Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Osprey]

Took the car in for its MoT recently – it needed wishbones, headlight polish and a replacement sidelight.  I asked the garage to do the work and also to replace a noisy wheel bearing.

On picking the car up, the battery was flat.  I asked why this was but just got a shrug, “don’t worry about it” and a jump start.  (Done incorrectly, of course.)

About three miles down the road, feeling cross because the wheel bearing was as bad as ever, the battery light comes on and the engine starts to clatter.  I stop instantly to find that the aux belt has shredded and the tensioner has seized and disintegrated.  No big deal except that parts of the belt have become sucked into the timing and shoved it out by a notch or two, hence the clatter.

In short, goodbye engine – since I can’t be horsed to re-valve both heads, even assuming the pistons are OK.

My question to you more learned folk is does the garage bear any share of the responsibility?  Clearly the seized tensioner is not their fault but they did return the car to me with an obvious problem that wasn’t present when I took it in.  And, when the flat battery symptom was pointed out to them, they didn’t bother to check for the obvious causes.  Is this a lack of competence or is it just the kind of sloppiness that is OK these days?

[tigers_gonads]

Wheel bearing, maybe 

As for the rest, I think its a case of what you can prove. Not what you know 

[05omegav6]

Wheel bearing, maybe 

As for the rest, I think its a case of what you can prove. Not what you know 

Presumably they opened the bonnet to jump start it

[zirk]

Seeing as the work done was not Aux or Timing belt related, think you may have to take it on the chin, I'm sure your struggle trying to convince them a flat battery which was jumped by them was related to a now screwed engine.

[terry paget]

If the timing belt was intact, the fact that the engine rettled as it ran is not proof of disaster. You were unlicky that the pulley bearing seizure caused the aux belt to break, then invade the cam belt area. I have had two aux belt failures, without damage to the cam belt cover.
Do not assume that as the engijne rattles due to cam belt slipping a tooth or two the engine is wrecked. I have experienced that on a 3.0. I promply stopped the engine and took advice. This occured 10 years ago, advice came from 'Doc Omega', an expert on the Omega Users Forum. I removed the cam belt, turned crank back 60 degrees, then turned each camshaft one complete turn. His advice was, if at no time during this test the camshaft goes slack, no valves are bent. Mine seemed OK. I fitted a new cambelt and pulleys, reassembled, fired up, all OK. That car lasted 6 more years, until Catherine stuffed it into the back of a 4 x 4.

[Nick W]

If the timing belt isn't damaged, then Terry's suggestion is the way to go. That is a couple of hours work which will probably result in a working car with no further costs.

[terry paget]

If engine was still running, albeit noisily, it should be OK. Wayside garages are not all eager to change Omega cam belts, nor are some dealers, but a mobile mechanic on this forum would do you a good job, probably at less cost than the garage wishbone change.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Not an expert in these matters, just done the one cambelt, and never had a failure. However, as has been said, you've done the right thing, don't start that engine up again, have a go resetting the timing, I suspect you'll be fine, for no cost other than your time. I think 4 hours for me a novice, with (lots of) help from a mate start to finish. Other OOFers on here can just say 'expelliarmus' and the timings done, of course. I'm sure there'd be ones on here who'd be willing to cast an eye over it with you. 

[Gaffers]

A couple of notches on the timing belt wont necessarily cause head damage.  I think some members have seen theirs out by up to 4 yet it still ran/no damage.

I would certainly be having words with the garage, but check the engine yourself to see what damage there is/isn't.

You're not a million miles from me if you need a hand this weekend or next week.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Might I also suggest a new garage in future. 

Now me personally I'd never take my car into a garage for any of your above issues, but that said some people would gladly and easily replace the hardrive on their computers, me I wouldnt know where to begin, so would always pay someone who knows better. So definitely not knocking you for taking it in to a garage.

Rear wheel bearing - bleeding ballache. Front wheel bearing - as easy as replacing a wheel. Really, it's that simple. You're undoing a nut

Honestly, if this is the standard of work, aside from the engine damage, I'd never go there again. I'd also get underneath and slacked the wishbone front nut, then re-torque, because I'd bet my Doc Marten's they didn't nip it up with the weight on the wishbone. Or if they did it was a complete accident. If not, then your wishbone front bush will be stuffed in just a few hundred miles or less.