Hi am hoping someone can help or advise me. I have a 1998 Volvo v70 with 160,000kms on the clock. According to the maintenance book it had a timing belt change at 120,000. The other night I was getting some engine noise like something loose and vibrating rather than a mechanical noise. Anyway the following day I stopped at an intersection to turn right and after just completing the turn, probably doing no more than 60kms/h the car just stopped!!

I rolled to the side of the road and thats where the car stayed. Tried starting it but the car wouldn't even turn over, lights etc came on but nothing else. Upon lifting the bonnet the timing belt had worn/burnt through the black plastic casing on the side of the engine. The belt appears to be intact but has worked its way off the cog and then through friction burnt its way through the plastic cover.

The car is currently at the shop but has not been looked at yet. Has anyone had this happen or heard of it happening and if so could someone advise what damage may have been done. I'm praying that the car has a shut off which shut down the engine before any real damage was done

 

More than likely your looking at a head replacement. If you attempted to start the engine after the belt had come off, it would bend valves, more than likely the valves got bent when the engine died on you because the belt slipped.

Its can be about a $2000 dollar repair. If your handy and lucky you can find heads on e-bay from time to time and install them yourself, but your still looking at about 750->1K going the DIY route, and thats provided you don't have any cracked pistons.

I did the head on my volvo and ended up with a total of around $800.00 when I was done, but I only paid $1.00 for the car.