The Mégane II Owners' Club

Hi,

I recently bought a 54 plate Megane and am still within the 3 months warranty that the garage gave with the car.

I've noticed that when I slow down from a speed of around 50+ the car seems to shudder. It's not the ABS and it doesn't come through the steering wheel, it seems to be the whole car that shudders and you can hear it too.

Any ideas? I want to take it back to the garage for them to sort out but they are being a bit illusive so would like an idea on what I'm talking about before I take it back to them.

Thanks for any advice.

MrsH

uneven brake wear ?

Mez wrote:uneven brake wear ?

How would I know? I think if I take it back to the garage without more info they will try to fob me off which is exactly what they did when I realised the water in the back wiper didn't work and also the cigarette lighter.

ahhh chic im a girl aswell so i am in the same postion as you

take it back if its under warrenty make urself heard tell them to check ur pads for you if they say they are in need of changing get them done

or take the mr with you x

It might be that the discs are warped.

MrsH wrote:Hi,
I want to take it back to the garage for them to sort out but they are being a bit illusive so would like an idea on what I'm talking about before I take it back to them.
MrsH

Go back to the garage, collect the owner / service person, take him for a drive at over 50mph. Have a conversation about the problem while driving. Drop both mechanic and car off for it to be investigated and fixed.

There are loads of reasons why the shuddering might occur: warped discs, pads need replacing, unbalanced wheels (rear if not felt through the steering wheel), wheel bearings, steering alignment, general major mechanical fault, and so on.

Do it as soon as possible - if they can't find the problem (which they probably won't on the first occasion), you will have plenty of time to keep returning it before the warranty is up.

Don't under any circumstances pay for any repair work. If they can't fix it, get your money back and reject the car or make arrangements for them to pay for another garage to fix the problem. Get all notes of work done or things checked in writing.

davelowe wrote:

MrsH wrote:Hi,
I want to take it back to the garage for them to sort out but they are being a bit illusive so would like an idea on what I'm talking about before I take it back to them.
MrsH

Go back to the garage, collect the owner / service person, take him for a drive at over 50mph. Have a conversation about the problem while driving. Drop both mechanic and car off for it to be investigated and fixed.

There are loads of reasons why the shuddering might occur: warped discs, pads need replacing, unbalanced wheels (rear if not felt through the steering wheel), wheel bearings, steering alignment, general major mechanical fault, and so on.

Do it as soon as possible - if they can't find the problem (which they probably won't on the first occasion), you will have plenty of time to keep returning it before the warranty is up.

Don't under any circumstances pay for any repair work. If they can't fix it, get your money back and reject the car or make arrangements for them to pay for another garage to fix the problem. Get all notes of work done or things checked in writing.

Thank you. I've called the garage and told them I will be coming in at the weekend, I will suggest taking them out so they can feel the shudder too.
I'm not going to be messed about, it wasn't a cheap car and they bragged so much about their after sales service yet each fault I have found they have tried to wriggle out of.

The spare key didn't work so they told me to put a new battery in which I did, then they questioned if I had put the battery in the wrong way. I took the car to them and they took it to a garage to get the key coded again but this didn't work so it had to go to a dealer who confirmed that the key was broken inside (a chip?) and needed a whole new key so they have been billed for that. I told them the water for the back window was coming out at the front and they questioned if I was pushing the right button - I'm not stupid! I told them that the cigarette lighter didn't work and they told me I must have blown the fuse as I tried to charge a phone in it but never had that problem in my old car, turns out it was a fault with it and not me doing something wrong. When they gave me a courtesy car it reeked of smoke and was yellow inside and was absolutely filthy. The petrol light came on as I pulled out of the garage as did the ABS light but they said they had no other car that I could take.

They keep trying to turn it back on me but I've had enough. There's still 2 months left on the warranty so will get it over there this weekend and might ask for the warranty to be extended.

You know, I guess, that within the first 6 months it is the business of the seller to prove that the fault was not present at the moment of the purchase. Use the Sale of Goods and Services Act as a stick.

i will go with warped discs, my old laguna did same and it was less then a year old so mr warren tee paid for that.

don't let the garage fob you off........

Thanks everyone for your replies. We're heading over to the garage this weekend to get them to take a look, we will not be fobbed off.
Actually we're at the local dealer tomorrow to have the new key coded so will ask them what they think too so have plenty of information before we go.

Will let you know what they say!

Thanks everyone.

it will def be the brake discs warped maybe the rear ones if you cant feel it through the steering wheel,one way of confirming this (if they are an mot test station) is to ask for it to be brake tested on the rollers and if you have any doubts watch them do it if the needles on the gauges fluctuate escessivley as they depress the brake then that brake disc is warped

Update: We took the car over and they kept it for a couple of days while they put new break pads on the front. This seemed to do the trick for a month or so but the shuddering is now back and seems worse than before. Does that mean they put cheap ones on and they have worn or do the back ones need doing too?
This is getting on my nerves now!

Also, the car cuts out quite often when it's been started. Hubby says it's the 'timing' but they told us they had checked it and that was fine but obviously something is wrong as the car shouldn't start then cut out sometimes 2 or 3 times before you can get it in gear and start moving.

Any thoughts?

hi, what engine? , year? is it.. if its the 1.6VVT it could possibly be the dephaser pulley, of which is a part of the timing, you also have to get the cambelt and pulleys done when doing it, so make sure you get to the dealer and ask them to maybe keep it over night and havce a look for you, theres a distinctive rattley sound which means the dephasers on its way out, do you get this when starting it?

MrsH wrote:Update: We took the car over and they kept it for a couple of days while they put new break pads on the front. This seemed to do the trick for a month or so but the shuddering is now back and seems worse than before. Does that mean they put cheap ones on and they have worn or do the back ones need doing too?
This is getting on my nerves now!

Also, the car cuts out quite often when it's been started. Hubby says it's the 'timing' but they told us they had checked it and that was fine but obviously something is wrong as the car shouldn't start then cut out sometimes 2 or 3 times before you can get it in gear and start moving.

Any thoughts?

If they renewed the front brake pads, this should be obvious by removing the front wheels and inspecting the pads - there should be a lot of friction material left on both sides of the disc. Both sides should be equal - as should both sides of the car (if you get what I mean...). I suggest that you buy/beg/borrow a micrometer (Argos sell them I think for £20). This is a simple tool that accurately measures thickness. It's a U shaped thing that has a screw thread at one end which you turn until it 'bites' the disc. Take a reading at various points on the disc. They should all be very similar AND NOT BE BELOW THE MINIMUM THICKNESS. See the online manuals for your car's values. There is a more complex way of measuring disc warping but you will probably find it too fiddly (I did).

If the above doesn't answer your question, the calliper may be seized (especially if the wear isn't equal either side of either disc).

As to the cutting out problem. It could mean that the throttle body needs cleaning, or it could well be the dephaser as mentioned. The former can be done at home, the latter costs a lot. Back to the garage perhaps?

Oh, and don't believe anything they tell you unless you have watched them do it!

davelowe wrote: or it could well be the dephaser as mentioned. The former can be done at home, the latter costs a lot. Back to the garage perhaps?

there isn't a dephaser on 1.4 so likely to be throttle body as mentioned or one of the many engine sensors.