Advice needed on car without anti freeze!!!!

[happyhippy]

Hi all,
Well I've just had my daughter and her partner up for Xmas.They packed up their car yesterday to head back to their home,and their car would'nt start.Would'nt even turn over!As it transpires daughters partner admitted to not using an anti freeze and consequently his engine had frozen!My husband ended up having to take them home(70 miles!On Boxing Day,wonderful!haha).My husband did manage to start the car tonight,but did'nt drive it.Do you think the car will be ok when thawed?Will the engine be alright?We've never encountered this problem,so don't have a clue!Any advice or help gratefully appreciated and asap please as daughters partner has to make arrangements to collect the car somehow.Thankyou xx

[TheGoodEarth]

I would speak to the dealer first thing tomorrow and get their advice. I think that it can potentially be a big problem as water expands when it turns to ice which could damage the engine

[happyhippy]

Yes thats what I'm worried about.Ok the car might have "defrosted" but water expands when frozen and god only knows what damage it may have caused.Ok the car in question is'nt a new car,the poor guy who owns it is only 21,but for him it would be expensive to replace!

[oldjerry]

Well I'm not the greatest mechanic the worlds ever known,but im not sure you could freeze an engine such that it wouldn't turn over.If trhe water in the rad,block etc foze, that needn't mean the engine wouldn't spin.Sure, theblock,rad,headgasket,whatever could be knackered, but the thing should still turn over,even if it wouldn't start.More likely knackered battery.Run it,check the water llevels stay constant, think positive!!

[Big Al]

Well I'm not the greatest mechanic the worlds ever known,but im not sure you could freeze an engine such that it wouldn't turn over.If trhe water in the rad,block etc foze, that needn't mean the engine wouldn't spin.Sure, theblock,rad,headgasket,whatever could be knackered, but the thing should still turn over,even if it wouldn't start.More likely knackered battery.Run it,check the water llevels stay constant, think positive!!

I'd second this.

I've left a mini with full water but no anti freeze in it and that didn't do any harm. Obviously if you run it without water you will knacker it up so remove the rad filler cap and make sure water is in there, add some anti freeze ( and get the right one as these are car / dealer specific) and this will help "thaw out" the water if indeed it is frozen. if you can charge the battery off the car that will give it a good kick start and then just keep an eye on the temperiture gauge and the water levels....... at least that's what i did to my mini and it worked ok.

[boboff]

Agreed, I think the expansion if any damange would be to a hose.
As long as the engine wasn't run and overheated then should be fine.
My Hilux was frozen up this week, and after starting it and freeing the starter motor, then waiting for the heater "knob" to thaw out, then the Thermostat on the Rad so the heat went to the heater, 3 hours later and its working fine.............. for now!

[happyhippy]

Thanks all to replying with advice.My OH started it ok this morning and took it for a spin round the block,seemed ok????Daughters partner is catching a train today to collect his car,and hopefully he will make the journey home ok.He had rang the RAC,and when they turned up,refused to help him as they said it was his own fault!!!

[grahamhobbs]

Do modern cars not have core plugs in the side of the engine block? Cars used to have small round discs in the sides of the engine block that would blow out if the water froze in the block to prevent damage to the block. These could be bashed back in once the water had thawed.

Need to check them, although engine seems to run ok, because they may be in place but leaking and so the engine will run dry and overheat.

[happyhippy]

Ok I will ask him when he arrives,thanks for suggesting it,could be very helpful xx

[oldjerry]

Thanks all to replying with advice.My OH started it ok this morning and took it for a spin round the block,seemed ok????Daughters partner is catching a train today to collect his car,and hopefully he will make the journey home ok.He had rang the RAC,and when they turned up,refused to help him as they said it was his own fault!!!

Ring up and demand a refund,90% plus of all breakdowns are the owners fault,and 50% of accidents(which they will recover you from) so that's some git pulling a fast one COMPLAIN AND GET A REFUND.Be3tter still dump the RAC and go with Green Flag. Best Wishes.

[chilitony]

just because he had not put anti-freeze in does not mean that it did not already contain anti-freeze. Years ago we used to check for anti-freeze by tasting the smallest amount and if it tasted sweet it was ok

[happyhippy]

Now thats a good point!I did say to my OH on the weekend,well could'nt they say that to anything?So your fanbelt goes?Do they then say "Its your fault,you should of changed it before it snapped????The mind boggles!Whats the price like for Green Flag?Competetive?

[mrsflibble]

is it a deisel? because if you temperatures got low enough it could be the fuel either froze or just got too thick.

[Archanejil]

Actually, I was just about to ask that. The OH's diesel van *will not start* if it falls below a certain temperature (about -8, which we had here, and the rest). If he has a diesel and his glow plugs are out, that'd be one reason for the thing not starting in the cold.

[mrsflibble]

even with new glowplugs our volvo had difficulties when it dropped overnight to -13 round here.