I am new to the cavalier world but not to cars. I just purchased a 1997 Z24 Cavalier for $400 and it needed a heater core, replaced it and then the water pump went south, well replaced it and now the car won't start. Here's what I've done
Checked codes with snap on MT2500 scanner. had some anti theft codes but cleared them and they haven't returned.
Retimed engine. I have retimed the engine going off the correct way and everything seems right.
verified spark and fuel to cylinders.
OK, The car started after I did the heater core and ran fine except the whole spewing water out of the water pump.
The car is spinning over and there is nothing happening. No codes show up and it seemed like it had no compression. I checked the compression in #1 cylinder and it's got nothing. I don't understand. I thought maybe it was spinning easy after I did the water pump due to having the timing off, but the timing is now dead on and still nothing in #1 cylinder. haven't checked other cylinders yet but plan on doing it tomorrow.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also there is a relay on the rad support that has a wire broken off and I have no idea what the relay is for or where the wire is supposed to go. Can anyone ID this relay for me
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sorry if this is in the wrong area.
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I just got done checking the remaining cylinders for compression and not a single cylinder has any compression at all. I mean the needle didn't even flicker. What are the chances of bending a valve on every cylinder at the same time.? I hope there is another explanation, a weak hope but hope none the less. I can't believe how expensive gaskets are for a dang 4 cylinder. I can regasket my whole 306 in my mustang with performance gaskets for the cost of a head gasket kit on this thing
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I hate to tell you this but if it ran before you put the pump in then.. Well think about it you didn't put it in time right. To bend all the valves or let alone one or two you should have heard them smacking the pistons. I find a lil unlikely you bent all the valves but could be wrong. I say it is out of time alot.
And that relay goes to the fan or start i think i will check to make sure since i can't remeber
Well I just got word form the dealership where I dropped it off and they said it is out of time. I don't understand I had the alignment pins in the cam sprockets and the crank mark was aligned. They want $800 to even start to take it apart to check the timing and I'm not gonna pay that. They also said they no longer have pinouts on the relays just wiring diagrams. They said they wouldn't be able to tell me what the relay was and find out where the black wire goes without the engine running and checking for codes. If you could give me an idea as to where that wire goes that would be great. I don't think it is the fan because the relay for that one is in the relay box on the inner fender. one wire goes to the starter small terminal, the other is a purple wire that goes into a big harness and the other wire also goes to the starter, I just don't know where the black one is supposed to go.
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i think thats the DRL relay i could be wrong though
I checked that out and alldata says that the DRL relay is on the back side of the bumper reinforcement. I hope I can figure out what it is for after I get the car back tomorrow and recheck the timing again. The dealership wanted to charge $800 just to check the timing, not retime the engine just check it.
I am gonna do it again myself and make sure that everything is straight before I put it back together again.
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that is the starter relay the black wire is a ground. It will not start or try to turn over if not hooked up. I figured this out the other day when i move my ground wires to the bottom bolt on the tranny. Sorry i didn't get back to you sooner
Thats just the thing, the car turns over fine. It just doesn't start. no compression in all cylinders. I check the cams yesterday and they are both turning so they are not broken. The car is completely in time and it has been verified multiple times. I think its got an issue with the valves being stuck open or soomething. I am looking for another engine to put in it and maybe I can find out what is wrong with this one and keep it as a back up
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ok well you still have to have that black wire hooked up. Are you sure it's getting fuel and spark? I mean positive check to see if the pump is kicking on and all that. Did you plug everything back in if anything was unpluged. also check all your fuses. If it isn't getting fuel or spark both i can pretty well tell you what it might be.
Also does that black wire run to that relay or something else. That might have something to do with your problem.. Sparay some starter fluid in it and see if it will start..
And with them anti theft codes. That might also be the reason it won't start because by clearing them might not of fixed the problem. And how were you checking the compression?
o and to time the motor did you stick bolts in the camshafts into the block so they would be timed right? And lined the dowel pin and dot on the crank sprocket to the dot on the block for it? Trying to get the timing part out of the way since i'm setting here looking at my service manual
As far as the timing goes, I fabbed up some camshaft alignment pins out of 8mm steel dial rod they were in place, the crank timing mark was aligned on the mark on the timing housing and the tensioner was reset per the reset procedures.
As far as compression goes I checked it with my compression tester. I am gonna try my buddy's just to make sure mines not broken. Also I took it to a dealership and they said the same thing that there was no compression in all 4 cylinders. They wanted to charge me $800 just to check the timing, not time it just check the timing. Unbelievable.
I have fuel in the cylinders so I know it is getting fuel, I also checked each cylinder of the coil for spark y grounding the IDI cover with a cable to the block and cranking the car over with a jumper wire to each individual cylinder's coil. Got spark out of each one. So I think I am good there. I don't understand the no compression in every cylinder though. I never heard any metal to metal contact and each camshaft is spinning so I don't know. I doubt any of the electrical connectors would cause no compression. I am at a loss.
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Man that's weird. It sounds to me like your car is just not getting spark/fuel but I could be wrong.
I would check to make sure your fuel pump is hooked up correctly and its getting spark as someone else said.
It's probably something stupid that's right under your nose.
JBOK.org / J-Bodies of Kentucky
The car is getting spark, fuel and turns over. The fuel pump kicks off and on with the key and also I can command it on with my scanner. The coil pack is working and I get spark from each cylinders coil. I found an engine out of a 1996 grand am with 89K miles on it that runs for 425 going to go that route instead of paying 450 for a recon head and gasket kit. I can hear the engine run prior to the guy pulling it out of the car.
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I see your up in Fort Eustis! I do some business trips up there from time to time to meet with the ATSC group. Welcome to the forum.
-Chris
