91 Wont even turn over

[Boznwif]

The engine started running rough on the way home from work. I let it set for awhile when I got home. I started the car to check a few things and it began to smoke from the exhaust. I turned the car off. Later, I tried to start the car again. The starter engages, but engine will not turn over. I put a full charge on the battery and retried the start. Acts like the engine is froze. Here is some facts and recent history: Have plenty of clean oil in engine. Coolant is not low. New enjectors and throttle position sensor installed recently (ran great after installing). Fuel recovery vapor cannister had ruptured and filled the line with charcoal running forward to injectors. I cleaned the charcoal particles from the line and solenoid it runs to, and bypassed the bad cannister. Car was running like new, very smooth for about 500 miles then the above problem came up. The engine is 245 horse w/ tuned port injection. :cry Does any of this sound familiar to someone out there? Boz

 

[DanC]

Sounds like it's possible a head gasket is leaking and you have a cylinder filled with coolant preventing the engine from cranking. That wouldn't use enough coolant to have a low level.

When the engine started getting rough and smoking, did the smoke have a sweet odor? That's what coolant smells like going through the engine. Once stopped, the pressure in the cooling system will cause the coolant to leak into a cylinder if the head gasket failed.

I'd pull the spark plugs and bump the engine over and see what, if anything, comes out the plug holes.

If it's coolant, a head gasket is likely. Could also be worse, like a cracked head, however, unless you overheated the engine recently, not too likely.

I wouldn't try too hard to get the engine to crank until you're sure there isn't a hydro-lock situation. You can bend and break expensive things trying to compress a liquid.

Any other ideas out there?

 

[Vettelt193]

I had a bad fuel pressure regulator before... caused the engine to run like crap, and it was leaking into the vac. lines, which run into the intake... so, it filled a cylinder up with GAS! definitely pull the plugs first to make sure something isn't way off.

 

[vetteboy86]

Cant you just check the plugs and determine if coolant is the culprit?


Craig

 

[vetteboy86]

Boznwif,

You said the starter engages. What does it sound like. Is it possible that the starter is not engaging all the way to make contact, in return not turing the motor over. Just a thought.

craig

 

[Clive]

In Agreement

I'm in agreement with the others here. You don't say what colour the smoke was though. If it's white, it's coolant, blue is oil, black unburned fuel.

So, I too am going with a hydrostatic lock. Pull the plugs and see what happens. Don't stand near the side of the engine when cranking if someone else does it because that fluid will definately come out under pressure.

Let us know what you find out.