Cracked Sump = Seized Engine????

[katt007]

Hello Again,

Following on from my previous post in the forum.... I recently cracked the sump of my V5 on a speed hump , after about 10 minutes of driving (not realising that my oil was pouring all over the road, the oil light started to flash. The car then lost power and switched itself off.

I had it towed home and managed to replace the sump but now have the following problems:

1. The car won't start. On turning the key everything lights up and there is a click (as if the starter's gone) but no turning of the engine.

2. The radio has put itself into Safe 2000 mode??? I don't know what that is it's not in the manual and the dealers dont know what it is either.

3. The service light, ABS and the little engine icon are all lit up - permanently.

I've spoken to a few mechanics and have been told that the engine has seized . I got a quote from the dealer of £5000

The car's not worth that so can you tell me if theres a way to check if it's definately gone? The oil was at the full mark just before the speed hump.

Is there a way for me to crank the engine by hand??

Any help you have would be great.

Thanks

Katt

[DPJ]

Try putting the car in 4th, engine off, handbrake off. If you can push it a few feet, the engine is turning over and not seized....

[cordobabrendy]

or get a socket set and try and crank it over by hand.

[m0rk]

^^ as above, connect socket to the cambelt end of the crank (non gearbox) and get turning - you might want to pull the plugs out to make sure there's no compression fighting against you too

short engine 2nd hand won't cost you that much, and should be about a days labour for a back steet place to swap out I'd have thought

[katt007]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your replies. I think I'll try to give it a push tomorrow. if that proves too difficult I'll try with using socket & wrench.

I hope it's not seized!! Fingers crossed

Thanks again,

katt

[thesonny]

it will be even easier in fifth to push (small gear to large gear (think bike chain)) have you tried removing the battery for 2-3 hours. or resetting the computer and removing any old fault codes. Plus I sympathise the sumps on any seat are a pain in the a-hole. There is a sump breaker in a bus lane near where i live that i used to go over no problem in me old saxo, and even my fiesta zetec-s!! and since i have had the tolly i have to go the long way round dam low riding sump bast!!

plus unlikely to be ceased as main reasons for ceased engines are
- water in the oil causing rust to form internally
- cam belt snappage (pretty dam serious)
- Car un-run for a number of years and left sitting in warm damp place (ceased engines least of your worries believe me!! try rusted chassis, crumbling body panels, ceased gearbox, handbrake, brakepads, master and slave cylinders on both clutch and brakes!! (coming Summer 2007 by the way!!FINALLY!!)

hope this helps anyways!

[Fl@pper]

dont panic just yet if you consider yourself lucky

last one with same syptoms had only picked up on the main bearings as he was going low speed 24 hours later and new sump/new shells and a good clean up and away it went

get it looked at first if i was you

[katt007]

Hey Guy's,

Thanks for your replies. I tried pushing it in 5th as suggested by theSonny - thanks for that, it was a lot easier to do. It seemed to move a bit

Had a mechanic look at it yesterday and he reckons the engine's seized, but couldn't say for sure as the battery's now gone flat

I had a look up into the engine while the sump was off though and it looked nice and oiled, couldn't see any obvious damage, so I think I'll definately try taking the battery off and recharging.

Thanks for your suggestion Fl@pper, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if it is damaged it's nothing too serious Are the main bearings easy to replace once damaged??

I'll update you after I've sorted the battery.

Have a great Weekend!

Katt

[bullit]

sounds like your engine is seized, but still be hopeful, you never know, you need to get a 27mm socket (taking it, its a vr5)on the crank pully and see dose it turn, ( with it out of gear) if it dont, its more than likely to be seized, if you need to look and see what the damage is, you will have to drop the sump off, and the oilpump, and undo the mains, and look for damaged bearing shells, if you see any damage, you will then need to see if the crank has any damage, (scorring on the journals) if the crank has dammage, then its engine out job and new crank. hope it goes ok for you.

[katt007]

Thanks Buil,

Managed to get a replacement engine from a V5 Golf, same engine code. Hopefully this will fit and work. Anyone know if there are any modifications that need to be done for this or if it will just be a straight swap??

Many Thanks

Katt

[Sam20v]

If it is the same engine code....its the same lump....theory should fit no mods needed!