The gear (part that engages the timing belt) is not stripped.tchefman wrote:abscate I am confused by your reply. Can you please assist further? Not sure what you mean by indexed. The mechanic spoke about key ways but this is foreign to me too. I can change oil, brake pads and spark plugs but it stops there. You think that the gear is not stripped. Do you think there could have been a different reason for the timing belt failure. Could it have not been correctly tensioned? Would the car drive fine for a few months before noticing and then stop running? I ask because of the diagnosis after the initial tow that revealed bad compression and visual inspection of loose timing belt. I also have pictures of the installed tensioner. Garage A has not phoned me for weeks since the car was returned and determination was made the engine is fried. Their silence makes me think they have some fault in this. Or its like a game of chess and they are waiting for my next move.
I am not ahead in car payments unfortunately as you suggest. This makes the situation more frustrating. I borrowed money to buy this car and still owe a few grand. I paid this garage to fix the head gasket and extra for preventive maintenance to ensure this car would last. I understand parts wear out and used cars need attention to stay on the road from time to time. I appreciate the knowledge of most garages and trust they will honestly take care of me and my car. I will gladly share my hard earned money for piece of mind knowing an issue has been resolved and will not reoccur after they have done their diligence. This is my second Volvo and I have also owned a couple of older Audi Quattro's. The cost of ownership for me with the abundance of used parts is typically lower than a higher monthly payment for a newer vehicle. This particular failure seems related due to the fact that work was recently preformed in the vicinity and connected to the timing belt. If I am wrong I will move on and determine how to make the most of a bad situation but the feeling I have is not good about any of it.
The splines (inner and outer) look ok to me - I don't think this pulley was spinning on the crankshaft other than as it is supposed to.
This isnt worth chasing in the legal system - way too many unknowns and too easy to put the failure on the age of the car.