help car engine may be frozen

lozmk1

Sounds like a battery issue, we get probably half a dozen calls ever time the bad weather starts, how far does the car go day to day?

TrickyWicky

forgotmyname wrote: »

Dont try starting it until you have checked the coolant to see if its frozen. If its frozen you can wreck the engine.

Cambelt? Waterpump frozen solid it wont turn and the belt can snap.

I'd be surprised if the starter could actually do that (though it may well be possible. Rather than snap though, I'd have thought the belt may jump teeth instead (which would still potentially fubar it all).

Either way, thats damn good advice you posted. Until you posted that, I'd never thought of the water pump being frozen into place.

JethroUK

The car will start whether the water is frozen or not

If you run it with frozen/no water in it, it will overheat and eventually die, but it will start & run


Ergo: Symptoms you describe (Car not starting) are nothing to with water -

Probably a dead battery

agrinnall

I'd be quite surprised if a car of that age didn't already have antifreeze in it's cooling system, unless it had suffered a previous catastrophic failure and after the repair had been refilled by a complete cowboy. And even -7 isn't low enough to be much of an issue, my car started first time when it was -16 a few years ago. I agree with Jethro and others that the battery is by far the most likely cause.

Norman_Castle

The car will start whether the water is frozen or not

A neighbors car, damaged and repaired without anti freeze, froze solid a few years back. It wouldn't turn over at all. Presumably the water pump was frozen. The top hose was solid. She kept using it for a few months after that then replaced it. I'm not sure if it caused damage as she regularly swopped cars.
OP on a positive note I used to have to help jump start her car regularly as the battery was old or low. Your lights and radio will work with a poor battery. It takes a lot more power to turn an engine over.

arcon5

The battery uses a fraction of power compared to starting the car....... get a voltage meter on the battery, should usually be above 12v (?).... does the car turn over?

As for having no water..... (or anti-freeze as it should be)..... this incident may have actually saved your engine.

TrickyWicky

JethroUK wrote: »

The car will start whether the water is frozen or not

So as a couple of people have pointed out, how will the waterpump turn? - which is linked to the movement of the pistons.

If it can't turn freely because its been frozen into place you're not going to be starting that engine.

Stigy

happy35 wrote: »

We drove the car on Sunday and all was fine, however I now think the engine might be frozen. DS went out to start car on Wednesday night and it wouldnt start, it isnt the battery as radio etc works.

Just because the radio works doesn't mean it's not the battery. It takes a lot more get up and go to turn the engine over than it does to turn on the stereo. For the stereo not to even turn on the battery would have to be completely drain, which doesn't often happen unless you've left the lights on all night or something.

StrongWork

Common things are common.

Likely the battery is borderline - enough for radio/central locking but not enough power to crank the car. Almost certainly on the original battery which would be now 9 years old.

I'd have tried jump starting with another car first.

But since you've gone down the coolant drain/engine wrapped in duvet (!!!!!!?) route...

happy35

thanks everyone for your advice, havent done anything with the car today as there is about 6'' of snow. Neighbour suggested insulating the engine, as he said a rubber pipe thing that goes from the water isnt frozen, although he doesnt know if it had been as wasnt home from work until5pm and heater had been on etc.

He thinks that it is either the starter motor or the immobiliser is stuck, think they are going to get it on the road and jump start it. BIL is an ex mechanic so he is going to come and have a look, will it be obvious quickly if something is seriously wrong?