I bought it just a few months ago from a private owner. After I'd driven it for a while, it just didn't start one day. I figured out, after a pretty good look, that a small hose that branched from the air filter hose was disconnected. I got it running, but the check engine light wouldn't go off. I then realized that the power steering fluid canister was almost empty, and there was a stress mark ground into the plastic...I saw that the 'grind' marks had gone through a corner of the canister, leaving a small hole! Much to my extreme dismay, I discovered that whoever had put the serpentine and timing belts on must NOT have had any clue about routing them properly, or about replacing the covers at the front of the motor!
I saw that the serpentine belt had rubbed through the p.s. canister, and then noticed that the timing belt had chewed huge holes through the cover at the motor's top front, even worse, it had been 'grinding' on the lower cover also, damaging it...and the entire area around where the crank shaft is attached at the front of the motor is thickly covered in oil...I'd cleaned the under body well with engine cleaner and water, and let the car sit for a few days, so that I could find the problem faster. I was really upset to see oil all around the crank shaft. To get a better look at where it was coming from specifically, I removed both covers and that's when I saw how terribly stressed and damaged they are. Also, of course, the edge of the serpentine belt is frayed and worn off from it rubbing through the plastic! Is there ANYTHING I can do to help my poor car? The crankshaft is my biggest concern. Is this part fixable, or is there a possibly a seal that may have gone bad? I'm just so sad, and I don't know what to do, or where to go from here...HELP!!!?! Please!?!
Thanks so much in advance for any helpful advice anyone has!!
Amy