Not your typical timing issue... help!

[Erin]

So not your typical timing issue here. I was in an accident and got my 2007 aveo from the body shop and they told me it was blown up. Towed it home and popped the timing belt covers off and sure enough the marks were about two or three teeth off. Did a leak down test.. passed 100% so pulled the belt off, lined everything back up and sure enough the car fired right up. Idled smoothly but when we drove it, it had no power. Pulled the plugs and they were black! So I am assuming things just are not lined up properly, but the marks seem dead on. The belt does need replaced, but we wanted to make sure that was are only problem before we dumped more money into this thing. I have a timing light, and see the mark on the crank pulley, but I am not sure what I am lining it up against and I can't find any helpful info online.

I really appreciate any advice,

Erin

[avguy]

I'm not completely understanding your write-up (which is probably just me), so here are a couple of questions. You said the timing marks were off based on what you saw after pulling the timing belt covers. But you also pulled the harmonic balancer in order to see that the crank pulley mark was in the notch, along with checking the cam marks for level, correct? Assuming you did do all of that, and the timing was off by 2 or 3 teeth as you said, how would you be able to get a good leak-down test result at that point?

[Erin]

Your assumptions are all correct except for I was wrong in saying we did the leak down with the timing off. The leak down was preformed where the the timing is currently(where the car runs, with no power).

[avguy]

Your assumptions are all correct except for I was wrong in saying we did the leak down with the timing off. The leak down was preformed where the the timing is currently(where the car runs, with no power).

Ok - now with that said, this whole thing makes sense! Did you check everything in the air intake path? TB function, filter/box, connector hose, and even the air intake under the filter box - maybe the accident collapsed it?