[Darren O]

Just bought a 10plate Renault traffic sport in mint condition it had 130,000 miles on the clock wasn't to bothered about the high mileage when I went to pick it up the guy said its just been fitted with a reconditioned engine and the new engine has only done 28,000 he showed me the invoice cost him £1700 has anyone on here ever had a reconditioned engine fitted in there van and did they have any bother with it.The guy that sold me the van has his own garage and seems a great guy and says If I have any problems I can phone him anytime the van drives great love these vans for the past 7 years ive had the Nissan version all in its been a great van to.

[Spruce]

Why would they only tell you this after you have done the deal and in the process of collecting it?

Why did it need a recon engine then? What do they mean by a recon engine?

[Darren O]

Spruce no money had changed hands when he told me about the engine we then took it for a test drive then went back to his garage he offered to put it up on the ramps so I could look underneath but I didn't bother as I don't have a clue about vans drove it home 80 miles it drives great but like you said when it was advertised it didn't say anything about the recon engine.

[Smudger]

I wouldn't touch personally, sounds a bit iffy to me

Darran

[Darren O]

to late now

[Darren O]

also came with a 12 month mot also had only 1 previous owner.

[duncan h]

A recon engine is fine if its been done well. Years ago we used to fit loads of engine from all over. Scrap yard/recon. Most scrap yard ones were ok but the recon were crap. Worn out engines given life again. We then found a recon guy whos family did it for years. These engines were better than new ones. We fitted hundreds and had none back.
Don't worry. If its done 20k since fitted. It should be ok....but then again, I wouldn't buy a 10 plate what had done those miles. Remember its not just the engine that's done thousands of miles

[Smudger]

Mot means nothing, just fit for the road that day - mechanically it's not covered.

Yes it's too late, and hopefully it'll be a fine van only time will tell, but having it sprung on you like that with no real proof the engine has only done 28k dropping it in and out is no problem, mine had its engine out for new injectors.  Did the new engine come with a g/box?

From my own bitter experience, I would never touch a Vivaro again - too big for one man, not big enough for two men and so many faults 😫😫


Darran

[duncan h]

Mot means nothing, just fit for the road that day - mechanically it's not covered.

Yes it's too late, and hopefully it'll be a fine van only time will tell, but having it sprung on you like that with no real proof the engine has only done 28k dropping it in and out is no problem, mine had its engine out for new injectors.  Did the new engine come with a g/box?

From my own bitter experience, I would never touch a Vivaro again - too big for one man, not big enough for two men and so many faults


Darran

They took the engine out to change injectors. What type of crap van was that. Really bad design

[Smudger]

You need to find the thread which has the whole sorry tale, basically vivaro's fusion weld the injectors into the head, the garage could not pull them out in situ the hydraulic press couldn't do it, so had to drop engine to get bigger puller on it, took them 8 days to get them out

Darran

[duncan h]

Never liked them anyway. Ford, Nissan, Toyota. Audi and BMW don't make vans yet.

[Matt.]

How much did you pay for the van Darren, if you got it for the price at high mileage van but now with low mileage...you got a deal. I have been using renault for years I picked up a 10 plate trafic this time last year direct from dealership, £1700 is about there for price for recon engine and these days they just drop in an out so it should be ok,

[Darren O]

Matty I paid £5500 and there is hardly a mark on it think the guy that had it before fitted tv arieals.

[PoleKing]

Never liked them anyway. Ford, Nissan, Toyota. Audi and BMW don't make vans yet.

The Vivaro/Trafic/Primastar is made by Nissan, mate.
This thread has come up before.
Im on my 2nd Trafic. There are more Nissan branded parts under the bonnet than Renault.

[P @ F]

Never liked them anyway. Ford, Nissan, Toyota. Audi and BMW don't make vans yet.

The Vivaro/Trafic/Primastar is made by Nissan, mate.
This thread has come up before.
Im on my 2nd Trafic. There are more Nissan branded parts under the bonnet than Renault.

