Mitsubishi Repair: Misubishi endeavor timing belt/valves, crank angle sensor, safety precaution

Question
We just had our timing belt replaced at 150,000km.  The engine was making a banging noise before we took it to the dealer for the timing belt.  We're not sure if we caught it early enough or if there nmay be damage to the valves.Can a piston hit a valve if the timing belt is bad?  If yes, will the vehicle still run with the belt that far out of time?  Thanks!

Answer
Kris,
If the timing belt snapped while driving, there's a good chance some internal engine damage occurred.  But if your belt just slipped a tooth or two, it should cause too much damage as long as the engine automatically reduced the timing appropriately.  If your timing is really off, then the engine would not be able to start, as the cam/crank angle sensor would throw an error code and your engine's computer would prevent it from running as a safety precaution.  If there is engine damage, that would greatly effect your engine's compression and it would not run properly or at all.  But if your engine is running fine after your timing belt change, then you should be ok.
Good luck!