What is your question?
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What is your question?
I have a 96 Mercury Villager between 33k and maybe 38k. Nice little van buy my friend drove it one day and when she pulled into the parking lot of her destination that motor seized up & died. The car would NOT restart. I tried to jump the car, it got power but you turn the key you hear a click or two. I've replaced the starter and gotten the car to sorta do a 1 or 2 second crank but the motor was burning up my new starter. Its like the motor was locked but I don't get it. I feel like there is more to this. What exactly are the symptoms of the Distributer seizing up? Would that cause a van to die in mid action, CAN you START a van at all with it? And lastly.. Im not a mechanic so How can i tell if it is indeed the distributer? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
4 Replies
If the motor seized you need another motor and a starter won't even turn it, ie' it will keep burning starters.
Not that many miles but pretty old van! Timing belt ever been changed on this 'interference' engine?? Is/was the oil level ok at the time this happened? Has anyone tried to turn the engine manually? Know a good local mechanic???
If the alternator bearing is seized, that will also keep the engine from turning over and starting.
Hmm.. I feel like the alternator has been replaced on that vehicle although I happen to know more so for a fact that it was a replacement made out my other vehicle. Umm.. I've definitely experienced alternator failures in the past so wouldn't I have experienced the loss of power first? Or are you suggesting an alternator bearing be a whole different side of "symptoms"?
I used to have a 90's model Chevy pickup that was running good. Pulled up to a stop light one day and the engine died. The engine would not turn over when I tried to start it. Had to push the truck into a parking spot. I removed the accessory belt and tried to turn the alternator pulley, but it wouldn't turn. Tried the key, and the motor started right up. Had to replace the alternator where it sat as the accessory belt also drove the water pump and fan. Pull your accessory belt and see if it will start.
More than just one belt on this one....not likely to keep the engine from turning...but the wide serpentine belts will if a driven componet is locked, i agree! Cant hurt to remove them all and try it!
Yeah, lots of possible causes on this one! It likely needs to be towed to a qualified mechanic for diagnosis.
Well, If Im not mistaken, I do believe that the belts are in working order. We have double checked all the fluids then they are at appropriate levels. And what exactly did you mean by "manually start the motor?"
You can not see the timing belt so how do you know it is "in working order"...??? Google interferenc engine.. Turnng engine with a tool by hand is manually turning the engine!! Never said anything about manually starting it!!! Have a MECHANIC check it out to determine just what is wrong,, we can't do that, can only guess at it!
Im sorry.. I misunderstood. So, basically the timing belt could cause the motor to quit and the motor to not be able to even crank?