I have a 97 Dodge Avenger that I have had for about 2 1/2 years. She has high mileage, 165,000 to be exact but it ran great. I would allways make sure all the fluids were up to par, and I would keep my eye on the guages.

On Monday this week I was stopped at a light, and felt some shaking in the wheel and the gas pedal just like the car was running out of gas (I assumed even). The car then tuned off, I noticed the guages, they were all in the mormal range. I had a gas substitute called "Rescue" (it's 1 gallon, supposed to get the car running again when the engine is still hot), I dumped it in and cranked the engine. The engine was not starting only rotating. I happend to be right next to a 7-11 gas station, so I ran across the street and got about a gallon of gas and retuned. After I put the gas in I continued to crank, still not starting. Then all the sudden the engine was turning very freely as if no accessories belts were attached to the crankshaft. I looked and both accessory belts were desinigrated, and had wraped fragments around the crankstaft pully. I called AAA and moved the car back home.

I replaced the belts the next day, checked the coolant and oil (both perfect). I attempted to start the engine with no luck, just cranked didnt start. I assumed the "Rescue" gas was in the fuel lines, so I purged the fuel rail and releaved about 1/2 gallon to 3/4 a gallon. I tried starting again and received a loud metal on metal sound and instanty stopped. I checked everything I could and attempted on more time, CRANK, CRANK,CRANK, CLACK, CLACK, I stopped. I removed the accessorie belts and tried cranking. The engine now doesnt move, seems to be seized.

I removed the wheel, and broke out the breaker bar and attempted to turn the engine over manually, with no luck. I then removed the starter and could still not turn the engine over (and the starter worked fine). The engine has double over head cams and I assumed the timing belt may have broken. I checked the belt it is on tight and is in good shape.

So the car is sitting in my driveway with a very seized engine, and I am out of ideas.

Hopefully someones expertise could guide me in a better direction,
Thanks, Dan

Email - dan@electronicgarden.com
AIM Screenname - DIS360

 

Sounds like either a bad/broken lifter. Regardless of what it is....you are going to have to tear the engine apart to fix it. My suggestion is to either start looking for a new car.....or consider a replacement engine.

Unfortunately, I can almost bet your car on the fact it's a lifter/piston issue.

 

What happens to the lifter to cause the engine to seize?

 

The lifter could have gotten damaged over time....and broke. With it broken, you would have noticed maybe the car runnin a little rough.....and just enough of that can cause it to go BOOM. With a malfunctioning lifter, it could damage the piston, the block and it's just too hard to diagnose on a computer. If you dont want to pay a shop, you might as well take a look under the valve cover.

You should really talk with a shop, it's worth whatever their diagnostic fee is....trust me...they can almost tell you what it is faster then we could.

 

Sounds to me like a timing belt to me man.

 

Timing belt is tight and looks good.

 

you may also want to drain the oil and see if metal chunks come out.. good sighn that you have big problems!