Dephaser again?! Surely not...HELP PLEASE!!

[Masta_Inc]

My 52 plate Megane has had everything that could conceivably fail go wrong with it.

In 18 months of ownership it has had a new Camshaft dephaser, cam sensor, crank sensor, 4 new coils, new throttle body, all going wrong intermittently.

Last November the dephaser was done to the tune of £700, today in the icy weather it starts 3rd time around with the first 2 attempts making the dreaded grinding noise. I fear the new depahser, which I was assured by Renault was modified to avoid it being complete and utter crap, has gone again. This is the first time I've heard it since it was 'fixed', and only in the cold weather.

Please could someone tell me there is something else that makes that awful noise, I really can't afford another £700 job and the warrenty on the work expired on the 28th November - unbelievable really. I am fed up with this car and it's quite depressing!!

Alternatively, if anyone knows from a warrenty perspective where I stand on the work given that I was assured the new dephaser was modified and the warrenty expired last week, that would be really appreciated.

Cheers.

[andywills]

talk to them...with it only being a week they may acomodate or compramise, afterall it's not like it's 3-6 months later

[markren2004]

all common issues i'm afraid...
i think you want to make the warranty people aware of your current issue ASAP...i know the warranty has just run out last week so the sooner the better just in case theyre in a good mood.
then see if the issue persists.

[andywills]

the thing that really puzzles me about the dephaser is that with it being in its third reincarnation, several renault tech. notes (even specifing oils), Renault's reputation for it spiralling, and the cost which will be absolutely bugger all to them...(approx. £130 for the part, but take off the dealers markup which is probably around the 50% mark) you would think that they would not quibble with it at all and just replace/discount it...

plus...this used to be standard practice, but not sure if they do this anymore...repair for free, wait till the same spec car comes in for a warranty issue that is still under warranty and book it against that car so the dealer can claim it back

[markren2004]

The thing is with the dephaser part is it's ONLY available via renault..it is made by Delphi, i tried to get one direct but they were having none of it...they told me it's not a aftermarket part yet.
The other thing is that to replace it also needs a few hours labour and as a side effect it also needs a new full cambelt kit. so your part costs are £300+ before you start, which if your cambelt is due anyway it softens the blow a bit.

what renault should do to get a bit of credability back is to heavily discount the part, and highly recommend changing it as part of cambelt service which would minimise owner costs.

[andywills]

where you getting £300 from? cambelt kit is £60 inc. delivery

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RENAULT-CLIO-II-LAGUNA-MEGANE-K4J-K4M-TIMING-BELT-KIT_W0QQitemZ380087145254QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item380087145254&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

and here's the dephaser...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Scenic-II-03-dephaser-pulley-RRP-139-42-PN-7701478505_W0QQitemZ250335473832QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item250335473832&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

and here's the waterpump if you want to go the whole hog....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RENAULT-CLIO-KANGOO-SCENIC-MEGANE-K4M-WATER-PUMP_W0QQitemZ180262010025QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item180262010025&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[markren2004]

where you getting £300 from? cambelt kit is £60 inc. delivery

yes you can DIY for £200 but it's beyond the capability of the basic home mechanic.
The cost @ maindealer is £300 parts and you end up with a £500+ bill, thats where most people go for dephaser issues.