Your fleet running reports

[V8Granite]

Seems like the people working on your car are fitters, not mechanics.

Dave!

[scotta]

Seems like the people working on your car are fitters, not mechanics.

Dave!

Hence moving it somewhere else.

[Jobbo]

I wondered how the VVT bits could be at fault when the engine doesn’t change cam after cold start presumably. But your long explanation makes it sound much more likely.

[Alex88]

Sorry to hear this, Scotta. It must feel so effing typical that it happens so early in to your ownership, and if course it's an issue that no one else has had

Hopefully your new garage can get it fixed.

[Alex88]

Mini:

Mini has developed a habit of kicking out a small amount of blueish smoke on startup, here and there. That's really irritating.. these B38 engines are supposed to be bulletproof. I'll keep and eye on it but I fear it's valve stem seals it did ask for an oil top recently, which it's not asked for before.

Mustang:

I was at Modurstang all day yesterday while they fitted new control arms, track rod ends, tie rods, and a Pedders Sportsryder lowering kit. WOW, what a difference! I knew it would be a hell of an improvement but the drive home, even in the pissing rain, was mega. Completely transformed the car. It's gone from floaty and wallowey to being taut, stable, pinned down. The ride is also so much better.

I think I've spent enough this year (about £5k), so will definitely put my other plans off until next summer. Next on the list will be uprated discs and pads - specifically the Brembo's that come stock on the S550 Mustangs, and then some hot-rod cams and a tune. Might then get a fairly decent level of power out of it. It already has the intake and exhaust.

[Sundayjumper]

If it’s any consolation the N14/N18 in the earlier models are prone to valve stem seals too. I wouldn’t worry about it until it gets embarrassingly bad.

[Sundayjumper]

Its at my brothers Renault dealer. Im getting his staff discount on the labour rates - hence the no urgency.

Oh, I’d assumed this was all Renault warranty work Explains their reluctance to work on it any further when they know they don’t know what they’re doing.

[mik]

Mustang:

I was at Modurstang all day yesterday while they fitted new control arms, track rod ends, tie rods, and a Pedders Sportsryder lowering kit. WOW, what a difference! I knew it would be a hell of an improvement but the drive home, even in the pissing rain, was mega. Completely transformed the car. It's gone from floaty and wallowey to being taut, stable, pinned down. The ride is also so much better.

Nice upgrades.

[Alex88]

If it’s any consolation the N14/N18 in the earlier models are prone to valve stem seals too. I wouldn’t worry about it until it gets embarrassingly bad.

Cool, thanks. That was my plan, as I'd rather not be chucking out a load more money at this point if I can avoid it!

[Alex88]

Mustang:

I was at Modurstang all day yesterday while they fitted new control arms, track rod ends, tie rods, and a Pedders Sportsryder lowering kit. WOW, what a difference! I knew it would be a hell of an improvement but the drive home, even in the pissing rain, was mega. Completely transformed the car. It's gone from floaty and wallowey to being taut, stable, pinned down. The ride is also so much better.

Nice upgrades.

Cheers. Really happy with it! Doesn't drive like a creaky old bed anymore

[scotta]

Its at my brothers Renault dealer. Im getting his staff discount on the labour rates - hence the no urgency.

Oh, I’d assumed this was all Renault warranty work Explains their reluctance to work on it any further when they know they don’t know what they’re doing.

Supplying dealer refused warranty claim due to it being used once on track. So at the moment im paying.

[Matty]

Its at my brothers Renault dealer. Im getting his staff discount on the labour rates - hence the no urgency.

Oh, I’d assumed this was all Renault warranty work Explains their reluctance to work on it any further when they know they don’t know what they’re doing.

Supplying dealer refused warranty claim due to it being used once on track. So at the moment im paying.

How do they know that, out of interest?

Still makes me laugh that manufacturers make cars like that then exclude track usage for warranty. Driving hard on road - Police says no. Taking it on track - manufacturer says no.

