Advice needed on problem with Renault Megane please :)

Georgiegirl256

Hi,

As per title, I have a Renault Megane, DCI, 04 reg, I've owned it since September 2011.

I can't remember how long after purchasing it (it was out of the three months warranty I know that much), I started having problems with it, it was coming up with messages on the display like 'injector fault' 'check injectors', not all the time, just every now and again. I took it in to my local garage a few times - we know the owner and always take our cars there - and each time, he could never find anything wrong with it.

Anyhow, it all came to a head, and I guess this was the catalyst for all the problems I'm about to describe, when my OH put petrol into the car which is a diesel :mad: I knew not to start the car, and got some guys to push it off the forecourt, and then phoned the garage who sent a tow truck round to collect it. He flushed it out, did whatever he had to do etc?? I collected it, and then a week later, it broke down, the STOP light came on, and we had to get it towed back to the garage again

He had it for 8 weeks after that (he's a lovely, kind guy, but he's not the fastest!), but it stumped them and eventually they had to admit defeat, and it got towed to the nearest Renault garage. They then diagnosed £3800 worth of work. :eek: This was way too much, and the car is not even worth that much, so we looked around and found a diesel specialist on the same estate who could do it for £2500, still a lot I know, but we thought that as we'd get nothing for it hardly scrap wise, and would have to purchase a new car anyhow, we'd go ahead, as it is still in really good nick otherwise (I know that sounds daft, but you know what I mean?!).

They did ALOT of work on it (I can provide a list if needs be), and said whilst the catalyst to all the problems was probably the petrol being put in, it looked like someone had been putting the wrong fuel in for ages, and it definetly wasn't me, or the OH as the was the first time he'd had the car, so it had to have been the previous owner perhaps?

Anyhow, so I got the car back, and didn't have any problems for nearly 5 months, when it started to not start first time now and again, so I decided whilst still in warranty, I would take it back through to get it checked, as I didn't want any problems to escalate etc. So they had it for a few days, said there was some errors coming up on the computer, and then cleared them and it was ready to collect.

So we went through on the train to collect it, got in the car, it took 3 attempts to start it, I went in and told them, they said, oh it's maybe just cause its been standing there, I thought that strange, but anyhow. Literally two to three hundred yards down the road, the stop light came on, beeping etc, and it broke down again. I had to run back to the garage, they collected it, and it had to stay in, and we had to get the train back. :mad: It had at least been working fine (apart from sometimes taking 2 goes to start) up until I'd took it in again.

They said they'd keep in touch, but they haven't, and I've had to chase them, they said the reason being is that they are trying to source a second hand part, as the problem now is is that the Tank sender unit has gone, the part that controls the fuel gauge or something? Air is getting into the fuel tank etc.

I'm not very happy as after paying out all that money and being told that "everything that needed replaced has been done, and it's DEFIENTLY sorted" for this now to happen. They're saying it's a different part (which it is I know), and I'll have to pay, but for it to be coming up with the EXACT same error messages, I just don't know anymore.

Please can anyone advise me on the situation, how to deal with the garage, what to say etc, I'm really confused now

So sorry that's it's so long, but thank you so much if you've got this far!

Ultrasonic

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare . My last car was an older model Megane - it was a crap car and I'm glad to be shot of it.

Some info on what was done the first time, and what you are being told needs to be done now would probably be helpful for the mechanics who post here (not me!) to be able to advise you.

Georgiegirl256

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Sounds like a bit of a nightmare . My last car was an older model Megane - it was a crap car and I'm glad to be shot of it.

Some info on what was done the first time, and what you are being told needs to be done now would probably be helpful for the mechanics who post here (not me!) to be able to advise you.

Thanks

Will post some more info after lunch.

Georgiegirl256

Ok, so here's what was done to the vehicle originally:

Found massive amounts of filings in the fuel tank, so removed the CR pump and examine, beyond repair.

Remove injectors, test. Strip and service, reassemble and test.

Drain fuel tank, remove tank and clean, also clean all fuel lines, replace fuel filter, supply clean diesel, reassemble vehicle and road test.

New timing belt kit, fuel filter, diesel system treatment, Delphi control valve, CR washer sets, CR nozzle kits, CR pump, glow plugs, fuel tank seal.

Diesel labour alone was £600. :eek:

If anyone could advise me, I would be very grateful Is this Tank sender unit something that should have been replaced at the time? It just seems strange that it's coming up with exactly the same fault again?

Also, why would air be getting into the fuel tank?

Ultrasonic

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Also, why would air be getting into the fuel tank?

Did you mean air there? Air in the fuel tank is entirely normal. If a fuel tank is half-full of diesel, the other half would normally be full of air.

Georgiegirl256

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Did you mean air there? Air in the fuel tank is entirely normal. If a fuel tank is half-full of diesel, the other half would normally be full of air.

Thanks for replying

I don't know? I'm totally clueless when it comes to things like this They explain something over the phone, and it goes in one ear and out the other, I get confused with all these different parts etc! I'm going to write it down next time.

I'm sure he mentioned something about air or bubbles maybe? Maybe not the fuel tank, maybe the fuel lines....or whatever they're called? I'm sure he said something about that, maybe I just heard something that I thought was that?

But, the main problem I think is this tank sender unit, and the fact it keeps on coming up with injector faults again and not starting all the time, and the stop light coming on, just like it was doing originally.

Timay

If I was you as soon as you got the massive bill more than the car was worth or anywhere near it I would of bought another car with the amount you spent on the repair and sold the other one as spares or repair or just scrapped it as it doesn't matter how good the interior or exterior looks if the engine is knackered and it does go anywhere.

plus with them not seeming to know what is 100% wrong with it or why it happened chances are they won't ever solve it completely.

Ultrasonic

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

I'm sure he mentioned something about air or bubbles maybe? Maybe not the fuel tank, maybe the fuel lines....

That makes more sense .

Georgiegirl256

Timay wrote: »

If I was you as soon as you got the massive bill more than the car was worth or anywhere near it I would of bought another car with the amount you spent on the repair and sold the other one as spares or repair or just scrapped it as it doesn't matter how good the interior or exterior looks if the engine is knackered and it does go anywhere.

plus with them not seeming to know what is 100% wrong with it or why it happened chances are they won't ever solve it completely.

I know, but the fact is, we made that decision at the time, because we thought that would be for the best (rightly or wrongly perhaps?), and I really just need to know where I can go from here etc?

I was told it was 100% fixed, problem solved etc, and for it to go again in such a short space of time, well, as you can imagine, I'm not best pleased.

I know they'll turn round and say its a different part (well, actually they have said that), and I know that it is, but for it to be coming up with the exact same fault, isn't it something that should have been replaced at the time.

Id just like to know what to say to them when they phone up (or I phone them), and how to deal with the situation going forward.

Georgiegirl256

Ultrasonic wrote: »

That makes more sense .

Good

Like I say, I'm abit dizzy when it comes to things like this!

Ultrasonic

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Id just like to know what to say to them when they phone up (or I phone them), and how to deal with the situation going forward.

In the first instance I'd suggest finding out exactly what they think the problem is, what they think they could do to fix it, and what they quote as the cost for this. Then post the information here to see what more knowledgeable people than I have to say about it...

For what it's worth, I thought the fuel tank sender unit was used to measure the volume of fuel in the tank, to then be displayed on your fuel gauge. I don't see how this could have anything to do with air getting into the fuel lines. But I am not a mechanic or any sort of car expert!