Crossed jumper cables caused motor replacement?

CREATINGART87

MEMBER
2010 NISSAN SENTRA
65,000 MILES

After my car battery needed a jump after leaving the light on a stranger offered to jump my car and help me out. Instead of jumping the car he crossed the negative and positive and caused the battery to spark up for approx 1 minute and killed the battery. After replacing the dead battery to a new battery my car began stalling and would not accelerate when I would push the gas pedal for several seconds afterwards. About two days later the car stalled and wouldn't start and I had it towed to firestone. They diagnosed the car needed the motor replaced due to a broke o ring and the oil leaking in the engine? Using my car insurance owing 11,000 on the car I reported the vandalism of the car battery exploding causing the car to start stalling is a problem to Geico. Unfortunately they havent been able to approve to coverage yet because the mechanic is not able to find the reason for the battery explosion the cause the mechanical failure. I know that that the problem is rooted after the vandalism bc of the stalling and the engine light never being a problem before so. They reported that the dipstick had oil burnt on it and couldnt give an accurate reading but caused by poor maintenance and running out of oil. BULLSHIT! Excuse my language. Any help trying to explain how the car battery explosion caused the motor to seize and the oil leaking would be sooooo appreciated. THANK YOU!

5 Replies

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

Well we can't give an accurate answer to this due to not being able to see the car. But the battery probably exploded because the dumb ass hooked up the cables wrong and your tried to start it. Would it sieze the engine_ no in my opinion. Normally engines seize due to lack of oil or maintenance. I'have seen this happen many times. And i've been doing this stuff for almost 50 yrs. Unless it had a fast leak or the oil wasn't checked on a regular basis. Then there can't be a definitive answer for this other than the battery. Unless you can get a second opinion you'll have to go with that answer. I am assuming this car no longer runs nor will turnover even by hand. If it turns over by hand it'snot seized.

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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 12:13 PM

CREATINGART87

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Thanks for your help. The question I guess I should ask is what would cause the car to begin to stall after the crossed cables explosion and replacing the dead battery with the new one? Also the car had a weird smell once I got the new battery to get it started. Would that be the oil? I am a 26 year old girl and stupidly was just praying the problem would go away infuriated that this guy who purposely messed my car up and I actually had to call the police attempting to attack me afterwards messed my car up! : (. I also took it to autozone the day before it wouldnt startup after stalling and was told it was an electrical issue and a tune up would fix the issue.

I guess I am just screwed with this one. But the oil wasnt due for a change and dont know how it couldnt be caused from the battery when my car was running great and had never had a problem before.

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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 12:22 PM

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

It may have stalled becaue it may have damaged the computer or something else although I would think a fuse may have blown to protect circuits. The weird smell could be due to oil or burnt electrical. Even though cars are not DUE for an oil change oil should be check every other fill up on a car. So if something is wrong you cankeep an eye on it or have it checked. See if this car will turn over by hand as it might and I would think of taking to adifferent garage for a different opinion. It may be something else other than the engine one last thing do all of us mechanics a favor and whn you have a problem with your vehicle don't go to auto zone or if you do only for parts. They are not mechanics. They can test batteries and get codes and minor stuff like wipers but that is about it they are parts guys. Not people who actually see this stuff and fix it.

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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 12:32 PM

CREATINGART87

MEMBER
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Do you have any suggestion on what to do with the car that could maybe pay off some of the 11k loan left on the car? The estimate to repair from Firestone is 7,800 t replace the motor. Ohhhh man.

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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 12:44 PM

HMAC300

MECHANIC
48,601 POSTS

Not much you can do with a car that needs a motor unless you fix it. You can shop around garages and see what they will install a motor for. You can ALWAYS find a low mileage motor from a junkyard and put that one in. You can try www. Junkyardog. Com and type in you rinfo and will be emailed info back on who has one an dhow much some will even deliver. That may be your best option. Only thing remember due to battery being damaged it may have screwed up other components. Otherwise you will be at the mercy of some clown who will give you next to nothing for your car.