Deep Shit??

[TheNonpareil]

I think I'm in deep shit. Or so I think. 

A belt snapped on my way home early this morning, about 50 meters away from where I park outside my house. I somehow managed to get the car parked, in a crawling manner of sorts.

I didn't know right away that it was a snapped belt. I just felt a sudden loss of power, with no pull when I stepped on the accelerator - just revs. Then there was this rubber to metal and rubber to rubber sound that initially got me thinking if some part of my underchassis caught something along the way and dragged it home with me. Also, the battery indicator on the panel started going crazy, blinking fast, then faster even, until it went steadily lit. Then the engine died. 

Once parked, I popped the hood open and saw the damned belt - grated like some poisoned food ingredient.

As far as I know, there are 3 visible belts on my Civic ESi. One that connects to the alternator, another one that connects to the aircon, and a third one that has me wondering 'til now if it's the one referred to as the timing belt. Is it?

That third one was the one that snapped!

A closer look at the other belts revealed a semi-mangled alternator belt, but still on its pulley (is that how it's called?), and a seemingly OK belt on the aircon compressor, but no longer in place.

I had the belts checked during a tune up 2 months ago, and the mechanic said they're all fine.  Now, how could it possibly just snap all of a sudden if it's in good condition? My guess is, a pulley is defective. Some kind of play perhaps that got the belt derailed. I don't know, really. Just a guess. I'm sure some experts here have better ideas.

Tell me, guys. Am I in deep shit?   :crybaby2:

[niky]

It's not the timing belt. You can't see that, and if it snapped, your car wouldn't rev, it would just grind its valves into kibbles. You would definitely hear that.

Your outside accessory belts connect to your alternator, your aircon, your powersteering and your water-pump. None of those would make your car stop right away. If it revs and doesn't go, I'd venture to say that you snapped the clutch cable.

[-jason-]

Your pulley might indeed be the culprit. Assuming your belts are fine, a misaligned crankshaft pulley can snap a belt anytime. Better check on the timing belt as well. If its snapped too, then you are definitely in deep shit.

[TheNonpareil]

It's not the timing belt. You can't see that, and if it snapped, your car wouldn't rev, it would just grind its valves into kibbles. You would definitely hear that.

Your outside accessory belts connect to your alternator, your aircon, your powersteering and your water-pump. None of those would make your car stop right away. If it revs and doesn't go, I'd venture to say that you snapped the clutch cable.

Thanks for the quick response, niky.

I forgot to mention, my ESi has A/T. Does that make a difference in regard to your mention of a possible snap of the clutch cable?

[TheNonpareil]

Your pulley might indeed be the culprit. Assuming your belts are fine, a misaligned crankshaft pulley can snap a belt anytime. Better check on the timing belt as well. If its snapped too, then you are definitely in deep shit.

Shouldn't I have heard or felt anything before I turned off the engine that would have suggested a hell-damned timing belt?

[Conan®]

Shouldn't I have heard or felt anything before I turned off the engine that would have suggested a hell-damned timing belt?

Like what Niky said, you cannot see your timing belt unless you remove the engine parts covering/protecting it. So it's best to leave this out of the equation. You need to buy new fan/aircon/alternator belts and find a mechanic that does home service.

[TheNonpareil]

Sounds like a not-too-major job, is that right?

Although things could get a little more serious once pulley problems are discovered, I guess. Tsk tsk tsk.... 

[aid03]

you mentioned on the other thread that your engine was noticeably louder...the pulley/s or the belt/s might have caused that noise, they dont usually just snap, the belts get louder telling you that it needs to be serviced...

with the right tools, it should be pretty easy to install...

[Emong3]

It's not the timing belt. You can't see that, and if it snapped, your car wouldn't rev, it would just grind its valves into kibbles. You would definitely hear that.

Your outside accessory belts connect to your alternator, your aircon, your powersteering and your water-pump. None of those would make your car stop right away. If it revs and doesn't go, I'd venture to say that you snapped the clutch cable.

Sir sa Civic ESi water pump is not driven by the accessory belts.
water pump is driven by the timing belt

to the thread starter, if you can still start the engine your timing belt is fine. Just replace all the accessory belts and checkif the pulleys are aligned.

BTW the civic ESi (92-95) has a common flaw, where in the key fo the crankshaft pulley easily gets worn out, causing the pulley to become loose. Have this one checked aslo just to be sure

[TheNonpareil]

I am so depressed.  :crybaby2:

I had the ESi checked earlier by a neigborhood mechanic, and we found out the crankshaft pulley itself is like about to come off. The mech said he needs to do some "dissecting" to have a closer look, to determine the extent of the problem. Hopefully, he added, no crankshaft problem comes out, otherwise it's gonna be a really major concern.

I scheduled the "surgery" tomorrow morning.

Should there be anything I need to be aware of as I go through this ordeal? Like mechanical do's and don'ts, or some insights on costings. Just so I won't be taken advantage of, you know.

[-jason-]

Prepare to replace the crankshaft pulley. You can get a surplus part for that. Plus the belts. Plus the crankshaft bolt needs to be torqued properly. Otherwise it just might come off after a few months. On my m/t Esi before, the mechanic removed the starter to properly tighten that bolt.

[TheNonpareil]

Thanks, Jason.

Appointment was postponed, however, as the mech had a family emergency.

Guys, would you suggest I get a surplus crankshaft pulley, bolt, and belts now, so that when the mech becomes available to work on the car everything would be ready? Or, is there a chance that the crankshaft pulley would not need to be replaced?

I'm also having second thoughts about the neighborhood mechanic. Though he's really, really nice, and looks literally like an old hand at the craft, a few other neighbors have cautioned me about his overly pricey labor costs. Someone told me they were charged P8,500 for a cylinder head gasket replacement. An automotive mechanics ignoramus like me really wouldn't know if that's a fair charge or otherwise. What do you guys think? And while we're at it, would anyone be supportive enough to make a recommendation? Home service, Makati area. Someone tested and charges reasonably.   

Hope to hear more of your thoughts!

[aid03]

Get a quote from him first then post it here to see if his quote is reasonable. and yeah better get the parts yourself coz if he does that for you then he might charge you more

[TheNonpareil]

First time I'd be dealing directly, on-the-job with a mechanic.  :dontknow:

OK, so I was told he couldn't give me any costings quote unless some dissection is done which would let us both know the true extent of the problem. Makes sense to me.

Now, after he's done dismembering and could finally give me labor cost figures - which, for example, are unacceptable - what's next? Other than fainting on-the-spot, how do I proceed? Should I just thank him for his estimation efforts, pat him gently and say goodbye, or should I compensate him for what he's done before I scout around for another, more affordable mech? Sorry, guys, I'm not familiar with the standard practice so I could really use some advice here.

Hope to read more of your interesting thoughts.  :read2:  Big thanks, guys!  :thumbsup:

[-jason-]

IMO, It wouldn't take more than 30mins to check the extent of the damage. All he has to do is lift the car and remove and check the pulley and crankshaft's tread if its damaged too. When my friend's car broke down, I brought along a mechanic from a shop in banawe to Tiendesitas. We paid him some sort of "bar fine" plus the normal labor charges  . Quite reasonable naman yung price.