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Is it safe to drive my car if the timing belt is messed up?
My mother talked me into letting a family friend fix my 2004 ford taurus. My husband test drove it and says that the timing belt is messed up - he says that at high speed it feels like only 2 cylinders are firing. It feels like when you push on the gas pedal the car is not responding.
I am currently staying with my mother to take care of her while her boyfriend recovers from surgery. My home is three hours away from here. Would it be safe to drive my car home when the time comes so that our regular mechanic can fix my car?
-- Okay, so the car was leaking. Like I said I am staying with my mother. My husband visited on a weekend and repaired the car by installing a new water pump. However, this did not fix the problem. The car was still leaking. The problem was the timing cover and my husband either didn't want to fix it or didn't feel like he could do it. He says the car is idling rough and when driving it lacks power to accelerate. He can feel the engine vibrating when he presses down on the pedal.
8 Answers
- Anonymous5 years ago
It's not safe to drive if the timing belt is messed up because the engine won't run and you'll hurt yourself pushing the car everywhere. Also, you have a timing chain so probably best to find out what the real problem is.
- ?Lv 75 years ago
It's impossible to tell from here. Since you mention "Belt" and there is no belt then it leads me to wonder if you understand the correct terminology of what's going on. A chain certainly CAN skip a tooth - I've had that happen a number of times on vehicles I've owned over many years. But if it skips one tooth it will barely run and it won't be long before it skips another tooth and completely refuses to run.
If you need something reliable then I suggest you have it repaired by someone who can guarantee their work; and if they get it wrong - you make them fix it right for the money you already paid. Don't let them "Up the Price" just because they failed to properly diagnose it the first time.
- Anonymous5 years ago
(1) no offense to your hubby, but he may not know what he's talking about (2) the engine in that vehicle has a timing chain, not a belt, and the chain is made to last for many years, therefore (3) the engine needs to be diagnosed to find out what the issue(s) is or are (4) it's quite possible that some of the spark plugs are bad and/or the plug wires (5) you can drive the vehicle BUT it would be much safer to have a local mechanic look at it first
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- Anonymous5 years ago
The "family friend" should look at it and see, if it is running on all of it's cylinders.
If there's a reason you can't drive it home he should explain it.
- yLv 75 years ago
Curious, if husbands knows so much, why didn't he take the tie to ensure his wife was driving something safe and reliable?
It's a crap shot as to if it will get you where you are going and if your husbands actually right.
- 5 years ago
2 sections to this one. to you, no issue aside from a lighter wallet in any arena. the other, it depends on if the engine is an interference or not. if it is, that can just about destroy huge sections of the engine.
