So I've had the cambelt replaced along with the whole timing kit as per a fix from Renault to solve the ticking nose at idle. Now Renault UK have contributed 75% which is why I took the car to a main dealer. I don't want to name the dealer as they have made quite a few other mistakes which I hope will be rectified (intake pipe not connected when I picked the car up, dangerously over-filled oil, snapped Milltek bracket - which they won't admit to, underfilled coolant, scuffed Recaro seat etc). So far it's been a shocking experience having to make numerous return visits with no compensation offered for the £50 of fuel I've spent driving back and to and for the other issues, but I'm hoping they will do something to redeem themselves which is why I won't mention them. But all of these problems aside, as hard as they are to ignore, there is still a really bad whine from the timing area and a grinding noise at 2800-3000 rpm. Now the dealer in question told me they couldn't hear this whine. I was sat in the passenger seat as the master technician drove my car (in first gear just like the below video) and the whine couldn't be heard??? I was then told I could go to another Renault main dealer which was part of the same group to get a second opinion, which I did, at the expense of even more fuel. They confirmed that there was a whine (although he knew the tech who had done the work and said it could just be a different brand of belt which whines anyway - come on??) and that the knocking I could hear was from the snapped exhaust. The exhaust is a separate matter but annoying none the less. So - what do you guys think of the noise? I was a bit worried that the engine might have sounded like this before and I hadn't noticed but I can't have missed this. Sounds like the cambelt is over-tensioned to me and the water pump or maybe even the alternator could be causing the grinding noise but I could do with some more opinions. You can't really hear the grinding in this video but I'm not at home and the upload speed is so slow here I can't upload the other video where you can hear it! Cheers!
Mine sounds very similar to that at the moment. I can't remember it always sounding like it, so must have come on recently. 2012 engine with no previous work apart from a service.
Different brand belts can make more noise, I personally don't use a couple of brands due to this. But yours is OE kit so shouldn't be a problem. Can't hear anything in the vid, it's an in person diagnosis needed. Best of luck getting it sorted!
Ahh, can you not hear it when I am simply revving the engine at the end? I just don't want to kick up even more of a fuss if this is normal. But I'm sure it's not ...
Hmm, I'm not really sure what to think now. It wasn't this loud before though and I've also got a grinding noise from between 2800 and 3000 rpm ...
James it sounds like your having a nightmare, get the work done with the 70% off and the mistakes remedied and then use an independent. My belt work wasn't done right either and was blamed on stones and a twig moving the belt so it rubbed? Hmm funny it happened immediately after the belt work. Mark comes well recommended just a shame I'm in the south
Every time I tension a belt, lining up up the marks, it always seems too tight. What's your tensioning procedure? Paul
I know, you're telling me! I can't wait to start taking it to an independent like Mark. I normally do everything myself (although I've only ever done a chain and not a belt and need the service history anyway) but for the things I can't do in the future I won't be taking it to Renault, that's for sure!
Thanks Mark, I was hoping you would get a chance to listen to this Hopefully it gets sorted! They have agreed to strip it down again but are saying there's only a noise at 4,000 rpm. I know they are just trying to get out of it, will try and find something else wrong and then charge me for it. Fed up with them!
I get a high pitched noise between 40-50 mph in 5th or 6th gear similar to yours when i let of the accelerator and cruise along. To be honest it could have always been there but I am sure it is much worse now! Don't think this could be cambelt related or gearbox ! Who knows !! Renault are useless by the sounds of it you have had a particularly bad one!
Ah really? That's not good! It only does it at that speed when not on the power ! Nothing major I can live with it !
Things have moved on a little bit. It was getting a bit ridiculous as nothing was getting done - I think they were trying to palm me off a little due to my age. My dad ended up giving the operations director of the Holdcroft group a call as he runs a Mazda dealership and knows the guy. Things moved on fairly quickly after he found out what had happened. Car is now with the other dealer (who managed to diagnose the car) and they'll be working on it Monday and Tuesday, stripping it down. They told me they would also replace the water pump and aux belt for good measure. I'm in a diesel Clio courtesy car lol and should be sorted out in a few days! They haven't agreed to do anything on the exhaust yet which is a shame, but they won't admit that they did it and can't really go back on their word now. I'm hoping they will at least weld it up as a gesture of goodwill for causing me all of this hassle, but I'm not hopeful. I just can't wait to get the car back! It feels crap to drive at the moment.
Let us know if anything else gets replaced. On the bright side you will have plenty of miles of fun driving and no need for the belts to be changed for a fair few miles.
Sucks that you have had to go through this but your experience seems typical, rather than out of the ordinary. The majority of Renault dealers don't know crap about the RS range and its for that reason I would never dream of extending my warranty. Makes you wonder if your 25% bill + fuel + time wasted would have worked out not far off just going to an Independent specialist and getting it done properly in the first place?
