Ford Focus crankshaft pulley bolt come loose wrecking timing and valve assembly
Variant: 1.6 LX Petrol Manual
Model Year: 2001
Categories:
Leaks & Noises
At end April 2012 I had Timng Belt and anciliaries replaced and full service carried out by a respected independent Service/Repairer at 81128 miles as precautionary measure(Ford's recommendation) ready for the MOT and a summer which would include light motoring but a planned 2 week tour of Northern Europe of approx 2000 miles in latter half of September.
On December 27th the car broke down at 84493 miles in 30 mph zone in a local village High Street. We left Hazard warning lights flashing for 70 plus minutes awaiting the Recovery agent who found no compression and thus arranged to transport our car to the Service/Repairer's premises where vehicle was left with appropriate message until business recommenced after the New Year.
Repairer found Timing Belt intact but Crankshaft Pulley retaining bolt, which had itself been newly replaced as part of Timing Belt renewal, sufficiently loose such as to allow the timing to slip thus wrecking the valve assembly on the engine, at a total cost of some £1150. The Repairer claims that the alternator was sticking, and had probably seized sufficiently to cause drag through the drive belt to result in the crankshaft pulley undoing the crankshaft pulley bolt.
I pose three Questions:-
1) How likely is this if the new retaining bolt had been torqued up to Ford Specification at the time that the Timing Belt and anciliaries had been replaced?
2) How should responsibility for the failure be assigned between Chance and the Repairer? and
3) How should I proceed in negotiation with the Repairer to apportion repair costs?
On December 27th the car broke down at 84493 miles in 30 mph zone in a local village High Street. We left Hazard warning lights flashing for 70 plus minutes awaiting the Recovery agent who found no compression and thus arranged to transport our car to the Service/Repairer's premises where vehicle was left with appropriate message until business recommenced after the New Year.
Repairer found Timing Belt intact but Crankshaft Pulley retaining bolt, which had itself been newly replaced as part of Timing Belt renewal, sufficiently loose such as to allow the timing to slip thus wrecking the valve assembly on the engine, at a total cost of some £1150. The Repairer claims that the alternator was sticking, and had probably seized sufficiently to cause drag through the drive belt to result in the crankshaft pulley undoing the crankshaft pulley bolt.
I pose three Questions:-
1) How likely is this if the new retaining bolt had been torqued up to Ford Specification at the time that the Timing Belt and anciliaries had been replaced?
2) How should responsibility for the failure be assigned between Chance and the Repairer? and
3) How should I proceed in negotiation with the Repairer to apportion repair costs?
Posted: Jan 20, 2013 (11 years ago)
If the crank bolt had not been correctly torqued I guess you would have know about it prior to this failure.Reason given for failure is possible but just to be sure I would want to see the alternator ,just to verify the claim that that,s the cause,You have possibly just been unlucky with this failure but you could try the repairer for some sort of good will contribution ,Based on this premise ,that you regularly maintain your vehicle to manufacturers scheduled servicing and therefore have done everything to try and safeguard such a failure,slough the garage is by no means bound to offer any contribution they may do something if they value your custom .As the saying goes "it takes years to build a good reputation but seconds to wreck it"
Posted Jan 21, 2013 (11 years ago)
Spent a lifetime in the motor trade and never heard of a properly torqued crankshaft bolt coming loose in those circumstance .For their theory about the alternator causing it , in my opinion you would have heard the belt / alternator screeching it's head off long before .Normally crankshaft pulley bolts are a swine to remove .
Posted Jan 22, 2013 (11 years ago)
This problem is archived
If you're having a similar problem please click below to re-post this problem, you can then customise it to suit your situation.
Join the community
Got a question? Can you answer other questions here? If so please...
More problems with the 2001 model year Ford Focus
We have 68 problems and solutions in our database for this model year of the car.
View all Ford Focus Problems
Focus Recalls (53)
Parts mentioned