Chrysler Repair: Pt Cruiser: Timing belt broken?, crank sensor, engine didn

Question
it's not my car it's the grl. friends but  car hesitated for a lil while  off acc. 5speed standed wasn't lug-n . seem to go away  the other day she was driving the car  it  died given it gas   but really no accel. shift into neutral. rev'd engine didn't rev sputted and coughed  and died in the middle of road .it has about 67,000 miles . car still turned over but didn't start. brought to mechanic and they said  timing belt  i don't want to say anything ,figured i would ask another .my buddy 's wife has the same car or one yr. older  he said sounds like a crank    sensor or a SHIT!!!!!! forget the other sensor . but that's my delhema.

Answer
Hi Benjamin,
67,000 miles is a very low mileage for a timing belt to break. I too would be suspicious.
I would look instead at a cam or crank sensor. You can do this via a fault code readout using the ignition key (on-off-on-off-on and leave on, doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch for the mileage reading to change to show any 4-digit fault code numbers and let me know what they are and we'll go from there) or you can ask the mechanic to readout the fault codes with his code reader. The codes for the sensors are 0320 and 0340. But if the timing belt is broken you will get the 0340 for sure, but that doesn't prove the belt is broken, yet. If the code is only 0320 then that means the crank sensor only is bad and not the timing belt. To prove the belt is broken:
On the 2.0L engine if you look at the top timing belt cover at the front of the engine there is an inspection hole covered with a plug, right in the middle of it. You can remove the plug and see the the cam sprocket edges that are rotated by the timing belt. Try the starter while someone else looks in the hole to see if the sprockets move. It they do, then timing belt is not broken.
On the 2.4L there are a couple of screws that hold the cover in place (plus a bracket that has to come off if you want to remove the cover entirely) and if you remove those two screws you should be able to slightly flex the cover enough to look inside and observe with a flashlight the same thing while a helper cranks the engine.
Another way to tell would be to see if you find any compression in any of the cylinders when cranking it over as there will be none if the timing belt is broken. If you have compression it is not broken.
If the car is still at the shop, go in and ask to be shown the proof of the belt being broken or show them this answer and ask them to show you what I am suggesting to be done. The timing belt replacement is a much bigger job than a sensor, for sure.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer, and where you see the question about 'volunteer of the month' please consider a 'yes'. Thanks. Sorry for the delay but I just found your question in the 'pool' to which the other expert had sent it.