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I had an engine seizure that happened while I was driving the car: it ran low on oil and suddenly the engine stopped working (with a bit of smoke). Now after being towed, I have left the car (and added oil) for a couple of weeks, hoping to try and free up the engine.

I read online that you can only un-seize an engine if it's caused by long periods of inactivity. Apparently a seizure while-in-use is the most difficult to fix and costs the most.

I'm pretty close to accepting my loss here, however I need some reassurance (or closure) before I make this final decision. Should I choose to try and fix it, I'm going to need to get a few lubricants and to recharge the battery (which died while I was trying to restart by the roadside).

For the record it's a 2008 Toyota Yaris, 1.0 liter engine (1KR-FE).

Toby Speight
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Jalapeno
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5 Answers5

40

A seized engine due to not being used is usually due to the pistons / rings sticking in the bore, which with some freeing fluid may be easily solved, but this will not help the future life of the engine.

An engine seized due to lack of lubrication, such as you describe, means that the crankshaft bearings, main bearings and camshaft bearings have all probably seized - seizing in this situation means serious surface damage to the bearing surfaces in contact - in fact the surfaces can actually get welded together.

Just adding fresh oil will not solve the problem - this damage will need an engine re-build.

Solar Mike
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It's not practical to attempt a repair on that engine; it's toast. It also doesn't sound like you're in a position to do an engine replacement yourself, so you're now looking at a math problem rather than an engineering one;

a. How much is the car worth in a working condition?

b. How much is the car worth in it's current condition?

c. How much does a replacement engine (plus required parts etc - they don't just drop in) cost?

d. How much will a garage charge to install the replacement engine?

If a > b + c + d, then take it to a garage. Otherwise, sell the car as-is, and put that money, plus the engine money, into a replacement vehicle.

I'm pretty sure that emotionally, you'd like to keep this car; but logically, it's time for it to move on (with the aid of a tow-truck)

PeteCon
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If you're willing to throw enough money at it, most mechanical failures can be fixed. However:

  • Money-wise, let's make up some numbers: If it would cost £1500 to disassemble and replace the ruined parts and buy new parts and reassemble the motor, and on the other hand it would cost £500 to buy and install a used motor, repairing the motor isn't a good deal.

  • Practically, if you replace most of the oscillation/rotating parts in the motor...you might has well replace the entire engine, if replacement is cheaper or easier.

You can't know the damage until it's disassembled, and that will begin to obligate you to pay for the work. All you can go on is what usually happens in these cases. Your car's engine was subject to a severe failure, and the best you can do is take counsel from those who've previously dealt with this sort of thing.

I'd talk to a workshop or three and ask what they think, and what they guess replacing the motor might cost. Rebuilt and guaranteed motors are available. My first thought — with a lifetime of fooling around with cars and motorcycles but no direct experience of Yaris mechanicals — would be that installing a used motor is better solution than rebuilding what you have...

...unless, of course, you're looking to replace the car. If that's so, now's your chance!

DavidRecallsMonica
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My personal rule is:

If a car has a failure in a major item - meaning "engine" and "transmission" - it's time to send it to the Great Scrap Yard In The Sky.

My other rule is:

Always disregard the above rule, because money flows through my fingers like water, and I'm a d*mn fool. Just had a head job done on a Toyota Sienna. Yeah, I'm sure it's gonna work out great!

:-)

Seriously - dump the car, get what you can for it, go get a decent replacement, and move on. Remind yourself - it's a hunk of tin. It's just a hunk of tin!!!!!

Bob Jarvis - Слава Україні
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When I was in the Marines decades ago (almost 40 years), my roommate picked up a Ford LTD with a seized engine. He had it towed in front of our trailer home. He then took off the spark plugs, filled the cylinders with motor oil and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Next time he checked, the car started right up after a tiny bit of hesitation at first. He drove that car for a year, then sold it.

If I were you I'd try this first before spending a lot of money on an engine rebuild or sending it to the scrapyard.

Juan Jimenez
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