Seized motor

[edge24_99]

This just went advanced.
So me and pgriffith are on our way home from work in the camaro. 96. So we stop at this light and the oil pressure suddenly drops and the car shuts down. Well we try to turn it over and it wont. We try to jump it and it dosnt take. Well it really sounds like it is seized or binding. I am about ot take off the valve covers to see what I can see. NExt I will check the oil pump. Do you guys have any ideas or thoughts on what to do or check...

And I just put it up for sale. Maybe I hurt her feelings.

[Tiago]

try to put a big breaker bar on the crank pulley and turn it over manually, if it doesn't budge its seized...time for a new motor.

[edge24_99]

I just tried th at after my inital post. I am able to turn it with a breaker bar. That is good news for me. Were would I go from there. I have no clue on whats going on now. Anymore help???

[rockotman]

If you can rotate the engine with a breaker bar, then I don't think that you trashed the engine.

This may be oversimplifying it, but are you sure that your battery and alternator are okay. A bad battery can take out the alternator, and could prevent you from jump-starting.

Put a meter on the battery and see what the voltage is when you try to crank it over. If it is real low, then the first thing to do is stick in a known good battery and see if it will run, then check the alternator.

Did you notice any whining from the engine compartment in the last few days (the sign of a dying alt)?

[Roy]

see if the starter is still intact even. sometimes a siezed motor can cause your starter to shear right off.

[edge24_99]

I dont think it is the batt. or alt. I have no problems with either. How would they tie in with the fall of oil preesure? Not doubting I just dont really understand this...

[rockotman]

I assumed that you meant that the engine died at the same time the oil pressure fell off. Engine no run, engine no make oil pressure. :D Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

Also, if you can crank the engine with a breaker bar (I am assuming that you don't really need to lean on it a whole lot to turn it), then a good battery should also be able to turn it.

[edge24_99]

I will feel like such a jack a$$ if it is just a battery...I will go test tinght and update...

[3.4 slow to go]

maybe the oil pump just died. most efi motors have a pressure switch hooked up to the oil pump. A safety device, sort of, to keep engine from running w/no oil pressure by cutting off power to fuel pump. Check to hear if fuel pumps winds up, test fuel pressure, f/p relay & fuse.

[edge24_99]

Battery is good. 3.4 I was wondering about that. Were is the fuse/relay for the oil pressure switch? Is it worth me testing the alt and starter tomorrow?

[rockotman]

Will the engine crank at all?

Does is just go Grrr! and stop, or does it go GrrrGrrrGrrrIdontWannaStartIdontWannaStartIdontwan naStart(to paraphrase George Carlin) (like it turns easy, but won't fire up, as if starved for gas or not getting any spark)?

If it does the latter, then I wouldn't be too concerned about the alt and starter at this time. If it is getting spark (youshould be able to check it with a timing light), then it probably isn't getting gas, and I would check into the oil pressure/fuel pump interlock theory that 3.4 posted (I don't know if this interlock is employed in this car or not). You can check that wiht a fuel pressure tester (assuming you know someone that you can borrow one from).

If it won't crank at all, then you need to figure out why - either battery or starter or (worst of all) blown engine.

[edge24_99]

Grr and stop is what it does. It dosent get much further than that. I drained the oil looking for metal and didnt find anything. Maybe the next step should be to replace the oil pump and see if that helps? The computer wont let it turn over if I dont have any oil pressure right? And would my pump just stop working like that? Could something have broke in the valve train and id not letting it turn over?

[black98V6]

maybe a bad ground?? a bad ground can make a car do all kinds of crazy things..

[edge24_99]

My windows and radio still work...So I dont think it is a ground problem. It kind of sounds "dry" when I turn it over. Or try to turn it over anyway. I am not to sure I want it to turn over completely...

[pgriffith]

It doesnt sound as simple as you guys think. We lost almost all oil pressure at idle, reved it up a tiny bit and the oil pressure never came up. The car then died. I tried to start it again and it started for 1 second then died again. I think not having oil pressure is the issue here. And I dont see how it could do that because of a bad ground. Edge is right, when he tried to start it it did sound dry. Like metal againts metal with a squeeky sound. Sounded terrible.

So before you post remember the oil pressure was way low. Like in the red part of the gauge. So what would cause this? I was thinking oil pump.