Finding quotes for Nissan Micra timing chain (in Dublin)

Piercemeear

Hi all,

My girlfriend's mother's '04 Nissan Micra starting making an awful rattling, ticking noise last week, and I brought it to our local mechanic, who says he thinks it's a link in the timing chain. He doesn't do this job for Nissans and advised me to find a Nissan garage to do the work.

The place we used to bring it to for bigger jobs closed last year, and I've no idea where to ask for quotes. I believe it's quite an expensive job, but an old thread here suggested the quotes vary. Hoping for a cheap quote, but not at the expense of the work. Could anyone give me a suggestion in the Dublin area?

Thanks,
Pierce

biko

That's the K12 Micra
It's a big job, engine will come out and take a day or so. You'd be looking between 700 and 1000 for it.

dogmatix

biko wrote: »

That's the K12 Micra
It's a big job, engine will come out and take a day or so. You'd be looking between 700 and 1000 for it.

Aye - they are not cheap and 700 - 1000 is about right. In all the years I had my K12, it went through 2 timing chain changes. I think the initial problem is that Nissan shoehorned a crappy low quality renault timing chain in the original 2003 and 2004 K12's. Or where told by their Renault masters to use renault parts wherever possible. When getting it done, ask the garage what sort of service life you can expect from the new chain.

Bigus

Consider changing the car , it's getting harder to insure cars over 10 years old even on existing insurance policy renewals, so her money might end up,down the drain come insurance renewal time and you might be sorry for helping then :eek:

Cee-Jay-Cee

It'd probably be much cheaper to source and engine from a breakers yard and fitting it.

jimbis

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It'd probably be much cheaper to source and engine from a breakers yard and fitting it.

That's the decision I came to when I was going to replace my timing chain (Nissan cube, same engine). And it'll have a new chain and other bits added before it goes in.

Piercemeear

Thanks for the input, all. I had read the price might be in that range, alright. Probably not in a position to buy a new car right now, so 700 might still be preferable if it wasn't pouring money down the drain. Car is relatively low-milage (110k) and not very frequently used, but still useful.

Still have no idea where to bring it, so if anyone could recommend a garage that might come out on the lower end of that estimate I'm all ears.

Bigus wrote: »

Consider changing the car , it's getting harder to insure cars over 10 years old even on existing insurance policy renewals, so her money might end up,down the drain come insurance renewal time and you might be sorry for helping then :eek:

The insurance is up for renewal right now and unchanged since last year, so I think we're okay on that score.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It'd probably be much cheaper to source and engine from a breakers yard and fitting it.

I am not a car person at all, so unless the garage suggests this (or takes me up on my suggestion?) it sounds unlikely.

IrishZeus

Where (roughly speaking) in Dublin are you, Op? Would be easier to give a recommendation with a general locality in mind.

Piercemeear

IrishZeus wrote: »

Where (roughly speaking) in Dublin are you, Op? Would be easier to give a recommendation with a general locality in mind.

South inner city but happy to bring it a bit further afield...