SPUTTER...tapping...and now DEAD...

[mistermatt516]

Have no idea what happened to me this morning...wnet up to 7 eleven for coffee and the paper...car has been sputtering a little but under 3krpm so i figured id be looking for a vacum leak this week...well i let it keep running when i went inside and when i came out a LOUD tapping like a valve was happening...i couldnt tell exactly where it was coming from...so i took her home (like 5 blocks) and pulled it in the driveway....just tried to start it again like an hour later and wont even start not a sputter...nuthin....

I was SUPPOSSED to be driving this car from NY to texas this wednesday...but something is tellin me that isnt gonna happen...

I'm really a novice at all this...I don't even know how to check for codes...any help would be greatly appreciated..

car is a stock 88T...thanks

 

[shaeff]

first off, use the link in my sig below to check your error codes. it explains how and whatnot. there's too many things it could be with the description you gave.

was the "tapping sound" more of a tap tap tap tap, or a knock knock knock knock. also, did you hear which area of the engine it was coming from?

how's the oil level?

what was the vacuum reading, if you looked? it should be in the vicinity of -20 or so.

check those codes, and get back to us asap.

-shaeff

 

[mistermatt516]

hey thanks for the quick reply...it was definitly more of a tap tap tap than a knock knock kncok...i checked the oil first thing cuz i DID have pep boys change the oil this week when they did the tires...so i was thinking they mighta effed it up..but oil is ok....

I tried to check the codes from your link (great idea btw) but no codes are coming up at all...

 

[shaeff]

hmm, that's a bit odd. try using a cut wooden broomstick, and hold it to your ear, and press the other end to the motor. move it around, until you pinpoint the sound. just be careful not to damage your hearing. (i dont put it directly in my ear, but on that little piece that sticks out, and it works very, very well)

something might have just come loose, or perhaps you need a shim adjustment.

-shaeff

 

[mistermatt516]

I found this file...
http://www.supramania.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2190

It sounded EXACTLY like the sound the guy recorded for the rodknock sound...ffuck me

 

[mistermatt516]

What causes this? This motor was rebuilt les than 20,000 miles ago and has been pretty reliable...any way the jackasses over at pepboys changing my oil coulda fucked this up?

 

[siman]

What causes this? This motor was rebuilt les than 20,000 miles ago and has been pretty reliable...any way the jackasses over at pepboys changing my oil coulda fucked this up?

Wrong oil....not enough oil........who knows.

Its not for certain yet.

-Jonathan

 

[shaeff]

do you know what kind of oil they put in? what viscosity?

-shaeff

 

[mistermatt516]

I told em i wanted Mobile 1 synthetic oil...and thats what they put on the recipt...i seem to remember someone on here saying use that...and that's 15-30 isnt it? is that a taboo with these cars?

 

[gixxer750]

I have run 15W-50 in mine since it was broken in, in the mobil 1 brand....synthetic