Yes but the gearbox is renault and that should say it all , BANG , there goes the box again !
You say you are on the second one , what happened to the first ?

Rich

[PoleKing]

Never liked them anyway. Ford, Nissan, Toyota. Audi and BMW don't make vans yet.

The Vivaro/Trafic/Primastar is made by Nissan, mate.
This thread has come up before.
Im on my 2nd Trafic. There are more Nissan branded parts under the bonnet than Renault.

Yes but the gearbox is renault and that should say it all , BANG , there goes the box again !
You say you are on the second one , what happened to the first ?

Rich

Ive never had gearbox issues.
First one, turbo was giving me jip. Done nearly 100k fully loaded every day though.
I was happy.
One I've got now is 3 years old and 39k. I'll have got shot by 5 years.
I believe being fully loaded every single morning does the van no good at all.
I know thats what they're designed for but afp pushes motors to their limits.

[Spruce]

A recon engine is fine if its been done well. Years ago we used to fit loads of engine from all over. Scrap yard/recon. Most scrap yard ones were ok but the recon were crap. Worn out engines given life again. We then found a recon guy whos family did it for years. These engines were better than new ones. We fitted hundreds and had none back.
Don't worry. If its done 20k since fitted. It should be ok....but then again, I wouldn't buy a 10 plate what had done those miles. Remember its not just the engine that's done thousands of miles

This is why I asked? We had a recon company up our way who used second hand parts from another scrap engine to get the first going. What a nightmare.

When you sent an engine away for recon many years ago it generally meant that you got the engine overhauled; cylinders rebored, over size pistons fitted, crankshaft ground with replacement oversize bearings fitted etc etc. Nowdays most engines can't be rebored, hence the question I asked earlier about what was done. A recon means a different thing these days.

[PoleKing]

A recon engine is fine if its been done well. Years ago we used to fit loads of engine from all over. Scrap yard/recon. Most scrap yard ones were ok but the recon were crap. Worn out engines given life again. We then found a recon guy whos family did it for years. These engines were better than new ones. We fitted hundreds and had none back.
Don't worry. If its done 20k since fitted. It should be ok....but then again, I wouldn't buy a 10 plate what had done those miles. Remember its not just the engine that's done thousands of miles

This is why I asked? We had a recon company up our way who used second hand parts from another scrap engine to get the first going. What a nightmare.

When you sent an engine away for recon many years ago it generally meant that you got the engine overhauled; cylinders rebored, over size pistons fitted, crankshaft ground with replacement oversize bearings fitted etc etc. Nowdays most engines can't be rebored, hence the question I asked earlier about what was done. A recon means a different thing these days.

What you've described, Spruce, as a recon. Would now be classed as a remanufacture.
I've friends who work on the big Aston, JCB and some others' (but i forget which) lumps and they are fiercely protective about the difference between reman and recon.
Though i can't really see much difference

[P @ F]

Spruce has pretty much said it in a nutshell , years ago i worked in an engine recon centre , they hit the wall as it was no longer viable to repair properly with new parts .

Then i was a fitter for a transmission company , still keep in touch with them now , they are facing the same end due to todays throw away society , when i worked there it got boring at times , we only saw the same jobs day after day manual boxes were renault clio , 19 , megane, all same boxes .
Ford tranny smiley face MT75 box , also bad diffs !
Autos was BMW , Vauxhall , Renault , same boxes , same fault , £9 part came out as a £1600 bill ,
They dont even get work from the main dealers anymore , if warranty its new box and fitted in house ,if non warranty then it ends up as a huge bill for the owner , or in the back street garage willing to give it a go for half the money .

Rich

[Matt.]

There is a renault specialist in or around Blackburn can't remember off top of me head the name but they do recon on all renault engine parts, I bought a kangoo turbo from them, they were quite helpful am sure if you google them and ask any questions they be able to answer.