'95 Camaro Will Not Start, Really Need Help Soon...

[Topher929]

Hi, I own a '95 Camaro Z28 Automatic. One day the heater hose was leaking, i thought that i had fixed it but then i noticed day by day my coolant level dropping, so i kept filling till i could get the problem fixed for good. A few months later it started choking, and didnt accelerate as fast as normal. Exhaust then got louder and unbearable. I thought it was the catalytic converter, but camaro died before i could replace it.
So right now my known problems are a leaking heater hose, the collant temerature gauge read almost 300degrees and then stopped working. Steam was coming from where the heater hose was leaking and that was it. SO i figured i would drive it home which was only two miles away and park it, about a mile form my house it just stalled and i had to roll into a parking lot. I tried starting it again and the only nois ei could hear was from the starter trying to turn over, but nothing. Starter is good and works but engine will not run.
This is what i have been told MIGHT be wrong with it, but i am not very good with car engine work, only exterior. One said it could be a knock sensor. So do i just replace that and maybe it will work? Because it was knocking a little but has been so long since i hear i could not remember the sound the knock made. One said it may just a need a tune-up, but i dont think that would cause it to act that way all of a sudden. One said it could be the MAF Sensor. Not sure how costly that will be. And another guy said it is not worth fixing but has not seen the car and just basing that on my description of the problem.
But i do love this car and want it to run for a little while longer, at least till i can get a loan for a '98 - '02 Camaro with an LS1 manual. But till then, i have put a lot of money into my camaro and dont wanna just junk it if there is something i can do to fix it. My friend tried to read the codes but it just kept saying error, so could it be me computer gone bad? He tried checking while car was still in running condition. I am just lost right now and need some REAL advice, so if anyone can help me, i would greatly appreciate it, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have to help the situation. Thanks Everyone!

[wrightz28]

1 - Is the motor not turning at all when attempting to start, IE, does the crankshaft rotate?

2 - Where was the heater hose leaking at exactly?

[ikeyballz]

also..was it at ~300degrees when the car stopped? like it overheated, then died? cuz if it is, you may have just welded (not really but almost) your pistons to your block..?

[Topher929]

Yes The CrankShaft rotates, and the heater hose is leaking at the lowest part in the dip. And it wasnt overheating when it died, it was not even smoking anywhere, It just went dead. Hope that helps some.

[wrightz28]

Your leak location isn't helping me here, my point is to make sure no coolant got into that lovely optispark system.

[Topher929]

I dont think so, the part in the hose that was leaking is closer to the ground and did not leak on anything. i am not sure though if it sprayed at all, but i know there was steam coming out of the small hole. i had bought replacement hoses made by goodyear that included a heater hose but did not look like it would fit but i may be wrong. i am not even sure how to attach it because there is so much in the way, i dont even know where to begin. Any help, would be beneficial.

[wrightz28]

Since you notice the liquid at the lowest point of the hose, it could be leaking from anywhere up to the highest point, mainly at the water pump outlet, which on a LT1 motor when a problme developes in the pump area and any coolan escapes there, it goes directly down into the optispark ignition system hence no spark, or unctrolled/irratic spark.

[Topher929]

Well the hose shriveled up and i could fit a penny inside the hole. I dont know how it got there or why it would just tear like that but i am not sure how i should go about fixing the problem. I wanna try cheapest and easiest first if u have any suggestions. I know some things are going to be costly and difficult to uninstall and reinstall, but i dont even know where to begin. I might as well just take it to get a diagnostics to see everything that is wrong with it, because it may be something electrical, like with the computer or something simple like changing some spark plugs and a water pump. But what do you think is the best first step for me to take?

[ikeyballz]

so.. theres basically two things you can check, to see why your car doesnt start.. you dont really need a cooling system for a quickie start.. (not good, i know..but just to check) so you might wanna try crank her a bit..and check

1) for a GOOD spark, (should be blue)
2) for fuel pressure..

what wright is trying to say is that if somehow your opti got water into it.. its over, say bye to a couple hundred bucks for the opti, and another couple hundred for install, if you dont wanna do it..

if its not getting a good spark, its prolly the opti.. ;/

[wrightz28]

Start with replacing the hose.

[Topher929]

Well i would replace the hose but the problem is, is that i bought a set of new hoses from goodyear, the blue ones that they sell from Summit Racing and they dont look like they fit. I just dont wanna put all that work in if there really is something wrong with the engine. Do you think that the knock sensor activated? Because if it did, should i just replace the hoses, the optispark, and give it a tune up? I just dont wanna spend all this money on a lost cause and should just sell the car as is and take a loss on it because i dont know what else to do.

Here is my Camaro: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2280288

[first_pyro]

If your losing coolant and you see that it isnt leaking anywhere outside of your car then its mroe than likely internal. my guess would be, if ur lucky a broken head gasket. im pretty sure you have wet sleeves on your block and if that brakes itll leak collant into you cylinders which would cause the loss of coolant but no show externally of a leak. otherwise you might have a craked block or head. i would do a C.L.T. test if I were you.