Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Any signs of antifreeze in your oil?
I don't want to shot gun answers at you so I have to defer to someone who is a real mechanic on this one - I'm only a "shade tree" - I'm hoping that you're not on the right track with the cracked head - hopefully its something less...hope you get it straightened out...
From what I've seen here, it's gonna be expensive, and I sure can't drop 2k+ just to fix the darn thing... if that's "all" it's going to cost. I am willing to do it myself, I just don't really have the place to put it, so that's holding me up.
If it is the head gaskets, aside from the hydrocarbon test, is there any other indicators of them failing? Like the other guy, I don't see any oil/coolant leaks and until you drive it, it seems to be OK except for the air always returning to the cooling system. I thought maybe a leak in the heater core might be creating a vacuum to keep letting air in, but...
Pump up the cooling sytem pressure with a cooling system pressure tester pump. Hold it at 15psi for several hours. Keep pumping it up if the pressure drops. Pull the plugs in the mean time. After several hours holding pressure rotate the engine with the starter with the plugs out. Watch for coolant spewing out the spark plug ports as a sign of a leaking head gasket.
With the cooling system full, apply 120psi shop air to each of the combustion chambers, one at a time, thru the spark plug port. Make an adapter out of an old spark plug shell and run shop air to the port. Rotate the engine so that the valves for that cylinder are closed. Watch the coolant in the surge tank for bubbling. If the chamber holds the 120psi with no bubbling then chances are the head gasket is fine.
Its pretty normal for the coolant temp to get hot when its hot out...does the needle move all the way to "H"?
Since its so hot where you are, you definitely want to take good care of your cooling system - If you haven't done it, you're at the 5 year mark, get your coolant changed and the system flushed.
The other thing to check is that your cooling fan comes on when you have the AC on. If a fan fails it will certainly cause your temp to go high.
I agree, have your cooling system flushed with new thermostate soon. Also either you or your shop that you trust should pull the fan temp switch, located right next to your thermostate. It has a two wire plug on it. The switch gets a layer of crud on it that increases the time before the fans comes on by increasing the temp of the fluid before the switch see's it. If that makes sense.
You should also clean the radiator out of dirt and bugs.
I have 225,000 miles on a 1999 3.4 V6. I ran 10W-30 during the winter, and straight 30W during the summer, once the mileage hit 150,000
You dont need to run synthetic with these engines. Its about viscosity, not the base oil, especially if you change your oil at less than 10,000 mile intervals
5W-30 gets you fuel economy, but you lose life.
This engine has had a tick since 100,000 miles. It still starts well, and runs about 30,000 miles per year.
If you are worried about the noise, run a higher viscosity oil . It will limit the noise and provide a higher level of protection for your engine
Jon
Suddenly the ServiceEngineSoon light started flashing and engine was running rough, particularly at slow speeds where the light would stay steady-on rather than flash and engine would almost 'die' at a stop light but ran reliably at freeway speeds with no indication of overheating or smoking at all.
Added a few gallons of higher quality gasoline and drove to a quick oil change place where the mechanic broke the positive battery post because he refused to use the Remote Positive Terminal for the battery check. Engine would not start and car was towed to mechanic who replaced wiring and replaced spark plugs which had been in bad shape and had very wide gaps.
Now cylynders 1 3 4 each misfire and have less than 100 lbs compression, all others have 150 compression. Runs much better but mechanic thinks there was recent overheating and I need a new engine. I'm not doing the 'new engine' when its running well even if it misfires alot. Temperature guage had not indicated overheating when this started, though I had added a cup or so of Prestone coolant a few weeks earlier when I noticed the plastic chamber was empty.
Anyone have any ideas as to what is wrong with it? And what I should do???
First of all - people who work at quick oil change places are not mechanics...let them change the oil and MAYBE replace your air filter...that's it...
How many miles on motor?
What were the codes that set the service engine soon light? The blinking ses light meant a severe misfire condition which can damage the cat converter...Need the other codes to help you further...misfire codes are not always a big deal...autozone will read them for free, then post them here...Is the light still on?
Any sign of coolant in engine oil????
How is it running now???
Yeah, their guy did a 'free battery check' without realizing their is a Remote Positive Terminal.
