Renault Laguna timing belt snapped!!

One of my customers bought a Laguna diesel from a main dealer, I can't remember the mileages, but it was supposed to have had all the right servicing and was not due for a belt. One morning the belt went, the guaranteeing dealer took the car in to fix it, while it was apart they said he needed a new camshaft as it was worn, I would have been extremely surprised if there was any wear mileage wise and the engine had sounded perfect. On my advice he refused to pay for the camshaft, and got the aa on the case, eventually he got the car back in working order (paid nothing) and immediately sold it. I think the garage were trying to recoup the belt failure cost by trying to charge him for a new (not fitted) camshaft at 350 quid.

autodata say: early 99 is 60k or 5 years, later as 72k or 5 years, so you are just due, they also say take account of previous use and history.

mrcheerful

The manuals never get updated and no letters are sent out Private owners only find out the true service interval when they take it back with a snapped belt at 58,000 miles and when they say but it says 60K miles in the book the service dept fall about laughing and show them the Tech Service Bulletin that says 36K miles. Then they say "You haven't complied with the revised service schedule, it's out of warranty. You should have known it's written in this here TSB".

The 60K miles is right for good well designed engines but sadly wrong on a lot of cars. It's typically set at 60K to make the life ownership costs come out better for fleet buyers as that's what the accountant authorises purchase on. But they get stung with a belt change at mid life when the TSB's appear after a year or so. They never learn but still buy the same old crap from the same old makers as the new model has a lower life cost on paper

Swapping the belt myself on my Focus costs me an hour of grunting and £42 of bits. Even allowing for a belt every 50k, I know exactly which option I would prefer!

In message , Chris Street writes

Was that on a 1.6 or a 1.8? I can't remember which engine you have.