So I felt this day coming in my gut for a couple weeks now (been thinking bout trading in the RA). Car 06 RA, mods listed... has ~115k miles on it, car has been experiencing bit lower MPG (24 when 26-29 has been pretty consistent)w/ the normal fresh full synth oil change and a fresh K&N filter.... has been due for a tune up and of course the timing belt soon. Here's the deal she sat in colder weather (0-20 F ) w snow for bout a week and I fired her up and let her run for 10-15min just to make sure the battery was still solid. 4 days later temps around 25 F i go to fire her up to go to work, started off like a normal start 2 cranks and starts up but gives a "chug, chug, and a lug"...then it would crank but not start.
battery checked all good, alt is good......There was no puff of smoke, no odd smells, no leaks....checking for any codes and pulling spark plugs today.
Any preliminary thoughts?
mine is fuel pump is shot

 

Deffinently check the fuel pressure. Check the fuse, if o.k then crank engine and then check fuel pressure.

 

timing belt fail...lol

i dunno, could be anything...pull the codes and get back to us..

 

Update:
bout to push the o S**T button; no codes poped up at all....
but pulled the spark plugs, sparkl plugs themselves look in decent shape but in the process cylinder 3 and 4 had oil on the outside of the spark plug cable tip and #4 actually had some signs of melting from the oil.
Looking into the cylinder # 1 piston top is completely char black from what I can see but #4 is a nice brass color.....

re update.......definetly timing belt went! crossing fingers on no more damage since it was on startup

 

i knew it!!!

 

Yeah, I guess you would.

Here's my hopes for a good outcome.

 

mine went at like 3k rpm, and i cranked it quite a bit while trying to figure wtf happened...and mine was fine, but i didn't know for sure untilk i pulled the head, DOH!

replace belt and check for compression...

 

whats the deal with all these timing belts snapping? was it way over due on changing the belt or what?

 

he was at 115,000km, at which point the timing belt is due, but coolant or oil contamination, or improper tension can cause premature failure...

 

Ya, but he said miles. So... i suppose its due again? I donno...

 

Update...pulles the top timing belt cover everything looked completely ok besides a small chip on a cam gear tooth. So I brought it to a shop, which confirmed it....his diagnosis came out to it somehow lost almost complete compression (10 across the block) due the cold weather and my car somehow flooding itself.
Showed all the signs of timing belt failure; replaced it and the balance tension belt also simce its due soon.

 

how's the compression now with the new timing belt?

 

He said compression is back to normal right now didn't ask for the numbers but I will tmro or do it myself when i get her back....new timing belt and stuff gets put in tmro

 

if a mechanic says it has compression then it better run when he hands you the keys, so it sounds like you might be in good shape, hope it's ok, cause valve damage would cause a sharp increase in the cost of the repair...

when mine went i had no valve damage, but i removed the head anyway to install ARP studs, new head gasket, valve stem seals, and camshaft seal...because i had planned on turbocharging the engine once the warranty was up and i was ***** deep in a major overhaul anyway, including the transmission. I do most of the work myself, but just the cost of the OEM upper engine overhaul gasket kit and machine work on the head and valves was enough to make me cringe...

 

I was having visions of the same thing! I was reading up on ur rebuild thread and checking prices on everything. Not a great time financially for me to do it so it relieves me I don't have too.