Is it dangerous to drive my car if the rod in my engine is broken?

Question

I have a 99 ford escort and the mechanic told my husband the reason our car was making a loud rattling sound was because the rod in the engine was broke, is it to dangerous to drive and if so is it very expensive to fix? Or should I get a second opinion?

Answer 1

If the rod were actually broken it would be sticking out the side of the block or oil pan. If the motor is hammering like crazy you'd better park it before real damage take place. Maybe all it needs is new bearings or a piston. A cracked or broken piston skirt would make the motor rattle and hammer. Both jobs are going to be expensive. If the car were mine I sure would park it before you ruin the crankshaft or toss a connecting rod through the block.An wipe out the entire motor.

Yes it's dangerous to drive. If you tossed a rod the oil in the pan would immediately dump out under your wheels causing you to loose control or lock up the engine and you'd spin out and crash.

Answer 2

Dangerous? Not necessarily. Unwise? Most certainly.

I am guessing the connecting rod is probably not broken, but most likely has a bad rod bearing. Or the maybe the piston skirt is cracked. In either case the engine is repairable.

If you continue to drive the vehicle and the connecting rod does break, it usually makes a quick exit out of the side of the engine. This is NOT repairable.

This can cost you a lot of money in another way. If you choose to replace the engine right now, you would pay the cost of the engine as well as a core charge. The core charge would be refunded to you with the return of your old engine. The core refund would only be paid if your old engine was in rebuildable condition. If you drove it until the rod broke and went through the block, you would not get the core charge refund.

I would stop driving the car immediately until it is repaired. You asked if it is expensive. This depends on what is actually wrong. If it is a spun rod bearing, this is repairable with a new connecting rod and a crankshaft kit. Yes this can be a little costly. Do you plan to do the work yourself? Or have a garage do it? If a garage does it, they will most likely just want to put an engine in it.

An alternative is a wrecking yard engine. If you are a little dry in the wallet, this might be a good avenue to seek.

Answer 3

If a rod is broken it will not start, if it is knocking then it will not go very far and thoroughly destroy the rest of the engine if you drive it.

It will not get you anywhere reliably, just cost you a tow bill and more for the repair.

It is very expensive to fix this, basically a full rebuild since the crank has to come out. I would buy a good used engine and have it put in or sell the car to a wrecking yard for whatever they will give you.

It won't take long to spend more than it is worth on repairs.

Sorry about the bad news, Good Luck!

Answer 4

The engine most likely wont run with a broken connecting rod, its probably a bad/worn out connecting rod bearing. A bad bearing will make a loud knocking noise that increases frequency with engine RPM's (revolutions per minute). While it might not be dangerous to drive it, if the connecting rod decides to exit the engine block it could be potentially dangerous because:

1- a hole in the engine block will let oil escape and dump onto the road

2- the engine might lock up (read: stop turning really quick), and cause the wheels to lock up and you could lose control of the car.

The best thing to do in this situation is to go to a junkyard and find a running escort of the same vintage and hear it run for yourself and buy the engine, thats the cheap route. If you have some money you could get it rebuilt, but will be more expensive (crankshaft and connecting rod might be damaged), or buy a rebuilt short block from a reputable engine rebuilder.

Hope this helps!!

Answer 5

Well it all depends on what rod is broken. If it's a connecting rod then YES!!! To continue to operate that engine will be detrimental to it. I'm surprised that there isn't a hole in the side of your engine. If its a push rod for a valve then YES!! That too will cause damage. Thumbing through my "car noise" thesaurus, a broken connecting rod sounds more like a thump than a rattle. You should consider the engine, Out of order, because any broken internal part of an engine should be repaired immediately  

Answer 6

Another fine fine example of why common sense and basic auto knowledge should be taught in divers ed - or at least be part of a basic drivers test. Let me ask you something..... is it safe to walk in a pair of shoes that have the right or left heel broken off? Do you think that engine shaking, lack of power brakes and proper steering is safe for other drivers and pedestrians on the road? (and I know it feels like that) And as far as a second opinion - why? The mechanic already told you what was wrong. Need the rod and piston in your lap to believe him? The price today will be less than the price tomorrow. Why? Because your going to destroy what might be able to be repaired for about $2000  Just Imagine what Judge Judy might say. She might say "repair your car, get rid off, turn it into a flower pot but whatever you do... keep it off the road in its unsafe condition".  

Answer 7

Rod bearing, not rod and in terms of personal safety, no it is not really a problem.  Unsafe for your engine?  Absolutley.  But then again, the engine will need a complete rebuild irregardless.