Cambelts = Important?

ste_bla

ste_bla

ste_bla

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So now looking for a car for a while (I will buy one in the next 2 weeks btw) and been looking at scenics. Now I know they aint that brilliant however the value for money is good.

So anyway looking at these cars (Y to 51ish) have done fairly low mileage and currently don't need cam belts under the mileage thing however according to the 5 year rule for scenics they need changing.

Now would you expect that to be included in "a full service before it leave us to you" ?

Would you like/try to get it free, pay part of or have to pay the full amount if you got them to do it (baring in mind its a £350ish job on a car that's priced nearly the same as parker's suggests)

Also what would you do if the garage said "I would worry about it, all cars throw a cambelt now and then so you might as well not bother, it wont damage a scenic engine anyway" I just walked away but is he right, i dont think so but if its true about the not damaging then do you really have to change them?
 
Some cars have non interferance if the cam belts break IIRC,

Not sure if the Scenic is one of those though...

If the car is due a belt change though, I would expect it done before the car was sold, only because its coming from a garage though.
 
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TaKeN said:
If the car is due a belt change though, I would expect it done before the car was sold, only because its coming from a garage though.
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Thats what i thought, one place which had a nice auto one said they'd do it for the screen price or sell it as is for £200 less which didnt seem that bad
 
ste_bla said:
Also what would you do if the garage said "I would worry about it, all cars throw a cambelt now and then so you might as well not bother, it wont damage a scenic engine anyway" I just walked away but is he right, i dont think so but if its true about the not damaging then do you really have to change them?
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You did right by walking away.

The belt snapped on my Sisters Scenic, and the total bill came to nearly £4k! :eek: Renault paid 20% as a goodwill gesture.


You really do have to change cambelts chains are a different case. :)
 
sounds like they are interface then and the garage was trying to stitch the OP up

..... hence you cannot trust garages, ever
 
R124/LA420 said:
You did right by walking away.

The belt snapped on my Sisters Scenic, and the total bill came to nearly £4k! :eek: Renault paid 20% as a goodwill gesture.


You really do have to change cambelts chains are a different case. :)
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sure it will be cheaper to bin the car?
 
Ed said:
Chains break too.
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Very rarely though because chains are lubricated with the engine oil which means their wear rate is very very low.

Cambelts usually break because of too many hot/cold cycles which makes them crack and perish eventually.

Glad my engine is chain driven, put it that way :p
 
ste_bla said:
0kay so cambelt change is a must

Now to work out if its worth it or not
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sorry, not wanting to question your judgement (i dont know you etc) but why would you want to trust and deal with someone who gave you advice like that?

ie fob you off into buying a car that needs money spent, advise you to leave it so it blows up and cost you lots more. if he is like that, what else isnt he telling you or lying about?

avoid stupid dealers. they know more than you do and will take you to the cleaners
 
NathanE said:
Very rarely though because chains are lubricated with the engine oil which means their wear rate is very very low.

Cambelts usually break because of too many hot/cold cycles which makes them crack and perish eventually.

Glad my engine is chain driven, put it that way :p
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makes you wonder why any engines nowadays are belt driven...
 
Matt82 said:
sorry, not wanting to question your judgement (i dont know you etc) but why would you want to trust and deal with someone who gave you advice like that?

ie fob you off into buying a car that needs money spent, advise you to leave it so it blows up and cost you lots more. if he is like that, what else isnt he telling you or lying about?

avoid stupid dealers. they know more than you do and will take you to the cleaners
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There were 4 or so that i looked at the one thats the auto we both liked they want £100 to do the cambelt or £200 if we take it and if anything happens to the belt its our problem..

Car £3175 which is about what parkers surgests but then another £100 for the belt and then tax takes it upto ~£3350 which is a little over budget

The other garage (you dont need a camblet one) I wouldnt go back to ever unless it was a really good deal..
 
NathanE said:
Very rarely though because chains are lubricated with the engine oil which means their wear rate is very very low.

Cambelts usually break because of too many hot/cold cycles which makes them crack and perish eventually.

Glad my engine is chain driven, put it that way :p
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Chains are the way but only seem to be put in cars from half-decent upwards :)
Our old Merc C250 (1994) had a timing chain and it let me know well in advance that it needed changing - honestly you could hear the grinding from a mile away. Sounded like a minor rattle at the start and nobody really said anything about, but it soon became obvious after a month or two. The car had run up 260,000+ miles by that point so no complaints really.

Apparently belts are louder, I remember being told that years ago but I'm sure there's not a big lot in it nowadays. Probably cost is the main reason for it not featuring in most cars.
 
Chains have their own problems, and do break, especially when a manafacturer decides a single track chain is good enough. The really decent stuff has a double width chain.


Back on topic, only small 8 valve engines tend to be safe.
 
NathanE said:
Cambelts usually break because of too many hot/cold cycles which makes them crack and perish eventually.

Glad my engine is chain driven, put it that way :p
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Although this is true in All my years i have only ever seen One snapped cambelt. In my experience it is usually the cambelt tensioner that goes causing the failure.
Anyway, Cambelt replacement is one of my major considerations when buying a used car & mine are usually old knackers. I use it as a kicker as it is a Lot cheaper for me to do or get done than the current owner.
In your case i wouldn't spend good money on a late motor unless the cambelt had Just been done. I'd want the book stamped up to the max & Main dealer stamps next to the cambelt replacement notes.
The one thing you have to remember when you buy a motor is there are Always other motors out there to buy. Never get sucked into one motor but choose 3 & then haggle the best deal between them. This way you will always come out feeling like you got a good deal & time will confirm this :)
 
BigglesPiP said:
Back on topic, only small 8 valve engines tend to be safe.
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only the small fiat engines as far as i know, the vauxhall 8v is listed as non-interference but ive known those to tap valves.

4k for the renault?

we did a renault megane 1.6 16v which chucked its belt for 2k, pistons out with new rings as well.

on a few engines now we have experienced the piston pinching up and holding a ring causing bore damage, ecotecs seem very prone to this.
 
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