Big Problem
 

Saturday night i was drivin home from picking my girlfriend up and all of a sudden i start loosing power in my car. I start mashing the gas really hard and nothing...so i stop the car and turn it off and back on, it wouldn't even crank back up. It sounds like the battery is dead when i try to crank it but the radio and all the lights work. My dad seems to think that it would be the timing belt. Any ideas what it would be?

RE: Big Problem
 

check fuel/compression/spark i would start with fuel and spark first. try checking your timing

RE: Big Problem
 

we can eleminate the spark plugs i checked the today they are ok. How do i check the timing and compression and it has plenty of gas in it

RE: Big Problem
 

if it's your timing belt that would NOT be good.

if it is a snapped timing belt, you're gonna need to check to see if the valves didn't tattoo the piston heads when the belt snapped.

if they did, then there's a good chance that the valves may be bent (even ever so slightly) which can cause compression loss.

another danger is metal shavings floating around in your cylinders from the valves crashing down into the pistons.

pray that the battery is dead. but if it is a snapped belt, then expect to pay some money to get it fixed. even then, however, it's not the end of the world.

RE: Big Problem
 

Could possibly be your converter.

RE: Big Problem
 

we should be getting it to shop tomorrow. i really hope that it isn't something bad

RE: Big Problem
 

fill us in, when you get a diagnosis.

and if you can, take pics, if they take the engine apart.

RE: Big Problem
 

ok

RE: Big Problem
 

He meant that you to check and make sure you're getting spark, not whether or not your plugs are okay..

Do you have a timing light? If not, try and find someone who does, its the only way to be positive that your timing is on.

Did you even bother to check the timing belt to see if it snapped? If not, just pull the valve cover, and look into the Timing belt cover (or take that off too, its only two bolts) and see if the belt is still intact.

If it is, then its time to check for fuel and compression. Checking for fuel is as easy as cranking it, then just pull the F/I return line off and see if theres fuel in it.

If there IS fuel in the return line, then its time for a compression test, on which I've done a DIY in the DIY section of this forum.

Good luck

RE: Big Problem
 

^^ i can't get the car to crank to do a compression test.