Car F*cked.

[Marc.]

Apologies for the language, and probable amount of huge rants in this thread, but I am utterly fuming right now!!

So, yesterday, as I was turning into my driveway, I accidentally drove over a fairly large branch that someone had kindly dropped right in the entrance to my drive (there are no trees of a similar type, hence why I know it was dropped - not intentionally, just by some typically thoughtless Oxfordshire moron). I couldn't avoid it, and it dragged up the drive under my car. I cleared it, checked for leaks etc, all seemed well.

Cue this morning - start my car, all is well, get about a mile down the road, the "Stop" and "Battery" light comes on. My power steering stops working, and there's a strange knocking sound coming from the engine bay. I turn round and drive home, the engine light with the "Stop" illuminated in the middle of it comes on too. I get home, turn the ignition off, open the engine bay, and the coolant is going mental in its container, the engine fan is still going, and my car is essentially useless.

What has happened, and how do I fix it quickly? Bearing in mind I have to work today, and through until Thursday without exception - I can't miss work.

 

[Marc.]

I've just had a look, after approximately 3 minutes of the fan / radiator running with the engine off, it stopped. My coolant level is drastically lower though, but there are no spills under the car? Some of the undercarriage does look wet, but there's no dripping, or puddle on the ground.

 

[Mr R.]

Sound's like it's killed the auxiliary belt mate.

The belt runs the pas pump, water pump ac and alternator.

You can not drive it so it will need taking to a garage to have a new aux belt kit fitted unless someone local can come out and fix it for you.

I hope that the belt hasn't got stuck around the cambelt.

 

[Scrooge]

It might be your aux belt.
If there's no aux belt the stop and battery light will come in as the alternator won't be charging, the belt also runs the power steering and your water pump.

Stop running the car now to stop the belt eating your cambelt!!

Take some pics of your belt area

 

[Marc.]

It might be your aux belt.
If there's no aux belt the stop and battery light will come in as the alternator won't be charging, the belt also runs the power steering and your water pump.

Stop running the car now to stop the belt eating your cambelt!!

Take some pics of your belt area

Yeah the car is now parked up, I just got it home and left it. I've taken my other half's car to work, and won't use it again (I guess I'll have to get it recovered).

No idea how I'm going to get it sorted!

I guessed it had done something to the alternator, my window took an age to go up when I got home (I had it down to listen to the engine).

It was tapping quite severely by the time I got it home, and could feel a knocking with my feet from the engine bay. It knocked under acceleration and whilst idling, and for a few seconds when the engine was off.

 

[Marc.]

Sound's like it's killed the auxiliary belt mate.

The belt runs the pas pump, water pump ac and alternator.

You can not drive it so it will need taking to a garage to have a new aux belt kit fitted unless someone local can come out and fix it for you.

I hope that the belt hasn't got stuck around the cambelt.

I'll have a look round the engine bay when I'm home. But by the sounds of things, it's definitely fucked the aux belt.

 

[Mr R.]

I hate to say it but by the sounds of things the aux belt has got jammed in the path of the cambelt and slipped the timing.

The knocking sounds like the valves hitting pistons.

The window was slow going up because the battery wouldn't be charging.

 

[Marc.]

I hate to say it but by the sounds of things the aux belt has got jammed in the path of the cambelt and slipped the timing.

The knocking sounds like the valves hitting pistons.

The window was slow going up because the battery wouldn't be charging.

I'm assuming then, that the car is fucked?

To be fair, by knocking, it sounded more like something was being flung around the engine bay, as if a belt was rotating loosely, if you know what I mean. Imagine a stick caught in bicycle spokes, it had that sort of sound to it.

 

[Mr R.]

It could just be the aux belt whipping about but knocking sounds more like engine damage.

Is there anyone on here who is local to you mate who could have a look.?

 

[Marc.]

It could just be the aux belt whipping about but knocking sounds more like engine damage.

Is there anyone on here who is local to you mate who could have a look.?

Don't know to be honest, I'm buried in the Oxfordshire countryside! I'm flapping about work now to be honest, more than the car - I'm new in my role, and have a board visit on Tuesday - missing that will essentially kill my career!

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

^ Sounds like you're on thin ice my pedigree chum!
Either way, just rent a car if getting to work as normal is that important this week.

 

[Matthew]

Was just about to say that. Rent a cheap Corsa for a week or so from a car hire place. They aren't expensive from my experience.

As already said; I'm hoping your cambelt hasn't been destroyed by the aux.

 

[Marc.]

Thanks guys. I'm currently balls deep in car rental sites doing exactly that, there aren't any cars that I can realistically borrow from anyone.

I'm so angry, one at myself, for running over the branch, and two, at whichever knuckle-dragging oxygen thief that would leave a branch that their dog / kid was playing with at the entrance to a courtyard. Morons. I'm furious!

 

[Matthew]

I've always found enterprise fairly cheap. Just get the cheapest peice of s**t they have!

 

[Marc.]

Yeah I'm on their site now, trying to work round times.

