Quick Fault Diagnosis Question

[adam_d]

Hi guys, just got back from a friends house after looking at his car, I won't mention the name here because I think it's a bannable offence :P

Long story short, his car just had water as collant, he didn't put any anti-freeze in and it froze solid. He didn't notice til he tried to start the car, when it farted a bit then died. When he tried to restart, it had no compression. He called a breakdown guy who told him the cambelt may have jumped. I went and had a look today, and fuel is getting to the engine, there is spark, but the engine just spins with no compression at all on any cylinder. Looked at the timing and everything is lined up perfect, so I'm thinking something is probably pretty badly broken. Am I right to call it dead or is there anything else I might've missed?

Thanks guys :)

[Boro Sera]

cracked block. New engine

[adam_d]

Thanks very much, will tell him. I'm just trying to convince him to get a corolla as a replacement now :D

[Jamesbelfast]

Kinda expensive anti-freeze - EEK!!

It may be wise to take the cam cover off and check the valve clearances - any large gaps will denote bent valves or such. It is also possible a key on a pulley has sheared. Either way it's gonna be tres expensive.:)

[rolfharris]

Hi guys, just got back from a friends house after looking at his car, I won't mention the name here because I think it's a bannable offence :P

Long story short, his car just had water as collant, he didn't put any anti-freeze in and it froze solid. He didn't notice til he tried to start the car, when it farted a bit then died. When he tried to restart, it had no compression. He called a breakdown guy who told him the cambelt may have jumped. I went and had a look today, and fuel is getting to the engine, there is spark, but the engine just spins with no compression at all on any cylinder. Looked at the timing and everything is lined up perfect, so I'm thinking something is probably pretty badly broken. Am I right to call it dead or is there anything else I might've missed?

Thanks guys :)

Hi

1st thing 1st What car has your friend got... As a lot of Toyota engines are non Interference Engines (Valves cant hit the pistons)

Once we have established that lets diagnose the fault correctly with out condemning the engine 1st..

Can PM me any time..

Carl

[Boro Sera]

Hi

1st thing 1st What car has your friend got... As a lot of Toyota engines are non Interference Engines (Valves cant hit the pistons)

Once we have established that lets diagnose the fault correctly with out condemning the engine 1st..

Can PM me any time..

Carl

The symptoms that lead to the fault would kill a non interference engine. When a cooling system full of only water freezes it forms ice ( who's volume is greater than that of the water it came from ). As the Ice forms and expands it cracks the internal channels ( oil, coolant etc ) within the engine block so they all bleed into each other - no compression, no cooling/lubricating. Engine condemned !

Interference engine or not , if it's frozen inside it's hoofed

[rolfharris]

Hi

1st thing 1st What car has your friend got... As a lot of Toyota engines are non Interference Engines (Valves cant hit the pistons)

Once we have established that lets diagnose the fault correctly with out condemning the engine 1st..

Can PM me any time..

Carl

The symptoms that lead to the fault would kill a non interference engine. When a cooling system full of only water freezes it forms ice ( who's volume is greater than that of the water it came from ). As the Ice forms and expands it cracks the internal channels ( oil, coolant etc ) within the engine block so they all bleed into each other - no compression, no cooling/lubricating. Engine condemned !

Interference engine or not , if it's frozen inside it's hoofed

In the event this happens the the core plugs normal "pop" as these are designed to do that , like I said get a correct complete diagnoses 1st before condemning an engine.

[balli hi]

In the event this happens the the core plugs normal "pop" as these are designed to do that , like I said get a correct complete diagnoses 1st before condemning an engine.

Yes , the core plugs , i've seen this before with friends cars , i used to work with a guy some time ago who knew everything and anything to do with cars , and when this happened to a couple of mates cars after a big freeze , the first thing he checked were the core plugs , and true enough they had popped out , he did what he had to do and their cars were back up and running again .

[adam_d]

Hi again, the car in question wasn't a Toyota, that's why I said it would be unspeakable, it was a Rover 25, with the 1.4 K series. This was just the first place I thought of to get advice. He has now bought a Yaris as a replacement, as the Rover already had a couple of problems.

Unless he gets the car going again, he's selling for spares, and just to clarify there is no compression on any cylinder at all. Every now and then you get a little put put from the exhaust, but then nothing. Nothing is leaking from the engine either. He told me when he first tried it, it fired then cut out, and it's been like this since.

Thanks for all your suggestions, and at least he has a good solid car now. :P

[Karma Supra]

The core plugs won't help the water channels in the head, and the channels around the water pump, only the water jacket around the cylinders.

If you someone can't be bothered to put antifreeze in, they will suffer the consequences.

I'd consider it a tough lesson learnt :D

Perhaps an original beetle would be more suited as a replacement.