Can a Car Still Be Driven After Engine Seizure?
4 Answers
After an engine seizure, the car should not continue to be driven. Engine seizure is a serious malfunction, and forcing the engine to start at this time can lead to complete engine failure. When an engine seizure occurs, the car should be promptly pulled over to the roadside, the engine turned off, and a tow truck called as soon as possible. Engine seizure is usually caused by excessive piston expansion due to high temperatures at high engine speeds, which causes the piston to get stuck in the cylinder. In severe cases, the engine may also emit thick smoke. The symptoms of an engine seizure are as follows: 1. Noticeably increased engine noise. During an engine seizure, the overheated and expanded piston will violently rub against the cylinder block, resulting in abnormal engine noises. 2. The engine vibration becomes very noticeable, and in severe cases, black smoke may be emitted. 3. The radiator temperature becomes excessively high.
The other day, my neighbor Old Zhang's car blew its engine on the highway, with white smoke billowing out like a steam train. He tried to tough it out to the service area, but less than a kilometer later, the entire engine was completely ruined. In such situations, you must never attempt to restart the engine—the pistons and cylinder walls are already scraping against each other, and forcing it to run would be like metal grinding on metal, doubling the repair costs. Plus, oil was leaking everywhere, creating a serious fire hazard. I remember last year, a driver insisted on driving, and the crankshaft ended up piercing through the engine block, with parts and debris dripping from the undercarriage. If your engine blows, immediately turn on your hazard lights, pull over, place the warning triangle at least 150 meters away, and call for a tow truck—it's the safest option. Never gamble with an engine worth tens of thousands of dollars.
In my 15 years as a mechanic, I've seen too many cars driven with blown engines, almost all ending up needing major overhauls. Engine seizure varies in severity—if you hear metal clanging and smell burning, that's severe cylinder scoring; don't even attempt idling. With minor seizure and no abnormal noises, you might crawl a few hundred meters to safety at snail's pace, but it's extremely risky—you could scrape cylinder walls or even jam piston fragments into the crankshaft. Last week, we towed a BMW whose owner drove just two minutes after seizure, only to find the connecting rod bent like a paperclip upon disassembly. Remember: a bumper dent is drivable, but engine seizure is heart surgery—your car needs a stretcher.
A veteran truck driver once taught me: Engine seizure = turn off and lock the doors. If the oil pressure gauge suddenly drops to zero, you must stop within ten seconds. Continuing to drive will cause the bearing shells to melt, with metal debris spreading throughout the lubrication system, requiring a complete engine teardown to flush the oil passages during repairs. Last month, a colleague didn’t heed this advice—after seizing the engine, he drove three kilometers to the repair shop, and the repair bill jumped from 8,000 to 40,000 RMB. Nowadays, towing apps can locate and dispatch rescue services, which is far more cost-effective than forcing the drive. If you must move the car, put it in neutral and have someone push it—moving the engine in gear still generates friction. An engine seizure isn’t like a flat tire; every extra meter driven adds zeros to the scrap bill.
