I have a '93 940 (not turbo).

While driving home from work last week, there was some horrible rattling under the hood. Eventually, it got worse, and I was somehow able to drive it to a mechanic. In front of the mechanic's garage, the coolant leaked EVERYwhere. Guy tells me I need a new water pump, thermostat, and drive belts.

I called my dad who knows a thing or two, and says because there are 190K miles on it, have him look at the timing belts, too. I ask him, and he says that'll take extra time (which seems kind BS because he was already on the water pump, whatever).

I get the timing belt replaced, mostly because it was due, and I'm trying to make a 1000 mile trip next week.

Today, 5 days later, the oil light comes on far too often and the car smells like heat (if that makes sense-- like what the car feels/smells like just before the grill fan turns on). When I opened the hood, the engine was far too hot. The oil level was normal, and all the other fluids are level.

Dad seems to think the timing belt might not have been aligned properly. Would that explain the overheating/oil problem?

I had an oil change about 5,000 miles ago, could it just be that? THe oil filter is on fine... or could it be way too many other things, that I should just take it to another mechanic?

Thanks for any insight.

If you have an electric fan on your radiator it could be the thermostat which controls hat which is knackered, or the switching relay for it.

it could also be a blocked thermostat on the top of the engine. what is your temperature gauge reading when it is getting this hot?

is the water bubbling out of the radiator expansion cap, if it is, then the pressure is definitely above 14psi in there, most likely because of the heat, but it could be a knackered thermostat also.

If the timing belt wasnt aligned properly, your car would be running like a dog, if it ran at all - plus it would severly damage your engine. I doubt that a mis-aligned timing belt would do this.

What the garage doen by changing the water pump, drive belts and timing belt was a good step, quite rightly done so by them too as you have to remove the belts anyway to get the water pump off...

check your temp gauge and if its well over half way and the fan hasn't kicked in, and the rad is hot then there is probably no flow, which would denote the thermostat. Also is there any heat coming from the in car heater?

Matt

I'm sorry- I should've mentioned the thermostat was replaced as well.

The temperature reading (one on the dash?) remains smack in the middle, and the fan will come on if it gets anything above halfway. You can feel heat coming out of the vents, so there is some heat coming into the car's interior, but I don't put the AC or heat on.

It's the oil light staying on that bothers me. I suppose it's just coincidental and I should have the oil changed and the oil pressure checked in case the oil pump is having troubles-- this all according to my father.

Also, I was charged an extra 2 hrs of labor by the mechanic to have the timing belts replaced even though he was already doing the water pump, but that has nothing to do with the issue at hand now.

ahh ok, in that case then the temperature is not an issue as you said, was a bit ambiguous there...

with regards to the oil light coming on, the mehanic could have disturbed/damage/left unplugged the sensor. This is located near the oil pump, on the left hand side of the crank case as you look at the engine, just above where the alternator would be on a NA engine and power steering on a turbo would be.

Its a 22mm hex fitting, you will need a deep socket or a stubby ratchet spanner to get it out. check the connection on it first, should be a single wire (the colour of the wire illudes me atm, and it may also be black cos of general engine dirt and oil)

Check these.

Matt