HELP... I have a serious car problem, need advice ASAP! Thanks in advance

[sorgaw]

My car just broke down on me tonight! I stopped my car outside my girlfriend's house for about 10 minutes, and when i resume driving, the car is acting weird. It seemed doesnt have any torque at all when i step on the gas petal in the first gear, the car just go slowly , same thing happen in second and third gear. Also the engine warning light came on.

I stopped the car after driving it for a few block, because it felt it could break down any time. I checked the engine oil, and there wasn't enough engine oil! so i add a bottle. The engine warnign light didnt come back on after i restart the car, but it was difficult to start the car. There was some squeaky sound and it took me several tries to start the car. I thought the problem is fixed after the engine light went off, but it didnt! there were still no torque or power when i step on the gas pedal. so all i could do is to leave the car there tonight and call a tow truck tomrow. To make things worse, i press on the gas in the neutral gear , and suddenly the rpm needle just drop dead to the 0 rpm mark, and it is sticked there! it wont move even when i step on the gas and hear the engine rev. sigh...

My friend told me that it could be the head gasket, i might burn it. If so, i will have to replace the engine. anyone had the similar experience before?? what might the problem be and how and how much to repair it??? I need advices asap, i know so little about car engine. Thanks in advance.

By the way, the car engine had some squeaking noises for about two days. It happened after I accidentally poured some water to the timing belt thing when i tried to refill the water. I am not sure that has anything to what happened tonight. I should bring it to the shop when i heard the noise, but i was too lazy, thought it's minor problem. Well, i learned my lesson, hope you guys watch out in the future and dont be lazy!!

 

[Kadarin]

What is the year, make, and model of the car?

 

[MacBaine]

sounds to me like your car is broken.

 

[SnapIT]

Originally posted by: sorgaw
My car just broke down on me tonight! I stopped my car outside my girlfriend's house for about 10 minutes, and when i resume driving, the car is acting weird. It seemed doesnt have any torque at all when i step on the gas petal in the first gear, the car just go slowly , same thing happen in second and third gear. Also the engine warning light came on.

I stopped the car after driving it for a few block, because it felt it could break down any time. I checked the engine oil, and there wasn't enough engine oil! so i add a bottle. The engine warnign light didnt come back on after i restart the car, but it was difficult to start the car. There was some squeaky sound and it took me several tries to start the car. I thought the problem is fixed after the engine light went off, but it didnt! there were still no torque or power when i step on the gas pedal. so all i could do is to leave the car there tonight and call a tow truck tomrow. To make things worse, i press on the gas in the neutral gear , and suddenly the rpm needle just drop dead to the 0 rpm mark, and it is sticked there! it wont move even when i step on the gas and hear the engine rev. sigh...

My friend told me that it could be the head gasket, i might burn it. If so, i will have to replace the engine. anyone had the similar experience before?? what might the problem be and how and how much to repair it??? I need advices asap, i know so little about car engine. Thanks in advance.

By the way, the car engine had some squeaking noises for about two days. It happened after I accidentally poured some water to the timing belt thing when i tried to refill the water. I am not sure that has anything to what happened tonight. I should bring it to the shop when i heard the noise, but i was too lazy, thought it's minor problem. Well, i learned my lesson, hope you guys watch out in the future and dont be lazy!!

To me it sounds like a cracked top, block or wasted piston rings... However, it could just be the top seal that is busted...

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
What is the year, make, and model of the car?

People, when you ask about a car problem (here, or anywhere), always give this information, along with what country you're in, if not the US. Every car is different.

If you don't give these vital pieces of information, it's like me posting that my computer turned itself off, and when I tried to restart it, it beeped 19 times, what's wrong with it?

EDIT: (Now, to be helpful with the little bit of info we have. . .)

The fact that you needed to add coolant (water) is bad. Theoretically, you never need to add water. That might or might not be related to the problem you experienced last night, but it needs attention.

Since the tach stopped working, this very likely points to a problem with the distributor.

Since the engine light came on, there should be a code set in the computer (it's still there, even though the light turned off). When the code is read, it will help point to the problem.

 

[Bluefront]

Squeeky sounds you heard for two days.....you were low on oil? Overhead camshaft engine?

Sounds like something is seizing (locking up) due to an oil-circulation problem, maybe the cams. On many engines they seize before anything else when the oil is low.....read here big bucks.

 

[Ornery]

Hmmmm, after adding oil, the light didn't come back on. Not too cool there. You added water to a "timing belt thing"? Man, I need to educated on these new cars! Either way, if this turns out to be a mechanical, as opposed to electrical, problem... YIKES! Maybe you could slap a few quarts of synthetic lubricant in there and trade it in to a car dealer for a different car?

