am I right or wrong?

[EddScott]

back to a real question, do u think that i caused the timing belt to slip by starting it?

If you tried to start the car before the RAC arrived and it sounded sick then you probably did it no favours. However, the father in law still tried to turn the car over after he'd been warned not too - also being a mechanic he really should have known better.

The guy sounds like a bully. I know from experience of the wifes cousin don't take money off an inlaw for a house - you are forever in their pocket and would seem to give them the right to speak poorly of you at every opportunity.

Makes you wonder how some people tick.

 

[BigglesPiP]

If the drive belt is still in place: not the garage's fault.

If the drive belt has slipped off and done the tango with the timing belt: maybe the garages fault, maybe your fault, as it could have dropped off when you stopped the engine or when he started it.

Long and short: You're probably going to be paying for it. Is there any damage or has it just slipped? When was the last cam belt service and how many miles has it done since then?

And one last thing... what is the car?

 

[ZG002]

This is causing a HUGE family dispute as me and my wife aren't rich and certainly can't afford to replace the Laguna that imo, he broke.

/at-wits-end

BigglesPiP Chill out lol.

The belt was intact when the RAC guy looked at it also?

 

[InvaderGIR]

I've honestly never heard about this before until now, that's why I'm struggling to get my head around it.

How/where do they catch exactly?

On the one I rebuilt, aux snapped, ripped through lower cam belt cover and through the cam belt itself. The lower covers (certainly on the PH1 cars) were thin and got rubbed through by the aux belt.

back to a real question, do u think that i caused the timing belt to slip by starting it?

By the sounds of it, no. The RAC guy looked at it and didn't notice there to be a problem with it from what you've said. Which would suggest that it was the mechanic that killed it, or the towing to the garage knocked it about and something moved about and caused it to then fail once the mechanic started the car.

If the car ran 100% fine when you shut it off and took some time to fire up the mechanic should have stopped firing it up and checked it over and should have also checked it before trying to start the car, especially after being informed by the RAC guy that the car shouldn't be started.

Biggles: Laguna as stated in an early post by the OP.

 

[Stuff]

What a douche... I have nothing constructive to add, sorry

 

[Ricochet J]

Remember there's always two sides to the story. We haven't heard his father-inlaw's side. So calling his inlaw a "douchebag...a grade so and so" may not be valid. You only need to ask some of the people who have been on this board long enough for them to tell you people do bend truths in internet forums, and quite often they have been caught out.

Now before anyone gets their knickers in a twist I'm NOT saying the OP is lieing.

OP: I hope you get the car sorted out. If what you are saying is 100% true then I'd start to take the appropriate channels to resolve this issue legally. It's clear your inlaw is not having any of it.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Remember there's always two sides to the story. We haven't heard his father-inlaw's side. So calling his inlaw a "douchebag...a grade so and so" may not be true. You only need to ask some of the people who have been on this board long enough for them to tell you people do bend truths in internet forums, and quite often they have been caught out.

Now before anyone gets their knickers in a twist I'm NOT saying the OP is lieing.

What other side could there be which would justify a father who owns a garage not wanting to fix his own daughters car without charge?

 

[Joshy]

Some fathers are nasty pieces of work.

I'm not should why this is going as such a surprise to some people?

 

[Ricochet J]

What other side could there be which would justify a father who owns a garage not wanting to fix his own daughters car without charge?

I don't have enough information to answer your question. But I do have enough information to make a logical statement that there's more to this story.

This case is more than just a fall out with a mechanic. It's a fall out with a family member who happens to be the mechanic. What my original point is we can only advise what the best action is to take. We shouldn't be calling people names.

 

[Tute]

Bad luck, but I can't understand why you took the car to him in the first place

I would have picked another garage, any other garage. It's not like you didn't already know your wife's father is a plank.

This is where I stand with it really. If you knew he was a retard risk then you shouldn't have taken it there.

