That would be a cause for alarm. I'd suspect a cracked head or bad head gasket. Unfortunately, Quad 4's have their share of problems. Taking them apart for what should be some simple work, can be like working a Chinese finger puzzle.
I have a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am GT w/ a 2.3L Quad-4 engine. I recently changed the oil, and used Pennzoil engine flush to try and release what sounds like a sticky lifter (kinda worked). I added the engine flush to my old oil and ran the engine for 10 mins, then did the oil change to Mobil 1 synthetic. This was about a week ago, and this morning i started up my car and it was coughing and sputtering and just not sounding all that happy (idle or throttle). I removed the air filter to see if the engine was being starved of air, but that didnt change anything, so i reinstalled it. Next, i noticed that i was low on coolant, so i topped that up (there didnt appear to be any puddles or leaks, but i still had to add about 2 quarts). I didnt expect that to do anything because a choppy running engine has nothing to do with coolant, and it didnt. I had a quick peek at my oil on the dipstick for argument?s sake, and it was very cloudy/murky. This worries me. The rough idle was all but fixed after i removed the spark plugs and re-gapped them to spec (they are being replaced tonite b/c they are pretty shot). But the new synthetic oil going cloudy and a low coolant levels with no visible external leak confuses me. Also, the plugs were pretty wet with some fluid, im not sure whether it was coolant or oil.
Sorry about the long post, but can anyone offer any help?
No confusion, you have a major problem. Don't bother changing the plugs until you replace the defective part. Minimum is a bad head gasket, maximum is a rebuild.
Unfortunately, very true... These engines held out a lot of promise but definitely had some weaknesses.
Next, i noticed that i
As stated below the plugs were wet. By the description the engine isn't hitting on all cylinders because of the coolant in the cylinder. This makes it run very rough. No visible leak because it is leaking into the crankcase in your oil. As another poster stated minimum head gasket. The flush probably just sped up the problem removing residue that blocked some of the leak.
I had a quick peek at my oil on the
oh goody lol. if a bad head gasket is my minimum, then i am looking at least 11.4 hrs of labor (as per GM Goodwrench labor quote manual).
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote: > "BruteTork" wrote in message > > But the new synthetic oil going cloudy and > > a low coolant levels with no visible external leak confuses > me. Also, > > the plugs were pretty wet with some fluid, im not sure > whether it was > > coolant or oil. > > No confusion, you have a major problem. Don't bother changing > the plugs > until you replace the defective part. Minimum is a bad head > gasket, maximum > is a rebuild.
you can do faster tahn the stated however, when you take out the head, you might change the stem seals also. I would do if i were you.
well, due to the oil?s lack of lubricating properties (antifreeze in oil), i threw a rod through my crankcase on the way to the service dept. of the dealership that i work at. engine is wrote and im broke.... :x any of y?all have a beater i could buy?? :wink:
"uccoskun" wrote: > you can do faster tahn the stated however, when you take out > the head, > you might change the stem seals also. I would do if i were > you.
I drove my wife's corsica (3.1 V6) at least 30 miles (and she probably 70 or so) after it dumped antifreeze into the crankcase from a blown intake seal . The oil pan was FULL of sludge the consistency of grease . Motor survived , with the only lasting problem a lifter that ticks when cold . We did a complete rebuild ... about 60,000 miles ago . Tech4's must really suck ...
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