Friday 3 October 2014

Our Renault is Dead - A Cautionary Tale

Posted by Rosie

On Wednesday our Renault Mégane took it's final journey to the scrap yard.  Simon wanted to write to the insurance company that it had "suffered terminal major organ failure after surgery by a rookie mechanic" but he wasn't too sure they would get the sarcasm so he left me to write it here!

It is a long story starting back in May when the Renault first broke down but I will not bore you with all the details here. However, I would suggest you read at least the next paragraph if, like us, you know little about engines and might therefore be able to save yourself a lot of money and hassle.

If your car breaks down and the problem seems to be the injectors, do not get them changed until the fuel pump has been checked.  It is quite likely that the fuel pump has broken and when this happens the ball bearings inside it break into minute iron filings which get into the fuel.  The contaminated fuel then passes through the very sensitive injectors which will be damaged.  The filings will also get into all the fuel pipes and tank and some will wedge in the walls.  Unless all pipes and the tank are changed when the new injectors and pump are fitted then more iron filings will soon be released into the fuel, once again irrevocably damaging the injectors. 

The mechanic we went to did not do all of this and we have spent out a lot of money to end up with a car that would only now work if we were to buy yet more injectors, a new fuel tank and new pipes.  THAT is why the car is now in engine heaven and we are poorer for our efforts ... but just a little bit wiser should this ever happen again.


The boys washing the car in the days when it worked!

2 comments :

  1. How annoying to have spent that money and still to end up with no car :(

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    Replies
    1. I know .... and we thought we were so lucky breaking down outside the garage. Pity it turned out to be run by a mechanic who didn't seem to know his stuff :(

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