What does your wife think of this? Does she support you claiming that her Dad caused the damage or does she side with him?

If she sides with him then it makes it a lot more complicated, as you don't really have a leg to stand on unless you want to ruin your marriage.

But if she doesn't... well... go the whole hog and give the sod a taste of court.

 

[Participant]

git

I wouldn't have done that, for the record.

 

[Burnsy2023]

I don't have enough information to answer your question. But I do have enough information to make a logical statement that there's more to this story.

This case is more than just a fall out with a mechanic. It's a fall out with a family member who happens to be the mechanic. What my original point is we can only advise what the best action is to take. We shouldn't be calling people names.

I'm usually the first person to wait for both sides before making an opinion, but for this one, I'm with Fox.

 

[Felix Da Housecat]

Oh, the mechanic, is my farther inlaw, who I've always had issues with

Why on earth did you take it to him if you dont get on well with him?

If you don't like the guy then the car else where.

 

[blastman]

I'm fully aware that I can only give you my side of this story however I was worried that I'd come to the wrong conclusion myself and was seeking other peoples opinions hence starting this thread. I have 100% truthful expect that I should mention that he is really my wifes step farther. (might go some way to explain a few details..)

But this is a subject that's not talked about in their family as there have been a few incidents where grandparents (my father in laws parents) have wanted pictures of only the real grand children at a family wedding a few years back.

make up your own mind....

Anywho, I'm not a confrontation person (more of a lover than a fighter) so it took a lot for me to even tell him that I thought it was his fault. As for taking him to court, that's not something I'm going to be doing. Even though my wife is on my side and I don't care about MY relationship with him, but I don't want my kids or my wife to suffer.

I currently owe his garage £380 for work completed a few months back (it's this reason that I go back to him, he allows payment at a later time with no interest) so I'm thinking of giving him the car and drawing a line under the whole thing. My only problem is that I don't know how much damage has been caused so don't know what it'll take to fix it.

It could be that the timing has slipped only slightly so thee's no real damage done, just need re-aligning. if that's the case I'm giving him a profit as he'll be able to turn it round quickly and sell it.

 

[Dogbreath]

I currently owe his garage £380 for work completed a few months back

That does put a slightly different spin on things, but he is still your wife's father - I know my father would go out of his way to help one of his offspring in a similar situation irrespective of blame.

Reading your opening post again, you mention the power steering not working; this obviously suggests the pump is not turning, and the fact the belt was still in place and making a racket suggests one of the components that this belt drives has seized. That will probably include the alternator and obviously the PS pump, but there may be others.

There is also the possibility the RAC mis-diagnosed the fault and that it was the timing belt making the noise due to e.g. a frozen water pump or failed tensioner, which would obviously not be your FILs fault (though wouldn't explain the PS not working).

 

[DM]

My mother in law aint spoken to me for 10 years, dont feel bad

 

[blastman]

My mother in law aint spoken to me for 10 years, dont feel bad

thats the dream

care to share why? Was it car or business releated?

 

[DM]

thats the dream

care to share why? Was it car or business releated?

Mate i gave them a 0% mortgage that they couldnt manage to repay when they bought their house, then she invented an argument to avoid paying, if it wasnt for my wife they would be living in a skip.

Dont feel bad you cant pick family.

 

[blastman]

Mate i gave them a 0% mortgage that they couldnt manage to repay when they bought their house, then she invented an argument to avoid paying, if it wasnt for my wife they would be living in a skip.

Dont feel bad you cant pick family.

harsh, although that sounds more like you haven't spoken to them in 10 years, not they haven't spoken to you.....

 

[Bubo]

And one last thing... what is the car?

Laguna, post #7.

You're not going to get anywhere without evidence, and tbh even if the RAC man makes a statement, from what you've said I doubt he will be able to categoricially say one way or the other, since it appears the RAC never saw the car with its engine running prior to the mechanic starting it. You're stuffed basically by the sounds of it.