# Engine trouble? Please help!



## pjfeltner (Jan 3, 2005)

I drive a 1994 chevrolet caprice (v8, 5.7L)

Today i was exiting a parking lot, and when i went to accelerate and pick up speed, i heard a loud click in my engine, and the car slowed down (The steering went stiff, and i couldnt accelerate). i thought it was my transmission dropping, but when i went to lift the hood, there was a little bit of smoke coming from the big hose to my engine, and the SERPENTINE BELT had snapped. i bought a new serpentine belt and had it installed, but when i go to start the car, i still get that single click noise, and the car wont start. does anyone know what this could possibly be? PLEASE HELP!


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## batty_professor (Jul 29, 2004)

Hi, and welcome to TSF. My first thought is that when you lost the serpentine belt, you lost drive to the power steering, water pump, as well as the alternator. There's a good chance you will need to jumpstart the battery as it became discharged as it was used after the belt snapped. This is the simple answer, if this isn't it, then it's gonna get a little more involved. ( also make sure it's not something completely unrelated to the belt, such as the shift lever not all the way into park or neutral pos.)


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## elf (Jul 19, 2002)

I have recently learned that the single click, is usually due to a dead battery, or the engine for some reason not getting a good connection to the battery. Check the cables to the battery, or take the battery to autozone and ask if they will test it (they test batteries for free, and if it's dead they will charge it for you).


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## Volt-Schwibe (Jan 12, 2003)

yes, i also would suspect the battery.


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## pjfeltner (Jan 3, 2005)

*already tried that*

i just bought a brand new battery less than a month ago, and when my battery died before that, it made a continues clicking noise when i went to start, but this just makes one loud click in the engine, and it stops. last night when i had the new serpentine belt installed, the guy who did it, asked me to start the car, and the same clicking happened, and then after that, he tried to jump my car with his, and still nothing happened. what he's trying to say now, is that my engine locked up, because the pulley thats connected to the starter isnt turning like its supposed to (he couldnt turn it manually, or with a wrench). he says i might have to scrap my car, which i really hope i wont have to do. anyone have any other ideas?


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## Midnight Tech (Dec 31, 2001)

pjfeltner, I'll consult with some folks on this later today and will attempt to post an answer while at work.
Can you give us an idea of the location on the engine that "click" is coming from?
This *almost* sounds like a broken crankshaft....but if this is the case, it can be replaced.


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## batty_professor (Jul 29, 2004)

Didn't Chevy have some flexplate issues in that era? I had a 4.3 V6 (1990) that had the center break out. Sounded like crank had a problem. Perhaps it could get into a bind? If you could get under the car safely, drop the inspection cover and have a look. Also pry on the flywheel to attempt to rotate it. See if it will free up.


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## Volt-Schwibe (Jan 12, 2003)

i've seen that flexplate problem, and i noticed it on the 4.3's too, although, all of the small blocks from that era used that same plate.


however, the single click really confuses me.

that and not being able to turn the motor manually.

it almost sounds to me more like the valves have collided with the pistons.

however, according to all the manuals i can find, none of the chev v8's are succeptable to that particular problem.

the serpentine belt breaking shouldn't have caused this sort of an issue.

the serpentine belt drives the emissions pump, the a/c, the alternator, the power steering, and the water pump.

if the engine locked up, nothing on this belt would have had the spinning force to break the belt, and if one of these devices on the belt locked up, the most that would have happened would be the belt burning off, and that wouldn't cause these failures here. 

is it possible that the belt the mechanic had to replace was the _timing_ belt?


i'd hate to sound accusing, but is this a good mechanic? (replacing a serpentine belt is fairly simple, but the timing belt is a bit harder.)

what i would do at this point, is to see if the motor can be turned _backwards_ by disconnecting the bettery, and grasping the lowermost pully with both hands, and turning it backwards about 3 or 4 degrees.

if it moves backwards a couple of degrees, then the motor must be hitting some sort of an obstruction, and may be repairable. (although it might cost more than the car)

if it will not turn either direction at all, then it is either jammed solid, or somewhow some parts got so hot they fused.

as midnight tech pointed out, a broken crankshaft can sometimes have these same symptoms, and it could also possibly explain how the belt got broken.

basically, i see this being anywhere from a 200$ to a 4000$ repair.

for what it's worth, a rebuilt barebones motor is going to run about 1500-1800$, plus the cost to install it. (anywhere from a few cases of beer to 5 or 6 hundred bucks)

i hope some of this helps.


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## batty_professor (Jul 29, 2004)

Something the belt drives has seized, snapping the belt. remove the belt and see if the engine is free.


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## elf (Jul 19, 2002)

Waltside said:


> anywhere from a few cases of beer


Gotta love the mechanics that work for beer. When I wrecked my last car I had a guy offer to repair it for me for the price of parts and as long as he had a steady supply of beer.


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## Midnight Tech (Dec 31, 2001)

Several of the mechanics I talked with today told me it sounded like a seized engine as well....is/was there any oil in the engine?
Could have thrown a rod too.... :sigh:


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## pjfeltner (Jan 3, 2005)

*found out the problem*

i found out the problem, and you were all pretty much right. the mechanic, and my uncle both said they have never seen anything this bad happen in an engine. everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong. i broke/bent/snapped so much stuff it wasnt even funny, so i bought a new low-mileage engine for 2000 dollars. it was the pulley that was bent in the first place, and something went through the engine cause of force but im not sure. thanks for all your help


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