[Engine] 2004 Berlingo engine failure - need advice

[zx7r]

Hi,

Apologies for the following amateurish car mechanic explanation coming up..


Recently my van has been experiencing issues starting up. It take 2 or three attempts but it eventually springs in to life - it never used to do it and has a major service last summer (8k miles).

Anyway, I was driving along a road at about 60MPH the other day and the van suddenly lost all drive power. It sounded like the engine was going but not 'driving' anything forward. Some horrible clanky sounds coming from it too so I immediately glided/pulled over, got a recovery service in and had the can taken to a garage (same place where it got the major service).

Anyway, I have been informed by the garage that in a really unlucky way that a foreign object has somehow got in to the engine compartment (bounced off of the road probably) and has hit the timing belt which caused it to fail/break apart. They are opening the the engine cover (?) to check damage to pistons and/or crank heads and will let me know the deal tomorrow.

A few questions-

Isn't the timing belt covered/protected? Is a feasible for an object to get in there and destroy the belt? It was only changed (whole kit) last July.

Fast expert advice/knowledge much appreciated!


Considering the van is worth around £1500 (with working engine!) I probably will get rid of it and get a new van on a lease deal. This van has already cost me £1500 in about a year on servicing and parts alone already; plus whatever costs of checking this most recent problem.


Cheers.

[brodfather11]

Hi,

Apologies for the following amateurish car mechanic explanation coming up..


Recently my van has been experiencing issues starting up. It take 2 or three attempts but it eventually springs in to life - it never used to do it and has a major service last summer (8k miles).

Anyway, I was driving along a road at about 60MPH the other day and the van suddenly lost all drive power. It sounded like the engine was going but not 'driving' anything forward. Some horrible clanky sounds coming from it too so I immediately glided/pulled over, got a recovery service in and had the can taken to a garage (same place where it got the major service).

Anyway, I have been informed by the garage that in a really unlucky way that a foreign object has somehow got in to the engine compartment (bounced off of the road probably) and has hit the timing belt which caused it to fail/break apart. They are opening the the engine cover (?) to check damage to pistons and/or crank heads and will let me know the deal tomorrow.

A few questions-

Isn't the timing belt covered/protected? Is a feasible for an object to get in there and destroy the belt? It was only changed (whole kit) last July.

Fast expert advice/knowledge much appreciated!


Considering the van is worth around £1500 (with working engine!) I probably will get rid of it and get a new van on a lease deal. This van has already cost me £1500 in about a year on servicing and parts alone already; plus whatever costs of checking this most recent problem.


Cheers.

The timing belt is or should be covered with a plastic cover to stop foriegn objects getting into it. I've seen fan belts or now called aux drive belts broken or frayed and the fibres in it getting wound round the crankshaft pulley and getting into the timing belt area and destroying it . Something bouncing off the road shoudn't get into it unless it was really big and heavy.(like a concrete block)
Belts which havent been fitted properly or tensioned can fail prematurely, saying that the tensioner, if not changed or maladjusted can fail early and destroy the belt.
Did it start OK before the major service and when the belt was changed ?.
If the belt was slack you may experience bad starting as the valve /pump timing would be slightly out. In hindsight I would have got it taken to a different garage and got their opinion on the cause of the damage.
cratch:

[chronyx]

You don't say what engine yours has, but I was told by my mechanic that my 1.9D was missing the lower timing belt cover, so this may be a common thing that inept mechanics forget to refit afterwards.

[zx7r]

Hi,

It's a 1.9D 600D LX model.

The garage forgot to update me yesterday so I am waiting for a phone call tomorrow. :-( Not helpful at all.
Interesting comment chronyx - if that were the same for me I'm not so sure it could be proven. I like to think that I trust this garage as I have used them many times before (I do look after the van). But given the last three days and what seems like a 'fluke' cause of damage I am not so sure.

---

The timing belt is or should be covered with a plastic cover to stop foriegn objects getting into it. I've seen fan belts or now called aux drive belts broken or frayed and the fibres in it getting wound round the crankshaft pulley and getting into the timing belt area and destroying it . Something bouncing off the road shoudn't get into it unless it was really big and heavy.(like a concrete block)
Belts which havent been fitted properly or tensioned can fail prematurely, saying that the tensioner, if not changed or maladjusted can fail early and destroy the belt.
Did it start OK before the major service and when the belt was changed ?.
If the belt was slack you may experience bad starting as the valve /pump timing would be slightly out. In hindsight I would have got it taken to a different garage and got their opinion on the cause of the damage.
cratch:

Yeah it started fine before the major 8000 mile service. And afterwards.

VW business leasing may purchase the van off of me as is to cover initial deposit on a new caddy. Will examine options tomorrow.

If repairs are going to total around 400 to 500 quid plus VAT then I do not think it is worth doing. Shame though - MOT'd end of July and road taxed earlier!

[zx7r]

Valves are bent and the camshaft is broken. £1500 repair bill.

Decided to trade it in for a few hundred quid and get a brand new VW Caddy instead.

Thanks for advice.