98 Chevy Cavalier, Slow Crank Won't Start

I suggest you overhaul the engine. Probably the problem is misalignment and or worn out parts/debris causes it to stuck.

Have you had a change oil recently? Not? Or how do you often change oil the engine? It should be not greater than every 5000 km.

You may try to have it change oil as engine overhauling cost much. Just be sure to flush it thoroughly. If problem persist, you have no choice but overhaul it.

oil was changed about 2 months ago.

it ran fine (except for running hot) up until i parked it to let it cool so i could change the thermostat

How do you often use this car? Just recently? Check the starter to eliminate one by one the defects, also adjust belt not too tight not too loss and check alignment as well.

I agree. A broken timing(?) belt, combined with an overheated and well used engine sounds like an easy cause for an engine overhaul or replacement. However, there comes a point in time where any machine is no longer worth repairing. It may be time to look for a replacement vehicle instead of a replacement engine.

it was the serpentine belt that broke, and the idle pulley that went bad, both were replaced. i'll get the starter tested, but would a slow crank be a condition they would see at the parts store?

I recommend to hire somebody who is qualified to check your engine other than you. A mechanic perhaps or a qualified adviser perhaps if you prefer to do it yourself.

No. They cannot test to see if the starter is slow. They can test for other attributes that result in a slow crank.

Good Luck

What does a compression test tell you about the condition of the cylinders and valves?

Perform the test correctly by removing all spark plugs, as you want the engine to crank as fast as it can. Notice the first pressure reading (first compression cycle), and then the maximum (after 10 or so cycles). Record this data as you accumulate it. Then put a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder and perform the test again. Compare this data against the manufactures engine overhaul specified requirements. The idea of the oil is to determine a piston ring leak vs valve. The oil will help seal the piston rings and improve the compression test.

If you overheated the engine, the cylinders are probably scored. If you had a bore scope you could look at them via the spark plug holes.

Given that this happened right after overheating the engine, I would suspect that something is bound up in the engine (a bearing or piston ring?). Remove the spark plugs and try to rotate the engine by hand. There should be a large hex nut on the front end of the crank shaft that you can get a socket wrench on. the engine should rotate freely. If not, then its time for a tear-down to find where the damage is and decide if the engine can be saved.

I saw a nice one online for $1400....

Remove all spark plugs, see if it still cranks slow.

Del

RRemoved the spark plugs and noticed they were wet with what appeared to be coolant. Also notice a leak under the exhaust. That leads me to believe that have a bad head gasket and that's why its not starting.

Does that sound right?

Engine turned the same with the plugs out no difference there

go to auto parts store rent or borrow this

Weigh it in, Mildred. Weigh it in.

The head gasket may be leaking because of damage sustained in the overheating incident, however, it is just as likely that you have warped the head itself.

See if you can find a reconditioned head at a reasonable price. ie the recon [process will have includede a pressure test on the water jacket, which is quite thin at it's domed section, and is susceptible to failure under overheat conditions, where warping occurs.

Also don't forget the cable connection's to the starter and the battery, they may cause it to turn over slow, but from your description of anti-freeze in the cylinders it sounds like you may have hydro-locked a cylinder. You quite possibly damaged a crank bearing or a rod bearing, more likely the rod. As well you need to find out where the coolant is coming from, a head gasket or a crack in the block or head. Been there and not a lot of fun to find it.

Hmm...

...Broken serpentine belt followed by overheating followed by slow cranking?

Check the water pump; sounds like the water pump bearing is seizing. It could also be the alternator, power steering pump, or air conditioning compressor clutch; a problem with any of the accessories can cause the belt to slip on the crankshaft pulley, causing the water pump -- and all other accessories -- to turn slowly. Any seizure of an accessory will also place a huge load on the starter motor.

You'll have to fix the head gasket before you do much else, though.

Check the water pump; sounds like the water pump bearing is seizing. It could also be the alternator, power steering pump, or air conditioning compressor clutch; a problem with any of the accessories can cause the belt to slip on the crankshaft pulley, causing the water pump -- and all other accessories -- to turn slowly. Any seizure of an accessory will also place a huge load on the starter motor.

All of that plus look at the starter motor itself. The battery condition and the battery leads. Did the timing get adjusted when the belt was replaced, causing the extra heat? 1998? well past useful life. 350k Km? well used. I remember a time when 150k Km was "life". Rebuild or trash? depends on your circumstance and finances.

Jim

Further places to check are over and above what has already been mentioned are:-

Was the engine timing accidentally changed when repairing?

This could be valve timing and/or ignition timing. Both MUST be checked. But I tend to think ignition is possibly the problem.

You need to know quite a lot to check this out correctly.....are you up to speed on such procedures?

The timing belt and its pulleys need to be observed to see that it is sitting in exactly the right position. Usually the front engine cover will need to be removed, but I don't know your particular engine though!

Then assuming that with removed spark plugs the engine spins over fast on the starter, check the ignition timing electronically for accuracy.

An violently over advanced ignition timing will for example "fight" the starter and slow down cranking. It may even stop at certain points (pun intended) for example......

Also, if and when running, badly over advanced ignition WILL cause the engine to overheat significantly!!!

It is possible that you have already damaged the engine with overheating......hopefully not!!! That depends often on distance run and water levels....plus luck!!

Best of luck, keep us informed....

You need to purchase a high mileage Cavalier repair kit.

(A truckload of money that follows you around)

Internet auction sites (names withheld) are an excellent way of solving problems like this. One simply lists the vehicle with pictures, and in a few days time someone comes along with some money, swaps it for the vehicle, and takes the problem away.

Cavaliers had head gasket issues from the start. I'm surprised you got that many miles out of it to start with. If you overheated it just a little it's probably the head gasket. Depending on your money situation it would be best to give up on that one. yu would just be opening up a can of worms.

"not sure where to look next"

I would suggest a used car dealer. If there is anything more serious than a starter, or battery cables, it may be time to send this filly out to pasture. Coolant may be repaired by using a quality cooling system sealer such as Barr's block sealer, or Blue Devil block sealer. In my opinion the labor costs to return this engine to reliable condition would exceed the value of sixteen year old car that was a low cost car when it was new. If you have a connection to avoid the labor, that would change my opinion, but from your questions, that does not seem the case. Good luck.