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Hey All

Firstly thanks to you all for always answering my stupid questions, but I have another one I could use some assistance on.

Last night I jumped in my car and turned the key, the car attempted to turn over, but all I got was a loud "POP" that I think came from the engine. The car failed to turn over... as did my next 3 attempts to get it started.

I gave it some gas on the next try and she got going. Though I immediately felt something was wrong. The car was sluggish and made a god awfull rattling as it attempted to get into gear (its an auto).

Today I drove her to work and apart from a light rattling in the engine she seemed ok. The turbo is working as I could boost just fine and the temperature sits comfortabley in the mid range.

Have I blown something in the engine? What should I be looking for?

Thanks in advance

Check your front diff dipstick (on the passenger side of the engine bay, next to the firewall)

See if its covered in metal shavings

I couldn't find it. Admittedly I was looking at the middle of the night with a flashlight, but I did spot a small red cap, close to the firewall and next to my AWIC.

I didn't want to open it as I wasn't sure. I sort of comes off a small metal tube, it doesnt look all that deep, so I could be looking at the wrong thing, however its the only thing in that location that I reckon it could be.

Right thing or keep looking?

I dunno about overseas cars, but on mine its a yellow ring big enough to put your finger inside to pull on

You're talking about the transaxle fluid dipstick right?

No

The transmission fluid dipstick is on the drivers side

Hmm... my haynes manual doesnt list any other dipstick.

Another dumb question, but wheres the firewall?

Thank you for your help so far Splinter, I understand if you want to go bang your head against the wall now.

The firewall is what seperates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment

I believe what he was getting at is the Engine Oil Dipstick, which is located adjacent to the A/C compressor.

try and isolate the rattling with a screwdriver held up to your ear and the tip on various places of the engine. you might not want to drive it, if its a rod knock or something you could end up ruining the crank.
I would drain all the fluids but through a fine screen and see if a bunch of particles come up.
I highly doubt you could tell by looking at the dipstick wether or not theres a bunch of crap in the oil.

555BCTurbo wrote:I believe what he was getting at is the Engine Oil Dipstick, which is located adjacent to the A/C compressor.

Im talking about the diff dipstick.

There are three dipsticks in the engine bay, on my car they all have yellow rings. There is one on eithe side of the tranny, and one at the front of the bay. The one Im trying to get him to check is on the tranny at the passenger side


Its prolly under the intercooler

Under the intercooler

Found them, all of them seem to be clear.

I'll check the rattling screwdriver trick tomorrow, when I can bring the car inside. I'll try emptying the fluids too. Although it does seem to be quieter now.

Would you recommend I take it to a mechanio to check over?

do the fluids first, mechanics love stuff like a mysterious engine rattle.

Ok, the fluids seem to be free of metal particles.

I'll see if I can explain the noise a bit better...

It sounds the WORST:

- When the car first turns over, just after I let go of the key.

- Just as I put my put on the accelerator, that first little bit of gas is when that gruesom shuddering/rattling in the engine is the worst.

I DON'T hear the sound (sounds normal) when:

- The cars running idle

- At high speeds

~~~~~

At low speeds the car just doesnt drive right, theres a noticible lack of power, when I put my foot down it seems ok though.

Any further advice would be very apreciated.

Faithbleed wrote:Ok, the fluids seem to be free of metal particles.

I'll see if I can explain the noise a bit better...

It sounds the WORST:

- When the car first turns over, just after I let go of the key.

- Just as I put my put on the accelerator, that first little bit of gas is when that gruesom shuddering/rattling in the engine is the worst.

I DON'T hear the sound (sounds normal) when:

- The cars running idle

- At high speeds

~~~~~

At low speeds the car just doesnt drive right, theres a noticible lack of power, when I put my foot down it seems ok though.

Any further advice would be very apreciated.

i am no expert by any means what so ever
but to me it sounds like some thing inside the motor broke?

You're guess is a good as mine, I'm just happy to take all the suggestions I can.

Have a friend start it cold while you hover over the engine bay (safety hazard, be cautious). It's amazing how you hear things differently when you are not in the drivers seat.

So if by now you've changed the fluids, and its boosting, running ok at speed, just issues at cold start, I don't know, how is your budget, drive the hell out of it until you come to a grinding hault, or it might be time to take it to some mechanic you can trust???

I would say a sparkplug got loose, look at that

OMG, ok now it's overheating!

I went for a normal dirve around town today and by the time I'd got home the thermo was all the way up the top and when I cut the engine a horrible hissing noise was coming from the silver coolant reservoir. I popped the hood to figure out where it was coming from.

Also I noticed the smaller coolant overflow tank was steaming and saw coolant leaking from the top overflow pipe (which overflows out to the ground).

Thanks for the help so far, I'm checking everything as it's being suggested.

I'll check the sparkplugs once the cars cooled down.

Faithbleed wrote:OMG, ok now it's overheating!

I went for a normal dirve around town today and by the time I'd got home the thermo was all the way up the top and when I cut the engine a horrible hissing noise was coming from the silver coolant reservoir. I popped the hood to figure out where it was coming from.

Also I noticed the smaller coolant overflow tank was steaming and saw coolant leaking from the top overflow pipe (which overflows out to the ground).

Thanks for the help so far, I'm checking everything as it's being suggested.

I'll check the sparkplugs once the cars cooled down.

It's your water pump or a headgasket.

You can determine if it's a headgasket by checking the oil and the coolant. If the oil is a milky color, or if the coolant has black spots in it - you've blown a headgasket.


other than that, water pump?

scuzzy wrote: other than that, water pump?

would it be posible that some thing small broke inside the motor and is blocking a coolent passage?

bmxkelowna wrote:

scuzzy wrote: other than that, water pump?

would it be posible that some thing small broke inside the motor and is blocking a coolent passage?

You don't have enough that can break inside the block and block a passage.

Turbo motors are closed deck design, there's too many individual passages - and NA motors are open deck design, there's no way you can block the flow of coolant

now, your water pump can let go, chew itself to bits, and block the outlet to the block

I have a feeling it's your water pump. If you're not comfortable pulling the timing belt and a bunch of other stuff to get to it then you need to have it TOWED to a dealer.

either way, you need to stop driving it now or you'll ruin the engine, if it's not already too late.

Weee, It's fixed!

Well at least I hope it is. When I drained all the fluids I left the coolant, as I was a little worried about doing the whole process for the first time.

Today I flushed the whole system. I pulled out the radiator drain plug and nothing came out! The plug itself was covered in brown rusty gunk. So I jabbed a screwdriver in the drain hole and bingo, it drained quickly from then on.

The coolant/water mix that came out (and even after I flushed it 3 times) was a shocking brown colour with lots of rust chips and crap in it. It's running clean with new coolant now.

The other thing I noticed was that a hose wasnt properly connected (I think it was a water pump hose, it had a little white nib that went into a another black hose). It was on the left hand side of the radiator and came out of a cylindrical black resevior.

Anyway, the engine now starts perfectly everytime, has no rattling noise and accelerates without any juddering. It also just feels/drives normal again. Oh and the heater is working again.

Ofcourse I may have still blown something with all the crap that was in the old coolant, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP.

Just keep an eye on the coolant to see if it changes color to brownish again.

If that's the case, you may have broken something else. If not, then that was probably the only problem.

Maybe someone previously refilled the coolant with straight water or not enough antifreeze, and the water corroded something in there. Not likely, but possible.

Thanks. Will do.