Renault Megane Cambelt? Waterpump? problem

[Laney760]

My daughter has a Renault Megane which has to last her until July and she's got very little money to throw at it at the moment. It's developed a whistling noise. The noise is coming from the water pump/cambelt area of the engine. The cambelt is very slightly frayed on one outside edge. Doubt she got any service history with the car. I've told her she can't drive it until it's been looked at and diagnosed as it looks to me like she needs a replacement cambelt immediately. I assume the whistling is coming from the water pump. She says that several people have told her that whistling is a sign that the cambelt is worn, I've never heard of this?? Any advice appreciated, thanks

[Steve940estate]

I don't know if these have a tensioner like 940's, I would imagine they do. I would think the tensioner bearings have failed and thats what the noise is.When they get bad enough they will let the tensioner pulley go out of line. This will then try to push the cam belt off of the pulleys. The belt is probably rubbing on something which is all thats keeping it on.

[cheshired5]

You don't mention how old it is Laney but my girlfriend bought a 1995 Clio the other week.
A cracking little car but it quickly developed a similar noise to the one you describe.
It took around 200 miles for the noise to quickly escalate, then bang, temp sky high, coolant gone, water pump gone.
Luckily I was with her and got her to stop the engine immediately, so that was all the damage there was.
New timing belt and water pump fitted for £180 and the car was saved and is as good as new.
Your daughter will get very little warning when it fails and like many people, will probably try to limp the car home if it happens out and about, in which case she'll kill the engine.
Tell her to take the plunge and get it sorted:thumbs_up:

[Laney760]

Sorry, its a Scenic not a Megane. When I looked at her engine there are quite clearly the fan belt and the timing belt both right near each other on the left hand side of the engine as you look at it with the bonnet up

A ''''mechanic'''', haha, who lives down her road just took a look and told her that's a fan belt just there not a timing belt. Just told her that they are both next to each other and he is talking rubbish. I've just looked at online engine photos and diagrams and they are both next to each other

Anybody on the forum got a Scenic who can back me up here please so that I can try and stop her driving it? Because he is a '''Mechanic''' she is going to listen to him and not me

[Chesh740R]

What year and engine is the scenic?

Just been looking through my timing belt book and my word did they fit a lot of different engines to that car!!

On Most of the engines if the water pump is driven off the cambelt then it will have a tensioner and the water pump pulley in addition to crank and cam pulleys.

If the water pump isn't driven via cam belt then they have 2 additonal guide pulleys.

On renaults I would always change the water pump whilst doing a cambelt as the pumps are a known weak point.

It will have an aux belt to drive the alternator and air con, on my missus clio it has two aux belts in addition to its cambelt

[vampwitch]

Hi Laney,

I have a Y plate Scenic, all that is visible on mine is the auxiliary belt for the alternator, power steering and air con. The cambelt on mine is buried behind this and not visible.
Sorry should have added this is a 1.6 petrol.
Vampwitch

[Laney760]

Hi Laney,

I have a Y plate Scenic, all that is visible on mine is the auxiliary belt for the alternator, power steering and air con. The cambelt on mine is buried behind this and not visible.
Sorry should have added this is a 1.6 petrol.
Vampwitch


Thanks, I do hope you're right and I'm wrong, just waiting to hear back from her, think hers is an 03

I may owe a mechanic an apology!

[Laney760]

Its a 2002 1.6 petrol

[Steve940estate]

If the water pump is cam belt driven then what I said probably still applies. Vauxhals used the water pump to tension the cam belt on older cars.

[Chesh740R]

Ok so that means according to my book it's got the following in a clockwise direction.

Top left camshaft pulley
Top right camshaft pulley
Middle right guide pulley
Directly below the above is water pump pulley
At the bottom Crank shaft pulley
Middle left tensioner pulley

[Laney760]

Thanks Chesh, thats what I saw too

[Tiff]

There is no way to even see the timing belt on a 1.6 Scenic without a lot of stripping down- the engine mount forms part of the timing belt cover. The water pump is driven by the timing belt. Might be worth removing the aux belt just to see if the noise disappears. 16v Renault engines do snap timing belts, and they must be changed at 72,000 miles, preferably sooner. They are a fairly big job to change and need special locking tools, so it's advisable to change the water pump and all tensioners at the same time. Have changed quite a few and it's a pain..

[Laney760]

Thanks everyone, I did omit to say that there was an engine cover off but yes, it's obviously not a cambelt

[Anadinolin]

If the cambelt is frayed, change that too...most garages will fit your sourced parts for you, ask em how much to fit a water pump, cambelt and.tensioners, then ask for tue cost of labour...half the price or less, everytime..or learn how to do it like Moi :)

Ps I call hairy balls on anyone who says you need special tools, havent come across a car that needs it yet!! Ten years or driving 16 cars 7 marques

[cheshired5]

Ps I call hairy balls on anyone who says you need special tools, havent come across a car that needs it yet!! Ten years or driving 16 cars 7 marques

Are you just talking timing belts with this claim?
Only I've just had to have an alternator clutch pulley replaced and couldn't see any way of doing it without a one off purchase of a spline tool

[doingitsideways]

Andrew just uses The Force! ;)

Steve :thumbs_up: