When the timing belt snaps in my car is my car ruined????

Question

The car gradually stopped to a hault. There was no bang! the ignition still turns over but the car will not start.

Answer 1

Depending on the make your looking at about 700.00. The part is cheap but the labor involved is major. Your car isn't reined.

Answer 2

Depends on the car i had an old mk3 escort with a c.v.h. engine which was safe if the belt went, but on most cars if the belt goes you are looking at a engine rebuild because of the valves getting bent by the pistons as long as this has not damaged the bore you should be ok.
OH AND STOP TURNING THE CAR OVER IT WILL NOT START AND CAUSE MORE DAMAGE.

Answer 3

If the timing belt is bad it may or may not have bent some valves. It depends on whether or not is an interference motor. An interference motor allows the pistons to hit the valves if the engine is out of time (broken timing belt), a non-interference engine does not do this. The engine is not ruined, it will just cost about an additional $500 or more to fix.

Answer 4

Hi just last week i have repaired a ford sierra 1.8 with the same problem as yours with a snapped cam belt it bent 4 exhaust valves.the meaning of this is that 99% of the time that the cam belt snaps it will bend some valves so that mean remove of the head regrind the new valves in the seats new head gasket and new cam belt. for the 4 new valves the cost was £53 for the cam belt was £11 and the head gasket was £15 this are only guide prices for you .

Answer 5

Don't restart your car, until you replace the timing belt.

The timing belt moves all the internal engine parts together at the same time, so everything moves exactly the way it should. One part goes up while another part down, and another part goes halfway up, etc.

So, by losing your timing belt, parts are moving the same way that they should move, but not WHEN they should be moving.

Think of a jumprope as the timing belt, and the jumper is all moving parts of the engine. A timing belt keeps the jumper up and down at the right time.

So, by losing your timing belt, all the parts move in the right direction, but not when they are supposed to move at the right time.

Your car is not ruined. You simply replace the belt, and need to readjust your timing (which is very easy for a mechanic to do). It involves a light that shines a beam that goes on and off while shining on the wheel that spins your timing belt, and he turns the top of a piece of your engine (in the distributor) so the light shines on and off at the same time as the white tick mark on the wheel.

Answer 6

type of car ? year? engine ? mileage?
not all cases with timing belt failure are expensive most are tho but some arent, i mean keep trying to turn her over wont make things any better ,parts can range from a new belt, a piston, a valve a fuel pump just depends on the type of car really how u know its the t/belt???

Answer 7

Not always...sometimes there enough space between the piston and open valves so they don't bang together when the belt snaps.
But I would'nt hold up much hope of no damage whatsoever..most modern cars have very close tolerences.
Depending on how old the vehicle is...a secondhand from scrap yard..or fully reconditioned cylinder head with new timing belt maybe the solution to gettting it running again.

Answer 8

Hi. your car is not ruined beyond repair but it is quite an expensive job as your engine has to be dimantled i.e cylinder head will need to be taken of because you will more than likely have valve damage,which means the bent ones will have to be removed and new ones ground in. If the car is old, bin it and get something unless you are freindly with any mechanics. maclaren.

Answer 9

the belt may only cost a few quid ....BUT if it snaps while driving and the engine not stopped immediatley there is a very good chance that severe damage was done to the valves in the cylinder head , and the cylinder head will have to be replaced.main engine should be ok
certainly not a cheap job if done at a garage

Answer 10

Unfortunately you have not said what car it is, some cars will only require a new belt. Others will require new valves and some will require a complete new engine as the valves have pushed holes through the piston crowns.

Answer 11

Your car is not ruined, but it is inoperable until you get the timing belt fixed. You will have to get it towed to a repair shop and most likely it will wind up costing you close to a grand to fix.

PS the ignition may be turning over, but not all of the engine is turning over, only the lower half. good luck.