Hey guys,

So last year around December I brought my car to a shop to do the ambient lighting and they told me that I had a long crank and a check engine light all that due to a crankshaft/timing issue inside of the engine and also that most of these cars gets these problems at high mileage, they quoted me at 1,800$.

My car has around 95k miles on it and I got it with around 72k (the problem was already there), long cranks, sometimes the car won’t start up and I would need to start it again (1 out of 20 startups), etc so it wasn’t that annoying to be real, so I kept driving it, until this last week that the battery kept dying, so it went out of power like 5 days ago and since then I’ve parked it.

So yesterday I went to the dealership to get a new battery and just like that, I went home and I placed the battery in and connected it, everything seem great, electrical side was okay but when I tried to turn on the vehicle this was the outcome. (VIDEO ATTACHED)

What you guys think what’s happening here?
I get these codes everytime I connect a OBD Code Detector:

- P0018: Crankshaft/Timing Issue
- P0442: Small Leak in the EVAP
- P0456: Small Leak in the EVAP

 

The P0018 (crankshaft/camshaft timing misalignment) is your main issue likely a worn timing chain, stretched guides, or faulty sensors. At 95K miles, it’s possible, though not super common on these engines unless neglected. The long cranks and no-starts fit this.

The EVAP codes (P0442/P0456) are minor probably a loose gas cap or small hose leak.

Your recent no-start with a fresh battery points to:
- Timing-related fuel/spark sync issues (from P0018)
- Weak fuel pressure (check fuel pump & filter)
- Bad crank/cam sensor (common with timing codes)

Get the timing checked properly before throwing parts at it. If the chain/guides are shot, $1,800 isn’t a crazy quote, but verify with a second opinion. If it’s just a sensor, much cheaper.

 

Some mechanic from the area came and checked it out and said that it is definitely a cam shaft problem due to a correlation in the timing belt.
They said expenses may be minimum 3,000$ being it the most low low budget to start with (1,500$-1,800$ labor and 1,000$-2,000$ in parts is what he said), I don’t know if he’s trying to be slick with me in order to charge me more for this problem but everything points to what you’re telling me.

He said all depends as he gotta take the water pump out, alternator out, literally the whole front out apparently and then open up the engine if I didn’t misunderstood and then deduct from there if there’s a kit replacement needed, he also said something about checking if the cylinder head wasn’t damaged so if that was the case it would be more expensive..

The first quote of 1,800$ was back on December with a family owned shop and the mechanic is not in the country due to relatives health so it seems that I’m screwed up. I don’t even know where to start or where to go and not get f***ed.. you know what I mean?

 

I might recommend getting a second opinion.

 

Do you mind me asking what do you mean by abused? Aggressive driving isn't abused right if so in what way, curious, thanks. OP, the vehicle is not tuned right? Or unknown tune by previous owner?

 

Yes I think previous owner tuned it. I’m not sure but there’s a 60% that it is because when I bought it they said it had modifications and it does sounds loud and do the pops sometimes and all that.

 

Hmmm perhaps a burble tune but if you notice that car is way quicker than you would expect for a stock C 43, then that might also mean it is tuned. If you want to be sure, flash it to OEM.