Help Anyone Please 96 MONTE CARLO 3.1

GVAR · #1 01-06-2006, 07:22 AM

About a week ago my car started burning coolant and my low coolant light would turn on. Then my oil light came on and shut off in the morning. I drove to work 53 miles and checked the oil and it was full. I left work and my oil light came, and flickered on and off every few feet. When I came to a stop it shut off. I restarted it and moved like two feet till I had to stop again. When I stopped the car shut off again and would not start. The starter would not even respond. When I went to start it the only thing that happened was the lights started to dim. When the tow truck came it lifted the car and there was fluid on the gorund, I am not sure what kind of fluid it was dark out. Does anyone know what this could possibly be? I am not ruling out an engine cease, but if I did not stop the car would have still ran. It only shut off when I stopped stepping on the gas. I was not even driving for 5 min. HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

maxwedge · #2 01-06-2006, 08:34 AM

Sounds like the intake manifold gaskets developed a severe leak which caused either a hydrostatic lock in a cylinder or the engine seized, you will find out the real story when it is checked out.

jw67 · #3 01-07-2006, 10:35 AM

sounds like a hydrostatic lock to me too. what that is.....you get coolant in a cyl and it can not compress the fluid so the motor will not trun. take a few spark plugs out if coolant runs out of the spark plug hole then its full of coolant.

GVAR · #4 01-08-2006, 03:45 PM

Does this mean I need a new engine? If I do I was told I can get one for $3,300 new and intalled with warrenty. Does anyone know if this is a good price? I really don't want to be putting that kind of money out for a 96. Does anyone know if I can put in a newer motor in the car, or a better motor? Is it worth doing it? The car is a 96 but only has 51k on it. Any input would be appriceated.

maxwedge · #5 01-08-2006, 06:08 PM

It does not mean the engine is bad until it is thoroughly checked out, has this been done and no it is not worth 3300 to replace it on a 96, a used engine is a more economical choice if it comes to that. A salvage yard can tell what years interchange.

GVAR · #6 01-08-2006, 06:45 PM

Just drove by the engine place the morons still have my car on the tow truck. Hopefully they will check it out tomorrow. Thanks for the info and i'll keep you informed.

corning_d3 · #7 01-10-2006, 02:35 PM

Better hope all that coolant in the oil didn't seize any bearings. Those engines are bad about snapping camshafts when coolant gets in there..

GVAR · #8 01-12-2006, 01:53 PM

Bearings were spun needed to get the engine rebuilt. This damn car is driving me nuts.

corning_d3 · #9 01-12-2006, 02:25 PM

Proper maintenance would've avoided it..

GVAR · #10 01-13-2006, 08:25 AM

The strange part is it was propperly maintained. I checked the oil level that morning and the dipstick said it was fine. There were no holes in the engine is what I was told. He doesn't understand how all the oil got out of there. The engine only had 51k on it. The guy at the shop told me that the oil switch was bad? I did an oil change about 2000 miles ago and use the Mobil 1 15,000 miles formula. I have only ran that car on snythetic oil. do you think that might have something to do with it? So I get it back today and was charged $3,100 for a rebuilt engine. I have a feeling I was charged too much but I didn't really have a choice.
I do know that the first garage that had it tried to start it the next morning, the engine most likely leaked all it's oil out by then. Is it possible the bearings were spun when they did that. Kind of sucks if that happened cause I can't prove anything. I just hope that it wasn't something else and this guy is trying to get me for a new motor when the other one was ok. Hopefully my luck will change.
Thanks for your help

growe58 · #11 01-14-2006, 05:13 PM

Nah, don't listen to that other guy. You did nothing wrong (other than continuing to drive with the oil light on and it was probably too late at that point anyway). Without during an autopsy, you'll never actually know what went wrong with it, but these motors are (in)famous for either bad intake manifold gaskets or blown head gaskets which allows the coolant to mix with the oil. The oil then loses it's ability to properly lubricate and the engine self-destructs. Completely and thoroughly. By the time a bearing gets worn out enough to actually spin, the rest of the engine is worn out too. Just a question of what actually decides to break first. GM and their crappy V6 is the culprit, not the poor owners.

I had the same problem and looked into getting a rebuilt motor installed. I think it was around $2K plus close to another thousand for labor, so $3100 sounds in line. Next time (although hopefully there won't be a next time), if you're losing coolant without an external leak, hie thee hence to a repair shop immediately!

GVAR · #12 01-17-2006, 07:38 AM

Ok got the car back and the next day an O2 sensor went bad, I changed the other one last month it went bad. The engine shop changed it and didn't charge me, but the gas millage was aweful till it got changed. Looks good now rebuilt engine belts hoses wires and waterpump. There is no knocking sound on a cold start anymore either. He told me to use regular motor oil till atleast 3k miles are on it so the seals set right then I can change to synthetic if i want to. Last week sucked for me New tires, new brakes, rebuilt engine, and an O2 sensor all for the low low price of about $4,000. I guess the only thing left to go is the transmission but I have my fingers crossed on that. It rides like a dream now, no complaints. Hopefully it will be ok from now on. If there is any other well known problems that I can avoid on this car please let me know. I had my 2000 mitsubisi gallant timing belt break last month and that was $2,300 for a new head (damn interference engines). That was kinda my fault I didn't check it for about 116k miles. I can't put this kind of money out it's insane. I am considering a bicycle!!!!
Thanks for all your help

Carwhiz · #13 01-26-2006, 08:31 PM

this year of 3.1L never seemed to accecpt synthetic oil. I've come across numerous reports of synthetic oil related to bearing issues in these motors. I stopped using in my car.

SaveTheMontes · #14 03-01-2006, 06:29 PM

Wow, I don't know anyone that had that happen. Odd how the 3.8L has a reputation for being bulletproof and yet the 3.1 doesn't. I always believed the 3.1L is a sewing machine for the Monte anyway...even the LS should have come with 3.8 as a standard. The only problem I have with my 97 3.1 is a ticking type of sound when it starts up. After warming up it goes away. It hasn't escalated for a couple of years so it really makes me wonder. Otherwise, no problems...crossing my fingers after reading your post. I was wondering if it will be possible to r/r eventually with a V D.O.D. engine. I prefer the late 90's styling over the 2000-2005 models. Not too likely to do without breaking the bank but we can dream can't we?

corning_d3 · #15 03-03-2006, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carwhiz

this year of 3.1L never seemed to accecpt synthetic oil. I've come across numerous reports of synthetic oil related to bearing issues in these motors. I stopped using in my car.

I'm not sure where your "info" came from, but I've used synthetics in my 96 Monte 3100 vehicle since it had 100,000 miles. It now has 200,000 miles and it runs perfect. Just because one or two people who had ruined engines BEFORE they used synthetics, doesn't mean someone who respects there engine can't use it. I've also saw 2-3 MPG increase after using synthetics. My favorite is Mobil 1...

POST REPLY TO THIS THREAD