Scary car problem, waiting for the garage to call tomorrow.... Could be EXPENSIVE!

Dogbrush

Fingers crossed for you! I drove through a flooded road on Friday night (about 0.5 mile away from home after a 120mile drive) & it stalled half-way through and water started coming in through the doors! Got it started again on the 7th attempt but it's in the garage now, just waiting for the verdict like yourself (and vowing never to drive through anything deeper than a puddle from now on!).

If it helps, the bloke in the garage said he'd had a lot of cars coming in damaged by water so it's not just you & me being stupid!

ZTD

Dogbrush wrote: »

Fingers crossed for you! I drove through a flooded road on Friday night (about 0.5 mile away from home after a 120mile drive) & it stalled half-way through and water started coming in through the doors! Got it started again on the 7th attempt but it's in the garage now, just waiting for the verdict like yourself (and vowing never to drive through anything deeper than a puddle from now on!).

If it helps, the bloke in the garage said he'd had a lot of cars coming in damaged by water so it's not just you & me being stupid!

Try to avoid doing that. The cold water can crack your catalyst, and if you have a low-slung air intake, it can flood your engine.

If you do decide to go for it, start off slow and accelerate all the way through. Do try to avoid stopping...

mcjordi

r reg fiesta i drive 88k when i bought it chain driven, new springs thats it over the course of 12 months hun, i paid £350, cheap as similar ones were 500 -600 with a set of alloys on ( i got some for nothing of a mate who was scrapping his escort) serviced regualar got 106k on now just bog standard encore with efi engine

tigtag02

ZTD wrote: »

They are pretty reliable up to their life-time. If I get a secondhand car, I always have that replaced as a matter-of-course so at least you know where you stand. They also need replacing every 60-70,000 miles.

This rang bells with me (the milage) as we had ours changed not so long since when we hit 60,000.

Admitidly ours hadnt *gone* but it was less than £200.

tigtag
x

ZTD

tigtag02 wrote: »

This rang bells with me (the milage) as we had ours changed not so long since when we hit 60,000.

Admitidly ours hadnt *gone* but it was less than £200.

It's a lot better to replace them as part of a schedule, if you wait until they're gone - it gets rather expensive. Though sometimes you can get away with it.

tigtag02

ZTD wrote: »

It's a lot better to replace them as part of a schedule, if you wait until they're gone - it gets rather expensive. Though sometimes you can get away with it.

Fingers crossed for lucy then

laalaa

The cam belt snapped on my 13month old vauxhall corsa. Only 8,000 miles on the clock.

It was obviously fixed under warranty, but i think the garage told me, it would have been just under the £700 mark to get fixed.

Has your car had its cam belt replaced before? Its meant to be replaced every 60,000ish miles anyway.

Lucy1982_2

Thanks guys. I can't sleep really worried about it. I'm not sure if it's been replaced.

RAC man couldn't see if there was any damage to the engine and by the time we got to the garage the mechanics had finished for the day. But RAC man just said the the tension had gone and the belt was floppy. Everyone seems to think that as I wasn't moving I should be ok as the engine wasn't working. Can you tell I know nothing about cars!!!

I have to get up at 6.30, I'm tired but my brain wont switch off.

Lucy1982_2

I've just googled and found this:

Question

Hello. I have to change CAMBELT in my car, My car is ford escort 1998, 16v. What is the price of this repairing ?
Answer

The cost of a timing belt replacement is £260 this includes parts labour and VAT, this part would then be covered under warranty until the next specified change of the belt

Not the right model, and just replacing the cam belt... I can hope right!!!

HeadInSand_2

You'll also need a new tensioner. Most engines are "Interference" engines with regards to the valves, clearances are so tight that the valve has to shut to avoid being hit by a piston at its top stroke - this is all controlled by the cam belt - when a cam belt gives up it can leave some of the valves fully open (down) which then get walloped by a piston on their return stroke - so worst case scenario is bent valves plus a cambelt/tensioner etc - this could be time for a recon engine in some instances. Some engines are non-interference and the pistons clear the valves even at TDC with the valve open - unfortunately I'm pretty sure this engine is not.
But... This type of thing usually occurs whilst driving along at revs which causes substantial damage - due to the fact you were just idling and quickly shut the engine off you might have gotten away without valve damage.
Fingers crossed for you.