QuestionQUESTION:
QUESTION Less than a month ago my 2002 Hyundai Sonata’s time belt broke. My mechanic replaced the timing belt, balance shaft belt; crankshaft position sensor and crankshaft blade (AC and steering belts, and an oil change). After $900.00 all was well……. until last night when the car stops AGAIN without warning or anything. My mechanic says I need a new motor. I had driven the car at least 400 miles before the car stopped and he says the valve dropped and something broke in the cylinder. I have spoken to a few other mechanics, two from Hyundai dealerships. All are telling me valves don’t just drop and the timing belt must have been installed wrong. But I don’t understand how I could have driven so long without all the work being properly done. How do I know if he did anything wrong? If anyone else looks at it, it will void my warranty on anything he has done. HELP
ANSWER: The question is why the valve dropped. Without inspecting the car, I cannot offer much of an opinion. I'll give you some possibilities, though.
I'll first say that unless something happened to the timing belt and this resulted in the pistons hitting the valves, I don't see how it could be related to the work that was done.
Once scenario is that a valve guide was cracked or the valve was bent slightly during the original timing belt break. This could cause the valve to stick open, get hit by a piston, and possibly break off.
Another is that the valve spring broke, causing the valve keepers to come out and the valve to drop into the cylinder. If the valve did indeed "drop" as was suggested by your mechanic, this is the scenario I'd expect.
At this point, voiding the warranty is the least of your concerns. First, having someone else "look" at the car shouldn't void any warranties. But if they tamper with the work that was done, then your mechanic cannot be responsible for anything they do. Second, your mechanic is already saying you need a new engine and that it's not a warranty issue. Who cares if the warranty is void at that point? Third, the fact that this was mentioned leads me to believe that your mechanic may have something to hide.
If you have an active local consumer affairs office, you can call them. Or you can call the local Hyundai dealer and ask if they'll diagnose it. If so, have it towed to them. If they offer the opinion that your mechanic did something wrong, it's time to approach your mechanic with this information. Remember, he's already said this isn't his fault, effectively refusing warranty service. If someone else says it is and has enough evidence to back this up, then you have the makings of a good court case, if you want to go to that length.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Could I have driven 400 miles after the following two scenarios suggested in the first answer?
*Once scenario is that a valve guide was cracked or the valve was bent slightly during the original timing belt break. This could cause the valve to stick open, get hit by a piston, and possibly break off.
**Another is that the valve spring broke, causing the valve keepers to come out and the valve to drop into the cylinder. If the valve did indeed "drop" as was suggested by your mechanic, this is the scenario I'd expect.
AnswerIt's possible. The * scenario is related to the first problem, but may not show up until later. The ** scenario is unrelated to the previous issue, so the amount of miles you've driven is irrelevant.
I will say, however, that 400 miles isn't very long after a repair. At most well-managed shops, any car that returned within 400 miles would cause some suspicion that something may not have been repaired properly on the first visit. It's always possible that the problem is unrelated, but good management will be interested in determining exactly what occurred and whether it was related to the previous repair.
