Need Help. My Car Engine Its Shot.

DobriM · 02-16-2008, 01:36 PM

Hi, everyone
I have a huge problem with my Ford Focus 2000 SE, 106000 miles. Yesterday i try to start my car and there was loud grinding metal noise coming from the engine and it won't start. My car has been very well serviced. The oil level is fine, the timing belt it's been replaced on 85000 miles. I took it to my mechanic, he checked it and said that it's internal engine problem and i need new engine. I'm in shock, i just can't beleive it, how this engine stop just like that, i didn't see that coming. Never heard any noises coming from the engine, it was performing very well. I don't know what to do! Anyone had this experience! At this point if it is really about getting new engine i would rather just donate the car instead of spending $3000-4000 on new engine when the car value is $4000.

bkf77 · 02-16-2008, 07:41 PM

I have a friend who is a technician at a shop I use to work at, who had a Focus with an internal problem such as you described. He had replaced the timing belt and driven the car around for 3 months then next thing he knows- broken connecting rod. He had to send the head to a machine shop to be repaired. The connecting rod did not damage the block so he replaced the connecting rod and the piston. He was told by the machine shop that this was "a common problem" which they have seen several times. I would inspect the internal parts of the engine before saying that the engine needs replaced. On the other hand, the cost to repair versus replacing may become a factor. This bit of information may pertain to your problem and then again may not. I hope it is useful!

DobriM · 02-16-2008, 07:57 PM

Are you sayng that the mechanic might've messed up when changing the timing belt. Because i also thought of that too. So it could not be the starter i guess! I can't find anything about this noise related to the engine itself. Everything is pointing to the starter. I have been reading all day.

bkf77 · 02-16-2008, 08:18 PM

No he did not have a problem with the belt instalation Machine shop told him that it was a common problem After the belt was installed_ car was driven for three months with no problem then one day LOUD METALLIC NOISE AND NO START he pulled the timing cover off and timing marks were right on the money After verifying the timing marks_ he tried to verify the condition of the connecting rods by pulling the oil pan Next question_ does the engine crank over?

DobriM · 02-16-2008, 08:43 PM

No, the engine does not crank. when i started the engine you will hear this metal griding noise, very loud!

DobriM · 02-16-2008, 08:46 PM

By the way i forgot to mention that the car had some issues when i will start the engine. The engine wants to get stall, but if i force it a little bit just for sec it goes back to normal, that would heppend once in a while, like once a month. They did check this a year ago, but they couldn't find anything and like i said the car was running like new! That day when this happend the car did this twice and the third time was the time i heard this scary noise.

bkf77 · 02-16-2008, 08:59 PM

If you try to crank the engine_ would you desribe the noise as a screeching sound? Can you turn the engine over manually?

DobriM · 02-16-2008, 09:03 PM

Sounds more like grinding noise - metal to metal. I don't know how to start the engine manually.

bkf77 · 02-18-2008, 03:37 PM

To manually turn over the engine, you have to gain access to the bolt in the front of the crank. The head of the bolt should be a 19mm. Using a breaker bar or ratchet, try rotating the bolt clockwise. You may have to remove the right front tire to gain access. Can you turn the engine over 360 degrees or more?