>How many miles on motor?
72,000 or so.
>What were the codes that set the service engine soon light?
I don't have a Secret Decoder Ring. Are the codes displayed somewhere? Mechanic didn't say nuttin' 'bout no codes.
>Is the light still on?
Only when the engine runs.
>Any sign of coolant in engine oil?
Not that I know of, but since quick lube placed did the oil change they probably wouldn't have even noticed.
>How is it running now???
Runs better than it did but it still misses on 1,3 and 4cylynders.
Mechanic still wants 4,500 for a new engine installation which I think is uncalled for when its not yet given up the ghost.
check your oil - if it looks like a chocolate milkshake, its got coolant in it....if so...start saving up....
there are no shortcuts....you need the codes to determine what the car is trying to tell you is wrong, then you might be able to come up with a fix and deal with the problem...the stored codes are what tells your dashboard to light up the check engine light to let you know there is a problem...until you get them read and post, not much anyone here can tell you with any degree of intelligence...
There is an AutoZone in town and an Advance Auto Parts fairly nearby. I'll try there ASAP, but its hard to drive a vehicle that threatens to stall at every stop sign and light.
>they have the secret decoder ring and they do it for free
After that 200 oil and radiator change and the 400 tuneup, 'free' sounds real good1
>check your oil - if it looks like a chocolate milkshake, its got coolant in it
Nope.. looks like oil.
> there are no shortcuts....
Alas!
>you need the codes to determine what the car is trying to tell you is wrong,
It seems to be trying to tell me more insistently whenever I back up or slow down for a traffic light. I wonder why AFTER the tune up it is still misfiring, particularly when the mechanic tried squirting oil into the cylinder and it still didn't help the compression.
Thanks for you help.
It seems you may indeed be correct. The Autozone guy said there were two codes: P0301 and P0301-Pending.
>I really find it hard to believe that your motor is shot based upon the info so far
Yes. I'm a bit doubtful too. Worried about it though. Surely a coil sounds cheaper than a new engine. I got new wires and new plugs and a tune up, but I don't think that included a new ignition coil. Things like crankshaft sensors and cam sensors and timing chains are beyond me though, but even those things sound cheaper than a new engine!
So there's only a misfire on 1 cylinder...not 3...Here's what I think:
1. - Clogged or dead fuel injector...no gas=no fire...
2. Bad coil - If you're getting fuel, I'm not convinced you're getting a good spark at cylinder # 1...if I remember right...the car idles very rough...take off the spark plug wire for cylinder # 1 and start the motor...can you tell any difference? If its no worse, maybe you've got a bad coil...
3. PCM - the computer could be fried...but I doubt it...
4. Bad head gasket...but you already said before that your oil looks good with no coolant in it so I doubt this one too...
I wish you the Best of luck...the more I research, the more it leads me towards the fuel injector or the ignition coil for cylinder # 1...the Venture has 3 coils...I hope I have helped, even just a little...
John
New Clue: At slow speeds and just after starting it is noticeably misfiring but as soon as I shift into REVERSE, boy does it get worse!! Far, far noiser and much more vibration!
Now I don't know if its relevant or not but one of the occasional drivers of the vehicle does have a habit of shifting from reverse to drive while still slightly in motion! (Yeah, I hate it. Don't think its a good thing to do. Don't know if its relevant to this problem though!).
I wonder if the AutoZone giving the codes only for Cylinder 1 means that Cyliners 3 and 4, which also had compression of less than 100 when tested, are now improved?
For various logistical reasons, I've not yet been able to get a tank of high-test into it yet, but will do so ASAP.
While shifting into drive while the car is still moving into reverse is typically not a good idea, I don't think that it caused this problem...
It makes sense that reverse would amplify the problem as reverse is ofter a "higher" gear than 1st gear so the misfire would be more obvious.
cylinders 3 & 4 have probably not improved but the car should still run acceptably even with compression numbers that are varied...
A sequined yellow top worn by a cute model;
A Fuel Additive concentrate;
A Fuel Injector Cleaner.
I've figured out I should use the Fuel Injector Cleaner.
Sure sounds like its going to be a cheaper solution to go to an auto parts store and buy the Techron stuff than to pay 4500 for a new engine. Thanks guys. I'll let y'all know what happens.
In reading about that Techron Fuel Additive Concentrate, I saw mention of a claim that it also cleans the Fuel Sender. As I've had a wildly variable fuel guage for a long time, this product too might be a sensible thing to try as well.
Thanks for all your help on this ... I sure prefer buying a double pack of STP Fuel Injector Treatment than paying 4500 for a new engine!
Does this make a difference?
If ONE container of STP Injector Treatment in a tank of gas is good... would TWO containers in that tank of gas be better? Or would it be better to just use up the second STP container with the next tank of high test that I add?
Someone told me that with all my "slow driving" around town and short trips to the grocery store, etc. I should take the Chevy out to the Freeway and "open her up" to 70mph for atleast five minutes. Should I be listening to stuff like that? And wouldn't ONE minute at 70mph be just as good as FIVE?
I'm using STP Fuel Injector Treatment (It was on the store's shelf, Techron was not).
I put in only one container of it. It said 'Treats up to 21 gallons'. I added it after adding almost a full tank of hightest but I don't think my tank holds more than 23 gallons.
Don't know if one container is good why two containers wouldn'b be better though.
Are you noticing more improvement?
Its often the way that alternative products are "good enough" and sometimes even better than the brand names, but I have no familiarity with these particular products.
> can't hurt to put more of either in but might not be any better either.
Well, I'd rather waste five dollars as long as it "can't hurt".
>Are you noticing more improvement?
Since I am facing an otherwise catastrophic repair bill for a new engine,
I am extremely motivated to "notice improvement". It may be illusory though.
I don't know. I did determine that although it still stalls occasionally it seems to do so far less. I just drove to library, grocery store and post office, encountering several stop signs and red lights. It stalled only once and that was when I was already in the parking spot. It seems to run quieter but only slightly and I might be imagining it being quieter. I don't know for sure. I'm sure its still missing but maybe not quite as often. Just not certain about it.
I went out prior to my being caffeinated to just lug some bags of garbage to the gate. No big deal. I probably wasn't fully awake. There was a bit of overnight glaze on the windshield so I started up the wipers figuring a few swishes and I'll see through the windshield more normally. There is this great big noise and something big and black falls off the windshield onto the ground. I figure something from a tree must have fallen onto the car but when I get out there is this two and half foot long tapered plastic/black-rubber thingie with a yellow placard on it: caution wiper system starts without engine running. Now remember, the hood was fully closed at the time.
So where does the part go back to. As part of the oil change I think they check wiper blades. Did they remove something from the engine compartment but leave it up there in the wiper-well? Did it get blown off by the engine start-up? Or by my turning the wipers on? It seems to be from the engine compartment but with the hood closed, I think they never replaced it. Wow. I sure ain't never going back to that quick oil change place. But what about the 400.00 mechanic job? They never noticed it either? And I've been driving it around since? Just never used the wipers until this morning. Anyone able to figure out exactly where I put it back? Anyone think that mechanic was wrong to not notice something was amiss?
Everything seems to be happening to it all at once.
Now I get the 'Chand Engine Oil' message at startup ... and it just was changed!!
Can you help me please!!!!
It just clips to the metal cowl above the mechanism for the wipers...
p1040 was not on the list
p1096 was not on the list
p0137 is low voltage, rear o2 sensor
p0742 - tcc (transmission converter clutch) solenoid stuck on, maybe could also be the cause of p1811
Commonly the solenoids in these transmissions have issues, sounds like it could be the case with yours...I'm not a trans expert so I'll defer to someone else to provide you with advice on what to do...what would I do? I would drop the trans fluid and change the filter if you haven't done it already and go from there. Sometimes clean fluid does wonders for a transmission...
P0137 - Sounds like your rear O2 sensor is either faulty or has faulty wiring...since its a 2000, is very likely that it is due to be replaced. It doesn't control the engine, it just monitors the efficiency of the cat converter which may also be getting ready for replacement, possible but not necessarily likely...you can put this one off for a while if need be...good luck...
type: "venture PO442" (for example) and you usually get hits related to the trouble code
Here's a list you can refer to as well: link title
:shades: