3B S2, while driving suddenly no more compression

[s2carlo]

Yeterday, while drive to work, the following happened.
While accelarating from a trafic light, using the car like it is supposed to, it feld a little sluggish but did not really pay attention to it.
Later when I got of the motorway and turned left while accelarating the was nothing left, no accelaration, nothing.
The engine stopped and could not be started again.

While starting it sound very strange, asif only the startermotor is turning.
Looking in using the oilstop we see the cam is turning while starting also the belts are turning.

Starting is done in very shortbursts. No ratteling or hitting metal to metal is heard.

The guys from AA-support suggested the timingbelt has shifted position. Can this be, while driving/ accelarating??

Could use suggestions!!!

Thanks
Carlo

[dan_b]

This sounds exactly like what happened to my brother's S2 a couple of years ago.

During the usual 25mile commute to work, attempting to pull away from the lights (with Vauxhall Astra trying to prove something) the car literally crawled - there was no real power. Limped another mile and got stuck in traffic jam. Decided to turn engine off, then it wouldn't start again. Rescue truck required...

What had happened then was the cambelt had indeed slipped a few teeth, so the engine was all out of sync with itself - the CPU had gone in to emergency crawl mode, and now won't start again to protect the engine from further damage.

It happened to this particular engine because the cambelt pulley wheel had mutated from being spherical to slightly oval, which over time damaged the belt and then ultimately slipped. The theory was that the car had had a whack at the front which had damaged the cambelt pulley wheel slightly.

Check the condition of your cambelt and pulleys. If you're lucky, there won't be any mechanical damage to the engine.


Best of luck.

[Stick Insect]

When I bought my car the cam belt was out by 2 teeth. 7a 20v with 7k on the clock but had been in an accident.

It is obviously a common problem.

David

[porkkis]

One vote for the cambelt from here too.

[audiman]

Cambelt too! Possible water pump bearing gone, just sounds like it has hopped a tooth or two. Maybe cos the belt is too slack. Check timing and belt condition and also tension. If it has hopped then replace the belt, as the other teeth will have been abused.

[Habib]

the same occured to me early feb last year. It was the crankshaft pulley which was not locked properly to the crank. so the pulley was turning but the crankshaft wasnt. 4 valves were bent.
result= the little key broke in the pulley. (woodrugh key dont know its spelling)

[s2carlo]

seems unanimous, what caused the slip

Thank you all.

the reason for the shut down of my car seems unanimous and not uncommen, timingbelt jumped a few teath.

The belt is going to be replaced.

Question is how big is the risk there was damage to valves and cylinderhead??
However the most important question is; what caused it to jump and how am I going to prevent it from happening again????
Bad, tensioning roll, replace it ???

again,
Suggestions??

[dan_b]

Yes, you need to track down the reason for why it jumped teeth so that you can prevent it happening again.

It could just be that the belt was well and truly past its replacement date? When was the belt last changed?

Check for unevenness in the crankshaft pulley, maybe that needs replacement.
The tensioner, yes, that could be knackered too?

Hope it's not something wrong with the camshaft pulley?


I guess the risk that the engine is fecked is potentially great - do you know how many teeth it jumped? I guess the only thing to do to be really sure is strip the head down and examine all the valves/cams/pistons. You might be ok.

[spink]

This happened on a car of mine, not an S2 but a 10v 90.

[audiman]

Check condition of all the pulleys etc. Make sure the new belt is tensioned correctly and to see if any damage was done, do a cylinder leakage test. This will tell you if you have any bent valaves

[s2carlo]

Well, got the car back today.
The fixation ridge that fixes the bottom pully to the shaft was completely broken of.

At least a good root cause was found and the car is running as smoothly as ever

[SteveH]

Nice one

Good to hear the car is well again

[dan_b]

Excellent, glad to hear you're back to full health!