1998 Oldsmobile Achieva stalling help.
jeffman855
12-01-2007, 08:04 AM
My lifters where starting to make a ticking noise. The day after that started my check oil light came on as well as my low coolant light. I added more coolant and then I was driving to the shop to get an oil change when my car stalled and would not restart. It has happened before that after I add coolant to my car it seems to run rough for a few miles. Any help?
keeneydj
07-15-2009, 12:50 AM
Pretty sure you blew a head gasket at least, esp. if it was a 4cyl. Adding cold coolant to an even warm motor causes the metal to shrink real fast. The quads have a cast block, and aluminum head. The aluminum head shrinks way faster than the block does. This can separate the gasket from the head/block at least. It can warp the head to the point any gasket will not seal it, and it can crack the head or the block.
Anyway, when any of these things happen, fluids start entering the cylinders which can cause it to die. When the car goes off, the oil pressure drops to zero, and the coolant stays at 16-18psi. This means coolant floods the cylinders, and the car will not start even in the best situations until the coolant is drained from the cylinders.
The only way to fix this is at least a new head gasket, if not a new head and block.
When you added coolant before and it ran rough, it was probably the ECM calibrating to the sudden temp change. You lifters starting to tick plus the oil light coming on means you already had oil going somewhere, and seeing how you had already done the add coolant thing before, it sounds like this head gasket/head leak problem was already in progress. You finished it off with the last coolant add.
To confirm, pull a plug and see if there is any water in there. You may have to check them all. Use a clean Popsicle stick or something, an antifreeze tester works pretty good. If it's dry, crank the motor and see if you can get some water in there. Make sure there is oil/water in the proper receptacles. You don't want to crank it dry.
Tip: Always let a motor cool off before you add fluids. If you have to refill hot, do it a TINY bit at a time.
-Dan
Anyway, when any of these things happen, fluids start entering the cylinders which can cause it to die. When the car goes off, the oil pressure drops to zero, and the coolant stays at 16-18psi. This means coolant floods the cylinders, and the car will not start even in the best situations until the coolant is drained from the cylinders.
The only way to fix this is at least a new head gasket, if not a new head and block.
When you added coolant before and it ran rough, it was probably the ECM calibrating to the sudden temp change. You lifters starting to tick plus the oil light coming on means you already had oil going somewhere, and seeing how you had already done the add coolant thing before, it sounds like this head gasket/head leak problem was already in progress. You finished it off with the last coolant add.
To confirm, pull a plug and see if there is any water in there. You may have to check them all. Use a clean Popsicle stick or something, an antifreeze tester works pretty good. If it's dry, crank the motor and see if you can get some water in there. Make sure there is oil/water in the proper receptacles. You don't want to crank it dry.
Tip: Always let a motor cool off before you add fluids. If you have to refill hot, do it a TINY bit at a time.
-Dan
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