BIG PROBLEM!

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My Dodge Stratus 2.4l apparently got hot and the gauge did not register. I was going down the road and heard a knocking noise. Temp looked normal and had oil. I proceeded to go home and it started getting worse. It then started losing power and the entime light started flashing. I knew something was REALLY wrong so I was planning to stop in a gas station 1/4 of a mile away and get it towed home. The oil pressure light came on and It was really knocking bad. It lost its power and shut off as I was pulling in. I had it towed home and let it cool. It will not start. It just spins over very fast. 0 my 1 cyllinder had compression. But only 80 psi. I think I blew the head and head gasket. But is there likely cracked or melted pistons or rings?
 
IF this isnt a trolling post with the same engine that melted paint off the hood..
I'd say timing belt/chain due to the fact that it spins fast.
I still think this whole car and its "adventures" is a fable, but I'll take the bait.
 
That engine is toast. It probably has burnt pistons, valves, spun bearings and/or broken timing belt/chain.



edit: I mean how efficient was your oil filter?
 
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When someone drives a car overheated until she will go no more, it always ends up that the whole engine is toast.
 
When that happens you need to go out and slash one of the back tires so you end up driving on the rim, which will take your mind off of the engine.
 
Throw in a tanker truck with a "Flammable" sticker on the back and you have most of the plot of Duel.
 
If you cook off all or most of the coolant then the temp gauge has nothing to read and can just go back to "normal". The gauge is not accurate reading steam or just plain hot air.

If you get that far down the road you might have turned your engine into junk. Just get a grease pencil and write "AMF" on the hood.

There are other signs besides the temp gauge that you might consider noticing while driving and stop before you cook the engine, smoke, heat waves rolling out from under the hood, odd noises, a different smell and mostly common sense.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
temp looked normal??


Probably no coolant left.
 
Isn't this the car you used to tow your two broken down Civics 500 miles with?
grin2.gif
 
Is this the same dude that had 4 civics all with 'rod knock' that mobil 1 cured.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
IF this isnt a trolling post with the same engine that melted paint off the hood..
I'd say timing belt/chain due to the fact that it spins fast.
I still think this whole car and its "adventures" is a fable, but I'll take the bait.


In fairness I've seen the chrome peel off the intake and get into the engine and ruin the valves and such on the 2.4 sounds crazy but I've seen it.
 
With blown head gaskets, you can have isolated hot spots. If the hot spot is on one side of the engine and the sensor is on the other, lets say the sensor is near cylinder 4 and the hot spot due to bad gasket is at cylinder 1, it will read normal and you will be warping the head.
Hopefully you can get your overheating and head gasket issues on various cars under control. Do you run your engines very hard?
 
Originally Posted By: ram_man
Originally Posted By: Rand
IF this isnt a trolling post with the same engine that melted paint off the hood..
I'd say timing belt/chain due to the fact that it spins fast.
I still think this whole car and its "adventures" is a fable, but I'll take the bait.


In fairness I've seen the chrome peel off the intake and get into the engine and ruin the valves and such on the 2.4 sounds crazy but I've seen it.


In a previous thread (iirc) the OP overheated the car so bad the oil cap melted and the paint on the hood peeled off. Miraculously, the car ran fine the next day and he used it to tow his Civics that didn't run across the midwest.
 
Dodge Stratus with no compression?

Regardless of the issue, fixing it will cost more than the value of the car.

Time to call the junk yard to pick it up, literally.
 
15.gif


Reminds me of a story my indy told:
Guy shows up at his shop with a 3/5-series BMW, waaaayyy overheated and said "When the temp light came on (25 miles ago), I decided to come straight here instead of going home."

Indy does a
33.gif
(facepalm)

All the plastic pipes that run next to the engine & the plastic intake manifold, electric water pump etc. was Toes Up, plus he warped the head. He didn't have the sense to IMMEDIATELY turn it off and open the hood? No, he didn't. "I did come straight over here!!!!"

That mistake cost him about $3500. He's had people just burst into tears when faced with the costs.

Back to the OP: Overheating anything and continuing to drive it knocking, is a really, really bad idea! 1/4mi away?????
 
Wow! Sounds like the OP'ster has told some unforgettable stories.

Somehow I just wouldn't feel right if I kept on driving my car with banging noises coming from the engine.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
15.gif


Reminds me of a story my indy told:
Guy shows up at his shop with a 3/5-series BMW, waaaayyy overheated and said "When the temp light came on (25 miles ago), I decided to come straight here instead of going home."

Indy does a
33.gif
(facepalm)

All the plastic pipes that run next to the engine & the plastic intake manifold, electric water pump etc. was Toes Up, plus he warped the head. He didn't have the sense to IMMEDIATELY turn it off and open the hood? No, he didn't. "I did come straight over here!!!!"

That mistake cost him about $3500. He's had people just burst into tears when faced with the costs.

Back to the OP: Overheating anything and continuing to drive it knocking, is a really, really bad idea! 1/4mi away?????




Once you can hear knocking it's game over might as well keep going.
 
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