nando280zxt Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Im sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. Anyway, my friend called me and said his fiance was driving home from work and her car "died". He couldn't really give me details as his fiance was mad and just wanted it fixed. He told me over the phone that the car would start for a few seconds and then turn off. So i went to take a look at it this morning, the car turned over but wouldn't even start. I tried jumping it just in case, no cigar. I listened carefully and the fuel pump was working. I had some starter fluid on me and when i opened the air tube from the throttle body there was quite a bit of oil. I don't like to over react so i was like, possible blow by? PCV maybe? The car started when i sprayed the starting fluid but was blowing what looked like coolant mixed with oil out of the throttle body! And then it would die when i stopped spraying. I cleaned the throttle body as best i could, but still it was spewing what looked like a mix of water and oil. I couldn't help but think there was some ring failiure.. Any ideas? I wasn't able to take a really long look at it because i had class in an hour. Its a POS 2003 sunfire by the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big-phil Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Im sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. Anyway, my friend called me and said his fiance was driving home from work and her car "died". He couldn't really give me details as his fiance was mad and just wanted it fixed. He told me over the phone that the car would start for a few seconds and then turn off. So i went to take a look at it this morning, the car turned over but wouldn't even start. I tried jumping it just in case, no cigar. I listened carefully and the fuel pump was working. I had some starter fluid on me and when i opened the air tube from the throttle body there was quite a bit of oil. I don't like to over react so i was like, possible blow by? PCV maybe? The car started when i sprayed the starting fluid but was blowing what looked like coolant mixed with oil out of the throttle body! And then it would die when i stopped spraying. I cleaned the throttle body as best i could, but still it was spewing what looked like a mix of water and oil. I couldn't help but think there was some ring failiure.. Any ideas? I wasn't able to take a really long look at it because i had class in an hour. Its a POS 2003 sunfire by the way! head gasket? pull a spark plug and see if there is coolant on it. If so BINGO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vintage Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Sunfire? Those are pretty bad for headgaskets, due to a poor water jacket design on one end of the head. I would do a compression check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nando280zxt Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Thanks guys! Yea i thought headgasket also, she was spewing water like nobody's business. (His fiance, hahah!) I'll pull a plug tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Funny that she would be crotchety like that, if I was getting help I'd be very applicative, oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nando280zxt Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 WOMEN woldson...women HAHA! Im kiddidng I am. But yea it turned out to be the headgasket! She got another car so she's happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 you shouldn't be spraying starter fluid into an EFI motor anyway do plug check, sniff plug and see if it smells like coolant if you can't see it. check radiator and see if there's any oil floating in the coolant. any CELs going off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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