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Jun 20, 2016 21:50:18 GMT
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Can anyone help me here please, I think the engine has seized on my 2003 VW Caddy SDI.
I came out of work and it wouldn't start (this was about 3 hours after a ~20 mile drive). Just one loud clunk from the starter. Tried a jump start, hitting the starter with a bit of wood, rocking back and forth, bump start and a tow start but no luck so towed it home.
Have taken off the starter since and it looks ok to (spins freely but don't know what else to look at). Tried turning the engine over by hand (socket on crank pulley bolt) but it's not having it. Have also tried with glow plugs out, starter off and alternator belt removed but no change at all. So this points to the engine itself being seized rather than some problem with an ancillary, am I right in saying this?
Oil and coolant both look fine, don't remember seeing temp gauge above normal (never have done). Really can't work out why it would have spontaneously seized like this, any ideas??
What should my next move be? I've squirted some diesel through the plug holes in the hope that it will help free it.
Could something on the timing belt run have seized up - water pump maybe?
Any help appreciated here. Just looking to get it back on the road asap obviously.
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Wilk
Part of things
Posts: 528 
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Don't know your particular engine but check timing belts not snapped
If it's an interference engine it's possible you're trying to move Pistons into an area already occupied by a valve that shouldn't be on that particular location at the same time, hence it not being able to move
HTH
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Last Edit: Jun 21, 2016 0:28:27 GMT by Wilk
If it can be fixed with a hammer, then it must be an electrical fault
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Don't know your particular engine but check timing belts not snapped If it's an interference engine it's possible you're trying to move Pistons into an area already occupied by a valve that shouldn't be on that particular location at the same time, hence it not being able to move HTH Sounds like that to me. My old man had exactly the same with a Renault. |
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Wilk
Part of things
Posts: 528
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Have you tried turning the engine backward?...any movement at all?
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If it can be fixed with a hammer, then it must be an electrical fault
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Jun 21, 2016 11:15:57 GMT
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Can't feel any movement at all turning forward. If I try it on the starter I can see a couple of mm movement on the crank pulley, then it relaxes back.
Have only tentatively tried turning back but seemed the same. I was under the impression that you should never turn an engine backwards, shall I try again with more force?
I took the belt cover off and had a quick look but it seemed fine, will have a closer look tonight. Seems odd that it would go while parked, I don't remember any funny noises while parking up or trying to start it later. If it slipped a tooth could it be smashing the valves against the pistons?
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Davey
Posted a lot
Resident Tyre Nerd.
Posts: 2,259
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Jun 21, 2016 14:36:14 GMT
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Belt may still be intact but stripped the teeth of the inner surface. Mk4 golf of a customers did the same.
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Jun 21, 2016 15:53:34 GMT
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I doubt you've seized the engine, more likely the starter is goosed or as above possible timing belt.
Don't be afraid to give the ratchet/bar you've got on the crank pulley you can't hurt it. It should be tough to turn over given its 22:1? compression ratio.
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BT
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,772
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Jun 21, 2016 16:36:15 GMT
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You can test the starter by caking a jumper pack and bridging the large pin with the smaller pin, the gear should throw out and spin.
I had a TDI caddy, can you not pull the cam belt cover and check the belt?
Is there any chance debris has got into the flywheel and jammed it up?
When turning over by hand it can sometimes take a bit of force to initially turn the engine over, I can't imagine it has seized.
I'm wondering if when you went to start it, it's some how skipped a few teeth and you've got piston and valve interference. Can you pull the heaters or injectors out? Stick a little camera in there.
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Jun 21, 2016 16:36:53 GMT
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That's exactly how our 56 plate caddy died at work. Engine toast, so scrapped it as uneconomical to repair.
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Jun 21, 2016 21:46:22 GMT
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Went out and had a look at the belt, looks fine.
Turned the engine backwards with a bit more force and it popped free. Turned it forward and it rotated fine. Put it all back together and it started on the key just fine and is running as it was.
No idea what was going on there - anyone??
Thanks all for you help, really glad to have it running again at a cost of £0
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Jun 21, 2016 22:25:58 GMT
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Bolt coming out of the flywheel maybe? I don't think it's a good idea to run it till you determine a cause
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Jun 22, 2016 18:26:21 GMT
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Is there any way to check that without taking the gearbox off? Do you think a boroscope would get a decent look in there? Drove it today and no problems but bit worried about the 450 miles I have to do this weekend.
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Jun 22, 2016 18:51:03 GMT
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Got to be worth a try if you can borrow one? Are they fitted with a DMF flywheel setup? Might be going into self destruct, any unusual noises or rattles from the clutch area?
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Jun 23, 2016 15:21:59 GMT
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Hi, It might have been the starter jammed into engagement. Back in the day if that happen the trick was to rock the car backwards in gear but that was with inertia starters.
Colin
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Jun 23, 2016 18:43:02 GMT
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That is a weird one, so it would not turn with both the starter and glow plugs out?
That sounds like water pump jammed / seized or something the flywheel end. No funny noises when it's running now then?
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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Jun 23, 2016 20:10:50 GMT
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Ive had similar issues, once was a seized alt, another was hydrolocked but as VWs are rather well known for lazy starters not returning i'd say that could be an option here  |
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Jun 23, 2016 21:17:53 GMT
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had an old (300,000 mile) transit which we parked up for a couple of months then tried to start wouldn't turn on the starter (we asumed flat battery) so we tow started it, a black stripe on the road from one of the rear wheels followed by an almighty bang and it started fine, turned out the alternator had corroded solid and the bang was the belt snapping, new alternator and belt and it was fine again, did you try turning it with the drive belt off?
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Jun 23, 2016 22:46:59 GMT
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The van is running absolutely fine and not making any odd noises.
To clarify: engine wouldn't turn even with starter, glow plugs and drive belt removed. I turned it backwards and it freed off and started turning fine by hand. I put the starter, plugs and belt back on and it was still turning fine/running fine.
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Jun 23, 2016 22:53:03 GMT
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So that basically leaves off all the easiest to inspect/fix things and leaves me with something a bit more difficult and worrying! I will order myself a borescope so I can check out the flywheel bolt idea as that one worries me the most. Seized water pump is worrying too - but surely it would be making some noise if the bearing was knackered? I haven't noticed anything. I did try the tow start btw, as soon as I brought the clutch up on the van it just stopped dead. Bit of a bang but that was the tow rope snapping |
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Jun 24, 2016 10:49:57 GMT
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Something in the bellhousing jamming the ring gear. Not alot of room in there. Piece of clutch lining maybe.....
Nick
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1967 Triumph Vitesse convertible (old friend)
1996 Audi A6 2.5 TDI Avant (still durability testing)
1972 GT6 Mk3 (Restored after loong rest & getting the hang of being a car again)
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