Car trouble

[ol-hazza]

No remote chance it is the alternator. Signed, the guy who grew up in the alternator/starter reman business ........and owns a few thousand cores. ISO9000 certified and all.

Yep there was no jumping it so your on the money me thinks.

 

[Homercidal]

Pull the fanbelt (serpentine) and try to turn the engine over with a wrench on the crank pulley nut. See how easy it turns (It's shouldn't be easy, but shouldn't be stuck or make grinding noises when you turn it)

This won't rule out internal engine trouble, but it might reveal it.

It's highly unlikely to be the alternator. In general when they fail it's a bearing and it makes a lot of bad noise well in advance of giving up. It's possible that the bearing on the pulley seized, but again, REALLY bad noise before it goes bad. If the bearing were to seize it *might* cause some resistance to the motor and cause it to shut down, but this is on the far end of possibilities.

There is nothing, really, inside the alternator that should come apart and get caught. It's basically an electric motor with windings and a stator and spins freely. Most of the time the only things that go wrong with them are voltage regulators, burnt windings, and bearings/bushings. And I think it would be nearly impossible for a bearing to actually seize an engine.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Will give it a go, what would the results mean?

It means the alternator is locked up, and won't allow the engine to turn over.



Edit: It happens, with the wrap of the serpentine belt, if the alternator is locked up solid, it won't turn over.
It went south while driving, and the smoke you saw could have been the belt slipping on the pulley.

Post up what you find, if you have not already stated such.

 

[ol-hazza]

The good news is that the car is ruined. Engine is seized and i get to buy a new one.

I love car shopping. Also have a mate who is away with work for a week so get to borrow his wagon while i go shopping.

Ideal scenario really.

 

[Zuljin]

.

 

[mucci2k]

Found out after seizing a Toyota camry motor up they are aluminum blocks and will seize pritty fast if overheated. Mine ran until I turned it off never to be started again.

 

[Scriv]

Maybe there's a loose nut behind the wheel?

 

[ol-hazza]

A couple of massive nuts you mean