A rattling sound under the hood

SCABORN

MEMBER
1997 OPEL ASTRA
280,000 MILES

I was driving just a few days back and there was this rattling sound under the hood, its started small and I was about 400km's from my destination. But as I drove it got louder and louder until in the last 100km's it was so loud I couldn't move on. I parked and popped open the hood and the sound was there, seemed to be coming from the timing belt though. I switched the car off and then tried starting it again but this time it wouldn't start, it just cranked. Waited a bit more checked the belt if it had split but it was intact just that it seemed a bit loose. Tried starting it again but this time when I did it popped up a cloud of smoke from the hose where the air intake from the air filter goes. This creeped me out and to date I am still wondering what could have caused this and what is the real problem and how to get it fixed. Hope you could assist,

Thank you in advance

2 Replies

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

You have had an internal failure. Low oil, age or part failure could be reasons. No easy fix here. Get a shop to confirm.

Roy

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Thursday, April 5th, 2012 AT 12:21 AM

SCABORN

MEMBER
4 POSTS

It was part failure I guess, the timing belt wraps around 3 gears being the crankshaft timing gear, the camshaft timing gear and the third one being the water pump exchange gear, it is the water pump gear that was damaged, some of the cog teeth had broken off. However the timing belt was still in place. It did not break off but just tore a bit and also got a couple of scratches.
I managed to place an order for the replacement part, the water pump exchange unit, and a new timing belt, also got a new fan belt.
Someone hinted to check whether all this could have affected the pistons and the valves, do you know whether this could be possible in my case for the given car model, as in the damage to the piston and valves, and also the possible cause of all this, I mean so that this doesnt happen to me again.

Scaborn