There are many different things that can go wrong with your car. The worst thing is when something happens to your engine which causes it to seize up or stop working entirely. Since there are several moving components in the engine, all it takes is for one of them to fail and then your whole engine malfunctions. If you continue trying to drive with a worn out or damaged engine component, it can end up damaging the rest of your engine’s components. Then you’re looking at thousands of dollars in replacement costs.
The first sign of trouble with an engine component is when your car engine seizes up unexpectedly. Engine seizure occurs if an internal component of the engine locks up and can no longer move in conjunction with the other components. As a result, the bearings are unable to be moved by the crankshaft. If you want to resolve this issue, you need to figure out which component locked up and why.
The primary components to investigate are the rod bearings, piston rings, and pistons. Check to see whether any of them are welded together or simply worn out excessively. If your engine has experienced overheating issues recently, then it could explain why these components are suddenly worn out like this. It is common for the engine to seize after it’s just experienced too much heat. Also, a recent car accident may have damaged its components too.
In any event, it would cost more to repair the damage to the engine than it would be to replace it. You might as well just purchase a new engine when you’re faced with these issues. Fortunately, they are rare and shouldn’t happen if you take good care of your vehicle and don’t get into accidents.
4 Common Symptoms
If you’re unfortunate enough to experience a car engine seizing up, then you may be able to save your engine if you act fast. Just watch out for the symptoms of this problem so that you recognize it and take it seriously.
Below are the top 4 symptoms of a car engine seizing up.
1) Poor Engine Acceleration
The engine needs to function normally if you’re going to generate power for the wheels. Once your car engine seizes up, the acceleration will be very weak. You’ll step on the gas pedal and notice the car not moving as fast as it should. If the problem is too severe, the car won’t accelerate any faster from stepping on the gas pedal.
2) Oil Warning Light
The engine components must actively be moving for oil to circulate properly. But if a component of the engine were to lock up, the oil would stop circulating and the oil flow would be jeopardized. As a result, the Check Engine light or the Check Oil light will activate on the dashboard, depending on the vehicle. Sometimes you may have both lights activate if your vehicle has both warning lights built into it.
3) Knocking Noises
When the engine seizes, it causes the piston rod to repeatedly bang on the crankshaft. These are the knocking sounds that you hear from the engine seizure as a result of the banging. If you don’t fix the problem quickly, the sounds will intensify and grow louder.
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4) Failed Engine Crank
The worst-case scenario of an engine seizure is when you cannot even crank the engine at all. You’ll put your key in the ignition to start your vehicle, but the engine just won’t be able to turn over. Since the engine components cannot turn, then the engine cannot start up and run. By this point, you may already have no choice but to replace the engine. The components are probably too worn out or damaged to be salvageable.
