brokecivic

Hey everyone,

I have a very well maintained 2001 Honda Civic EX that snapped a timing belt today on the highway. It was early for it to happen and all maintenance has been done to this point. Still been getting 30-35mpg.

I got it towed to a garage and with a quick look via the oil filler cap and trying to start it, they felt it was a broken timing belt. The mechanic said things were just spinning freely.

I was looking for the forum's opinion and help to determine the best course of action.

I know that I can get a JDM, scrapped engine pull or go the remanufactured jasper route.

My real question is that I was wondering what is the best way to determine if the damage is severe enough to go and buy a new car or replace what?

Would a leak down and or compression test do the job?

The car did not make any noise at all when the car lost power on the highway at about 75mph.

Looking for suggestions...trying to decide quickly as this was my main means of transportation.

If anyone is in the Chicago area and is interested in the car, please PM me. This post is only for suggestions to fix it.

Thanks!

theineffable

leak down and compression test...if it gives you crappy numbers, move on and get a used engine

honda.lioness

Side note from my reading for many years at Honda fora: most of the time that Civics have a failed timing belt, no damage occurs. This is despite the engines being interference type.

theineffable

i don't agree with that...

zzzjoe

One of the guy's in my office had his belt go, and I told him it was going to cost him big. with the interference engine he had to bend some valves at least. He took it to a shop, and the mechanic said he has not fixed one honda with a broken timming belt that had any valve or piston damage. He got his car back two days later and he said it is running better than before. I don't know what to believe

2002civicrider

If anything happened to it, you probably bent some valves. If you need a new head I have one fs if you are interested.

honda.lioness

I realize it does not seem possible, but searching this site and other Honda sites turns up many reports like the above by many different people. I suppose the pistons nudge the valves closed in many cases during the remaining revolutions, sparing the valves damage. The valve pockets (a.k.a. "valve reliefs") in the piston heads may help, too. Not all whose timing belts fail are this lucky but it certainly seems to be a majority.

z4nd

I just recentl replaced mine for 250 for the labor and 50 for the waterpump the belt came with the car but on my 94 civic SAMe thing happened to me and I just replaced the belt and pump and it ran sweet lol

bk111

I am thinking you might be able to get away with no damage at idle or low rpm, but the OP states he was doing 75mph at that revs i am willing to bet that the valves are bent.

jdmhondaes1

most definately agree

Jadoo

Hi,I am new here i have just been registered and could not ask questions to the forum
my Honda civic vtis 02 got a problem yesterday while i was driving back home.
I was driving at 100kms and suddenly I got the engine alarm on the dashboard and the car started loosing power,preventing me to accelerate.So I changed gear to retrograde and then stopped.I switched off the engine and started it again but the engine sound was different than usual,it was rather a hissing sound .The engine did not started after two or three attempts.So I got my car towed.
I think that it may be the timing belt but I have already changed the belt once at 44000kms and now the odometer is at 117000kms.Normally I should renew the belt at 144000kms,so I don't understand.
Is it a problem other than timing belt?Could it be a sensor,map sensor?
If it is a broken timing belt,is my engine(valves) damaged?
Please help
Regards
V Jadoo
vkjadoo@hotmail.com

phootbag

OP:

You can manually move the cam around to TDC and the crank at TDC for each cylinder and perform a leak down test. Or, you could simply put a timing belt on and try starting the engine.

FYI;

A customer came to my shop and I found a broken timing belt. Replaced the timing belt and they drove away with a perfectly fine civic. Don't automatically throw your engine away.

Targa250R

I've seen three D17A2s in our shop with broken belts now and all three of them bent some valves. Chances are very slim that your engine will be okay. You won't know for certain until you replace the belt and run a compression test, or pull the cylinder head.

I've only seen one D17A1 with a broken belt and it didn't bend any valves. That's not to say that it isn't possible to bend valves with an A1, but there is a chance that it might survive a broken belt.

dpetro1

my question is..if you are looking through the oil filler and trying to start the car, the cams should NOT spin at all since the belt is not driving them. did they remove the uper timing cover and/or valve cover to confirm a broken belt???

2001 civic dx

READ ME!!: Your timing belt is supposed to be changed every 100,000 miles. Don't get a new engine. I changed mine, your timing is probable off. Your harmonic balancer and cam hav to be perfectly tdc or the car will not run right. Whn I changed mine i got my cam off by 3 or 4 teeth and the car would start but then die. You just have to have your timing reset and a new timing belt put on. And when you get the new timing belt done it's best to also get your water pump changed too while your in there, or if you have someone do it make sure they change that too. I do all my own work but your engine is fine. Nothing was wrong with my car I just changed the timing belt because I hut 100,000 miles. Well hope this helped!!! Good luck

Weakbyyou

also agree, i would atleast pull the head

theineffable

you guys don't seem to know how to read....

the timing belt is supposed to be changed every 100,000 miles OR 7 YEARS. all you 01 and 02 owners still running on the original belt = overdue for a timing belt change regardless of the number of miles that are on the car. mine is actually overdue too. i just haven't had time to change it yet.

Puzzled

The timing belt in my 2001 Civic LX broke in stop and go traffic, where the car was practically idle. Multiple attempts were made to start it, so it was cranked a few times. After getting it towed we tried to boost it, unaware of the actual problem. This time it wouldn't even crank. The dealership is giving us the options of replacing the timing belt package or just buying another used engine. Should we try the timing belt package? Another engine doesn't seem worth it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

mike93eh2

i repair these all day long for $400.. that includes labor, new valves, head gasket, timing belt.

dont need to get a new engine! its easy work!

exb18c1

After putting the timing marks at TDC it will take you a few minutes to do a compression test.If you will read 0 PSI ,the valves are bent and I agree,it is easier to get a head and timing belt kit and do it yourself.Why changing the whole engine????

Fuzbal

Im just curious what would cause a timing belt to break early? And i was told it needs to be changed every 7 years or 100,000km. I know i had mine done at 120,000km, roughly about 77,000miles.

exb18c1

If the water pump and tensioner weren't done at the same time they might seize up and cause overheating of the belt and snap it.Also how are the timing belt covers look(especially the lower one?).Are they in one piece?

Fuzbal

I know i had my water pump done too at the same time as the timing belt but not sure on the tensioner. It was done at a homda dealer. Anyway to tell by looking? Not sure where the tensioner even is, do you mean the serpentine belt tensioner? Cause i think our cars only have one tensioner.

From what i read honda replaces the tensioner by default whenever they replace a timing belt?

b20bFourDoorCivicLX

mine broke on the free way also, i was so worried that i ****ed up a vavle and when me and a buddy slapped the new belt on retimed my car and NO KNOCKING. i was so lucky

exb18c1

You will have to take the timing covers off and remove the belt.to spin by hand all the components,plus you get to see what really happened.I have never seen a timing belt broke without any reasons,especially authentic Honda .And by the way "tensioner" is the timing belt tensioner.