shredded fan belt, poor/not starting

[mugatea]

I started car earlier and this sound of something flapping about in engine bay cause me to switch the engine off. I spoke to a guy who's quite handy and he came to have a look and told me to start it, it wouln't start, then he tried and got it going. Since garage was just 5 mins away we agreed that it was ok for me to drive it there, it didnt drive well for a few hundred metres until it conked out and I phoned mechanic to come tow me back.

Mechanic came out, told me to start it, it failed to start first time but did second time and he could hear something bouncing about inside the timing belt casing and then told me to switch it off. It's now at garage where it will be looked at after he's worked on another car.

Anyone got any ideas if I'd done my engine in or not?

Jamie

[pidgeonpost]

If I had to make a guess, and it is a guess, I would have thought that the car wouldn't start at all if the belt was broken but perhaps when you first started it perhaps the belt was shredded but not broken. When the car failed altogether it could be that belt had finally broken at that point. Was there are any mechanical noise - like the noise of valves and piston becoming intimately acquainted? Guess it's wait n see....

[mugatea]

Soz, I forgot to mention that the fan belt had shredded and flew all over the place and I think bits of it also inside the timing belt casing. I think you're right and I'll just have to wait and see but it is worrying!

I didnt notice any strange noises but it was very underpowered when i attempted to drive it

[addo]

Few broken bits in there I'd say. Is it a 1.9?

[mugatea]

yeah, its the 1.9. I've been quite happy with it but concerned its gonna cost me. I really hope its just a fan belt and a wee clean up.

[addo]

Upgrade opportunity if you're near Milton Keynes. A fellow there wants to unload a 1.9TD without avarice.

[Lighty]

If you ever get a shredded belt on a 1.9 the best advice is to NOT START THE CAR!
I see this happen quite often with the DW8 engine, the auxiliary belt tensioner wears, and runs the belt of the edge of the pulleys and cuts a sliver off, which can easily go inside the timing belt cover and hey presto, knackered engine.
Best advice would be to cut the belt off, and drive for a short time without power steering or battery chagrin, but at least the engine will survive.
If your engine did start on the last occasion, the car may just need a new timing belt, it may have just jumped 2 teeth, which you can just about get away with.
Then the reason for the auxiliary belt failure needs to be addressed .

[mugatea]

well so far the mechanic has told me that part of the fan belt wrapped its way around the timing belt, he's not sure how as there is a cover over it. He's bought a new timing belt along with the fan belt and I'll find out tomorrow if engine has been damaged. I asked if the worst came to the worst would I need a new engine? And he said something along the lines of that I'd just need new pistons and the head skimmed.

Anyone guess how much this would be?

[geoff]

It could be enough to exceed the value of your vehicle depending on its age and who does the work.

[Lighty]

When the belts break, or the timing jumps a lot, on this engine, the contact between piston and valves causes the camshaft to snap due to the force that the valves are pushed up with, and the relative brittleness of the camshaft. This in turn destroys the camshaft journals bolted onto the head.
I have on many occasions successfully repaired them by replacing the camshaft and the journals, with no other work besides adjusting the valve clearances and fitting a new belt. It's definitely worth a try before removing the head.
If the camshaft is in one piece in your engine, it will almost certainly be ok.[/i]