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Old 12th November 2021, 17:18   #11
ashy90
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SD1too View Post
Hello Adam,

It's not possible to take off the covers to check at the roadside so let's not be too pessimistic about this. The belts are good for 90,000 miles (MG Rover data) and it's very unlikely that another component caused belt failure at only 55,000 miles.

My recommendation is that you don't rely upon the AA's opinion. Get a considered, accurate diagnosis. For example, you could have the common case of fuel filter separation. Does the engine turn normally when you operate the starter?

Simon
Why isn’t it possible at the road side?
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Old 12th November 2021, 19:15   #12
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Hi all, I'm new to the forums and new to owning my 2004 Rover 75 2.5 V6 Connoisseur. As the title suggests I've not had very good luck with this car, I literally purchased it Sunday afternoon and I hadn't even got the car halfway home when the car suddenly lost power and the AA recovery man informed me that the timing belt had gone... now this isn't 100% confirmed, he didn't go as far as taking the covers off and checking but the signs point towards this being the case.

Before anyone comments that I should have taken it back... I'm not going to try and argue with the seller, it was his dad's car who passed away about 18 months prior and the car has barely been driven since, I don't believe he knew the belt was on its way out and he took me out for a test drive in the car and it was driving beautifully up until the point it wasn't.

So now I've got to work out what I'm going to do with the car... I know economically it doesn't make sense to spend any real money on these but the fact is this car has been loved, its in beautiful condition, has had a lot of upgrades done to the car and has a mere 55,000 miles on the clock so I really want to get this cat back up and running provided it's not going to financially ruin me in the process.

I don't know a load about this kind of thing so I really need some advice on how to proceed... i know it's difficult to say without knowing exactly what damage has been done but let's say the timing belt has gone, is the engine likely to be completely knackered (as in needs swapping for a complete new engine)? would I be able to just replace parts of the engine? is the engine itself likely to be OK but valves and pistons knackered? What would be the first steps I need to take?

I've already phoned around a couple of garages who didn't seem overly keen on taking on the job so that could be my next issue but depending just how involved it is I may even consider doing the work myself. Thanks in advance for any advice.


You don't say if the engine still runs.--ie, ticks over.

If it does without any noise then the problem could be simply the fuel filter in the tank.--Lots of info on the forum about this and an easy and cheap fix.--
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Old 12th November 2021, 21:57   #13
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Why isn’t it possible at the road side?
It is very possible at the roadside, 3x 8mm headed bolts will remove the front cam cover, you should be able to tell if something untoward has happened when that is removed.
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Old 13th November 2021, 08:04   #14
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It is very possible at the roadside, 3x 8mm headed bolts will remove the front cam cover, you should be able to tell if something untoward has happened when that is removed.
Hello Andy,

It isn't possible to remove the front LH cambelt cover at the roadside because the dipstick is 5mm in front of it. Then there's the auxiliary belt and its idler wheel which also run in front of the cover making three obstructions in total.

By removing the three screws you mention, at best you'd be shining a torch through a gap about the width of a piece of spaghetti at a tiny portion of the full length of the timing belt. That is completely unsatisfactory for an accurate and reliable fault diagnosis.
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Why isn’t it possible at the road side?
Hello Ashley,

Because for a full view of the timing belt components to reach a proper assessment of what's happened it is necessary to remove the RH wheel arch liner, auxiliary belt, top engine mounting and front plate, idler wheel and dipstick. No AA/RAC man is going to do that! It's a job for the workshop.

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Old 13th November 2021, 09:58   #15
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It is possible Simon, I have done it at the roadside a few times to inspect the cambelt.

Maybe the OP would like to try and see how he gets on.
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Old 14th November 2021, 18:30   #16
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To the OP.--Could you reply to my first post please ??
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Old 3rd January 2022, 20:22   #17
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Hi all,

Thanks for the advice and apologies for the lack of response, I've been working sometimes over 70hr weeks and had other issues to deal with at the weekends so this car had been put on hold.

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To the OP.--Could you reply to my first post please ??
The car does not start, when it all happened the engine was revving but there was no drive, eventually as I rolled to the side of the road the engine cut out and would not re-start.

As soon as I get a chance I am going to try and take the covers off and see if the belts have snapped.
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Old 4th January 2022, 08:30   #18
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... when it all happened the engine was revving but there was no drive, eventually as I rolled to the side of the road the engine cut out ...
Thanks for coming back to us Adam.

That does not sound like cambelt failure which would cause the engine to stop abruptly. It would certainly not be revving!

You say that there was "no drive" and in your first post that the car lost power. This could be a sign of low fuel pressure caused by the known condition of filter separation. How much fuel is in the tank at the moment? Do you normally do your own servicing and repairs?

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Old 6th January 2022, 09:54   #19
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Hello Adam, one of the first things every owner of a post-2001 petrol model learns is Fuel Filter Syndrome (FFS) will stop the car dead in its tracks. It is the Number 1 cause of sudden stopping and non-starting for these models. Since you say the engine 'won't start' you're effectively saying the engine turns over with the starter, but doesn't fire up. If that's your predicament, I suspect you can stop worrying and just do a little focussed reading on the FFS effect and the easy remedy. To check whether FFS is the probable culprit, you need to look at the in-tank fuel filter housing. It should have an orange colored clip fitted to the outside to prevent the housing from unscrewing. If that happens, even by a millimeter, the fuel pressure will drop and the engine will stop and never start again. The fix is the orange clip. I'd suggest this is your priority at this point. On your descriptions thus far, I don't think the belt has snapped either.

You can read all about FFS and the clip by using the Forum Search system at the top of every page and use the keywords 'FFS' and 'T-Cut' also 'FOC' and 'T-Cut' (omit the commas).
Good luck.
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Old 7th January 2022, 22:40   #20
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Adam. Please look in again so we can talk to you..---
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