[integrale_evo]

I’d have thought they’d have to prove that going on track caused the issue. Could maybe understand it if it had spun a bigend or something, but not a cam chain / timing gear issue.

What a ball ache. Is it manual or auto (I forget)

Presume they can check the logs to make sure it hasn’t overrevved on a downshift etc.

Do any track experience days run them? Wonder if they do any upgrades? I know the faster Renaults have a bit of a trackday following, assume the engine is basically the same just in the other end? Not like a caterham where the engine is spun 90° from its normal use which could cause issues.

[scotta]

Alpine UK - “we would cover you for track use” Alpine Glasgow “We would cover you for track use. However if you hit something and damaged it we might not cover that. Like if you hit a kerb and broke a damper ect.”

supplying dealer - Warranty is void cos you’ve used it on track. I’m not here to support track day use.

Let’s see where this goes…

[scotta]

I’d have thought they’d have to prove that going on track caused the issue. Could maybe understand it if it had spun a bigend or something, but not a cam chain / timing gear issue.

What a ball ache. Is it manual or auto (I forget)

Presume they can check the logs to make sure it hasn’t overrevved on a downshift etc.

Do any track experience days run them? Wonder if they do any upgrades? I know the faster Renaults have a bit of a trackday following, assume the engine is basically the same just in the other end? Not like a caterham where the engine is spun 90° from its normal use which could cause issues.

DCT so impossible in theory to over rev.

Knockhill use them as experience cars. So do thruxston.

[Jobbo]

Alpine UK - “we would cover you for track use” Alpine Glasgow “We would cover you for track use. However if you hit something and damaged it we might not cover that. Like if you hit a kerb and broke a damper ect.”

supplying dealer - Warranty is void cos you’ve used it on track. I’m not here to support track day use.

Let’s see where this goes…

As you and I have discussed, warranty is irrelevant - Sale of Goods Act/Consumer Rights Act claim would be the way to go. It’s well within 6 months of purchase so the burden of proof is on the selling dealer to show it’s not faulty. Pretty shoddy show from him; I bet every car he sells is used on track.

[Matty]

Alpine UK - “we would cover you for track use” Alpine Glasgow “We would cover you for track use. However if you hit something and damaged it we might not cover that. Like if you hit a kerb and broke a damper ect.”

supplying dealer - Warranty is void cos you’ve used it on track. I’m not here to support track day use.

Let’s see where this goes…

As you and I have discussed, warranty is irrelevant - Sale of Goods Act/Consumer Rights Act claim would be the way to go. It’s well within 6 months of purchase so the burden of proof is on the selling dealer to show it’s not faulty. Pretty shoddy show from him; I bet every car he sells is used on track.

Oh, when Scott mentioned supplying dealer, I thought he meant the main dealer who originally sold it new. I'm surpised, especially given the stories regarding covering the cost of rebuild due to engine over-rev on the Exige, which was also track related.

[Mito Man]

IIRC the dealer has a line on their website saying they don’t cover track use and they almost exclusively sell track cars…

Is a CRA claim as straightforward as it’s being made out with the track day coming into play? Could be difficult as the dealer isn’t playing ball and then there’s the practicalities of how to go about it. You could end up with a car in bits for many months whilst waiting for a result which could go either way

[Jobbo]

Scott is clearly trying to fix it - the claim would be for the cost of doing so unless he decides he wants to reject it. Rejection would probably be more of a struggle since the dealer would almost certainly say that the work done by Scott even though that was an attempt to fix because the dealer shirked his responsibilities.

Claiming the cost of repair should be easier but is down to evidence - the person who fixes it would be a very useful witness. Everything in writing is my advice.

[jamcg]

How you tried posting on renaultsport/alpine Facebook pages? As it’s more or less a megane engine there may be some knowledge out there. The dephaser pulleys were a known issue to change on the twingo when I had that, so the vvt stuff could be a possibility on yours