The engine seized up in my 2011 Hyundai Sonata the other day when I was driving home from work. The engine as well as the chassis have 75,000 miles on them but I did not expect to have such a major problem. I guess oil had leaked out (never saw any puddles or spots under the car!) and left the engine dry, causing the car to stall and the engine to totally seize up. Very disappointed, do I have any other options other than replacing the whole engine?
Did your oil leak out from somewhere? Did your drain plug fall out? Did your engine have a major engine failure? I suspect the drain plug fell out on your engine. There have been incidents of the oil pan getting cracked around the drain plug hole causing an oil leak. This would be a slower leak. If drain plug was not tightened up and vibrated until it fell out, there would have been a large sudden leak with all oil being lost and causing the engine to seize pretty fast. Did you just have a recent oil change? I have seen owners that have had their oil changed and lost all oil in a short time because of the oil plug falling out from not being tightened properly. I would suggest you have YourMechanic do a thorough diagnosis of why you lost all your oil. This should give you some insight why oil was lost.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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Seized car engine causes:
Insufficient oil level: when the oil level is low, your engine overheats, parts melt, and the bearings ultimately become damaged. Accumulation of water: water is not compressible like gasoline and can cause an engine to seize.
The problem involved the automaker`s 2.0- and 2.4-liter Theta II engines in the 2011–2014 Hyundai Sonata and the 2013–2014 Santa Fe Sport, in which metal debris created during machining operations at the factory led to premature bearing wear and potential engine failure.
If you end up with an oil leak on that side of the engine, you may end up with an oil-soaked starter. This will kill the starter and you won`t be able to start your automobile. Auto Solutions lists the signs that you have a dead starter below.
In April 2023, Hyundai issued a safety recall for certain 2011-2019 Sonata, 2013-2019 Santa Fe Sport, 2014-2015 and 2018-2019 Tucson, 2012-2019 Veloster, and 2019 Veloster N vehicles due to the oil consumption issue. The recall affects approximately 1.1 million vehicles in the United States.
If you cannot get the engine to turn, apply penetrating oil to the walls of each cylinder through the spark plug wells. Give the oil a couple of hours to work its way past the piston rings and try again. This process may require several applications over several days.
The primary sign of a seized engine is a vehicle that doesn`t crank or start. In some cases, the engine might turn over slightly (often while making abnormal noises), but it will refuse to crank normally or run. You might also hear a click or clunk noise as the starter tries to engage the engine.
Hyundai Sonatas are good vehicles, and many people have reported their lasting anywhere from 200,000 to 250,000 miles before major engine issues.
Most Common Problems with the 2022 Hyundai Sonata
Complaint issues range from problems with the electrical system, wheels and tires, and brakes that malfunction, to sunroofs that explode unexpectedly.
Though you may not see any visible signs of leakage on the ground, oil loss can still happen. This typically happens because as a car ages, engine seals harden and shrink from the plasticizers being removed over time. It`s normal, but it`s a pain.
Bad Sensors
One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.
The most common reasons a Hyundai Sonata is leaking oil are oil system component failure and leaking engine gaskets.
Timewise and distances, a Hyundai Sonata can last a driver for up to 250,000 miles or up to 17 years on average. If you drive less than the average 15,000 miles annually, then your Sonata may last you longer.
The presence of oil and its distribution is absolutely crucial to an engines continued operation. Engines can work without oil, but the effect is so damaging they are only capable of running for less than 30 minutes until failing – and in most cases, it`s a lot quicker than that.
A seized engine is locked up, no movement of internal parts. It WILL NOT run. It won`t even crank over.
You can most certainly fix a seized engine, but that will all depend on what the issue is. If you have recently driven through a deep puddle, you can remove your spark plug, fill it up with oil and let it sit for 24 hours. After the car sits for 24 hours, you may be able to unjam it with a breaker bar.
Engine seizure is caused by overheating or lack of lubrication. Without oil, the engine`s moving parts will no longer move smoothly against each other, and the engine will overheat. The first symptom may be a loss of engine power. You may also notice a change in the engine`s sound.
Allegedly, issues like carbon buildup, oil sludge deposits, and wear of engine parts eventually lead to a costly rebuild or engine replacement.
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is a midsize sedan that can be found used from $7,449 to $10,695. They score well in safety tests, and are fuel-efficient. However, it has serious powertrain problems, making it a car we do not recommend.
Yes, many Hyundai Sonatas have been known to last well beyond 200,000 miles with proper care and maintenance. Some owners have reported driving their Sonatas for over 300,000 miles before needing major repairs.
What are the Best Years for the Hyundai Sonata? From 2007-2010 the Hyundai Sonata recieved above-average reliability ratings. CoPilot recommends buying the 2018 Sonata for its turbocharged engine, few recalls/complaints, overall design, and five-star safety rating.
Airflow sensor: When your airflow sensor is failing or dirty, it can send wrong signals to your engine`s computer that can result in power losses while accelerating. This type of issue usually causes your Check Engine” light to come on and your vehicle to behave sluggishly even when there is power.
If it`s a little on the low side, top up the oil and check again the next day to see if the level has dropped significantly. Avoid adding oil and ignoring the fact that the level keeps dropping – oil leaks can be potential fire hazards so it`s important to ensure that everything is working as it should.
However, a bad PCV valve is a tiny, inexpensive part that can cause an engine to burn oil if it goes bad. Replacing it is fast and easy! If your engine is burning oil, hope that it`s due to a bad PCV valve.
Absence of oil is damaging to an engine. When there is no oil between the parts, they will begin to come in contact with each other at high speed. It will take no time to destroy the engine. Within a matter of seconds, the engine will stop working and can get damaged.