Help - Car Is Dead

July 30, 2004

Driving in the city today, dropping off wages. been driving for about an hour, engine nice and warm, no strange noises.

Park up for 2 mins, jump back in the car, into 1st gear - pull away hard up to the junction - 40yds away - 5000rpmin 1st gear - then nothing.

engine simply died.

Tried to turn it over, starter motor is spinning, but no ignition. sounds like its realy trying to go, no combustion whatsoever.

Wait for the AA guy, thinking it may be the cam belt, take of the cover - nope.

turn the ignition, cam belt spins - no combustion.

take out a spark plug - do compression check. diddly squat. nothing. dead. and i mean absolutely nothing.

Havent got a clue what it is.

AA guy said - could have jumped a couple of teeth on the cam and gotten stuck???

So, got it towed to my local mechanic, handed keys over to security guard - then he tells me that Mark - my trusted mechanic - has just bought a touring caravan yesterday and has %$(ed off for two weeks.

it's booked in on wednesday for new shocks, suspose the apprentice geezer is doing them, the car valet guy - who is also a mechanic and helps out when mark is away will be supervising the apprentice.

So it doesnt sound too good as I very much doubt they will be able to diagnose and repair such a job.

Anyone got clues as to what it could be, i know it could be many things - what do you reckon.

(and oh - i wasnt running nitrous or anything like that, just normal driving - havent used nitrous since staurday night at jae)

August 2, 2004

could be a number of things as you say but if it has no compression then i would proberly say that the head gasket is blow.if you do a leak down test this should tell you cause you will hear air coming out of either the inlet manifold or the exhaust,if it does then the gasket is blow,should be a job the apprentice can do.I would get them to check the belt timing to ,just to be sure it hasn,t moved. B)