Cambelts are becoming a real dilemma nowadays due to the cost involved with associated repairs running to hundreds of pounds if not more !If you look in detail at the manufacturers advice regarding belts you would inspect them every day ! I tell all my customers of the risk and expense whenever they are considering buying a new/used vehicle, we are all aware of the high risk motors, ford 1800 diesels, ecotec vauxhalls, every single Renault on the road, to name but a few,I recently had a 1200 Clio in for service only an 8 valve with 68000 on the clock,no history, as others have said I told him the consequences and 2 weeks later the belt went, he was gutted as was his wallet cos the total bill was around £500, but, and this is the crux, I had told him !!!, with everything that goes with this type of job, the moral being if you tell them and they do nothing then the ball is in their court.For some reason I have found Renault to be the most mileage sensitive vehicles on the road, 20 miles over the reccomended change and they break !The 16v 98 on Laguna's on are a 48000 or 4 year change, as bad as GM with the ecotec's. I now find myself doing a lot of complex belt changes for other garages in my area because they do not want the liability, I have spent hundreds on belt tension gauges and timing kits and do not refuse any of these jobs but make VERY clear I change the belt and whatever ancillaries I deem necessary, ie Water pump, tensioner pulleys, aux. pulleys as an extra , so far this approach has worked for me because no one wants a huge repair bill for a wrecked engine. I will also help if you suffer financial consequences, there but for the grace of god go all of us ! regards Tony
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