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Returning Clio Buyer?


terrytaipan

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Hi All,

 

previously owned a 182 cup and now about to pull the trigger on another Clio (172 this time).

 

The dealer is telling me there is  a full service history with Renault dealerships and couple of other places, but there is no record of the last belt change, they have had a mechanic look over it and tell me the belt looks new.

 

I'm going to check it out myself this weekend, is there anything particular I should be looking for too see if it has in fact been changed recently?

 

 

Cheers for the help in advance.

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I'm no mechanic, but how do you check a belt is new if you don't pull the engine apart? Not to mention, how do you know how old a belt is by looking at it?  :?

Unless it's documented, I'd assume it's not been done.

Dodgy dealer by the sound of it. Some will say anything to seal the deal.

Personally, I wouldn't pull the trigger unless it was checked by a Renault Clio specialist first.

Good luck!

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Yeah I tend to agree. He said the mechanic looked at it and it had no cracks or anything like that.

 

Its this one if anyone knows anything about it? http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Renault-Clio-2002/AGC-AD-17389106/?Cr=1

 

Also, what are peoples thoughts on Sims Motors in Brunswick, they advertise as French Specialists but I have not seen them mentioned on here, the reviews on Google are all positive. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with them?

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Don't dealers by law have to give you the previous owners details?

http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/motor-cars/buying-a-used-car/ways-to-buy-a-used-car/licensed-motor-car-trader

http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/motor-cars/buying-a-used-car/before-you-buy-a-used-car/determining-the-age-of-the-car

You are entitled to ask for the previous owners details if it's not displayed on the car.

It might be an idea to chat with them.

Edited by apple3337
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It's not just the belt that wears and needs replacing. There are other components, like plastic pulleys, that can fail and are included in the genuine belt kit. Without service history showing it has been done, I'd assume it hasn't and factor it into the purchase price.

 

I don't know anything about that particular car but it has been on the market for at least a couple of months.

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As Deb points out the belt itself is only part of the deal, I have a 182 in the garage that I'm in the process of recomissioning that had the belt changed and then shortly there after had one of the old idler pulleys fail resulting in 16 bent valves....It's not a 'best guess' type of thing.

 

The belts themselves never seem to get to point of developing cracks like the aux belt might or an average fan belt, they snap long before that!

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Agree with all of the above. With the F4R engine, it's usually a seized pulley that throws a belt which then causes the catastrophic damage. New belts and pulleys are part of the timing/accessory belt kit. No documentation and I'd be allowing for the whole job to be done again straight away for peace of mind.

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If you decide against the Clio in the end; that red quad bike in the background looks pretty good :wink2:

 

And a little lingering Italian too by the looks... mmmm  :wub:

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