Broken timing chain at 125,000 miles???

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by GRL, Aug 3, 2004.

  1. GRL

    GRL Guest

    Friend just had the timing chain go on his ~ 7 year old Chrysler LHS at
    125,000 miles. That's a timing chain, not a belt. His daughter was driving
    it at the time on a 2-lane road passing another car with on-coming traffic
    up ahead. Thing just broke and killed all power.

    Fortunately the guy she was passing noted a problem and eased up to let her
    back in the right lane.

    These things are supposed to last 200,000 miles.

    Another friend at work says he'd never buy a "Crappler". I usually argue
    with him about Chrysler quality not being THAT bad, but after this, that's
    going to be hard to make a case for.


    George Litwinski

    "It's good to want things." S. Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
    Visual Basic.Net programmer)
     
    GRL, Aug 3, 2004
    #1
  2. | Friend just had the timing chain go on his ~ 7 year old Chrysler LHS at
    | 125,000 miles. That's a timing chain, not a belt. His daughter was driving
    | it at the time on a 2-lane road passing another car with on-coming traffic
    | up ahead. Thing just broke and killed all power.
    |
    | Fortunately the guy she was passing noted a problem and eased up to let her
    | back in the right lane.
    |
    | These things are supposed to last 200,000 miles.
    |
    | Another friend at work says he'd never buy a "Crappler". I usually argue
    | with him about Chrysler quality not being THAT bad, but after this, that's
    | going to be hard to make a case for.
    |
    |
    | George Litwinski
    |
    | "It's good to want things." S. Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist,
    | Visual Basic.Net programmer)
    |
    |

    I've never had a timing chain last 200,000 miles. The best I've gotten was
    130,000 where it was loose and noisy and stretched (from wear) enough to
    require changing. Curious why her mechanic never discovered a loose,
    stretched, worn timing chain? I bet there was telltale signs of it needing to
    be changed 50,000 miles ago!
     
    James C. Reeves, Aug 3, 2004
    #2
  3. GRL

    Bill D Guest

    Sorry, but the LHS used a 3.5L V6 with a timing belt. It needs replacement
    at about 70K miles.
     
    Bill D, Aug 3, 2004
    #3
  4. GRL

    Joe Guest

    You need to get smarter friends. There's no timing chain on an LHS. If you
    told this sob story to the guy at work, you'll have to apologize for
    misleading him.
     
    Joe, Aug 3, 2004
    #4
  5. Yes , this vehicle uses a timing BELT. However to complain, and for
    someone to say they will NEVER buy a "Crappler" because ONE broke a
    timing chain ( if it HAD been a chain) is rediculous. When is the last
    time you heard about a broken timing chain? I know that MOST vehicles
    nowdays use belts, however a broken chain is NOT COMMON. Someone just
    using it as an excuse to not buy something they don't like anyway. If
    you don't want to buy a Chrysler product, JUST DON'T BUY IT.
    <<I usually argueYou call THAT bad quality?
     
    Richard Benner Jr, Aug 3, 2004
    #5
  6. GRL

    deadbeat Guest

    No but he is accusing it of being shitty! Again from an idiot who cannot
    read an owners manual, and do recommended srvicing! the guy is a clown, and
    put his daughter in a vehicle that was dangerous as he could not be bothered
    changing a timing belt, recommended service. But according to him it's
    Chryslers fault!
     
    deadbeat, Aug 3, 2004
    #6
  7. GRL

    Steve Guest


    No Chrysler LHS was ever built with an engine that had a chain. All
    LHSes (both first- and second-generation models) got the 3.5L v6- a
    BELT-timed OHC engine.

    If you're gonna troll to bash Chrysler, at least pick a car that HAD a
    chain-timed engine available- like maybe a Concorde with a 3.3 (first
    gen) or 2.7 (second gen).
     
