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robdelorenzo · 08-28-2017, 05:22 PM

2002 Boxster Base 144k new water pump, aos, plugs, tubes, low temp thermostat, motor mount, coolant tank (to name a few)

But......yesterday as I was driving home things went bad. Real bad.
The temp gauge maxxed out, red light blinking, all lights on dash blinking ( I thought it was a short of some kind), power steering went out. No loud sounds or squealing at all. Engine was running ok (or so I thought)
Steam started to spew out the passenger side. I made it home as there was no safe place to park.

This morning when I opened up the engine cover I saw that the alternator pulley had sheared off. Gone. The belt was intact but not connected to anything.
Oil looks clean. I poured in distilled water and it immediately leaked out from what appears to be the center of the engine somewhere.
Called my indie. He said to try and start the car briefly. It started fine and was idling a bit high. I shut it down and tried again. Again it started right up but was kind of "sluggish" or "underpowered" no noises, no mechanical sounds.

He says that he would need to replace the alternator, and then track down the leak before even attempting to assess what further damage I caused.
That's going to cost at least 1k (I'm guessing)
Is it EVEN worth it on a car with 144k?
He said the fact that it starts is a good sign, but how likely is permanent catastrophic damage?

From what I can gather, worst case is the engine is cracked, warped, or damaged beyond repair from overheating.
Best case, a new alternator and a hose blew.
Is this accurate? Can anyone with more experience and knowledge help me out here?
I realize it can't be diagnosed over the internet, but I can't tell if I blew up the engine or not. Is there any other way to assess the damage?

08-28-2017, 05:22 PM	#1
robdelorenzo Registered User Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 356	What now? 2002 Boxster Base 144k new water pump, aos, plugs, tubes, low temp thermostat, motor mount, coolant tank (to name a few) But......yesterday as I was driving home things went bad. Real bad. The temp gauge maxxed out, red light blinking, all lights on dash blinking ( I thought it was a short of some kind), power steering went out. No loud sounds or squealing at all. Engine was running ok (or so I thought) Steam started to spew out the passenger side. I made it home as there was no safe place to park. This morning when I opened up the engine cover I saw that the alternator pulley had sheared off. Gone. The belt was intact but not connected to anything. Oil looks clean. I poured in distilled water and it immediately leaked out from what appears to be the center of the engine somewhere. Called my indie. He said to try and start the car briefly. It started fine and was idling a bit high. I shut it down and tried again. Again it started right up but was kind of "sluggish" or "underpowered" no noises, no mechanical sounds. He says that he would need to replace the alternator, and then track down the leak before even attempting to assess what further damage I caused. That's going to cost at least 1k (I'm guessing) Is it EVEN worth it on a car with 144k? He said the fact that it starts is a good sign, but how likely is permanent catastrophic damage? From what I can gather, worst case is the engine is cracked, warped, or damaged beyond repair from overheating. Best case, a new alternator and a hose blew. Is this accurate? Can anyone with more experience and knowledge help me out here? I realize it can't be diagnosed over the internet, but I can't tell if I blew up the engine or not. Is there any other way to assess the damage?