Died while driving - 2007

[circus]

Originally Posted by shultzee13

PT cruiser jolted and then died.

Could be a thousand reasons. Something shorted, bad fuel pump, ignition. First test the fuel pressure, then spark, etc. I've had one bad injector short out all the injectors once. Worst thing to do is get hung up on a theory.

[shultzee13]

Welp guys i pulled off the camshaft sensor and it’s not turning when i try and crank it. From everything I’ve read i believe you guys are fixing to tell the timing belt broke. Sounds like classic PT cruiser at my mileage.

Brand new battery and won’t turn over. Sucks

[circus]

Originally Posted by shultzee13

pulled off the camshaft sensor and it’s not turning when i try and crank it... new battery and won’t turn over.

Confused. Does the engine crank but the cam doesn't?

[shultzee13]

I was told if you take off the camshaft sensor and the camshaft is not turning while cranking the car...that means the timing belt broke.

Its all over the internet. The car will not crank. You turn the key and it tries to start but won't turn over. This is how I ran down my battery and had to buy a brand new one so I only tried it a few times this time.

If this is not the right way to check it then explain. PO340 and I replaced the sensor and it still won't start with new battery.

[circus]

Originally Posted by shultzee13

I was told if you take off the camshaft sensor and the camshaft is not turning while cranking the car...that means the timing belt broke.

Looks like you've got it figured out. Your lucky, in a way, the belt is a pain but the engine's still good.
Thought crank and turn over meant the same thing.

[ptcruisersteve]

Originally Posted by shultzee13

I was told if you take off the camshaft sensor and the camshaft is not turning while cranking the car...that means the timing belt broke.

Its all over the internet. The car will not crank. You turn the key and it tries to start but won't turn over. This is how I ran down my battery and had to buy a brand new one so I only tried it a few times this time.

If this is not the right way to check it then explain. PO340 and I replaced the sensor and it still won't start with new battery.

I mention on your other post about checking to see if the camshaft is turning. Sorry to hear you need to replace the timing belt. Let us know if you need any help.

[pdbrains]

How many miles were on the pt when it broke? I am on borrowed time on my belt and just wondering how long I might have.

[VsandFords]

My 2001 had 110,000 miles and was 15 years old when the belt broke while running 70 mph down the highway. No damage was done to the engine. Did the job myself. Replaced all needed parts and spent less than $200. It now has 128,000 miles and running strong!

[chuzz]

Saying your car won't crank generally means that the engine is locked up and won't spin. In your case, the car cranks but won't start, correct? In that case, the first thing to usually check is the timing belt. Seems like you figured that out by observing the camshaft is not turning. Terminology varies from region to region and that's probably part of the confusion. What I call valve cover gasket, some others refer to as head cover gasket.

[Fk5]

Originally Posted by chuzz

Saying your car won't crank generally means that the engine is locked up and won't spin. In your case, the car cranks but won't start, correct? In that case, the first thing to usually check is the timing belt. Seems like you figured that out by observing the camshaft is not turning. Terminology varies from region to region and that's probably part of the confusion. What I call valve cover gasket, some others refer to as head cover gasket.

+1
We have to get the terminology down. First thing is if the engine turns - which most of us consider cranking. Next is if it fires. Some people refer to this as turning over, which can contribute to the confusion. If it is the timing belt it will usually crank faster than usual because the top half isn't spinning. At least that was my experience (T1 2.2). You might not notice this because of the battery issues, but it sounds like you have confirmed.