Do it yourself
Frequently asked questions about cars and motorcycles
Car tutorial (Do it yourself) Motorcycle tutorial (Do it yourself) Frequently Asked Questions

A reason why a timing belt failed catastrophically

Model: (Various brands) Various
Part: Timing belt

In this video, you can see what happened to a 1.5 Citroen engine (but this could happen to any engine). It was a practically new car: the engine stalled while the owner was on the motorway. He was terrified and had to return home with a recovery vehicle. The belt was completely severed, and the YouTuber shows us that he had to dismantle the entire car because this caused significant damage: the pistons were scored, and the valves were all bent. The head gasket will need to be replaced. In short, a really considerable damage. Fortunately, the car was under warranty, as the problem was caused by the crown of a water pump bolt that was probably not tightened properly: the crown struck the same point on the belt until it broke.

Updated on 30 August 2026 by ScegliAuto

Video tutorial

Related tutorials

How does the water pump on a car work?
How does the water pump on a car work?
(Various brands) Various In this video, we can see how water pumps are actually nothing more than a pulley connected to a tree, which circulates the coolant liquid. It is a l…
The 5 signs that it is time to replace the timing belt
The 5 signs that it is time to replace the timing belt
(Various brands) Various Today we will talk about the 5 signs that the driver must recognize to understand that the timing belt is worn out and needs to be replaced. First si…
When should the car's timing belt be replaced?
When should the car's timing belt be replaced?
(Various brands) Various The timing belt or timing chain is used to synchronize the pistons with the valve opening, so if the car has a faulty timing belt or chain, the engin…

Other guides you may be interested in

How to Open a Stuck Boot on the Peugeot 407?

On the Peugeot 407, the boot may become stuck, possibly due to a problem with the control button or the lock actuator. In such cases, you can perform an emergency opening by following the simple procedure shown in this tutorial. First, open the rear doors, then lower the seat back by operating the release lever. Next, go inside the boot, locate the lock, and manually operate it using a flathead screwdriver. The boot will then be free to open.

Watch the video!


by ScegliAuto

More videos