Engine not starting, thin looking oil...

[sho 'nuff]

So I got my car back from the shop on friday, drove it around and what not, then took it to the dyno on Saturday to see if this new engine I had put in was up to ***** with the other one. It wasn't, either because the guys didn't know what they were doing or there is something wrong causing me to loose 40 HP. At first I thought it was the dyno, but now I am not so sure.

I tried to start the car up to come home from work and it just keeps turning over but the engine never starts. First thing I did was remove the chip thinking maybe it wasn't on there securely. Nope, same thing. So I pop the hood and check the battery connections and then check the oil....uhm, it doesn't look quite right. Unless synthetic oil is thinner, and slightly discolored. I can't tell if it smells like coolant or not though. And that is how the car is sitting for now. Does this seem like it could be a headgasket to anyone else?

Should I go ahead and just set the car on fire now?

 

[Rob94]

Does the oil look like a chocolate milkshake?

 

[sho 'nuff]

No, doesn't look like a milkshake...

Now the mystery continues. I went back to the car and tried to start it this morning, and it started right up. So I drove it up to the shop that put the motor in to have them look at it. It seemed to drive just fine, and I got no idiot lights on the way there.

 

[Dr. Tweak]

Typically if the HQ goes, the oil level is higher than normal too.

Also, synthetic is thinner, it seems to me.

Let us know what happens...

 

[SHOZ123]

Does the oil smell like gas? Maybe the engine was flooded.

 

[HopefulSHO]

If your headgasket was that bad you'd probably see it on the dipstick.

Every brand of oil looks and smells just a bit different. The German made Syntec I put in last change was green and some will say it smells like gummy bears! But it is an excellent oil.


If you suspect you have a flooded engine, you can hold the pedal to the floor while cranking - on Ford cars this kills the injectors and can allow you to 'dry out' your combustion chamber a bit.

 

[ckinart]

Two Separate Symptoms?

I tried to start the car up to come home from work and it just keeps turning over but the engine never starts. First thing I did was remove the chip thinking maybe it wasn't on there securely. Nope, same thing. So I pop the hood and check the battery connections and then check the oil....uhm, it doesn't look quite right. Unless synthetic oil is thinner, and slightly discolored. I can't tell if it smells like coolant or not though. And that is how the car is sitting for now. Does this seem like it could be a headgasket to anyone else?

Not to undermine your efforts to determine if you've got a blown head gasket, but it seems to me that your "discolored" oil and the no start symptom are not likely related. Even with a blown head gasket, the engine should have no trouble starting (within reason). You can have the cooling system pressure tested to check for leaks (i.e. a leaking head gasket). I suppose if it's at the shop now, they'll hopefully sort it out for you

 

[masho95]

Try running the codes on the car yet?

 

[sho 'nuff]

Now that I have thought about it more, I am thinking maybe the chip dumped too much fuel or something and caused the engine to flood. This chip was tuned for the other engine based on the a/f curve it had. This engine may have a different curve and so that may be the cause here. I never got a check engine light but I will have them check the codes while its at the shop.

 

[sho 'nuff]

Well the car is back in my possession, with still no codes and still no more answers. It started fine when I left the shop, it started fine at the next place I stopped at...then it did it again. The car turned over but didn't start. I tried it a couple more times and it finally started. I read through a few searches and am thinking I will switch out DIS modules and see where that gets me. With no CELs coming up its kind of a shot in the dark.