deepblue

My wife's car was normal yesterday, we drove it in the evening. This morning she says she started the car and it is making a rattling noise, and on her way back from work smelled like burning plastic/rubber. When I checked the car out, I have no idea about cars. Seems like it is coming from the passenger side of the engine, where the belts are. The rattle is overbearingly loud, and it also makes a belt squeaking noise.

Is it the timing belt or any other belt?
Is it still okay to drive it until the weekend?
How can identify the problem?
How much would a job like that cost at a shop (so that I know what to expect when I take it in)?

Riick

If the engine was running poorly during all of this (sputtering from the tailpipe, low power, or other performance strangeness) then be cautious because the timing belt might be loose and skipped a notch. If you run the engine with a loose timing belt you can destroy the engine. The timing belt is under a cover so you can't check it visually unless you take some stuff apart.

My guess however is that you have broken bearings in the alternator or the air conditioner compressor. This could make the rattling sound and also make it hard for the pully to turn (so the belt has to rub against it causing the squealing and burning).

If you have a rubber tube of some sort, you can hold one end up to your ear and move the other end around near the belts to pinpoint where the sound is coming from. A stethescope would work for this purpose also. Use caution so as not to get your hand caught in one of the belts.

By driving you will do further damage to the belt and whatever it controls. However, these things will probably need to be replaced anyways so maybe you're OK with that. Driving with a bad alternator will also drain your battery. Driving with a bad timing belt will destroy your engine.

Not sure about cost.

ezone

These have a habit of snapping the bolt off that the tensioner unit pivots on. If it comes off completely, you will cook the engine. I see these snap and burn the belt, cut grooves in and ruin the water pump, and ruin the tensioner pulley set.

The 2 idler/tensioner pulleys will be out of kilter and the belt will be running crooked.

If you know nothing about cars, then tow it to a dealer. I would not drive it any more for fear of further damage.

While independent shops may not know about these right off the bat, I would expect almost any dealer will know what to do with it (I hope).

This requires a special bolt (dealer only) and proper torque.

Warning: If I am correct, the critical time will be seeing if the broken piece will come out of the block. If it does come out, great. If it is seized and the block is damaged upon removal, the engine should be replaced since the bolt hole is not supposed to be heli-coiled. Most come out fine, but there is always the chance it won't come out without damage.

Riick

In that case I'm going to change my previous advice: don't drive it or even turn it on until you're absolutely positive that the timing belt (and its tensioner) is OK.

ezone

8th gen and newer cams are all chain driven.

The belt in question is the serpentine (accessory) belt.

Riick

In that case I'm going to change all of my previous advice to LISTEN TO EZONE! I hope all goes smoothly with the repair.

ezone

I should add that some of this could have been part of a recall.