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3.4 DOHC wont start? help please.


douellette

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im looking at a 95 monte carlo z34 for possible purchase. Heres a link to the ad: http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1645547070.html

 

and heres the things he said in email: "well its been all tuned up we just put new tires for the summer and brakes on like just in this month its either that orrr the coil just went again cause we just replaced them lately sooo it could be a number of things." and he said this: "cranks over normal speed just not starting i was leaveing to go to practice and it just didnt start and i was only inside for like a hour haha came out didnt start and now its just ready to get a different car and i wanna get a different one too."

 

what do you guys think? crank sensor? worth getting?

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" i dont know if its the starter "pretty sure it is though" but im not a mechanic or its the battery "

 

sounds like they already has it figured out!!!11!1!

 

honestly, could be a few things: 3X crank sensor, ICM, coil packs, FUBARED PCM, cut/mangled wiring, etc, etc...

 

look around for damage, and if you find it, keep quiet and buy it cheap or offer to fix it for some cash.

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" i dont know if its the starter "pretty sure it is though" but im not a mechanic or its the battery "

 

sounds like they already has it figured out!!!11!1!

 

honestly, could be a few things: 3X crank sensor, ICM, coil packs, FUBARED PCM, cut/mangled wiring, etc, etc...

 

look around for damage, and if you find it, keep quiet and buy it cheap or offer to fix it for some cash.

 

well it looks like a really nice car. hes gonna go check out the timing belt for me. Its over an hours drive to get there so i dont wanna just waste the gas goin out there for nothin.

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though honestly, 2K for a car that refuses to start is insanity.

 

he told me he would sell it to me for $1200, i think thats a very fair price for the condition and work thats been done.

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he told me he would sell it to me for $1200, i think thats a very fair price for the condition and work thats been done.

 

Offer him 800 tops, mods don't add any value to a car, even more so when it is some crappy speakers and a K&N filter, and a non running car is still a non running car, no matter how you look at it. Detailed every 2 weeks? BS. Yes the body is in very good condition, but that is the only redeeming factor on that vehicle as it sits. Not to sound like a dick, but anything over 800 and you're either an idiot or a very generous person.

 

Oh and I almost guarantee it is a timing belt. Remember, people will lie to sell a car. "Oh the car won't start it must just be something incredibly simple such as the starter or the battery but I'll just take a loss on it even though it is SUCH a simple job to do and wouldn't cost me near as much as the loss I would take on this as a non-running vehicle." Seems legit to me /sarcasm.

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he told me he would sell it to me for $1200, i think thats a very fair price for the condition and work thats been done.

 

Offer him 800 tops, mods don't add any value to a car, even more so when it is some crappy speakers and a K&N filter, and a non running car is still a non running car, no matter how you look at it. Detailed every 2 weeks? BS. Yes the body is in very good condition, but that is the only redeeming factor on that vehicle as it sits. Not to sound like a dick, but anything over 800 and you're either an idiot or a very generous person.

 

Oh and I almost guarantee it is a timing belt. Remember, people will lie to sell a car. "Oh the car won't start it must just be something incredibly simple such as the starter or the battery but I'll just take a loss on it even though it is SUCH a simple job to do and wouldn't cost me near as much as the loss I would take on this as a non-running vehicle." Seems legit to me /sarcasm.

 

:/ that sounds very true. but would it be the belt just all of a sudden? I.E. shut the car off for an hour and then go to start it again.

its just that its so hard to find these cars up here in good shape, low mileage and a price i can afford.

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:/ that sounds very true. but would it be the belt just all of a sudden? I.E. shut the car off for an hour and then go to start it again.

its just that its so hard to find these cars up here in good shape, low mileage and a price i can afford.

 

Like I said, he very well could be lying about the situation. Easy way to check if the belt is fried or not is to go there with a 8 mil socket, remove the inspection panel on the belt, and crank the car over and see if the belt turns. If the belt turns its got some other issues, probably actually simple then. If not, then you know what the problem is.

