Technical Seized engine - advice needed

[robertfry]

Agghh

I was leaving the car park where I worked the other day. I have a r reg punto (45,000mls), which started fine but there was a strange noise, I revved the engine thinking it might disappear and it died. The RAC told me that the engine was seized, could have been many reasons he said. Oil pump failure - although there were no warning lights, or cambelt failure, but there wasn't alot of noise.
After talking to my garagethey suggested I will need a new engine, which I've had to source from a breakers, does £250 for a 44,000 mile engine sound ok? I haven't actually shown the garage the car yet could it be anything else?
When I bought the car it came with 2 blue keys, no red key. Will I need this red key to start the car when a new engine has been fitted?? I guess that the engine is connected to the immoilser some how.

Thanks in advance

 

[Martiny10]

Why not fit a new cam belt and see if it will run - the FIRE engine is of the 'non- interference' type meaning the pistons don't hit the valves when the cam belt breaks.

A new belt costs about £15 + fitting - surely it's worth a shot.

 

[robertfry]

I thought that I would share this with you. After getting some mechanics out from my local garage to diagnose what was wrong with me punto, the confirmed that it was seized engine.

So I ordered an engine they would do the labour for £200. Last night they put it in, same problem, engine wouldn't turn over. Apparently the alternator was seized which was stopping the engine turning.

Great £600 quid spent (inc cam belt oil etc) could have been done for £60.

 

[Steven]

Get on to your local CAB. Surely you have some sort of comeback against the garage!

 

[faster4_tec]

well if that was the case jump up and down and get them to change it back over as they should have checked that!!!
although who knows what untold damage could have been done if the engine has been trying to turn over a stuck alternator

 

[Smee]

engine cant turn over with a duff alternator can it??? i thought if that goes its dead. engine in my eyes should be fine, but i aint a mechanic.

also did u tell them u need a new engine or did they say not its shagged get a new 1?

if u said it to them and they just agreed then technically its ur fault.

Smee

 

[dave]

complain to bloody rac as well, also name the garage on here. then tell them thay are on here an that we get over 100 visitors a day so it would be in their intrest to refund you the money, so you can post up that they was ok in the end.

 

[JonnyBoy]

A seized alternator shouldn't stop the engine dead, it'll just burn out the alternator drivebelt (fanbelt, for those who insist on calling it that!) and the engine will eventually die as the alternator's job is to keep the battery charged - flat battery = no spark = no go!

But it sounds like the mechanics you employed were a bunch of half-witted spanner monkeys who wouldn't know a seized engine from a hole in their fat arses. If they told you that the engine was seized when it wasn't, then they owe you everything you've paid them to change the engine, plus they should pay for your old engine to be put back in the car (obviuosly I wouldn't allow the same morons to perform this work!).

 

[Steven]

Also, try writing to Auto Express. www.autoexpress.com I'm sure they'll be interested!

 

[faster4_tec]

may even be one for trading standards, as they have catagorically told you the engine is seized we wil have to replace it, and then only after they've removed it and installed a second engine (which is gonna knock value off it when coming to sell it) did they find it was only a duff alternator.
its in there own interest that they sort it

 

[Steven]

Any news on this? Let us know what happens.

 

[robertfry]

Cheers guys,

I think that its probably my problem or the RAC's. I asked the garage to come down and check that it was seized engine, after saying that the RAC bloke reckoned it was seized engine. The blokes that came down just agreed really after having a look around, that was good enough for me, they did offer to take it back to garage if I wanted to be 100% certain. My problem is that they offered to do the job out of the garage at about 100 pound less, which is the offer I took up, this was cheaper and seeing I'm on a budget...

So I haven't really got a leg to stand on.

I do have an engine for sale if anyone wants one!

 

[robertfry]

forgot to add this

Been talking to a few people, and they reckon its quite strange or rare for an alternator to stop the engine turning. Usually the fanbelt snaps they reckoned. Now it all makes sense. I think that the bearings have been sqweeking on and off for a while, but it didn't totallly seize until it happened and thats why I was havingno problems with batteries and stuff.

 

[Steven]

Given the circumstances you're buggered. Swallow the cost and learn a lesson...

 

[flisko]

when an engine seizes, which parts are still good?

op said his engine could have seized cuz of Oil pump failure, how can that be avoided without an oil temp gauge

 

[s and b]

i see its an old thread but i had a few mk 1 puntos with seizes alternators and it would be easy to diagnose as seized engine
i used to cut the belts so i could jump start the cars
old rovers had the same problems with a similar alternator
i still have an alternator pulley as my toothbrush holder in our bathroom i cut it in half and welded it back together with 3 spark plugs as the toothbrush holders

re seized engine if pump went i always scrap everything but pumps dont go unless they is made by kia ,what normally happens is low oil causes a bearing to go

 

[Liquid Knight]

FrankenFiat I was the engine I built from a Grande 1.4 block, 1108 Cinquecento head and Punto 75 cam', with a pair of bike carb's and custom exhaust. The engine turned over tried to fire up and seized due to the oil pump failing. Luckily as it was only at starter motor pace the damage was minimal and the block has a new life somewhere else and FrankenFiat II is in my shed waiting for a lucky donor shell.

You can still buy brand new FIRE engines from Fiat if you'd like to preserve the mileage. As yours was running when it died and it did so gradually the chances are you may need a new crank or shells at the very least.

If you can't do the work yourself and new engine would be a lot cheaper than a rebuild.

 

[flisko]

new engine? how much

 

[Liquid Knight]

The last time I saw one it was 1242 Punto 60 spec' for £695.

Plenty of good used units about from £50 and fitting is an afternoons work.

 

[flisko]

The last time I saw one it was 1242 Punto 60 spec' for £695.

Plenty of good used units about from £50 and fitting is an afternoons work.

give link