I have a 97 Dodge Avenger (powered by a Mitsubishi engine) that I have had for about 2 1/2 years. She has high mileage, 165,000 to be exact but it ran great. I would always make sure all the fluids were up to par, and I would keep my eye on the gauges.

On Monday this week I was stopped at a light, and felt some shaking in the wheel and the gas pedal just like the car was running out of gas (I assumed even). The car then tuned off, I noticed the gauges, they were all in the normal range. I had a gas substitute called "Rescue" (its 1 gallon, supposed to get the car running again when the engine is still hot), I dumped it in and cranked the engine. The engine was not starting only rotating. I happened to be right next to a 7-11 gas station, so I ran across the street and got about a gallon of gas and retuned. After I put the gas in I continued to crank, still not starting. Then all the sudden the engine was turning very freely as if no accessories belts were attached to the crankshaft. I looked and both accessory belts were desinigrated, and had wrapped fragments around the crankshaft pulley. I called AAA and moved the car back home.

I replaced the belts the next day, checked the coolant and oil (both perfect). I attempted to start the engine with no luck, just cranked didn’t start. I assumed the "Rescue" gas was in the fuel lines, so I purged the fuel rail and relieved about 1/2 gallon to 3/4 a gallon. I tried starting again and received a loud metal on metal sound and instantly stopped. I checked everything I could and attempted on more time, CRANK, CRANK, CRANK, CLACK, CLACK, I stopped. I removed the accessory belts and tried cranking. The engine now doesn’t move, seems to be seized.

I removed the wheel, and broke out the breaker bar and attempted to turn the engine over manually, with no luck. I then removed the starter and could still not turn the engine over (and the starter worked fine). The engine has double over head cams and I assumed the timing belt may have broken. I checked the belt it is on tight and is in good shape.

So the car is sitting in my driveway with a much seized engine, and I am out of ideas.

Hopefully someone’s expertise could guide me in a better direction, Thanks, Dan

Email - dan@electronicgarden.com
AIM Screen name - DIS360

 

Very strange indeed. When you checked the timing belt did you remove the entire cover, or just the top section to check tension? The only things that come to mind are: something binding where your tensioner and lower pulleys are concerned, or that the engine jumped time. You might pull the valve cover off and have a look. With that many miles there are so many possibilities. The fact that the belts disintegrated makes me wonder if something did not bind and then just burn through the belts and it is not your internals at all. What engine do you have? If the car is out of service anyway, take off the timing belt and try to rotate the crank and cams individually. I know I am going in a hundred different directions, I am just trying to give you some other directions to take.

 

Another thought. I had an old ranger that siezed on me. I took out the spark plugs and looked in with a flash light and found that I had sucked a valve and the piston tried to digest it. there was a hole the size of a thumb tack, not to mention the scarring of the cylinder, which means the engine ran a little before giving up. A slightly more simple Idea before that other crap I mentioned.

 

The likely possibility is that the accesory drive belts that wrapped around the harmonic balancer lodged itself inside of the timing cover getting inbetween the timing belt and crank gear and disrupting the cam/crank timing. I've seen this exact scenario happen in the past in a Diamante 3.5L V6. Unfortunately, this is an interference engine and that interference is what is likely to be causing the lack of engine rotation. Take it in and have it inspected by a qualified auto technician. Good luck!

Joel, CA

 

You do not want to do this. The crank and cams should only be rotated together, otherwise the valves will hit the pistons.

I think you need to dig in and dissassemble far enough to examine the timing belt fully. BTW, when was the last time you changed the timing belt?

In the end, I think Joel diagnosed your problem.