Alright, so I own a 2001 S2000 that's had its cat converter hollowed out and an intake on it, otherwise it's all mechanically OEM. About two weeks ago as I was getting home from a 700 mile trip my check engine light started flashing. I know it's bad to keep driving on it, but I was just a few miles from home and decided to risk it. It had been on for a while due to misfires but the only time anything was noticeably wrong was at low RPM. This was a trip I had to make for a wedding and I had no other vehicle to make it. 4 Miles from home as I was decelerating to take my exit it gave out. Engine died and wouldn't come back to life, would just try to turn over. I got it towed home and the next morning I got to work.

First thing to check is of course the spark plugs, but my ignition coil in cylinder 3 was stuck. After wrestling with it, only the top of it came off, it had melted in there. After digging it out I noticed my spark plug had basically blown up too. After days of trying I finally managed to get the spark plug out but had a stripped spark plug hole. I got a rethread kit and rethreaded it and got a new spark plug (all 4 new) put in and new ignition coil and put it all back together. When I went to start it, it clicked once then everything died. I assumed it was a dead battery even though my battery had been disconnected for like a week since I started my work.

I brought another vehicle over to jump it and it turned over a few times then died, I heard a small pop near the battery and a little white smoke, but the battery is fine and has been tested as well as all the fuses over there. I don't know what happened, but all I'm getting is one click every time I try to start it. I gave up and just assumed the battery was shot, so I took it out to go get it replaced and when I got into the vehicle that I had used to jump it, all of a sudden THAT vehicle would no longer start and was doing the same thing, just one click when I tried to start it. Got in a third vehicle and took the battery to Walmart and they tested the battery and said it was perfectly good, so I brought it back and put it back in after cleaning all the contacts in it and it gave power to the interior just fine, but when I tried to start it I just got one clicking noise that sounded like metal striking metal.

We decided to try push starting it and the first time we tried it just felt like the brakes locked up. But then I tried to start the engine again and it turned over a few times weakly then back to one click again. I tried one more time to push start it, got up to 10 MPH and dropped the clutched and everything locked up and I skidded to a stop. I have no idea what to do from here. Any help would be appreciated and I know, I'm sorry I tried pushing her when the check engine light was flashing, she's never let me down before, so I kept pushing her. Also, just over 185k miles. Thank you everyone!

 

This all started with improperly tightened spark plugs, guaranteed.

Plug backed out, and torched the coil pack and threads.

Cylinder leaned out, you like destroyed a piston and the cylinder wall. Hence why its stuck.

 

Remove the serpentine belt just incase something seized like the alternator and try it again, I've had a car do the same thing and it was the alternator seized, or try turning the crank by hand after removing belt

 

Use a ratchet and attempt to turn the engine over by hand with the crank pulley bolt.

 

We already figured that the spark plug backed out after being in place for 3 years without problems as the original cause, the problem is that it still tried turning over at first then gave out, so we we're not so sure that's the cause of the current thing. And pulling off the belt is the next idea we have, thank you! Will let you know if it works.

 

Billman beat me to it... Sorry, but his diagnosis is almost certain.

 

U should compression test that cylinder. Probaby did some damage in there.

 

And how do you suggest they check that cylinders compression if the engine isn't cranking over?

Billmans more then likely right. Remove the belt and give it a shot.

 

No way an alternator, or any belt driven component, can cause wheel lock-up during a push start maneuver.

 

Did you try the suggestion to crank motor with a socket wrench? Does it turn? Easiest way to confirm or rule out motor siezed.