. Like I say just posted this thread to get some advice.

 

[Budgie]

Tricky one.

 

[BIGASH]

Tricky one.

This^^

 

[R-Sport.]

You have NO hope of a return out of that lot.

Get on with the repair & take it on the chin-

as with heinsite- ALL engine work & modifications should be completed by the same specialist to create traceability......

S

 

[Budgie]

In the unlikely event TDF do offer any sort of compensation/offer to fix it, it's going to be a gesture of goodwill thing.

How do TDF know that Ktec haven't tried to push it too far on the rollerz?

I know i wouldn't be paying out for that one in their circumstances.