 

[NogginBoink]

A squealing sound is typical when a belt is slipping.

As for the loss of torque, is this a standard or automatic transmission? If auto, have you checked the tranny fluid?

Check the air filter. A clogged filter could cause these problems.

 

[notfred]

Here's what I gleaned from this, after my translation:

Car was low on coolant. He added water, spilled some on the fan belt, and it squeaked for a couple days.

Car was low on oil. Oil light came on. He can't differentiate between "low oil" and "check engine". He added oil, light went off.

Car runs, but with a loss of power.

We still don't know what kind of car it is.

 

[sorgaw]

Thanks everyone's advices, i know i can count on anandtech! Thanks notfred for summarize things out, and that's exactly what happened, except the car is more than loss power, it seemed like it could break down any second. And yes, i spilled some water to the timign belt not add water to it.

I drive a 1991 Acura Integra, stick shift, and i never had any major engine problem before.

I am going to tow my car to a car shop now, hope i dont need a major repair.

I really appreciate you guys' replies, anandtech members knows about everything!

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Whatever happened to "check your fluids every time you fill up for gas"? There's no excuse for being low on oil...engine warning light? Sure that wasn't an oil dummy light (which is pressure, not level)? Since I assume this is a newer car, it probably has overhead cam(s)...low oil pressure caused by low oil level = no oil to your cams & valves = seized valves and/or damaged cam(s).

Was the car producing excess exhaust? Did the engine run rough?

 

[sorgaw]

ThisIsMatt: i will sure follow the "check your fluids every time you fill up for gas" rule from now on.

Eventhough there was squeaking noise for the past two days, the car engine ran fine before it acted up last night. Besides there was lack of power/torque, the car engine seemed choke very little once a while. Lucky it didnt happened on the freeway.

 

[NogginBoink]

If you've got low torque on a manual transmission and the engine is running, it's probably the clutch.

If the engine isn't running properly, then I wouldn't classify this as "low torque" but as outright engine problems.

 

[SyahM]

for me, it sounds like you new a need clutch, and the timing belt itself might be loosed.
Can you shift without excessive force?
Does the engine starts?

 

[Evadman]

The loss of power sounds like you spun a bearing. Some engines will still run ( as my 2.8 did when I spun a bearing ) But it will have no power. You are very likely looking at a rebuild or a new block. The engine ran out of oil and started to eat itself. the lack of collant accelerated the process.

Thanks for translating notfred

 

[The Stigenator]

Sounds like your engine is shot!

I had that too.... I coudlnt start it (2 cylinders were frozen and when they were brought back they werent working right). I am about to go to the dealer to see what can be done to that car. Pretty much you need a new engine in there.

By any chance your car a Toyota Tercel or Paseo?

Here is my car thread - same problem as yours.

 

[sorgaw]

UPDATE: The engine still alive??!!

I brought the car a shop, my dad knows the owner. he checked the car, and said the engine should be fine, it is the fuel pump that gone bad. He said he should get it done by monday. I hope that's the case, i am SO RELIEF that the engine is still alive, and that my parents wont scold at me cuz it's my fault to break the car, hehe..

I drove it today for about two blocks, had problems starting it, but the power/torque came back!! it still wasn't 100% normal like it used to be, but sure alot better than last night. also, there were alot of blueish smoke coming from the exhaust. Anywayz, hope that mechanic is right.

Thanks everyone for the reply, Anandtech is my second home!

 

[The Stigenator]

Originally posted by: sorgaw
UPDATE: The engine still alive??!!

I brought the car a shop, my dad knows the owner. he checked the car, and said the engine should be fine, it is the fuel pump that gone bad. He said he should get it done by monday. I hope that's the case, i am SO RELIEF that the engine is still alive, and that my parents wont scold at me cuz it's my fault to break the car, hehe..

I drove it today for about two blocks, had problems starting it, but the power/torque came back!! it still wasn't 100% normal like it used to be, but sure alot better than last night. also, there were alot of blueish smoke coming from the exhaust. Anywayz, hope that mechanic is right.

Thanks everyone for the reply, Anandtech is my second home!

Blueish smoke = burning oil

White smoke = burning coolant/water

Open the oil filler cap, if you can smell "gas" in there then your car is not burning gas and its leaking into the oil reservior.. If your loosing coolant and oil then I would say it wouldnt last much longer.. but make sure you cehck it before every drive.