Engine Seized???

[norulesjustgo]

My mom took her Explorer out a couple weeks ago to go run errands and brought it home and parked it. The next week she was going to take it again to do errands and it would not start, just a click.

She called roadside assistance and they said it was most likely the starter. She had it towed to a mechanic and they said the engine was seized and that the starter was fine. How does an engine seize when its not running? Anyway I called the mechanic today and he said that there was oil in it and he took off the serpentine belt and attached a breaker bar to the crankshaft bolt and he said it turned one way but not the other. I even asked him how an engine can seize when its parked and not running, his answer was "I dont know."

My thoughts is that either the fuel pump or filter went. Needless to say she going to have it towed somewhere else to get fixed.

Any thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

'03 Explorer XLS 4.0L V6 4WD w/ 133,000 miles.

 

[norulesjustgo]

Bump

 

[matt0248]

It would seem strange that it all of a sudden did this. I could see if it cranked for a second and something broke and then it seized. But then the crankshaft would not turn at all. The engine should be able to rotate freely in either direction, if it doesn't then thereis a problem. It also could be hydrolocked. If coolant filled a cylinder it will to this. Removing the spark plugs and rotating the cranks would solve this problem.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I vote for starter flatspot or superdead battery. I don't think the engine is seized.

 

[Wakeboy1337]

I think hydrolocked. Pull the sparkplugs then they the breakerbar.

 

[norulesjustgo]

How could it be hydrolocked? She didn't drive thru any deep puddles of water. The mechanic said that there was a lot of juice in the battery and they swapped in a new starter and it didn't help.

 

[Joe Dirt]

It's possible because of a cylinder is full, turning one way would be pulling that piston down allowing it to move, the other way would be trying to push it up. You didn't mention before that they had swapped a new starter on.

 

[1AJeremyD]

Welcome to the forum! Was there a check evening light on or any noise before she shut the car off for the week? Any info of maintenance on the vehicle would be helpful. If the vehicle just clicked when you went to turn on the car something other than the fuel filter or fuel pump is wrong. The truck would at least spin the engine over but wouldn't start.

 

[SparkyJeff]

How could it be hydrolocked?

An intake manifold gasket failed on my thunderbird, after shutting the car down, the pressure in the cooling system filled the cylinder with coolant, liquid water cannot be compressed, so the engine won't turn.

 

[1AJeremyD]

It is possible for it to be hydrolocked in one cylinder only. Pull all the spark plugs and see if it rotates and anything comes out I would take it for a second opinion as well. Something like this most likely won't be a cheap fix especially since someones going to have to diagnose everything wrong.

 

[norulesjustgo]

just an update

Sorry I haven't updated you guys as to what the fix was for this problem. My mom took it to a guy who specializes in Explorers/Mountaineers and it turns out that it was indeed the starter. I just drove it this past weekend and I can honestly say I miss driving it. Good thing shes gonna give it to me soon. (Again).

 

[fusseli]

Sorry I haven't updated you guys as to what the fix was for this problem. My mom took it to a guy who specializes in Explorers/Mountaineers and it turns out that it was indeed the starter. I just drove it this past weekend and I can honestly say I miss driving it. Good thing shes gonna give it to me soon. (Again).

Glad to hear it was a simple problem. Don't you love mechanics who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground?