While driving the car quit running. The oil pressure light had just came on. Car started right back up, but soon died again. It would not restart, and won't even turn over.
Does the battery have 12+ volts? Can you check the starter wire for system voltage while someone tries to crank? (With no help, extend wires so you can see your multimeter from the drivers seat) If those things check out fine, it's time to suspect the starter. If the battery is dead, it's "possible" the alternator has gone out. If you get it charged up good and started. You can watch battery voltage for a bit and make sure it's showing higher than it was when you got it to start. This indicates the alternator is charging. I would start there and see what your results are.
Battery good. starter tries to crank. Put socket and breaker bar on harmonic balancer bolt, but engine will not turn.
What happens when it tries to crank? Is this manual or auto trans? You could try taking out the spark plugs and see if it will turn. I have a hard time believing the engine just locked up but, I suppose it's possible.
When trying to crank, the motor just bumps. Auto trans and Plugs are out. I find it hard to believe, also. The car only has 150,000 miles on it and it was my daily driver. I've been a mechanic for over 45 years, so I took good care of it. Just sold it the day before this happened. Could the oil pump have seized on the crank?
Oh, I didn't realize you are an experienced mechanic. I did notice you knew a thing or two when you mentioned putting a socket and bar on the pulley. I wouldn't have bothered with those simple questions had I known that. Would it be a big pain on this vehicle to pull the distributor and see if the pump turns free?
No distributor in 1997 buick. The oil pump is external, part of intergrated into the timing belt cover, ran by the crankshaft. The reason I pulled the spark plugs was because I have ran into the hydro-lock problem before. Thought that was the problem.
I can recommend asking at another site with mechanics on it. Maybe they have run into it. Let them know what you have already tried so they wont ask the basic stuff. www.batauto.com
×
Yes, check the oil, battery, if it is too low the alternator is probably not charging it and the car will shut down as the battery drops. Look for a blown oil line and if none of those fit the bill change the oil filter as it my be plugged. AND IF YOU HAVE 3000 PDS OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING REMOVE ALL BUT THE CAR KEYS AND YOUR HOUSE KEYS... THE IGNITION ISN'T A KEY HOLDER AND ALL KINDS OF GREMLINS CAN AND WILL COME A KNOCKING.
Yes, check the oil, battery, if it is too low the alternator is probably not charging it and the car will shut down as the battery drops. Look for a blown oil line and if none of those fit the bill change the oil filter as it my be plugged. AND IF YOU HAVE 3000 PDS OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING REMOVE ALL BUT THE CAR KEYS AND YOUR HOUSE KEYS... THE IGNITION ISN'T A KEY HOLDER AND ALL KINDS OF GREMLINS CAN AND WILL COME A KNOCKING.
×
There are some tools, you can check it.
Motor Part Store Motor Parts Wholesale
Does the engine have the correct oil amount in it. Sometimes there is a sensor that monitors oil level. If sensor reads to low it will not start.
Id check what Rocguy said, but, since you saw the oil pressure light come on you could have burned your rings, crank bearing or cam bearing(s). is there any click or anything when you try to start? if so, you have power. what is your oil level? do you have a (major) oil leak anywhere under the engine?
if you still have oil level (check it a few times), then you need to check your radiator and tranny fluid. make sure there is no oil in either. you could have blown a head gasket still but its leaking into your coolant. you may have to remove a radiator hose to checkvfor oil. (top and bottom hoses).
it doesnt sound good from my perspective.
If you need further help, reach me via phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/ray_6d6dc1dfa6f18dc1
id check what Rocguy said, but, since you saw the oil pressure light come on you could have burned your rings, crank bearing or cam bearing(s). is there any click or anything when you try to start? if so, you have power. what is your oil level? do you have a (major) oil leak anywhere under the engine?
if you still have oil level (check it a few times), then you need to check your radiator and tranny fluid. make sure there is no oil in either. you could have blown a head gasket still but its leaking into your coolant. you may have to remove a radiator hose to checkvfor oil. (top and bottom hoses).
it doesnt sound good from my perspective.
×
Starting Problem # 1: Engine Won't Crank At All
Scenario: You turn the key, but nothing happens: And by nothing, we mean there is no dash light, no sound, nada. The first thing you should do in this case is to pop the hood and check the battery. Either the battery is completely dead or there's a wiring problem in the starting system. Try jump-starting the battery. If that doesn't work, you'll probably have to call for assistance.
Scenario: When you turn the key, you hear a rapid clicking sound, and the dash lights dim. This is your classic low-battery symptom. Jump-starting the battery should get the engine to start.However, if you keep experiencing this problem, you could have a bad battery or alternator, or it could be something as simple as a loose alternator belt. Take your car to a mechanic just as soon as you can.
Scenario: When you turn the key, the lights on the dash come on, but you don't hear anything. Make sure you have the shift selector all the way in park. Move it out of park and then back, or try starting it with the shifter in neutral. If your car has a manual transmission, make sure you have the clutch pressed all the way to the floor. If that doesn't help, you can try jump-starting the battery, but it probably won't work. There's a good chance your car has a bad starter or a problem in the starting circuit. That could mean a problem in the ignition switch, neutral safety switch or starter solenoid.
Scenario: The dash lights come on when you turn the key, and then go right out, and the engine doesn't crank when you turn the key to start, But, the lights slowly come back on when you release the key. This is another classic: the bad battery connection. When you turn the key to start, the starter pulls so much current that it breaks the connection. Then, when you release the key, the connection slowly comes back. The connection provides enough power to turn the dash lights on, but not enough to crank the starter. Cleaning and tightening the battery terminals may fix this problem.
Scenario: When you turn the key, you hear a single, hard clunk. Turn the headlights on and try again. Do the lights dim slightly when you turn the key? If so, you probably have a bad starter or a seized engine. If the headlights don't dim at all, or just barely dim, there may be a connection problem between the starter solenoid and the starter itself.
Scenario: When you turn the key, you hear a loud, scraping or grinding sound like metal on metal. The starter drive is bad, or the ring gear on the flywheel damaged, or both. You may get the starter to engage if you try turning the key a couple of times, but let go of the key right away if you hear the noise again. If the car does start, you should drive it right over to local repair shop and have the problem fixed.
Starting Problem #2: Engine Cranks but It Won't Start
Scenario: The engine seems to crank normally, but the engine doesn't even sound as if it's trying to start. Is there gas in the tank? Gas gauges are notoriously inaccurate. If you have to move your head to one side to get the needle to move off empty, try adding some gas to the tank.
Scenario: When you first turn the key on, you don't hear the fuel pump run. In cars with electronic fuel injection, you should hear a light hum a few seconds from around the fuel tank. That's the electric fuel pump running. If you don't hear the fuel pump run for a couple seconds when you first turn the key on, try cranking the engine until the oil light goes out. That may start the pump running and allow the engine to start.
Scenario: The engine cranks normally, and it sounds like it wants to start, but it won't. You may have flooded the engine. Hold the gas floor and try again. (Let the gas pedal up when it finally starts). If it's raining out, the ignition system may be wet.
Scenario: The engine cranks unevenly in a repetitive-sounding pattern. You may have a bad timing chain or timing belt. Call a tow truck and have it towed to the repair shop.
Starting Problem # 3: Engine Starts but It Shuts Off
Scenario: The engine starts right up, but shuts off as soon as you release the key. This is the classic symptom of a bad ignition switch. A new switch should fix it.
Scenario: The engine starts and runs, but when you put the transmission in gear, the car lurches and the engine shuts off. The converter clutch in the transmission torque converter probably is engaging when it shouldn't. On some cars, you can bypass this by disconnecting the torque converter clutch solenoid; but unless you know which wire to pull, forget about it. Call for assistance.
Scenario: The engine starts and runs, but seems to idle slowly and stalls when you come to a stop. This probably is a fast idle problem. When the engine is cold, it's supposed to idle a little faster than normal to keep the engine running. You may be able to drive using two feet until the engine warms up: one on the gas to hold the idle up a little and the other for the brake. However, don't keep driving it this way. Take your car to your repair shop just as soon as you
1,711 views
Usually answered in minutes!
Thanks for your help. Got the timing cover off and the oil pump is froze up and so is the front crank bearing. He got her real hot.
Thanks for posting back. It's a learning experience for everyone that reads this. I imagine someone has a pretty big job ahead of them
×