Has my cambelt snapped

[wormvortex]

Have had no issues with car since owning besides recently the trip computer not remembering mpg etc.. Which I've read is a sign the battery is on its way out.

Yesterday however while hole pulling out of a junction quite hard in 1st I changed to second and suddenly lost power. Battery and stop light came on so Pulled over and the engine stalled. Tried to start it again but it won't even turn over it just kinda makes a hissing/weering noise. Got the Rac to recovery me but first he tried to jump it as the battery and as trying to start it heard it misfire/backfire. The guy took one look under the bonet and said your cambelt gone mate.

Is is this the case of could it be something else. Light, radio etc.. All work fine and didn't dim when trying to start it. The only other thing someone suggested was the engine might be flooded as had driven through water before that but this was just puddles. Not water up to the door level or anything and the problem happened quite a bit after that after coming to a stop at a junction and pulling away.


Belt was changed 22,000 miles ago and heard no strange noises or anything from the engine when this happened.

 

[Cub.]

How long ago was the belt changed? In years / months not miles.

 

[wormvortex]

April 2009.

 

[car.crash]

Check the aux belt. Has it snapped and taken out cambelt.
Left hand side of engine. Get a torch and see if it's in one piece and still on pulleys.

 

[hilldawg172]

take off the top part of the engine mount and take a look bud

 

[Cub.]

Check the aux belt. Has it snapped and taken out cambelt.
Left hand side of engine. Get a torch and see if it's in one piece and still on pulleys.

This. Also, 2009 means it was due again last year I am afraid. Every 5 yrs. So it was overdue.

When you're looking, get some photos and we may be able to help.

 

[wormvortex]

Thanks for the advice. Will take a look at the aux belt when I'm back home.

 

[kash]

This. Also, 2009 means it was due again last year I am afraid. Every 5 yrs. So it was overdue.

When you're looking, get some photos and we may be able to help.

That would make it April this year

 

[nashers]

This. Also, 2009 means it was due again last year I am afraid. Every 5 yrs. So it was overdue.
2009 to 2013 is 5 years is it?
cambelt is due april 2014 unless its done over 72k since april 2009.

 

[nashers]

That would make it April this year

i was too slow.

 

[Cub.]

That would make it April this year

Oops! Counting fail

Lol.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Certainly sounds like a cambelt failure.

 

[MicKPM]

Unlucky OP however there's no guarantee that the belt will last five years though as there's so many factors that can effect belt life. It is therefore advised to be changed every 5yrs or 72k

 

[Tim.]

And the aux belt interval is 3 years too, so if that hasn't been done since 2009 it was well overdue, could have failed and lunched your cambelt.

Good luck with your investigations OP

 

[Snake182]

I do my Cambelt 4 years or 60,000 miles to play safe and aux belt kit every interval, same with my previous cars, always a year or two early and same with the miles.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Certainly sounds like the cambelt from the description.

As above if the aux belt was nearly 5 years old it may have failed and then taken the cambelt with it as it was overdue.

 

[wormvortex]

Well I took the cover off from the engine and can see the belt on the left. It's still in tack and when you try to start the engine it spins round freely but from the sound of it with the bonet popped there is no compression at all.

 

[MicKPM]

You've most likely had the crank pulley advance then which has banged the valves.

Any idea what may have caused this?

 

[Dan@SJM]

I'm hazarding a guess at aux belt failure or valve failure.

 

[Briv6]

People go on about the importance of a cam belt change , it means nothing unless it's been done alongside full aux kit . Renault changed the interval for aux pulley to 3 years or 36k I think so it could help the cam belt last , if u don't get the aux belt done in between cam belt changes then I think it's asking for trouble! So even if cam belt has been changed you must upkeep with aux change schedule

 

[Andyrg@ ClioTurbo]

I bet a pully has cracked and snapped

 

[Chip-mk1]

Will be any of:
Aux belt failed and gone under the cambelt and made it skip (but I assume you would have noticed that so we can probably rule that out)
Pulley slipped and thrown the timing out
Pulley failed and thrown the timing out
Tensioner failed and thrown the timing out

 

[JON FOZ]

Bolt on the pulley may have snapped too

 

[wormvortex]

Aux belt is in tact and was changed at the same time as cam belt. If it's a pulley or tensioner what's the likely damage and is it worth fixing price wise?

 

[Chip-mk1]

If its got not compression its bent the valves, which means its a case of pulling the head off to fix, at which point you need to do the belts etc too.

Depends if you are going to do it yourself or want to pay someone else to.

You'll end up doing a grand or more if you get someone else to do it probably, but only half that if you do it yourself.

 

[Matthew]

Will be cheaper to buy another engine than spending north of a grand on it.

 

[danielbarton94]

Buy a cheap borescope from eBay for about £5 to check the valves out before taking it to pieces

 

[Dan@SJM]

Tbh you'll know if it's dropped a valve when you remove the plugs.