The higher the gear selected the easier the vehicle is to push.

If cam-belt had snapped then you would get some horrible noises when pushed in gear if in fact you could push it.

If starter motor bendix pinion jammed when in line with flywheel ring-gear and then you push vehicle in fourth gear,the effect of the huge flywheel ring-gear turning the tiny starter motor bendix gear could result in some interesting findings in the bell-housing .

Did you brave it out in the elements to have a look?At least it`s still likely to be where you left it....unless parked illegally!

You will need to remove starter motor from flywheel housing to check its condition.If bendix gear is broken you may get away with just having that replaced but you will have to turn engine via pulley bolt and check all flywheel ring-gear teeth for damage(they naturally have a chamfer on them for bendix gear lead-in)Mark flywheel with chalk so you know when you`ve done a full turn.

The end bush may have popped out of the starter-motor body allowing excess play on the bendix shaft leading to jammed gear.

There are plenty of starter units about so if yours is u/s don`t pay new prices for what is a relatively cheap readily available type.Options,depending on condition of yours are....service exchange unit /get yours repaired/repair it yourself/visit scrap-yard for cheapo 2nd-hand one.

If all looks ok when removed you can connect starter-motor up to wiring again and activate to watch&listen to mechanism.Be careful there`s a lot of power&inertia in a starter....that`s if your battery isn`t dead!

Hopefully you have your radio code if you lost all power,if not they are available for free.

Of course only by removing the starter can it be confirmed that it is the problem.

Yes,usually the flywheel ring-gear will survive a one-off altercation as described and at most a few teeth require burrs dressing with a file.If however you do require the flywheel replacing(most vehicles the ring-gear is an integral part of the flywheel.I had an `84 240D Merc where it wasn`t and the ring-gear popped off and I had to heat a new one up and fit,it shrank onto the flywheel as it cooled)

You may just get away with a new starter plus an hour`s labour cost to remove/fit.I expect you`ll ask them to investigate and ring you with a quote before proceeding.They may want to remove g/box to retrieve any random broken pieces.I have seen holes punched through the bell-housing where the flywheel has picked up debris and had to replace g/boxes because of damage.

If your flywheel is damaged then garage will also suggest a new clutch which is a three-piece affair...pressure-plate,cover,thrust-bearing.Replacement would be due to mileage,although my 1388cc zetec is approaching 120,000 on original clutch!

Cost vary a lot from garage to garage,try and find a good recommended one.

Absolutely!

Remove plug leads and plugs and turn engine over using a ring-spanner on the crank pulley bolt-head while someone looks into the cambox cover recess for escaping liquids.

If you cannot turn engine over easily using this method with spark plugs removed(try moving crank pulley clockwise then anticlockwise)and it`s not a piece of starter bendix gear jammed between flywheel and housing then maybe it`s dropped a valve?

Possibly.

Hydraulic lock would come into play when a particular cylinder is at TDC on compression(all valves closed,piston at top of stroke)and drawing in liquid from the waterways due to blown head gasket or a crack in the cylinder head or block/liner.

An engine can turn over as liquid is drawn into the engine when the piston in the offending cylinder/s descends.When the valves close as the piston ascends on the compression stroke that`s where huge hydraulic pressure can be created if liquid is drawn into the combustion chamber.Turning your engine back the opposite way by hand would relieve this pressure.

Was your car using any coolant?Had engine overheated at any time?Have you run it with low/no antifreeze %

Go on get your spanners out,removing the starter motor is an easy job and would be a good starting point(no pun intended! :-)

Can give you good advice on how to clean it up if it`s not too poorly.Save yourself a fortune.

Starter motor mechanical components get a hard life,they dry up as they run hot and get covered in dust from the clutch plate as it wears.

look mate, i am getting it into the garage on Saturday. I am currently out of the country, so speculation is about all I have.

Yes I dont have a clue, hence why i am posting on this, trying to work out how much its going to cost!

No need to be a p****

ps thats to bigtee, not tdc- thanks for the offer tdc, but i think i will let the "professionals" have a look!

Edited by mikeey84 on 08/10/2010 at 20:32

Cambelt tensioner collapsed. Been quoted £989+vat for replacement of all valves, new cambelt, aux belt, oil, filter, coolant.

I am thinking that a 03 plate 1.25l ford fiesta with 93k on the clock wont be worth much more than that.

Would it be worth buying a new top end of ebay or in fact a complete engine (bout £400) and fitting it? Is this likely to be reliable?

Thats what I was thinking! Thanks for all your advice. Look out for it on Ebay!

Mikeey84

have decided in fact to get it fixed. Reckon I can get £2500 for it repaired, so will sell it as soon as it is repaired and has an MOT (due November). That way I pay the £1200 back and still have enough to get a decent car.

have decided in fact to get it fixed. Reckon I can get £2500 for it repaired, so will sell it as soon as it is repaired and has an MOT (due November). That way I pay the £1200 back and still have enough to get a decent car.

Don't bother getting it fixed just place it here:www.delmarvarecycling.com/photo_gallery/images%20f...g

Govt paid for kit??

Friends of millionaire Martin tax disc Brundle?... as we called the p****** when he was funded by the Govt to tell us in that supercilious tone what would happen to the hard-up`s cars,those who hadn`t bought into/not interested in the capitalist idyll,before he continued to slag off F1 drivers with skills far superior to his own.

Bit poorly then!

Last week local-ish chap was looking for one to do up cheaply,he`s 60 miles from Rugby though so don`t know if he`s time to travel?How much were you willing to let it go for?Don`t suppose this forum is open to transactions taking place through it though?

Its gone, sorry. Got £450 so fairly chuffed.