Breakdown!

[Standaman94]

Just driving along as usual, nothing out of the ordinary, suddenly the engine cuts out. I quickly try to start it but it won't even turn over. Then the break pedal locks up, I resort to using the handbrake to stop! Meanwhile the radio is going crazy by the looks of things.

I stop, turn on the hazards and open the bonnet - I notice a bit of smoke (?) coming out the top of the offside - seems to be coming from around the manifold area. Bit of a burning smell.

Currently waiting for breakdown rescue

Could this be an electrical fault? Maybe a wire burnt off and caused a short circuit?

[northy]

the starter is down that side, but I don't know why the pedal would lock up unless its melted a rubber brake hose and its collapsed?

[Standaman94]

Might be the cambelt :( The recovery guy says it sounds typical of a breakage.

On a positive note, he was rather impressed with the rest of the car

[Winters01]

Haha ......Just love this - On a positive note, he was rather impressed with the rest of the car

[DSilvaSport]

I'm thinking cambelt.

[white16valver]

Wouldn't it have gone bang if the cambelt had gone? (They're not non-interference engines, are they?)

[Standaman94]

I didn't notice an immediate noise to be honest, the exhaust is rather loud anyway and there was a fair bit of traffic. I was behind a skip lorry so if there was a bang I might have passed it off as a noise from that.

Anyway I had a look and I think it might definitely be the cambelt; theres some black rubbery like residue around the edge of the cambelt cover which I haven't seen before

[16v_paddy]

Wouldn't it have gone bang if the cambelt had gone? (They're not non-interference engines, are they?)

My 10 bent valves says they're very much interference engines

[white16valver]

My 10 bent valves says they're very much interference engines

lol

Thought so!

[Standaman94]

Now in the hands of Mark Fish

There was another Williams there, looked like a W2. No plates but had a private plate in the window (J8 xxx or something). Carbon boot trim, signs in the window saying no brakes haha