    Steve, Aug 3, 2004
    #7
  8. GRL

    Steve m... Guest

    Blah, blah, and more blah.... I loved my LHS. It was a great car. And
    yes, I replaced my timing belt at 60k miles. Worked fine till I sold it at
    115k.

    Steve m..
    Ps. Go buy yourself a Honduh... It sounds like the car for you.
     
    Steve m..., Aug 4, 2004
    #8
  9. GRL

    mic canic Guest

    a 98 with a 2.7 ???
    lucky it went that far
     
    mic canic, Aug 4, 2004
    #9
  10. GRL

    GRL Guest

    He says that at 60,000 miles he asked his mechanic about changing the timing
    belt. Mechanic said that his particular engine did not have a timing belt,
    but used a timing chain that should last 200,000 miles. This would be
    logical assuming that the V6 was based on an OHV V8 with pushrods. When the
    thing did break he says that the shop charged him $1200 to replace the
    timing chain. I know that when the LH series came out there were two V6's, a
    pushrod design and a OHC design. I think that the LHS could only be had with
    the OHC flavor. I know most OHC engines use timing belts, but some use
    chains, like the Q45 V8 of old. Not sure about the LHS.

    I am a bit suspicious about whether my pal misinterpreted what broke. On the
    other hand, $1200 to replace belt is HUGE and that's what he paid.

    I'm wondering if what broke as a chain coupling the engine output and the
    transmission.

    --



    - GRL


    " It's good to want things. "

    - Steve Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, graphic artist, Visual Basic
    programmer)
     
    GRL, Aug 4, 2004
    #10
  11. GRL

    Joe Guest

    Sounds like he's just a sucker to me, but you may be right.

    The LHS really has a great timing belt design in my opinion. It's easy to
    get to, with a 3-piece front cover that's easy to take off even without
    taking the balancer off. Has an inspection port for taking a peek at the
    belt. The old LHS was a freewheeling valve train design, so you could just
    run it til it pops, no harm done, no consequences. I'm not too sure about
    that timing belt-driven water pump, though. There are good and bad angles to
    that. Later 3.5 is an interference or "valve train wrecking" design
    according to guys in this group.
     
    Joe, Aug 4, 2004
    #11
  12. GRL

    Steve Guest

    So, the mechanic was wrong- it has a belt.
    If the v6 in a Chrysler LHS WAS based on an OHV v8, then you might have
    a case. It isn't, its a 60-degree (for one thing) and an OHC (for
    another). Now, the truck-only 90-degree 3.9L v6 WAS based on a v8, but
    it was never used in any car or any minivan.


    The pushrod 3.3L v6 (not "based on a v8" either, since it was a
    60-degree block) did have a chain, and was available in the first-gen LH
    series. It was available in the Concorde, Vision, and Intrepid. It was
    NOT available in the LHS- the base engine was the 3.5 (OHC) engine.

    Belt. Only.
    No such thing, that's what GM does. Chrysler does use a chain to couple
    the output of the TRANSMISSION to the differential in that car, but not
    the engine-to-transmission.
     
    Steve, Aug 5, 2004
    #12
  13. GRL

    GRL Guest

    What we had hear was multiple problems and a failure to communicate.

    The dealer DID tell my friend his car had a "life-of-the-car" timing
    chain, not a belt, when he first bought the car.

    The dealer was wrong. He was confusing the base engine in the Intrepid
    with the only engine in the 300. This caused my friend to NOT change
    the change at 60,000 miles as he had intended.

    The belt went at 125,000 miles, which is quite remarkable. In the good
    sense.

    The repair cost was $400.

    The $1200 was to replace the failed AC system. That is also
    remarkable, but in the bad sense.

    I regret the confusion in the original post.

    - GRL
     
    GRL, Aug 14, 2004
    #13
  14. ^^^^^^^^
    Oh, indeed.
    Oh, indeed.
     
    Daniel J. Stern, Aug 14, 2004
    #14
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