hey guys,
Long story so please bear with me....
On Friday of last week my Mrs started our car after 2 days of it not moving. She drove about 3 miles going to the doctors, nursery and then asda.
As she pulled into asda the car starting making a shrieking noise. She parked it up and went and did the shopping. When she returned she put the kids and shopping in and started the car. It starting making the shrieking noise again and she pulled out of the car parking space, she then found that the power steering didn't work, so she put the car back in it's spot and walked a mile home.
I went down to asda's car park on Saturday morning and started the car myself, it still made the shrieking noise but I noticed that the engine was running well (started first time) so I turned it off (not wanting to do any damage) and looked under the bonnet. I found a belt that was heavily worn so I called the RAC for a tow.
When the RAC arrived I explained the issue and the guy checked the belt and confirmed that it was knackered and told me that it needed a garage to change the belt. he also told me not to start it again as the belt might come off and wrap around the cam belt causing that to come off as well.
He kindly towed me to my local garage where he unhooked me from his van. At this point the mechanic came out (I had previously called and explained that I would be coming) and starting talking to the RAC guy. The RAC guy told him what I have told you and also said 'I wouldn't turn it over if I where you as that belt might come off' at which point the mechanic got in the car turned the engine over, it turned over ok, but didn't start for a second and then started making an out of time noise, like one cylinder was failing.
The mechanic then got out and looked at the RAC bloke and said 'you know what that sound means....'
I then left, asking the garage to call in the next few days to tell me the outcome.
Today, after not hearing form the garage, I called them and was told that the cam belt had come off and the timing was screwed on it. They then said that it was my fault for starting it in the car park. I told them that even the RAC guy told him not to start it and that it was their fault for the the timing being screwed at which point the garage hung up on me.
Now my question,
In your opinion, am I right in guessing that if the garage hadn't tried to start the car and had just looked under the bonnet and seen the damaged belt and changed it first, I wouldn't be this in mess? Or is it likely that when I started the car in asda's car park, the cam belt slipped and damage was caused then? (bearing in mind I noticed no change in the engine's revs, speed or timing)
Oh, the mechanic, is my farther inlaw, who I've always had issues with
Long story so please bear with me....
On Friday of last week my Mrs started our car after 2 days of it not moving. She drove about 3 miles going to the doctors, nursery and then asda.
As she pulled into asda the car starting making a shrieking noise. She parked it up and went and did the shopping. When she returned she put the kids and shopping in and started the car. It starting making the shrieking noise again and she pulled out of the car parking space, she then found that the power steering didn't work, so she put the car back in it's spot and walked a mile home.
I went down to asda's car park on Saturday morning and started the car myself, it still made the shrieking noise but I noticed that the engine was running well (started first time) so I turned it off (not wanting to do any damage) and looked under the bonnet. I found a belt that was heavily worn so I called the RAC for a tow.
When the RAC arrived I explained the issue and the guy checked the belt and confirmed that it was knackered and told me that it needed a garage to change the belt. he also told me not to start it again as the belt might come off and wrap around the cam belt causing that to come off as well.
He kindly towed me to my local garage where he unhooked me from his van. At this point the mechanic came out (I had previously called and explained that I would be coming) and starting talking to the RAC guy. The RAC guy told him what I have told you and also said 'I wouldn't turn it over if I where you as that belt might come off' at which point the mechanic got in the car turned the engine over, it turned over ok, but didn't start for a second and then started making an out of time noise, like one cylinder was failing.
The mechanic then got out and looked at the RAC bloke and said 'you know what that sound means....'
I then left, asking the garage to call in the next few days to tell me the outcome.
Today, after not hearing form the garage, I called them and was told that the cam belt had come off and the timing was screwed on it. They then said that it was my fault for starting it in the car park. I told them that even the RAC guy told him not to start it and that it was their fault for the the timing being screwed at which point the garage hung up on me.
Now my question,
In your opinion, am I right in guessing that if the garage hadn't tried to start the car and had just looked under the bonnet and seen the damaged belt and changed it first, I wouldn't be this in mess? Or is it likely that when I started the car in asda's car park, the cam belt slipped and damage was caused then? (bearing in mind I noticed no change in the engine's revs, speed or timing)
Oh, the mechanic, is my farther inlaw, who I've always had issues with
. I was just fishing on the off chance that you'd do it out of rage...then I was going to link him to this thread 
.
