You're right. Mine lures me into all kinds of evil.
Posted on 02/09/2015 6:05:02 AM PST by rickmichaels
Not the most wonderful engine design in the world, if losing the timing chain will allow a piston and valve collision. And it’s worse if losing a vacuum pump will cause the timing chain to be lost.
A vacuum pump caused the timing chain to break?
Most OHC engines are interference engines. If it’s a DOHC, if the belt fails, on some car the valves are so close to each other that they’ll bend that way as well.
Gotta love those interference engines. Timing chain ( or in the case of VW Jeta - belt) goes and there goes the engine.
Almost every vehicle today will likely bend a valve if the timing chain breaks or, more likely, slips a cog or two.
I don’t understand the vacuum pump failure causing the timing chain to fail - that part doesn’t make sense to me.
This lady should take the $6000 and be happy - get her car fixed for $4000. That isn’t bad for replacing the engine. She cites the price of the engine, but nothing about the labor to remove and replace the old engine. Also, there are refurbished engines and refurbished engines.
If she gets the work done at the dealership, she will likely pay more overall, 10,000 seems a bit pricey, but the $4000 she will pay is fair - and she will have a stronger hook into BMW if something should go wrong again.
It is in their best interests to fix this lady’s car for cheap; as long as we have a free internet and the facts are on her side, she can smear them good (and she probably should).
Engines with the potential for valve/piston collisions are very common (called “interference engines”), and that includes engines with timing belts and chains.
Apparently in the Mini engine, the vacuum pump is driven by the chain, and the pump seizes up and damages the chain, throwing the valve timing off.
Honda’s have been this way for years - only it’s a timing belt, not chain. If it goes, your engine could be history for the same reason.
Honda owner’s and maintenance mechanics all know this and thus encourge regular changes at 75 - 100k miles, depending on year.......
No one’s screaming about Honda’s - we’ve had dozens in our family with several now with over 250k miles, running fine.
You just know to have the timing belt (and water pump) changed......
Do VWs have this problem? I have a diesel
Anyone who drives a Mini Cooper deserves everything that happens to them.
Dealerships are the pit of hell.
Repent, ye, or be thrown into eternal hellfire.
Hondas are evil, demonic things. They bring desolation and destitution. Turn your back on the Satanic evil of Honda!
Mini is not listed here, not sure why.
All Honda 4 bangers have a chain now.
That’s why we call them Stealerships.
Engines should be designed so that failure of a part like a vacuum pump or even a timing chain is not catastrophic.
"Fact" as presented by typical media reporter. Chances of this being correct? Low.
What can we reasonably presume to be factual? The timing chain broke, and piston valve damage ensued.
I don't see how this constitutes a poorly designed engine. Valves displace lower than the upper throw of the pistons. Since the end of flat head engines in automobiles (what 70 years ago?) overhead valves have been the norm, and the issue of off timing ruining the engine is the norm.
Also, don’t forget to change your Honda radiator when the plastic pressed-on portion goes from black to puke green. Ask me how I know.
You're right. Mine lures me into all kinds of evil.
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