Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

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Fri 23 Sep 2016 19:46

Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? - Rachael Louise

Hi everyone, this is my first post!
A woman at her wits end - Literally!!

So last week I had my power steering pipe replaced as it was leaking fluid and screaming at me (2nd replacement in 2 years and a big vary in price on the jobs too). My usual mechanic fitted it and all was fine .. However that was last Friday. I had been noticing the last few days a very quiet squeak in the engine (people like to tell me I'm paranoid) but the car just sounded different. So after a few minutes it would go away. This Friday I had noticed a loud what I would describe as "rattling" sound was coming from my car. I was only doing a local drive, 30mph maybe, when the battery light flashed up, power steering went and the temp gage flew to 120+ on the dashboard. I was very close to home so tried in every effort to try and get home without PS until I heard a very loud screaming noise and I pulled over. Car died and won't turn over..
I have since left it a few hours down the end of my road for engine to cool (as advised by my mechanic) and tried to restart and NOTHING!

My mechanic is away for the weekend and can't see me til Monday, he has said it sounds as if the fan belt has snapped, however as the engine won't start I may have damaged the engine but I need my mind put at rest as I have had so much trouble with the car it's a headache! I only had a new head engine replaced last year as Cambelt snapped on me at 94,000m.

My Ex partner usually dealt with all my car problems but I'd rather choke than ask him for advice so could I please get some reassurance that this is a small job and won't end up with the car being scrapped.

It's a ford focus, 2007, 1.6 Sport.

Thanks, Rachael

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Fri 23 Sep 2016 22:53

Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? - elekie&a/c doctor

Driving with no fan belt is not a good idea as there is no coolant circulating the engine.The engine may have been "cooked" with serious damage.I would wait for your mechanic to make a more positive diagnosis.

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Fri 23 Sep 2016 23:53

Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? - Rachael Louise

Thanks for your reply.
There's no possible way for me to drive it as the engine will not start. I've had to abandon it until Monday.
I was hoping someone would be able to shed a little light, as I've been googling and other forums describing the same incident are saying it could be the cambelt.

Meh.

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Sat 24 Sep 2016 17:05

Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? - galileo

Thanks for your reply. There's no possible way for me to drive it as the engine will not start. I've had to abandon it until Monday. I was hoping someone would be able to shed a little light, as I've been googling and other forums describing the same incident are saying it could be the cambelt. Meh.

On some engines if the fan belt fails the debris can interfere with the cambelt and cause it to fail too.

Broken cambelt means instant loss of power, gradual slowing and then stopping suggests seizing due to overheating.

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Sat 24 Sep 2016 18:44

Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? - John F

This sounds like the poly v belt disintegrating, and then the engine being overheated then seizing. But what I would like to know is what work, if any, had been done on the belts before 94,000 when the cambelt 'snapped'.

Is this yet another case of unnecessary inexpert servicing causing problems later on or just bad luck?

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Sun 25 Sep 2016 18:41

Ford Focus 07 Sport - Help!!! Possible Fan belt snap? - Rachael Louise

Hello,
I have had the car from 86,000 and never had any engine problems. I had a crash a few years back which needed a lot of stealing adjustments and work as I'd hit near side after swerving in rain.
The same mechanic had done the whole head engine last year as out of the blue it just snapped, no pre warning it just died on me when yet again a local 30mph drive. When I heard engine making noises I had pulled straight over. I have tried restarting today and still won't turn over. Don't want to cause anymore damage but it's not sounding hopeful is it?

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