Service - Renault Megane

moochie

Hi,

Good anyone give me a rough indication of how much i would be expecting to pay for the following work on a 98 Renault Megane?

• Replace Timing Belt
• Service for NCT
• Replace Break Pads and Discs

Thanks

Rich

BrianD3

OK with a 98 car, you'll probably go to an independent garage/mechanic. Is it the 1.4E engine you have? This is a pretty simple unit. I'd say 200 quid for the timing belt and accesories belts change, 150 quid for the service, 200 quid for the new discs and pads.

If you decide to replace the water pump and timing belt tensioner as part of the timing belt change (which would be wise if there is no record of them having been done before) then add about another 80-150 quid depending on whether you get a spurious pump of a genuine one. The spurious ones are fine IME.

moochie

Thanks for your reply Brian,

Yes the car is a 1.4. I first priced getting the job done with Sandyford Renault but they proved a little expensive for my budget:

Timing Belt(with pump change & cooleant) = 550
Service = 240
Disc breaks = 200

I am now thinking of getting it done in a "Renault Authorised Repair Centres" which would cost

Timing Belt(no pump change) = 320
Service = 200
Disc breaks = 140

The reason i want to go to a renault dealer is the speedometer has stopped working in the past few days. I was told it's probably just a speedo cable so hopefully that is all!! Do you think i should avoid renault dealers and get it done by any mechanic. Are those prices a bit high?

Have you any input on the speedometer problem?

How important is it to get the pump changed?

Thanks for advice

Rich

BrianD3

Any decent garage/mechanic should be able to investigate and fix the speedo, no need to go to a main dealer for it. Hopefully it is just the cable but if it is the speedometer head itself that needs replacing that would be a lot more expensive (don't know how much) You will need to get it fixed before the NCT anyway as a working speedometer is required to pass.

As for the water pump - if you know it hasn't been done in the last 50k miles or you don't know if it has been done or not then I would replace it as they do go and replacing it cost about the same as changing a timing belt. I think the part itself is around 45 euros from GSF car parts and around double that from Renault. Labour to fit the pump will be very little extra if the job is done at the same time as the timing belt. I wonder if this "renault authorised repair centre" will use a part that you supply or do they insist on using genuine parts?

The charge of 320 for the belt change (does this include tensioners etc. or just the belt) sounds a little high but the price for the new brakes sounds good. The price for the service sounds a bit high but if it includes a comprehensive pre NCT check then it's not bad. I personally think pre NCTs are a waste and you'd be better off just getting a normal oil/plugs/filters service and getting the lights aligned rather than getting everything checked.

murphaph

moochie wrote:

Timing Belt(with pump change & cooleant) = 550
Service = 240
Disc breaks = 200

Those prices are extortionate. The car has one of the easiest timing belt changes I have ever seen (no engine mounts to undo, just take the cover off and start the job!), the coolant is 20 quid over the counter at Renault themselves and a belt might run to 30 or 40 tops, with pump costing no more than 100 even from Renault, so they're charging 400 odd quid labour :eek:

Forget about getting a car that old done at Renault. If you really don't have anybody handy to do the brakes and service at least then deffo get it done at a backstreet mechanic. Most DIY competent folks can replace brake pads and discs and a service is reall quite easy on a modern car like that. Maybe you should get a haynes manual and learn how to change the oil/filters/plugs yourself? 20 quid well spent and you'll save a fortune on services. A service in a main dealer is usually performed by a spotty 16 year old apprentice anyways so you're deluding yourself if you think you're getting a world of experience looking at your motor.

The speedo issue might be a fuse, check them first!! If the speedo unit is dead you'll get one from the scrapyards handy enough. Cullens on the Greenhills Rd had a couple of Phase I Megane's being broken last time I was there.

Best of luck with it. As Brian said, try getting the parts yourself at GSF in Clondalkin and just paying for labour.

As for NCT checks, forget them. Just check all your bulbs are working and have it serviced and see what happens. I put a 96 megane through the NCT last week and just serviced it, no more, no less and it passed everything easily.