2003 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport
Last weekend I went to start my car and it wouldnt start. It would turn over and sputter out like there was very little or no gas in the tank. I had almost a quarter tank gas. I tried over and over until it finally killed the battery.
The next day I talked to my roommate who knows more about cars than I do and he thought it might be a fuel pump or fuel filter. He grabbed his charger and put it on my battery but his charger said the battery was good. I tried to start and got the "tick tick tick tick tick" of a dead battery. He wiggled the positive and negative lines to the battery to make sure they were not loose (they weren't) and put the charger back on charge for about 5 minutes and then put it on 75 amp jump start. I tried again and it started up.
Ran it in park for about 15 minutes and then drove around for about 15 minutes. Has worked since then. Ive had a oil leak for a while now and when he checked the oil, it looked pretty low or non-existant. I'm not getting a low oil light on my dash and I've been trying to put oil in every once in a while to keep it decent. The dip stick did have some nasty yellowish gunk on it which has been an issue (he says it's got water in the oil), but even if the car was completely out of oil, it should still start at least until it seizes completely or something right?
Anyway, I decide to buy some oil today and on my way home I stop by a quick mart and got something. When backing out from the parking space the car died. I started it back up and I got to the store where I bought some oil. I go to start the car and it again turns over but sputters out. I did that about 3 times and got out and tried to wiggle the batter connectors but it still wouldnt start. Another 3 or so attempts to start it turns over and then sputters out. At that point I didn't want to completely kill the battery so I just left it and walked home several blocks away.
So.... does anybody have any ideas as to what the issue might be? Anything I should try or look for? Any thoughts? I'd appreciate some input. Thanks,
Chris
"There were some Luddites with some kind of PC-based, primitive [operating system], I think it's called Windows, who couldn't figure out how I got a TV on the plane." Trent Reznor referring to peoples reaction to his PowerBook G4 Titanium
First thing, you have a bad head gasket, your going to want to replace that.
As for the car running.
Check your vacuum hoses.
Make sure the diaphragm in your FPR isnt completely shot.
Make sure your cat ist pluged, easiest way to do this is to pull your 1st O2 or EGR and see if the car will idle with it out. If its bad it will also sound like theres rocks in it if you wiggle it most times.
Grab a multi meter and check your injectors.
Throw some fuel cleaner in the tank.
Are you throwing a code?
I took it to a shop this morning and he said there was no fuel pressure so the fuel pump is bad. He gave me $100 off the list price for a factory fuel pump which he suggested over some AC DELCO aftermarket pump. Pump with labor is going to be $527.
"There were some Luddites with some kind of PC-based, primitive [operating system], I think it's called Windows, who couldn't figure out how I got a TV on the plane." Trent Reznor referring to peoples reaction to his PowerBook G4 Titanium
