Seized Engine After Transmission Replacement

Asked by tyler May 14, 2021 at 03:38 AM about the 2016 Mazda MAZDA3 i Grand Touring Hatchback

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

So I had a mobile mechanic stop by for a weekend and replace the
transmission in my vehicle.  He said he was able to get the job done very
easily and didn't run into any issues.  After everything was put back together,
the car did not start (When it was before the job started) and you could hear
the starter clicking but not being able to turn the engine.  I went to check the
crankshaft pulley a couple days later and was unable to rotate it in any
direction.  My engine is surely seized.  Is there an idea on what exactly could
have possibly happened to the engine while the transmission replacement
was going on?  It'd be hard to bend any valves without being completely
inside the engine, right?  I'm hoping to see if I can't get him back here to
maybe do the job over again and see if he can't see where the mistake
happened.  Maybe there is something I can do for a possible simple fix?  

2 Answers

Make him fix it. Obviously he screwed up the job badly. You did not start and drive the car before paying him? Stop the payment if you can!

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When trying to turn the engine by hand or with a breaker bar at the crankshaft pulley you should remove all the spark plugs. This will prevent the engine from building any compression that will make the engine very difficult, if not impossible, to turn by hand. That way you can know for sure if the engine is seized. I would suspect that the problem is actually with the transmission he installed. If the torque converter in the transmission can't turn for some reason the engine will not be able to turn either. The two are bolted directly together. Hope that helps! Jim

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