Right then. Are we all sitting comfortably? Zero, go and put the kettle on.
The Laguna has presented me with its first problem.
A couple of weeks back, I had it in the local garage to change the coolant/antifreeze. According to the handbook, it needs doing every 4 years, and I had no record of it being done. So off it went.
The next week, just as I'm about to leave for Paris, I do the usual long journey fluid/tyre checks etc. Near empty expansion tank. Oh. The garage must have failed to run the engine, check and top up. Oh well. I popped down EuroCarParts and got some antifreeze and de-mineralised water and topped it up, as I didn't have time to muck about with the garage before leaving.
The car was then left parked in Paris for a week, and before we set off for home, I checked the fluid levels again. Near empty expansion tank again. Yikes. Good job I bought some extra anti freeze with me - I topped it up. On getting home, and in the ensuing few days, I've checked it again, and sure enough the level's dropping very gradually.
I ran it in to the garage yesterday afternoon, and we gut it up on the hoist, and yes, detected small drops of antifreeze escaping the undertray. So it's back in this morning for full investigation and rectification.
The garage manager said to me that the lad who did the change remembers doing it, and that the hoses are held on by some form of non-jubilee clip, and he reused the original clip when replacing the drain hose. So we expect it's leaking there and needs a stronger clip or a jubilee.
So - who do we blame here? Renault quality for specifying hose clips which can't be reused, or the garage chap for not realising the clip shouldn't have been reused?
Good job I'm the sort of person who isn't scared to lift a bonnet and check things out.
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