Timing belt gone

[zaf312]

Hi Guys,
Can someone put me out of my misery and tell me the painful cost i will have to shell out..i was on the M1 earlier this evening on the outside lane doin between 70-80mph..suddenly i felt the accelerater non responsive and the revs started to go down,so i managed to signal my way to the hard shoulder where it just died,i rang the AA,he came and checked it,turned the engine..then looked under bonnet and said timing belt gone..noooooooooooo,so i got towed home.how much will this cost me and what damage will have been caused? gutted.its on 03 plate cupra R 210bhp over 80,000 on the clock..break it to me gently guys.

 

[dholdi]

You sure its the timing belt, if that has gone then I would have expected you to have heard an almighty din as pistons and valves met. From what you describe it sounds almost as if you have lost electrical power, you sure he didnt mean the alternator belt ? Hope that it is that mate.

 

[D.K]

Check the belt before you try startng it again just incase you do more damage if it has snaped

 

[zaf312]

thanks for your reply mate..when the AA guy turned it over it was like a whizzing or wheezing kinda noise,electrics are all working fine,when i pulled onto the hard shoulder it just turned the engine off leaving me with all dash lights..

 

[zaf312]

i didnt hear any loud unusal noises when this happened.i too hope its the aternator belt.

 

[D.K]

I'd have thought even if the AA man had suspected the the cam belt had snaped then he would'nt have tryed to turn it over cos that could of done more damage.
My mate had a MK1 Clio, when his cam belt snaped the engine turned itself off to prevent any damage, he then called a recovery man who then turned it over and screwed the engine

 

[Robb1990]

depends how much damage there is, sounds like there's going to be alot though mate with the speed you were doing. new belt/tensioner/water pump then its just a question of how many valves you've bent.

 

[LEE69]

My old 16v engine broke 2 inlet and 3 exhaust valves in total at about 15 mph and 2000 rpm.
Engine spinning over very fast, sounds like mine when it happened.

 

[dholdi]

I agree with whats been said, but I think the fact that the incident was not accompanied by any untoward mechanical noise is hopefully an indication that its not the cambelt. If a cambelt goes then the engine is going to start damaging itself in the next, if not the same engine revolution. At the speed the op was travelling, not sure what revs an lcr would be doing at that speed, but would guess around 3k then the damage would be done in microseconds well before the engine could physically stop rotating. I'm hoping that it aint the belt but if it is then the level of damage already suggested is inevitable i'm afraid.

 

[zaf312]

I agree with whats been said, but I think the fact that the incident was not accompanied by any untoward mechanical noise is hopefully an indication that its not the cambelt. If a cambelt goes then the engine is going to start damaging itself in the next, if not the same engine revolution. At the speed the op was travelling, not sure what revs an lcr would be doing at that speed, but would guess around 3k then the damage would be done in microseconds well before the engine could physically stop rotating. I'm hoping that it aint the belt but if it is then the level of damage already suggested is inevitable i'm afraid.

definately didnt hear anything unusual or loud when it happened,going in the garage tomorrow let them see what it actually is...the AA man said the cam belt..i could still see one thick belt still intact.suppose thats the one that attached to the power steering and alternator.

 

[ChrisGTL]

Has the cambelt been changed ever?

 

[LEE69]

definately didnt hear anything unusual or loud when it happened,going in the garage tomorrow let them see what it actually is...the AA man said the cam belt..i could still see one thick belt still intact.suppose thats the one that attached to the power steering and alternator.

I had no noise mate, just the lights on the dash.

 

[zaf312]

Has the cambelt been changed ever?

the guy i bought it had it changed,iv had the car 2yrs,ive done under 20000 miles myself

 

[Willie]

My wifes polo belt went a 60 MPH with no noise just a red warning light on the dash and car cut out (as above)

WTF was the AA guy doing trying to start it if he suspected the timing belt going!!!
Did you get the guys name?

 

[LEE69]

The damage as been done, ie the valves have already been bent and embedded into the pistons, turning it over wont matter now.

 

[zaf312]

My wifes polo belt went a 60 MPH with no noise just a red warning light on the dash and car cut out (as above)

WTF was the AA guy doing trying to start it if he suspected the timing belt going!!!
Did you get the guys name?

got his details mate on the sheet they give you..so can get hold of his neck..erm..i mean get hold of him .

 

[Willie]

Very very bad idea to try starting with suspected timing belt failure, will ONLY do more damage

 

[LEE69]

70mph on the motorway and the belt goes the bottom internals are still banging away, all the damage is done then imho.

 

[dholdi]

70mph on the motorway and the belt goes the bottom internals are still banging away, all the damage is done then imho.

Agreed, would have expected some noise tho, guess you lot must have monster ice

 

[ffoxy]

It cuts out cos its foobarred from he moment the cambelt breaks TBH when the motor is running if iits an "interference" engine. Imagine the valves stopping in whatever position on the cam lobes and the pistons carrying on thumpin up and down.... any open valve is dead meat, usually along with the piston that hits it, sometimes even the con-rod can bend....