I was driving it yesterday and when I took off from a red light I heard this clunky/grinding noise that seemed to be from underneathe me. After that I smelled this almost burning like smell. After I rounded a corner the instrument panel popped up saying "check gages" and the oil light came on. I pulled into a parking lot and looked under the hood and aside from a smell it looked fine. When I tried to turn the van on again it wouldn't turn over at all. Its like the starter doesn't even attempt to crank it.
My friend thinks it might be the starter since it doesn't do anything, and a neighbour says perhaps the relay (but you can hear it click when you turn the key). Neither really explains the grinding noise. Could it perhaps be seized?
Recently a friend and I changed the oil in it and we accidentally over filled it a bit.
Anyway. Any help would be great because I don't have anough money to take it to a shop if I don't have to and getting rides from your mom sucks.
Thanks.
Rick99
07-11-2007, 04:07 PM
Yes, you could have destroyed the engine by over filling it and running it that way. My Dad did that years ago and blew the engine in his car. (More is not always better.)
If it is siezed, the starter will not be able to turn it over.
anewradical
07-11-2007, 04:20 PM
k thanks.
I decided that I'm going to get rid of it anyway. I can't afford to keep fixing it. Maybe I can use it as a paintball bunker haha.
I found a pretty sweet Golf GTI for cheap though lol.
hemi1569
07-11-2007, 04:48 PM
Drain the oil out of it and refill to proper level. The grinding noise you heard could be the starter engaging from a wire shorting to ground. I would do a resistance test to see if the starter is smoked... go from the case of the starter to the positive terminal on the starter and check the resistance... Should be infinite, if it is low, 0.0 or a bit higher, your starter is internally shorted... don't give up just yet.
anewradical
07-11-2007, 05:09 PM
How many quarts/ liters should it take?
We definitely put in too much. If I just drain the excess would that work or would I have to empty it and refill it? Is the filter still fine if we just replaced it 2 weeks ago?
hemi1569
07-11-2007, 05:12 PM
If it is a 6 cyl, i would recommend 4 1/2 quarts, you can resuse the oil filter
anewradical
07-11-2007, 05:17 PM
It is. Ok. I'll try that out tomorrow. That'd be cool if the starter was fine. I could fix it myself for $20 lol.
anewradical
07-11-2007, 05:27 PM
Thanks btw. I would have just let it sit in my drive way but I'll try to get that working first.
crxess
07-11-2007, 06:01 PM
A socket and ratchet on the crankshaft (Front lower pulley) will answer all your questions without spending a dime. If the engine cannot be turned over by hand it is blown.(locked up)
It sounds like it came apart - Lost a rod. The panel lit up because the engine had died. i.e. NO Oil pressure, No alternator output.
