I have a 93 Volvo w/approx 160k miles on it. The starter turns over but no compression. I was leaving my driveway (going up a small hill when the car shut off). I think it is the timing belt (maybe broken?). I am wondering if I should have it repaired or look for something else? worth having
You are most likely correct. That belt is supposed to be replaced every 50k miles.
The good news is that this is not an interference engine, so there is likely no engine damage.
A new name brand belt and tensioner runs $45 on-line. The fact that you are posting here suggests that you are probably not interested in changing it yourself, so plan on paying someone around $250 in labor to change it. If they suggest replacing the oil seals at the crankshaft and camshaft while they are at it, I would tell them yes. The additional cost will be minimal.
All told, you should be back on the road for less than the cost of a single new car payment, depending on the size of the tow bill, and you will need to pay a tow bill even if you get rid of it.
Unless the car has other significant problems, this is definitely not a reason to get rid of the car.
If the body is in good shape and you really want to get rid of it, you could have it towed to my house and I will pay the tow bill…
If the engine had normal compression previously, and now has no compression following a sudden shutdown of the engine, it certainly sounds like a case of a snapped timing belt.
Unfortunately, this engine is of the “interference” type, meaning that when the belt snaps, valves and pistons come crashing together with enough force to bend some valves and very possibly to nick some pistons. If the car was only a few years old, this would probably be worth repairing, but I would discourage you from investing the money (very likely something on the order of $2,000-$2,500) to repair the internal engine damage, replace the timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt, and all belt tensioners.
First, get a mechanic to confirm if this is indeed a snapped timing belt.
If it is, the repair costs undoubtedly exceed the book value of this 17 year old car, and it would be time to move on.
I show this engine as an “interference engine”. A good mechanic will have to remove the cylinder head to check for damage if the belt did break. http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index.cfm?location_id=3598
Good post VDC; it adds to the info database we seem to be building here as to what finally finishes off a car.
So far, the hands down winner is a neglected automatic, followed by head gaskets blowing and engines seizing, usually the result of a neglected cooling system.
The next major cause is likely timing belts breaking on interference engines.
Looking back to pre-1976 days, the vast majority of cars rusted out to the danger point before any of the major mechanicals needed to be replaced.
thx for the info. I found a mechanic that quoted me 450.00. i will have aaa tow the car at my exp. is that a good deal???