Seized motor

[chas]

very bad. if you had little or no oil pressure at idle do not try to start the vehicle again (or turn it over for that matter). also, the oil pressure keeps the lifters pumped up so w/o oil pressure i can see the engine cutting out when you rev.

if this is the same car from the post in the general forum about a loud ticking, i would be concerning about something wrong with the oil pump. like broken shaft on the oil pump or broken tooth. drop the pan and inspect the pump.

[edge24_99]

Chas yes it is the same car/problem. Thats the route I was going to go. Do I need to drop the trans or lift the engine? Anything I should look fo r out of the ordinary? Besides broken peices?

[black98V6]

ahhh ok.. wasn't exactly sure if the drop in oil pressure and engine cutting were concurrent or if there was any considerable amount of time between the oil pressure dropping and the motor cutting out..

[pgriffith]

I was driving when it died:

the engine oil pressure as far as I noticed happend right before the engine died. Although I was not watching the guage the hole time I was driving so it could have had low oil pressure the whole time and I didnt notice.

[southern94]

i just had a scare with oil pressure i am glad mine was a easy fix and very thankful for the help i got from tiago viper9885 and ironman24 have you drained your oil to check for metal shavings? but i guess a thrown bearing would not make the car cut off

[3.4 slow to go]

not sure on the new cars, or even mine, but get a manual & trace down where that oil pressure sensor is & replace it. it might be just as easy as that. who knows? if it doesn't fix it, at least you have a new one installed. If dropping the pan, get on of those bowls w/the big magnet underneath & attach it to the bottom of the oil pan. Move it around some to make sure you get everywhere. that way you'll be sure to get majority, if any, of metal shavings before draining oil.

[edge24_99]

Well I havent droppeed the pan yet. I pulled off the drivers side valve cover to see if I had anything wrong in there.( I thought that is were I had heard the knock coming from) Everything is tight so I dont think that side is bad. It semed really dry to me and my dad though. I cant get the motor lift on the passenger side off tonight so tomorrow I will take it off and turn the crank shaft to see if anyting is wrong in the valve train. The chevy serivce guy said it sounded like a problem with my starter the way my dad described it. I still think it is more than that. So besides metal shavings how do I see if the oil pump is bad? ANything else I should check or look for?

[chas]

it makes me nervous when you said you had no oil pressure, rev'ed the engine and it quit. if you feel lazy just drain the oil and see if there's anything in there (use a magnet). however, if you find nothing i would still be suspicious and drop the pan.

seems a little soon for a dead oil pressure sender ('96 right?).

starter seems like a strange diagnosis. if the starter failed to fully disengage it wouldnt make a ticking. perhaps a whining /grinding noise.

another source for strange ticking (unrelated to oil pressure) are the bearings on anything pulley driven (idler pulleys especially).

[ July 30, 2002: Message edited by: chas ]</p>

[edge24_99]

Well I dont know how to check pulleys...

I dont think it is the starter at all. I am going to pull it and test it. I will probably change the oil pump anyway. Is there a way I can see if it was senors that are the problem. Could they be a problem?

[3.4 slow to go]

have you had any codes pulled?

[pgriffith]

NO codes, before the car died there was no SES light. Although now that it wont start we have not had the codes scanned. I think the problem is still related to oil pressure. Dont you think its kind of odd the gauge reads in red on the oil pressure gauge?

I am going to stop by his house tommarow see if we cant get a few things worked out.

Also can anyone confirm that the 96 3.8 does have the oil pump saftey switch that shuts off the fuel pump? And if so would checking fuel pressure be a good idea?

[chas]

remove the serp belt and turn the accessories by hand. it should smooth. i had an alternator bearing go -- made a fabulous aperiodic grinding noise. also had an idler with a bad bearing, it would just tick.

as for oil pressure, i would expect a 'CHECK GAGES' light instead of SES. i doubt the presence of an oil pressure safety switch. wouldnt keep you from turning the engine over with the starter and causing damage.

[3.4 slow to go]

yes, but if the pump is gone, and he is trying to start motor w/no oil pressure.....

[93v6firebird]

dead oil sending units will not prevent teh car from starting, they will only read no oil pressure. I have a limited knowledge of the internals of an engine, however, since the car will crank manually, and since you said the valve train on teh drivers side seemed "dry" it seems to me that the most logical thing would be the oil pump... its not getting it out of the pan and to the components like it should, and therefore 0 oil pressure. For God's sake stop cranking the engine w/ the ignition so everyone can hear it grinding metal on metal, unless you do want a seized bearing... replace the oil pump and see if that works... but again, I do want to stress I could be wrong, b/c I never have dealt w/ a dead oil pump and hopefully never will. Anyway, Viper98885, Tiago, and Ironman should be much more able to help...

[ August 01, 2002: Message edited by: 93v6firebird ]</p>

[pgriffith]

Im with 93v6firebird I also think its the oil pump. Viper98885, Tiago, Magnus and Ironman we request your assistance.