PT Cruiser died while driving...

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Roommate has an '02 Cruiser with high mileage. He bought it at an auction for five hundred bucks a half a year ago. He was driving home when he heard a 'pop' and the engine died. After pulling over the engine will turn over. We're checking the relays and fuses now and waiting for an obd2 reader. The engine light came on. He doesn't know when the timing belt was changed. He can hear the fuel pump... Any ideas much appreciated... Thanks in advance!
 
Yeah, I basically told him that's exactly what I'd do... I said bro you've spent about a hundred bucks a month for her walk away and get a cheque for fifty bucks for scrap metal...
 
It likely broke the timing belt and smashed the valves. You could pretty easily take the valve cover off and see if you see the cams spinning when you crank it.
 
A co-worker had a PT Cruiser, it died same as you described. Cam position sensor fixed it. Not sure how you would test that sensor though, OBD 2 reader?
 
It is common for the timing belt on PT Cruisers to break anywhere after 80K miles. Unfortunately, it is an interference engine, meaning that when the cam stops turning because the belt broke, the pistons will hit the valves that are open. This destroys the valves. It needs a valve job and replacement of the timing belt. Unfortunately, that job cost more than the vehicle is worth.

If the tires are good save them when you take it to the bone yard. The vehicle is worth more in scrap value then the sale value of the vehicle after the valve job and timing belt job, minus the cost of the valve job and timing belt job.

In other words, if you have it fixed, after it is fixed it will be worth less than the cost of having it fixed.

Some people would just pull the plates off of it and abandon it. Or you could call a scrap yard that tows them away and have them come and get it.
 
Originally Posted By: carviewsonic
A co-worker had a PT Cruiser, it died same as you described. Cam position sensor fixed it. Not sure how you would test that sensor though, OBD 2 reader?


If it was just the cam position sensor it would still crank.

When it will not crank it is the timing belt.
 
Is it true that if the valves had miraculously survived broke timing belt, cranking the engine over and over will definitely smash them?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Take the plates off it and walk away.


Dump it or tow it to a charity that accepts cars. My father had a PT Cruiser, but a newer model. Worse than the old K cars. It drove like a toboggan in the snow.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Originally Posted By: carviewsonic
A co-worker had a PT Cruiser, it died same as you described. Cam position sensor fixed it. Not sure how you would test that sensor though, OBD 2 reader?


If it was just the cam position sensor it would still crank.

When it will not crank it is the timing belt.


The OP said it will crank, so it might only be the Cam position sensor. Look on youtube for videos on how to fix a Cam position sensor.
 
Quote:
When it will not crank it is the timing belt.
What prevent cranking when the timing belt is broken?
 
Look in the oil fill to see if the cam is turning when you crank it. If it turns, it's not the timing belt. If you can't see it then there might be an inspection port on the front of the motor where you can see the belt. If the thing ran good and didn't have rot, then it's worth fixing. A new car payment is going to be several hundred a month at least, for years, plus insurance and taxes, etc. Watch youtube videos, buy some tools, learn to fix cars. Take the extra money you save and invest in the stock market.
 
Sometimes just shaking the cam position sensor will restore/help a weak connection and get it to work for a while. Did that a couple of times on one of my old beaters as the car was nearing the end of useful life.
 
If it's the 2.4, sometimes you can get away with replacing the belt in spite of the fact it is an interference engine. I've seen 3 2.4 Chrysler engines come back to life after the belt broke. Don't know why but they don't seem to mind.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Quote:
When it will not crank it is the timing belt.
What prevent cranking when the timing belt is broken?


When the pistons hit the valves, the crank will stop moving no matter how strong the starter.

Personally? Walk away from this...you'd be spending a ton of money and at the end, you've got a $500 car. Fixing this sounds like a way to turn a lot of money into a little money...
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Quote:
When it will not crank it is the timing belt.
What prevent cranking when the timing belt is broken?


When the pistons hit the valves, the crank will stop moving no matter how strong the starter.

Personally? Walk away from this...you'd be spending a ton of money and at the end, you've got a $500 car. Fixing this sounds like a way to turn a lot of money into a little money...



It depends on the design of the head and valves. Valves with small stems that are at a shallow angle relative to the piston will easily yield. I have seen the results of it myself. In fact, if you're not careful when replacing the timing belt, you can bend valves turning over by hand and barely realize it!
 
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