engine help

[casedogg311]

The hose that runs the motor oil to my engine melted or became damaged. This caused the engine to not turn on (power is fun, starter is clicking, just the engine doesn't even try to start) I was told this was a safety procaution and it wouldn't allow the car to start till the hose was repaired. I swapped it out but the problem is still there. Power is good, starter is working but the engine does absolutly nothing. Any ideas?
Casey Downey
1998 Dodge Intrepid

[curtis73]

Thanks for posting your car and year You'd be surprised at how many people don't.

The melted hose wouldn't have caused the starter malfunction. There is no sensor that monitors the hose, so it wouldn't have prevented the starter from functioning. I'm also not sure what oil hose you would have on that car. Its possible you have an oil cooler that would require a hose, but all of the oil is contained inside the engine. There shouldn't be a hose for motor oil.

Clicking starters almost always means a bad starter. Turn the interior lights on. If you turn the key and get a click and the lights stay on, its a bad starter or something is preventing enough juice from getting to the starter. Check for corrosion on the battery terminals, the terminals of the starter, and any ground wires you might encounter. If you turn the key and the get a click but the lights go out or almost off, its a dead battery (which could be caused be several things).

Next time it happens (if you've narrowed it down to a starter issue) turn the key like you're trying to start and have someone give a couple good thuds on the starter with a screwdriver handle or chunk of wood. If it suddenly comes to life, its definitely the starter.

But, I'm 100% positive that the oil hose issue and the starter issue are in no way connected. Separate issues entirely.

[casedogg311]

yeah when i turn the key the starter clicks and thats all. The dome lights and intrum. pannel lights flicker, then about 5 seconds after i stop turing the key i can hear a sound of something trying to pump or some sort of noise from my engine, i just can't determine where