I'm a new member of this forum but I've been coming here for several years looking for help with various issues. Thank you all for the help - no telling how much money this place has saved me.

My 2002 SC2 has been a great car. Other than an annoying oil leak no major issues over the last 6 years. Just got the AC fixed. Tonight on my way to work something major happened. Looks like the timing chain either broke or came loose and knocked a hole in the cover. Had to have the car towed.



Now I have to face the tough decision. The car has 318,000 miles - is it worth fixing?

 

That would kind of have to be a personal call. If you have had the car the for a long time and it holds some kind of sentimenal value and you are confident in the reliability of all other components, elect. etc. Then maybe fix it. But if the engine has that many miles you may want to consider finding a cheap replacement engine with less miles.

Personally, since they are so cheap, everytime I have a major issue (engine/trans) I just sell it and buy another one. I'm on my third SL and luckily it had a low mileage engine installed just before I purchased it. Good Luck!

 

Not knowing your expertise with wrench-turning, I'd get a professional to give it a look over. DOHC engines from that era are still easily available from U-Pull_It yards ...

 

Yep, at the Nashville Pull-A-Part, you can get a complete 4-cylinder engine for $152.49 plus a $55.00 core charge. Cheap, cheap, cheap!

 

I'm kinda with everyone else. If my car was basically good transportation and in good shape mechanically and cosmetically as much as I dis-like wrenching on a FWD engine I would find one, verify that it was not mechanically whipped, probably put a set of rings in it and hone the cylinders and put it back together and install it. My 94 drives out nice, needs a paint job and the engine is as sound as a dollar. I just finished re-upholstering the car. I should have it repainted next year.
If the car was a basic beater, I would just buy another one and make repairs as needed.