Fan belt / Cambelt ?

Guest101

Can someone in the know help me out. Going on my previous thread and with some research:

Renault scenic 05, 65000 miles.

Two weeks ago, a belt snapped. Battery light and STOP light came on, dealer said it was Cambelt.

Yesterday, belt snapped, battery light went on and STOP light came on and dealer saying it's the fan belt ( which I understand isn't a fan belt anymore)

I'm concerned he's trying to say that it's (another) seperate problem and therefore he's not liable.

To be honest it's be the 4th seperate problem in two months, which in itself to me says the car is and was not fit for purpose when sold. But wondering if both these belts would have the same resulting symptoms?

onomatopoeia99

If the cam belt snaps, the car will stop as the engine won't be firing and possibly the engine will sustain internal damage (depends on the engine design).

If the alternator and miscellaneous other things belt (aka "fan belt") snaps the engine probably won't stop but will continue to run. It's a good idea to turn it off though, as the water pump won't be turning so it will overheat in a very short time.

force_ten

this all sounds very odd to me

if a cam belt breaks while the car is running and driving it can cause severe damage to the engine by bending the valves and it needs a lot of work to put right

I would be very supprised if the cam belt has snapped twice and it hasnt damaged the engine to the point where it is beyond economic repair

you really need to find out what belt has snapped

facade

The first time when the cam belt snapped, did the engine keep running?

This time, did the engine keep running?

When the cam belt snaps, the engine stops dead.

A broken cam belt is usually an expensive major fix as it can damage the valves & pistons.

I wonder if the fan belt (now called auxiliary drive belt BTW) is actually jumping off because of a problem with the pulleys, and this has now happened twice.

50Twuncle

Guest101 wrote: »

Can someone in the know help me out. Going on my previous thread and with some research:

Renault scenic 05, 65000 miles.

Two weeks ago, a belt snapped. Battery light and STOP light came on, dealer said it was Cambelt.

Yesterday, belt snapped, battery light went on and STOP light came on and dealer saying it's the fan belt ( which I understand isn't a fan belt anymore)

I'm concerned he's trying to say that it's (another) seperate problem and therefore he's not liable.

To be honest it's be the 4th seperate problem in two months, which in itself to me says the car is and was not fit for purpose when sold. But wondering if both these belts would have the same resulting symptoms?

I would say that either the dealer was wrong or perhaps you misheard them - if the cambelt breaks - (normally) you will hear a loud noise and the engine will stop because the valves will come in to contact with the pistons and cause hurrendous damage - also it will have cost you several hundred pounds to get changed !!
I reckon that it was the fan belt both times - is he using genuine Renault parts ?

AdrianC

The cambelt is "inside" the engine, and links the camshaft (which operates the valves), and often the water pump. If it belts, the engine stops RAPIDLY and usually crunchily.

The "fanbelt" (auxiliary belt, these days, since the fan is electric) is "outside" the engine and drives relative fripperies like the alternator, power steering pump, aircon compressor. If it breaks, lights come on, but the engine stays running.

I suspect that both failures on your car have been the aux belt, and probably a miscommunication's happened. Either way, the second one should not have happened... Somebody didn't put things together properly.

A belt snapping can just be a skimped service in the past - not replacing the belt when it should've been. It's a cheap and quick 100% fix (or, at least, should be!)

What are the other problems you've had that make you wave the "NFFP" flag?

Guest101

facade wrote: »

The first time when the cam belt snapped, did the engine keep running?

This time, did the engine keep running?

When the cam belt snaps, the engine stops dead.

A broken cam belt is usually an expensive major fix as it can damage the valves & pistons.

I wonder if the fan belt (now called auxiliary drive belt BTW) is actually jumping off because of a problem with the pulleys, and this has now happened twice.

Thank u, this sounds very plausible to me. In both instances the engine kept running.

1st time for 3-4 miles, with a stop home in between.

The second for longer, not sure exact mileage, but was on motorway. All the electrics died, and the engine lost propulsion. Battery seemed drained too, as in Central locking gone, electric handbrake, everything

Slowly_does_it..

Sounds to me like it was the fan belt on both occasions.

From the sounds of it, the engine did not go bang and you stopped straight away in the middle of the road, more the lights came on and you pulled over to stop?

Get another mechanic to have a look at it, you might have a bearing going somewhere on the fan belt, water pump / alternator / tensioner something like that is not working as it should. Then again, it could have just been a bad belt that was put on two weeks ago!

Guest101

50Twuncle wrote: »

I would say that either the dealer was wrong or perhaps you misheard them - if the cambelt breaks - (normally) you will hear a loud noise and the engine will stop because the valves will come in to contact with the pistons and cause hurrendous damage - also it will have cost you several hundred pounds to get changed !!
I reckon that it was the fan belt both times - is he using genuine Renault parts ?

Defo not misheard I've even queried it today. But thank u for the lesson. Honestly didn't know all this, but glad I do now.

No idea if it's genuine parts, but guessing not. It's under his own warranty.

Guest101

AdrianC wrote: »

The cambelt is "inside" the engine, and links the camshaft (which operates the valves), and often the water pump. If it belts, the engine stops RAPIDLY and usually crunchily.

The "fanbelt" (auxiliary belt, these days, since the fan is electric) is "outside" the engine and drives relative fripperies like the alternator, power steering pump, aircon compressor. If it breaks, lights come on, but the engine stays running.

I suspect that both failures on your car have been the aux belt, and probably a miscommunication's happened. Either way, the second one should not have happened... Somebody didn't put things together properly.

A belt snapping can just be a skimped service in the past - not replacing the belt when it should've been. It's a cheap and quick 100% fix (or, at least, should be!)

What are the other problems you've had that make you wave the "NFFP" flag?

Thank u.

Week after I got the car, the engine kept cutting out. He said it was a valve, so he replaced it. The problem returned about 7-10 days later, so replaced it again. The third time he did an oil change etc, and that seemed to work short term. That's three time in 5 weeks, one of the time he had it for 8 days.

Then all ok for approx 3-4 weeks, then the two belt incidents. Basically I've had the car about 7.5 weeks out of the 10 I've owned it. And breaking down on the motorway less than two weeks after the belt was 'fixed', costing £300 in recovery fees.

On top of that, not that I can lay blame on him, but it came with cheap tyres, not worn, just cheap and have had two flats. But that I accept as part of owning a car.

50Twuncle

Guest101 wrote: »

Thank u.

Week after I got the car, the engine kept cutting out. He said it was a valve, so he replaced it. The problem returned about 7-10 days later, so replaced it again. The third time he did an oil change etc, and that seemed to work short term. That's three time in 5 weeks, one of the time he had it for 8 days.

Then all ok for approx 3-4 weeks, then the two belt incidents. Basically I've had the car about 7.5 weeks out of the 10 I've owned it. And breaking down on the motorway less than two weeks after the belt was 'fixed', costing £300 in recovery fees.

On top of that, not that I can lay blame on him, but it came with cheap tyres, not worn, just cheap and have had two flats. But that I accept as part of owning a car.

This sounds decidedly dodgy - you can't just change a single - ALL valves need to be ground in properly - avoid this dealer in future !