Urgent advice needed on Renault Espace 2.2Dci engine

[c2jimi]

I have a Renault Espace 2.2DCI 2004 and has done about 57,000 miles. Had a full service and cambelt change, etc, at the dealer around Christmas time. It was making a slight knocking sound at the weekend, was advised not to drive it and took it to the dealers at the weekend. So far they charged me £400 and have checked the injectors, taken the rocker box off, etc, but found no problem up top.

They have now come back and said the engine would need to be stripped and the cylingers, pistons examined, etc. To go ahead with the strip down will cost me about £1100 in labour plus any parts plus labour to put it back together. I am waiting to speak to them, but the fault is obviously low down in the engine somewhere. I'm told it could be a crankshaft issue - bearings moved or something lower down, e.g. big end, etc.

As the car is worth about £5,000 trade in, I'd like it going as cheaply as possible to make it a viable economic repair. I've made some enquiries and can source a new engine for about £1,750+VAT including the turbo, £1450+VAT without the turbo or £850+VAT just the block.

Can any anyone familar with these engines advise me if they feel I should cut my losses and get the new engine with no turbo and get them to fit it or can I just get the black and get them to put it back together. They are coming back to me with a price to fit a new block and price to fit a replacement engine if I source it myself.

I'm not intending to keep the car, I just want it back on the road before I part-ex it for something else if it's viable to repair.

Thanks, James

[SwineFluPirate]

I take it that it's a Renault main dealer? Always get a second opinion I say! Once you have found out the exact problem with the car, get a reputable independant to carry out the work. It could save you up to 50% in some cases.

Where are you based?

[c2jimi]

SwineFluPirate said:

I take it that it's a Renault main dealer? Always get a second opinion I say! Once you have found out the exact problem with the car, get a reputable independant to carry out the work. It could save you up to 50% in some cases.

Where are you based?

Based in Southampton and yes it is at the main dealer. Trouble is the engine is in bits now - rocker box off, etc, plus all that goes with it, so it would be difficult to transport it elsewhere. I feel I'm kind of stuck with them putting it back together now.

Edited by c2jimi on Thursday 29th April 10:31

[c2jimi]

Just been told the dealer would charge me £1174-85 in labour to swap the engine one for another, and £2067 to rebuild if I just got the block. so totals would be:

new engine (no turbo) + engine swap = £2877
new engine block + rebuild = £3065

Or I could try and get it taken to an independent for repair.

Any thoughts? Other than Jeez, why the hell did he buy that!

James.

[anonymous-user]

How much will they charge to put it back together? I've heard good things about Rentech near Poole, they did the cambelt on my 172 before I owned it and they are a lot cheaper than a main dealer. It just depends on the cost of the main dealer putting it back together and moving it to Rentech combined with the cost of the repairs once there. Still, it could be a cheaper option.

[c2jimi]

MSTRBKR said:

How much will they charge to put it back together? I've heard good things about Rentech near Poole, they did the cambelt on my 172 before I owned it and they are a lot cheaper than a main dealer. It just depends on the cost of the main dealer putting it back together and moving it to Rentech combined with the cost of the repairs once there. Still, it could be a cheaper option.

There is a Rentech at Portsmouth who are very reputable. I'm arranging to get it moved there and have a reconditioned engine delivered to them to be put in for under £3k all in. Not ideal, but at least I know where I stand with it and am not throwing good money after bad getting the dealer to do more investigation.

[anonymous-user]

Good to hear that.

How bad was this knocking? Was it just a light tick or could you hear it over engine revs, stereo etc.?

[c2jimi]

MSTRBKR said:

Good to hear that.

How bad was this knocking? Was it just a light tick or could you hear it over engine revs, stereo etc.?

It was fairly slight, more of a tick than a clear knock, although it could clearly be heard when the engine was just ticking over. My wife normally uses the car, and only started to notice it when she was out last week. However, the guy that lives next door to us, who was outside at the time, subsequently said he could definitely hear it as the car pulled away.

[anonymous-user]

c2jimi said:

MSTRBKR said:

Good to hear that.

How bad was this knocking? Was it just a light tick or could you hear it over engine revs, stereo etc.?

It was fairly slight, more of a tick than a clear knock, although it could clearly be heard when the engine was just ticking over. My wife normally uses the car, and only started to notice it when she was out last week. However, the guy that lives next door to us, who was outside at the time, subsequently said he could definitely hear it as the car pulled away.

Hmmm. If you hadn't said it can be heard when pulling away I'd have said it was the lifters. But as you say the top of the engine was inspected anyway.

[Superhoop1904]

If you would like a second opinion or would like another quote then I work at Hemming Renault in Chichester.

Let me know, not saying that we would be any cheaper than another main dealer but you never know.

Other wise I have just taken in a lovely '07 plate that might be up your street.

[c2jimi]

Guys,
Thanks all for the advice. The dealer took the rocker box off, checked injectors, etc, and didn't find anything. Instead of paying him to strip the engine down further I decided to cut my losses and go the new engine route. I've ordered a reconditioned one complete with turbo ready to drop in. Rentech will be doing the work for me once I get the vehicle transported to them. The MOT is due later this year so I've pretty much decided to keep it until around teh point the MOT is due and then and part-ex it for something non-Renault.

I kind of got the feeling the dealer was stringing me a long a bit saying, yeah we can strip it down and see what's up with it for ££££ and not really saying what they find would probably need a new engine/rebuild anyway.

James.

[DaveBenyon]

This sounds to me like the timing belt being one tooth or more out. According to the boss at a really good HGV garage this fault crops up more often than might be expected especially if d1ckhead mechanics were employed by the Main Dealer. For example "A lady came in with a Volkswagen Passat that had just had its cam-belt replaced elsewhere but the engine was now knocking! My mechanics were about to strip the engine down but I stopped them and advised the lady to take her car back to the garage that messed it up".

I once bought a Land Rover 300 TDi that had been messed-up the same way by Hoorah Henries. It was never right until I sorted it out properly and it needed new pistons as the valves had hammered "volcanoes" into the piston crowns. I will however admit that if the engine is still in the car one needs to look at the timing marks using a mirror so that they are being viewed squarely. If one just looks at the marks from the top the parallax error WILL mess-up the timing! On the 300 TDi belt kits they now supply an upgraded bottom pulley that has flanges to prevent the belt from "walking" but some brands seem to trust to luck! (In actual fact if the cam wheels are "crowned" ever so slightly the belt will centre itself)

Good luck!

[750turbo]

5 years!

[mattroofer]

I also have an espace 55 plate 2.2dci I brought the car with a broken oil pump which I have replaced now I've put it all back together it starts fine but has a horrible loud knocking noise sounds bottom end and seems a lot of thick smoke from the exhausted does anyone have any ideas what it is causing these problem

[jagracer]

OP,I think these have the brake vacuum pump bolted on the end of the camshaft like the smaller dci engines, these can break up and make a ticking or a loud knocking noise depending how bad they are.