I have to laugh at Mustangman, “you don’t need air conditioning in CT” yes you do, we might hit 95 today in September and the humidity you can cut it with a knife.
I am sorry to say that it is the timing belt:-(
Waiting to an estimate…
The seller said that he did all the required services when the car hit 100K, though did not present any evidence such as receipts to back it up. Well, it is my fault I guess for not asking for receipts. Lesson to learn.
If the mechanic just recently replaced the timing belt and water pump and the belt has failed there should be a very simple reason for it and easy to determine.
Short of some fluke parts failure (odds are near zero) this would be a mechanic error and he should correct this for free. You really need to dig in and ask WHY that belt failed.
The repair costs are going to be high and if he made an error this should be on him; not you.
“Well, it is my fault I guess for not asking for receipts. Lesson to learn.”
Yes, that is a hard way to learn that people do (frequently) lie about both the condition and the maintenance of a car when they are selling it.
In any event, I think you should consider whether it is fiscally worthwhile to do the (probably) extensive engine repairs that will be needed on this car. In view of it being 12 years old, it might be better to cut your losses and put the couple of thousand $$ of repair money into the purchase of a newer vehicle with verifiable maintenance.
If the transmission was “maintained” the same way that the engine was (wasn’t), then the transmission will be the next big ticket item in the OP’s plate. The trans fluid should have been changed at least 4 times so far, and if it hasn’t been, then you can expect the trans to die in the very near future, in view of the number of miles on the car.
Can the OP verify through hard copy maintenance records that the trans has been properly maintained?
If not, then I think it would be very unwise to spend the big bucks necessary to repair the engine when a trans overhaul bill is lurking in the background.
Dear VDC driver,
The transmission has been done in 2013. The seller did give me a written statement. Then again, no receipts. I guess I have to invest in this car now. As a grad student, cannot afford a newer car till I graduate. I will keep up with the maintenance, oil changes, and other necessary tasks as needed. Will ask the mechanic about trans maintenance. Thanks
Hate to ask you this but are you sure he said the TIMING belt and not the SERPENTINE belt. I’ve never heard of a timing belt shrieking. They usually just silently break after which the car won’t start at all.
Just picked up the car. Here we go: Water pump froze and tore the timing belt, and it became loose as well…hence timing belt and components associated with it were replaced along with the crank shaft sensor-$517 bucks. The work is guarantied for 1 year and timing belt is supposed to last for 10 years- this is what the mechanic said. He said that not driving the car and towing it saved the engine and huge damage averted.Thanks everyone for your guidance.
Thanks for reporting back. Not many do. A seized water pump makes sense. Sounds like you’ve got a good mechanic.
U bet…Thanks
Yup!
In the total scheme of things, this is about as good as the news from the mechanic could possibly have been.
Now, make sure that you change the trans fluid a.s.a.p., in order to protect your wallet.
Wow you got off easy. Cheaper than an AC compressor and the engine not toast. Most here recommend replacing the pump and tensioners with the belt just because of this. A $500 bill is not fun but could have been a lot worse.