I have a 1998 Toyota Camry with 127000 Miles on it. It has a 2.2 Liter 4 Cylinder Engine.Yesterday, while driving back from my work, the engine suddenly shut off and the oil cluster light started blinking. I noticed that the engine oil started leaking and also the engine was too hot( as was shown in the cluster display). Later I realized that it was the coolant that was leaking and the whole coolant drained out. When I added water inside the radiator, it all drained out near the passenger tire. I got it checked from a mechanic and he told me that its timing belt needs to be replaced.Pls, Tell me, what could be the problem with the car ?? Also, what could be the approximate cost that I'll have to spend around for the repair.
Sounds like the water pump leaked/failed (it is located down on the passenger side of the engine which is where the coolant seemed to come from) and mechanically seized, which tore up the timing belt (timing belt drives the water pump as well as the camshafts).
It happened to me on my 1999 Camry LE4 (now at 132,000 miles) a few years ago, just before the warranty expired. Died without warning on the way home from work; I coasted to safe spot on the shoulder, shut it off immediately, and called for help. AAA towed it to the dealer, who repaired it at no charge under warranty, so I never learned what the ultimate cost was.
Sometimes you get some warning ahead of time via dropping coolant level in the see-through reservoir tank, as tiny leak or weepage from pump worsens gradually. Other times I think it is more sudden. Always seems to play out the same way :-(
Mechanic will also need to listen to engine once they get it going again to make sure no noise or other symptoms indicating internal damage from the overheating. However, if you didn't try to keep it going after the failure occurred you're probably going to be OK (I was fine, no harm done). Your engine is noninterference type so when timing belt fails, Mr. Piston doesn't meet Mr. Valve :-)
I'm going to make a guess that it will be several-few hundred $$ to disassemble, replace the water pump, change the timing belt, reassemble, refill with coolant mix, check operation, etc. While they're in there, the mechanic will probably replace the timing belt tensioners and maybe some seals if he feels they need it. Most of the cost will be labor to get at all of this stuff. The parts themselves are not necessarily all that expensive.
Since warranty is most likely not an issue for you (1998 model, 127000 miles) unless maybe you have kept some sort of super-extended plan on the car, I would get phone estimates from several shops just to have for comparison with what your mechanic proposes to charge (make sure you are comparing apples to apples with respect to tha actual work involved in each case). But when the car is sitting there in its present broken-down condition, it's hard to really shop around unless you own a tow truck too. Fortunately this is something a good independent mechanic (or maybe even an advanced do-it-yourselfer with the time, garage, and tools) can handle so don't feel at the mercy of the dealer's shop.
After I reread what you wrote, I suppose it is also possible that you just broke a hose and the mechanic is telling you that you need a timing belt based upon visual inspection or # of miles in order to try and sell you more repairs. Curious that he did not mention water pump [are you sure he didn't ?], so maybe blown hose is the case (conversely, sometimes they will recommend replacing water pump at the same time while they are doing the timing belt anyhow even if it is operating properly).
Anyhow, the scenario I described is what happened to me. But lack of mention of water pump stuck out in my mind.
That is why I wrote "Mechanic will also need to listen to engine once they get it going again to make sure no noise or other symptoms indicating internal damage from the overheating.'
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