How the f**k can a stick manage to break the Aux belt anyway?!

 

[scott.p]

Chevrolet spark from enterprise will be about the cheapest although it only cost me £1 a day more to rent a corsa from them.

 

[Matthew]

The only thing with retals is you have to usually leave a big deposit (understandably).

 

[Diagro]

Well If you look under the car you can actually see the AUX belt, its not hard to think a branch would get up in that space and knock it off its pullys.
I plan to get a Plastic Plate put in that area as i dont think its safe being all exposed like that...

 

[Rob]

You could borrow mine for a week, but you're a bit of a distance away for picking it up!

 

[Marc.]

You could borrow mine for a week, but you're a bit of a distance away for picking it up!

Would've been awesome mate, but I can imagine you're a bit far away

 

[Mr R.]

Same here you could have used my van as im going away tomorrow for a week.

 

[Tony Hunter]

Marc, where abouts are you?

 

[Marc.]

Same here you could have used my van as im going away tomorrow for a week.

I'll sort something out, will have to shamefully take a bus otherwise! Nice thought though, cheers.

Marc, where abouts are you?

I'm in Goring mate, on the Oxfordshire / Berkshire border.

 

[Tony Hunter]

A little to far to just pop over.

 

[Marc.]

Yeah, there isn't really anyone around to be honest.

 

[Marc.]

Just had a look, the Cambelt (if that is the belt you an see to the left of the engine cover) has a tear along the middle and has slipped off of the tensioner wheel that it normally sits on. It's not completely off though. Is that a good sign?

 

[Marc.]

There it is

 

[Bluebeard]

That's your aux belt. Not the end of the world mate.

(As long as the part we can't see isn't wrapped around the Cambelt!)

Rent a car for 2 days, get a mobile mechanic to fit a new aux belt kit.

Bosh.

 

[The Fatty]

yep thats the aux belt.

not sure how a branch could do that if you cleared it out, thats been properly dragging on something for some time.

you can remove the belt (in its entirety), and then start the car for a short time to see if the knocking is still there. If it is, then its also caused the cambelt to slip and now you have valves hitting your pistons. if not, then chances are you got lucky in the unlucky situation!

the cam belt is to the right of that belt (i.e. behind it if you look from the end of the engine), make sure you done touch that one (its mostly covered with metal/plastics!

 

[Marc.]

That's your aux belt. Not the end of the world mate.

(As long as the part we can't see isn't wrapped around the Cambelt!)

Rent a car for 2 days, get a mobile mechanic to fit a new aux belt kit.

Bosh.

I'll have a look. It's given the mrs a push to look for a new car - she wants a cheap Focus to hammer around in, and I'll take her 106 if I need to. Any insider knowledge on where I can get a decent sub-£1000 car for her?

 

[Marc.]

yep thats the aux belt.

not sure how a branch could do that if you cleared it out, thats been properly dragging on something for some time.

you can remove the belt (in its entirety), and then start the car for a short time to see if the knocking is still there. If it is, then its also caused the cambelt to slip and now you have valves hitting your pistons. if not, then chances are you got lucky in the unlucky situation!

the cam belt is to the right of that belt (i.e. behind it if you look from the end of the engine), make sure you done touch that one (its mostly covered with metal/plastics!

Thanks mate. I am mechanically inept though, so I might get someone to have a look at doing that, I'll only make it worse!

 

[Tony Hunter]

Do you have the plastic sump guard on?

 

[Bluebeard]

Thanks mate. I am mechanically inept though, so I might get someone to have a look at doing that, I'll only make it worse!

Cut it with a Stanley knife and pull it out.

Even a monkey can do that!

 

[Marc.]

Do you have the plastic sump guard on?

Not a clue. I think so, to be fair. But I couldn't say for sure.

Cut it with a Stanley knife and pull it out.

Even a monkey can do that!

Racist.

In all seriousness, I'll have a look tomorrow (it's dark now). I'll see if I can find a mobile mechanic in the area that doesn't have a mental deficiency as well!

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

Gotta be someone on here in your area surely?!

 

[Dan@SJM]

If you're really stuck, RAC/AA will recover to a garage of your choice if you have high cover. (If it's suitable to you and want to get it recovered to me I can do it weds. And collect you from a train station)

 

[Marc.]

If you're really stuck, RAC/AA will recover to a garage of your choice if you have high cover. (If it's suitable to you and want to get it recovered to me I can do it weds. And collect you from a train station)

Whereabouts are you based? I'll have to check re: recovery. I'm also not sure there's another specialist near to me!

 

[Dan@SJM]

I'm based in Glastonbury

 

[Bluebeard]

@MarcJP what's going down kid?? Did you get anywhere with it today?

 

[Marc.]

@MarcJP what's going down kid?? Did you get anywhere with it today?

No bud, I've been working solidly - go to work in the dark, get home in the dark! I'm going to do as stated on here and cut the belt out tomorrow, and see if the knocking goes. If it is, happy days - I'm assuming that any mechanic can replace the Aux belt, it's not a specialist job like the Cambelt is.