Synergie belt change - now engine sounds like hell

[rocinante]

Hi All,

First time here, so apologies for shameless request for help. I've just had the serpentine(?) belt changed on my Synergie SX HDi after it snapped. Afterwards I drove on to work and was finding I had very little power getting up hills/into high revs etc. I called the garage who fitted the belt and the mechanic said it had probably gone into 'limp home mode' and was stuck there. So I limped back home from work (15 miles) and towards the end of the journey power seemed to get even less and there was a lot of smoke coming out the exhaust.
It got home but now it sounds absolutely awful in idle, it's vibrating heavily and you can see quite a large part of the engine literally shaking. I can't reverse it out the drive without it stalling (it has a slight incline). I'm clearly going to have to get it to the garage but does anyone have an idea what's going on?
Surely the belt change can't be making the engine sound so bad. Surely driving in limp home mode should protect the engine not cause it damage.
thanks in advance. S

[myglaren]

It has happened sometimes that shreds of the serpentine belt get tangled up with the timing belt and cause it to jump a tooth - or more, which sounds like what has happened in your case.

If it jumps any more it is likely to cause more damage - snapped timing belt, bent or broken valves, snapped camshaft and cracked cam caps, depending on the head - not all of them but any is more than you would want.

Ideally best to get it checked where it is rather than driving it if you can manage that.

Welcome to the FCF

[citroenxm]

Hi Steve...

Not quite as drastic on the HDi as snapped cam shafts, or bent valves... The HDi is designed for the rocker fingers take the brunt and break, so the valves dont cop it or does the Cam shaft...

Ive been inside a HDi that broke its cam belt after a shredded Aux belt at 50 mph. All valves were fine, it just broke the rocker fingers.


As for your engine issues, Steve could be correct if theres any aux belt inside the cam belt area, it could be causing a belt slippage.. Best STOP the car now and get it towed.. otherwise you be needing rocker fingers too..

PS WELCOME to FCF....

[rocinante]

Thanks both for the info. Really useful. At least I now understand what's going on.

Now where can I find a mechanic on a bank holiday weekend...

[citroenxm]

North Wales! Anglesey....

Dooing a Xantia wheel bearing, handbrake adjusment and washers on a car tomorrow afternoon...

[citronut]

Now where can I find a mechanic on a bank holiday weekend...

depends were you are located

welcome to the FCF

[rocinante]

rocinante wrote:
Now where can I find a mechanic on a bank holiday weekend...

depends were you are located

Apparently so. None in my bit of Dorset by the looks of it.

Does anybody know how easy it is to get to the cambelt on a Synergie? Am I gonna get hammered with a massive bill? Is it worth changing the belt while they are about it? I suspect it's been a while since it was last done?

Cheers,
S

[Sean602]

as its the same as the belt on a Dispatch van its not too tricky - hidden bolt at the rear of the top cover - supporting the engine while you take off top mount then there is the crawling about in the wheelarch and under the front of the car with the hidden Flywheel pegging hole and guestimating the belt tension and the unfeasibly tight crank bolt that needs a 3' breaker at least.

depends on how able you are - some people can do stuff easily others struggle with a wheel nut but there is nothing that should tax a compitent home mechanic with a reasonable degree of nouse.
plenty help on here when you need it

[citronut]

i think the hardest bit i found whilst doing the cam belt on my daughters Synergie, was the bolt down the back holding the top cam belt cover,
the rest was quite straight forward, but i have done quite a few XUD's in general over the years,

dont know what differs on the HDI though

[Sean602]

dont have to index the pump only the cam and the crank - its rather easy - or rather one less thing to mess up