Ok guys, i am not a mechanic but i am also not stupid. I was driving my car to work doing about 75mph on the highway when it just slowed to a hault. Now i had it checked out and my friend told me it was the timing belt that went on the car. (this is the same set of timing belt that i just had changed 3 weeks ago). so i take it to the shop that did the work, now they are telling me that i was running the car with no oil and that is why the belt snapped and now the car still wont run properly becasue of it. They also want me to tell them to go a head and put a new engine in.

This is a 93 2.3 4WS, I treat this car as if it was my spawn. Funny thing is they did a full oil change when they replace the timing belt the first time and i checked the oil and toped it off the monday before that happened.

My questions after all that is, what do you guys think is the cause of the engine not starting up, even after a new timing belt and being adjusted?

I feel that at the speeds i was traveling the snapping of the belt may be the cause of the engine no longer working!!

 

if the timing belt indeed did snap, it would bend valves at the minimum and could make piston-valve contact with the right conditions (higher revs)

starvation of oil wouldn't snap a timing belt, i don't see how that would happen since the timing belt is on the outside whereas oil would usually be encased in the engine. (at least i hope so)

might want to take that car to a different shop, or put it on hault until all the details are crystal clear. I assure you that if the shop is putting in a new engine, it will cost upwards of 2000$. The value of your prelude may not even be that much (monetary, not sentimental)

The point I'm trying to get across is that it is a much better idea to know the diagnosis before tearing stuff apart. Perhaps take a trip and have the mechanic walk you through, take plenty of pictures and jot down as many notes as you can about what the mechanic is saying and report back to us.

In my opinion, if engine replacement is absolutely necessary you should be the one to pluck the engine out. With a few hand tools, a jack, and a jackstand it will take probably only 6 hours to remove the engine. Putting a new engine in may be a bit more delicate, so feel free to let the mechanic do that. At this point with engine removal, there's no real way to get it 'wrong' when your engine's seized right?

good luck on getting her back on the road.

 

if they just changed it their probably rip artists, find a new shop.

 

I had a problem like that but the car would still run, it would just go from let say 60-0 while i was still pushing the gas pedal down, i would turn the car off for a few minute and back on and it was fine for a few miles, turned out it was the fuel pump, the mechanic said it was a timing belt.

 

Thanks guys for the quick replies. According to the shop the car still runs but it runs rough. I think I may just sell the shell of the car. I current do not have the time or the funds to get the car back on the road.

 

Dagle you have a good idea there, I think I will do that before giving up on the car completely

 

No i have a question, if it ends up just needing the head rebuilt is that the better/cheapest rout to go instead of putting in a new engine?

 

what kind of a shop thinks low oil would snap a timing belt..wtf dude kill them

 

Get a lawyer

Get a second opinion

 

Agreed, i told them not to touch my car anymore and i will find somewhere else to bring it. I was kind of hoping i could get them to eat the cost of fixing it seeing how they just replaced my belt 3 weeks before it snapped. but i don't feel comfortable with them working on my car.

 

Any one have a thought on this questions?

 

wow they probably didnt do the belt correctly on purpose prob left it real loose scum bags

 

H22 head swap

 

Will that be the cheapest way to go compared with putting in a new engine?

 

it would be cheaper if you must replace something, with an h23 head if you were to put on a h22 head u would be going for h23vtec which requires build of the block and just more headaches on the way... but normally around here you can get an h23 head for like 50

 

so my question to you is why don't you go back and demand they replace your motor for free or threaten them to go to court? You need to realise they ****ed up your motor due to an improper belt they put on. Not only that, they changed the oil too. If you have your paper work still then you can prove this in court. It is an open and close case for you and you end up with a new motor.

Low oil cannot cause a belt to fail, incorrectly installing a belt can cause it to fail. If your motor runs like **** now after the belt failed it is because you bent your valves and your motor now needs a rebuild. Sue them for the cost of the motor rebuild along with the labour costs, and car rental while your car is down. Send the car to a better shop for the rebuild.

Small claims costs $100 in canada to file a case, i am sure it is about the same in the states. This is the smartest way you could deal with this issue, i don't see it happening though because nobody ever takes the smart legal route... sigh :p