I have a Skoda Fabia 2001 Diesel and recently the alternator/fan belt snapped. Not knowing at that moment it was the fan belt that had snapped, I continued driving a further 200 yards at steady speed, when the battery light came on - this is when I stopped the car. When I tried to start the car again, it wouldn't start up. I have now been told that the timing belt has also been slightly damaged (3 very slight nicks on the surface-barely noticeable) due to the fan belt breakage, and this caused a loss of timing and hence damage to the engine - valves have bent. Is this a likely explanation, as I thought damage to engine valves only occurs if the timing belt breaks??? I live in Panama, where mechanics have a bad rep for telling you the truth, so any light you could shed on the matter on what might have happened and if this explanation is viable in doing extensive damage (at a cost of $1400 to repair) would be much appreciated!!! Thanks very much!:confused:

I don't think this is a possibility to be honest.

The fan-belt drives the alternator and the a/c pump, so your car stopped because the battery went flat (battery light on). The timing belt also drives the water-pump so your engine did not overheat.

I can't see a connection unless bits of the fan-belt found their way into the timing belt sprockets, but I'm not an expert.

sounds like a load of ******** to me matey - the timing belt is totally independent of the auxilliary drive belt; so a snapped auxilliary belt can't do damage to your engine.

Nice trustworthy mechanics eh??

I can't see how a bit of flapping aux belt can damage the timing belt. The timing belt is really really strong in comparison, and for the belt to be damaged enough to slip a couple of teeth and do damage? Well, that would need some serious cambelt damage.

IMHO if your timing belt slipped 3 teeth it would be obvious as the teeth would be missing/badly damaged.

You would almost certainly have heard a metallic sound too and while it might be advisable to have a new belt fitted due to the nicks, I don't believe it will have trashed the engine.

I don't know if the fabias cambelt is totally enclosed either as it is on some cars, but if it is then the aux can't have damaged it.

Sounds like a tall money making storey to me mate.

Worse case I would think is a new fan belt, a cambelt and waterpump change as a precaution and a good charge of the battery before you try and start it again.

On an old XUD engine (fully mech injection) I drove 200 miles without stopping after the alternator belt snapped. This caused no damage, save having to put a new belt on and having to charge the battery over night.

I'd say that the mechanic is talking b@110cks, unless there is an obvious bend in the timing belt cover.

That said, if the timing belt is nicked, I'd have it changed anyway.