cam belt gone?

becki4

Hi, i was driving my renualt clio 1.9si diesel about 20/30 miles per hour, and the engine cut out , we tried to start it up and wouldn't turn over at all. we had to get the car towed to a garage, initial thoughts was the solenoid
when we got it into the garage about 20 min later of towing, they tried to start the engine and it nearly had a slight sound that it may turn over,
leaving the car over the weekend the The mechanic has had a look and said the cam belt has gone, its damaged some of the engine, and could cost 600-700 pounds or more to fix.

could this be right? im a bit weary as the man looks like a conman, as he mentioned the engine may have gone when we brought it in, even before looking at it.. if it is the cambelt would this start the car? or is it completely gone

any advice

thanks




we

Antispam

If cam belt has gone they can damage your engine permanently

They are normally replaced after so many miles like 50k on a ford focus

Ebe_Scrooge

If the cambelt has gone, then there's no way the car will start. In fact, if the mechanic suspected the cambelt then he shouldn't have attempted to turn the engine over.

If it has gone then you could be looking at a big bill. The problem is not the belt itself, as such, but the fact that the valves can get bent and damage the head. Different cars can cope with a snapped belt to different extents, and you may be lucky that not too much damage has been done. But it's impossible to tell the extent of the damage without getting the head off - a reasonably labour-intensive job in itself.

If for some reason you don't trust the mechanic, I'd be tempted to get it towed to somewhere you do trust. For instance, I had that happen on my car, and I'm lucky that I have a very good garage who I've used for years. In my case it was 3 valves than needed replacing, and the head didn't need skimming. But a mechanic could easily have said it was 10 valves and a new head required - unless you know what you're looking at it would be difficult to know differently.

Miss_Spud

This happened on my beloved Nova that my brother was driving at the time. Car just died...had to be towed back home. A lesson learned on older cars, that cam belts must be changed. Unfortunately the damage was so that it was gonna cost more to get new engine fitted than the car was worth. Off it went to "the land of scrap cars".
If you are not happy with what this guy has said maybe get a second opinion as to how much damage they think has been caused.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

The extent of any damage depends if its a non-interference engine or not.

becki4

The car stopped as i was approaching a roundabout, i re-started it up again for a few feet then it stopped again.

if the cam-belt went, wouldn't it not let me start up the first time i try? or is it common for it to possibly start up for a few seconds then die again

becki4

just trying to get my bearings before i pop around to the garage.. as these people see a young girl and rip them off.

AdrianHi

Friend of mine with an older petrol engined Clio had his cam belt go and got away with a £200-£300 bill because it is a "non-interferance" engine. Means that pistons and valves always have clearance even when the cam belt is not in place to keep them turning in synchronisation.
Don't know about your diesel Clio, but if the pistons and valves had hit each other the engine probably needs to go to the scrap yard. If the car is old enough it may not be worth keeping.
Changing the cam belt at the required times or earlier is essential maintenance.

Volcano

becki4 wrote: »

The car stopped as i was approaching a roundabout, i re-started it up again for a few feet then it stopped again.

if the cam-belt went, wouldn't it not let me start up the first time i try?

Correct, it wouldn't.

Most diesels are interference engines, i.e. major damage if the belt snaps.

goldspanners

if you think you are being conned then go to the garage and have a look for yourself.
it will be very easy to see if the belt has snapped, the belt either wont be there or it will be but it will be snapped.
the price of valves dont cost too much,if its bent a few then these will only cost a few quid each.
however you might need 2 you might need 16,you wont know until the head has been stripped.
the biggest cost will be labour.
£500 - £600 tops.
and for that i would be expecting new belt kit, new valves, head tested/skimmed as required, new gaskets and a new water pump if its run off the timing belt,with an oil and filter change and coolant changed.
if the head is cracked upon testing then it might be easier and cheaper to just get a second hand engine for it.

cyclonebri1

If you are doubtfull of the garage that has recovered and diagnosed your cars faults, then simply pay them what you owe them and go elsewhere?

Sorry not being negative but a) they may be correct, or b) they may not.

Worst case scenario is that you pay twice for the diagnosis?