2002 Elantra Wont Start

I just had my 2002 Elantra with 85,000 miles on it stopped starting.
I drove it about 30 miles, shut it off for about 30 minutes then
restarted it drove it like 2 miles shut it off, to go get a coffee.
When I returned the car would not start. All the accesory lights came
on, and all the electrics worked but car would not turn over. There
was no sound when I tried to start it but the lights dimmed. I had it
towed to a Hyundai dealership and they said I might have a broked
timing belt. They called me back and said the tech needed 6 hours to
break the engine down to diagnose the problem. I had a friend who is
a mechanic look at it before they did anything. He told me that the
valve cover was off and the timing belt was OK. He thinks it is the
starter, but they flat out told me it was not and that I might need a
new engine for $4600, and that my Warrenty wont cover it because I did
not replace the timing belt. They also said they think the engine
siezed. I never had an indication it seized no lights, noise, smoke,
smell, nothing. Anybody know if there are trying to rip me off?? And
what the Real problem is?????

 

well if its the belt and u did not replce it at specified intervall t heres
not much anyone can say or do for you..
when a belt breaks, it breaks and egine stops, no smoke etc..
just dead.

 

i realized that since theres no sound, i bet it could be your starter....
you would still here it turning over if the belt was broken

 

Based on the symptoms you describe, I would immediately suspect a
starter problem, especially if the engine was running normally before
you shut it off the last time. That doesn't mean that the timing belt
hasn't failed, but I would be VERY suspicious of the dealer. It doesn't
take anywhere near 6 hours to diagnose a timing belt issue, since
replacing it only takes a couple at most. Whether it failed or not, you
should have it replaced.

I almost hesitate to ask, but are you a woman or elderly by any chance?
It sounds to me like the dealer is trying to take advantage of you,
using the fact that you haven't replaced the timing belt as a convenient
excuse to empty your bank account.

 

I don't believe this statment is true. I was in a family member's Ford when
their timing belt broke, and turning the key made no sound at all. In fact
we thought it was the starter because of this, but ultimately turned out to
be a very expensive repair.

It is interesting that the OP didn't mention hearing any unusual sounds when
they stopped for coffee. When the timing belt broke in the above-mentioned
Ford, there was a definite loud clunk as metal parts hit other metal parts.
Ouch.

 

Either place could be correct.
Since your car is at the dealer, find out from them what they know for
sure at the moment. I.e., do they know what the root cause of the problem
is? Have they determined anything that definitely needs to be done? Have
they determined anything that's definitely not the problem?
It sounds to me like they've already established it's a timing belt
problem. 6 hours labor is about the right amount of time to remove the
cylinder head to check the engine. That would be consistent with knowing
the timing belt has stripped or broken and the engine is out of time.

Since your friend looked at it, find out if he knows any of the
following:
Will the engine turn by hand?
Is the timing belt is not stripped in a location he cannot see, and is the
engine properly timed?

Bottom line, you should go with whomever is trustworthy and competent.
That could be either or neither.