Hitman

What would be a symptom of a blown timing belt?

I was driving along. Went to pull out from a stop sign and she died.
I heard a loud spring like sound and pretty much thought it was the belt snapping.

Now she's a no go...any ideas?

Scrib

Does the CL have a timing belt? I thought it was a timing chain...

I'm sure someone will be able to better diagnose your problem.

Jens H.

Yes the Cl is a t-belt car .Hitman open your hood and look at the engine ,on the right side of the engine (as viewed from driver's seat) you will see the plastic covers that are over the t-belt and cam gears .You will with some inspection see a small rubber plug that has a small handle on it.Remove this plug ,now have an assistant attempt to start the car .You should be able (with a flashlight) to see the front cylinder head cam gear spinning while your assistant attempts to start the car .If it does not move and the crank pulley does you have a broken belt .

Jens

Hitman

Do you know if this means (and again assuming it is the t-belt) that I probably bent a valve?

russianDude

Hey Jens, I was always wondering what kind of timing belt is on CL. What happens if you don't replace it on time and it gets broken while you are on the road? Will it damage other parts, or just break ? I know on some cars its really dangerous if timing belt goes while you are driving, it can damage other parts and the repair will be very expensive, while on other cars it just breaks and you need to tow your car... but there is no damage to other parts. What kind do we have?

Jens H.

Hitman,
If the timing belt fails while the engine is running it is a safe assumption you have internal engine damage .The damage could be be froma case of bent valves to punctured pistons caused by the valves breaking off .If in fact the belt failed it is time to install a new one and see if there is compression in all 6 holes .You may get lucky in this and not cause any damage at all .This is why the belt should be installed first to see if compression is still possible .If the compression test reveals a bad hole then the engine will need to be torn down for a full inspection .

Russiandude,
I am not certain of the exact composition of the t-belt however it is highly recommended that you follow the manufacturers suggested replacement intervals .Failure to replace a belt can and eventually will mean it will break potentially causing severe engine damage .As I explained to Hitman the damage can be anything from just the belt to a complete destruction of the engine .

Jens