Our Community is 940,000 Strong. Join Us.


1996 Lumnia-thinking I have locked up engine


sbriar
07-27-2013, 03:49 PM
I was driving to work and lost all power (during rush hour) I was able to coast to a exit.
Had it towed home, when I turn the key the starter engages but nothing after that, the engine will not turn over.
I checked the battery and has a full 12 volts.
I removed the belt and front plugs to see if I could manually turn the engine over but it will not budge.
How can I tell if this engine is really locked up or if maybe something else is happening?
3.1 V6 engine
Thanks,
Steve:confused:

gmtech1
07-27-2013, 05:03 PM
I was driving to work and lost all power (during rush hour) I was able to coast to a exit.
Had it towed home, when I turn the key the starter engages but nothing after that, the engine will not turn over.
I checked the battery and has a full 12 volts.
I removed the belt and front plugs to see if I could manually turn the engine over but it will not budge.
How can I tell if this engine is really locked up or if maybe something else is happening?
3.1 V6 engine
Thanks,
Steve:confused:

If you cannot rotate the engine by hand in either direction, it's done.

Schurkey
07-28-2013, 12:00 AM
I checked the battery and has a full 12 volts.
If a "12 volt" battery has only 12 volts, it's WAY discharged.

Open-circuit voltage should be 12.6--12.7 volts. 12.5 is 1/4 discharged, 12.2 is half-dead.

How are you trying to turn the engine manually? Socket and ratchet on the damper bolt???

sbriar
07-28-2013, 12:27 AM
my mistake, the battery does show almost 13volts.
I tried turning the engine over with a 3/8 drive socket at the bottom pulley.

Tech II
07-28-2013, 09:40 AM
You removed the front plugs.....remove the rear ones also, just in case those rear cylinder(s) are filled with coolant and the engine is hydrolocked.....

If it still won't move, hard to believe this engine was not making a noise before this happened....

Have you checked your coolant and oil levels?

Blue Bowtie
07-28-2013, 10:53 AM
It may be beneficial to remove the flywheel inspection cover and attempt to turn the engine in both directions with an appropriate tool at the flywheel rather than using the balancer bolt. The balancer bolt is only torqued to 76 ft/lb, and it may require more than that to break the engine free.

Schurkey
07-28-2013, 01:41 PM
my mistake, the battery does show almost 13volts.
I tried turning the engine over with a 3/8 drive socket at the bottom pulley.
Get a manly 1/2 drive breaker bar or long ratchet.

Last time I manually spun a 60 degree V-6 was to perform a leakdown test on a buddy's 3.1, and my 1/2" ratchet is ~24" long. Takes no effort at all, even with five spark plugs still in the heads.

A flywheel turning tool could be used, too--but the breaker bar/long ratchet is easier.

Yes, pop out ALL the plugs, let's see if coolant comes out the plug holes.

sbriar
07-31-2013, 01:22 AM
The is locked-up, removed all plugs and still could not get the engine to turn,
I used a 1/2 socket with a 24" cheater bar on the crankshaft pulley and it would not budge, even removed the timing chain cover to see if the chain broke but is all intact.
Anyone know of a good place to buy a long block for this car? all this car does is go back and forth to work, really don't want new car payments just to get to work and back.
Thanks for all your help,
Steve

Add your comment to this topic!