Car Is Dead Please help me revive it someone please!

[dagritz]

I have a 1998 hyundai sonata. I basically tried to start the car while it was in Drive (not to smart in my part)and got a big screech noise. So i turned it off and put it in park and tried starting it then and all i heard after trying to start it was the noise you here right before it starts up. But it didn't start up! so i kept trying. I even jumped a couple of times but no luck. The strange thing is everytime i kept trying the noise would get shorter and shorter till finally it started a click click sound and then after that it just completely died out, no sound at all, you could hear a pin dropping in that car. Now i doubt its the battery because we tried jumping it but that didn't work. So i figured it the starter was just gone but when my mom took it into the shop and they told her the engine locked but I don't see how. Can someone either explain how the engine locked or what else could be wrong with it and about how much it would cost to fix?

if you need more info to help you help me please ask i'll get back to you as soon as possible.

I personally think its the starter or a broken belt or something please don't say the enginge locked because they were trying to charge her 4,000 for it.

[chopstick1981]

first off - If the car is a 98, your starter wont activate unless its in park... one of those newer car features. what do you mean by "noise right before it starts"??? do you mean it was turning over but wouldn't start? or do you mean you could hear the fuel pump start up before starting? you definitly couldn't seize your motor by trying to start it in drive.

[dagritz]

I guess its turning over becuase it sounded like it was about to start but not enough juice. Like it needed a jump u know that sound. And then it started getting worse and worse til their was no sound just a dead car.

[dagritz]

so u ddon't think the engine locked? If not what would cause an engine to lock?

[chopstick1981]

if it was seized(im guessing thats what you mean by "locked") you wouldn't be able to turn it over as you described. If your starter was bad you would't be able to turn it over at all. take in your battery and have someone test it to see if can still hold a charge. When you were jumping your car, did you leave the cables on for a while before trying to sart cuz you got to let the power charge your battery for a couple minutes before turning it over.

[dagritz]

Now the car won't turn over but right after i took it off drive it did try starting it it just wouldn't so we proceeded to jump it an still no luck till it just wouldn't even click no more. so do u think it might be the starter or it being seized?

and roughly how much would it cost to fix a seized engine?

[chopstick1981]

forget about it seizing. its not gonna seize from trying to start it. Just buy a new battery and i bet it'll be fine

[dagritz]

Ok i'm going to make it a little simpler with these three questions

1. How do u manage to sieze or lock and engine?
and
2. How do u know if your engine is locked or seized if you car has absolutley no power at all?
3. When an engine is lock or seized will that stop power from coming in your car for the radio and lights?

[chopstick1981]

a seized engine is the result of too much friction or something restricting the rotation of the motor. an example would be to drain all your oil out and start driving around town.... sooner or later enough friction will build up to stop the rotation usually resulting in a broken piston rod. Another example would be sucking enough water through your intake(hydro-lock), and since water does not compress like fuel, it would either put a hole through your piston or snap you rod. Like I said before, this aint gonna happen from trying to start your car.