Engine `seizing up`
 

Well my kidneys and bone structure are a little worse for wear, but i did get my 7 home without wrapping it around a pole. Drove it home from Miki City, a good hour, on a single lane road peppered with stop lights. Got the car in 3rd gear only once, and for the shortest time.

Things were fine. I parked the car, had dinner, went out again for a spin. After returning the third time, the car in 1st gear near my house suddenly built up resistance in motion, as if the handbrake was being slowly pulled up. With the engine on and the car in neutral (on a hill) the car wouldnt move. I tried shifting into a different gear but the car wouldnt budge. Only when i turned the ignition off and restarted the engine did the car move freely again without resistance.

On the way to school this morning the car did the same thing again. After changing gear from 1st to 2nd and back to 1st again, i sensed resistance, which gradually forced me to stop the car in the middle of the road, in heavy traffic, turn of the ignition and restart the engine again to free it up. It was like trying to drive with the handbrake partially up.

Any ideas why this is happening? With the shifter in neutral the car wont budge. Only restarting seems to reset things.

"with shifter in neutral the car won't budge" Of coarse it won't.. Is this a 5-speed you're talking about?

Yes, even in neutral on a gradient, the car will not move. It simply locks up. Only restarting the ignition resets it. When the car is in motion and the `locking` takes place, even in neutral it has an effect.

While driving this sudden resistance builds up, as if the handbrake is on. I had to literally check the brake because i couldnt believe what was happening.

The car hasnt been driven since May last year, so it probably needs fluids etc replaced.

Where would the problem lie?

You could have ABS problems ,unplug the unit and see if that does any thing . Just a quess.

How do you unplug the ABS?

pull fuse

is the fuse box on the right side of the engine bay? how do you identify the fuse? does it simply reset the system?

By taking out the fuse, the car will run without the abs. If the problem still happens even with the abs disabbled, check your complete brake system, you can pin point which wheel its happing by jacking the car up and spinning the wheel when the brakes seem locked up. I've seen a bad brake master cylinder and a bad brake booster cause the brakes to lock up when the brakes came up to temperature. But its not a very common problem.

THanks for the info regarding the abs and the braking system. Since yesterday morning, the car has been driving fine. I hope (fingers crossed) that the issue was a product of the car not being driven for so long.

I had an old mg long ago and had to make a shaft for the brake master cylinder well after the cars brakes were used a while the car seized up. I would think thats not your problem but if theres something a skew with the power brake unit stopping the engine will also shut down the power assist via vacuum. Something to think about. I can't see an engine seizing up and freeing it self as fast as this seems to be doing however it could also be something in the exhaust system as well as the fuel system but only you will know soon. Good luck with the car and dude when something like this happens shut it down and get to the O.R.