 

Also the belt may turn but if you see a bunch of frayed rubber around the inspection panel then it could have skipped a cog and be out of time. I myself have not seen this happen but I have heard of it happening.

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:/ that sounds very true. but would it be the belt just all of a sudden? I.E. shut the car off for an hour and then go to start it again.

its just that its so hard to find these cars up here in good shape, low mileage and a price i can afford.

 

Like I said, he very well could be lying about the situation. Easy way to check if the belt is fried or not is to go there with a 8 mil socket, remove the inspection panel on the belt, and crank the car over and see if the belt turns. If the belt turns its got some other issues, probably actually simple then. If not, then you know what the problem is.

 

Also the belt may turn but if you see a bunch of frayed rubber around the inspection panel then it could have skipped a cog and be out of time. I myself have not seen this happen but I have heard of it happening.

 

well i told him to go do that for me and he said he would take some pictures of what it looks like so. im waiting for him to come back to me with the results.

 

so basically, if the belt seems bad then say no buy, and if the belts good then possibly buy it?

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this is what he said now: "well im not sure dude the belt is i guess inside of the motor and its a hassle to get at if u want to u can come out and look at it urself and bring someone with you, but when i turn the key over it clicks sooo whatever that means it is im not sure, i think its the starter or the coils but the car is a very nice looking car never beat on keep clean and the oil and everything has been changed its ready togo but just this one problem"

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"clicks"

 

as in starter solenoid? as in it costs all of ~15 dollars to fix? :facepalm:

 

If you read the first post though, he said it was cranking at normal speed just not starting... If it's just clicking now, he probably ran the battery dead trying to start it...

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That's what happened to my LQ1. One of the plastic idlers bought the farm, and caused the thing to jump time. Easy to see, though, take the inspection cover off, and watch while it cranks. In my case it moved unevenly, and jumped about a half inch between the cams.

 

Oddly enough, though, the belt looked great. I'm hoping to have mine running again tomorrow, now what I got the factory tools to do the job.

 

:/ that sounds very true. but would it be the belt just all of a sudden? I.E. shut the car off for an hour and then go to start it again.

its just that its so hard to find these cars up here in good shape, low mileage and a price i can afford.

 

Like I said, he very well could be lying about the situation. Easy way to check if the belt is fried or not is to go there with a 8 mil socket, remove the inspection panel on the belt, and crank the car over and see if the belt turns. If the belt turns its got some other issues, probably actually simple then. If not, then you know what the problem is.

 

Also the belt may turn but if you see a bunch of frayed rubber around the inspection panel then it could have skipped a cog and be out of time. I myself have not seen this happen but I have heard of it happening.

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He said now: "ill look and try to take those bolts off i just dont wanna mess with anything and make it it worse know wat i mean? umm yeah it turns over fine and then it just makes a loud click and then doesnt start but everything turns on inside of the car like the radio works lights turn on everything but if u would like a video ill try and make one thats a good one so u can hear it but im not sure if my phone is able to send vids but ill try"

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He said now: "ill look and try to take those bolts off i just dont wanna mess with anything and make it it worse know wat i mean? umm yeah it turns over fine and then it just makes a loud click and then doesnt start but everything turns on inside of the car like the radio works lights turn on everything but if u would like a video ill try and make one thats a good one so u can hear it but im not sure if my phone is able to send vids but ill try"

 

You're going to have to go look at it yourself, the guy sounds like he is an idiot when it comes to cars or he is really trying to play dumb.

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I'll second this. If you are willing to take on the project work out a price and roll the dice. If the guy knew how to fix it/diagnose it himself he would not be trying to unload it.

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I'd say pass on it, especially at that price and the fact that you don't seem that you would be able to properly diagnose/fix the problem

 

are you saying that i dont know my automotive stuff?? ive just never had any experince with the DOHC.

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yeah but the car is 2 1/2 hours away from me :/

 

What it comes down to is this: If you want this car, you are going to have to go look at it. This guy obviously has no clue what he is doing or is trying to hide something. I know its 2.5 hours away, but if you're interested you're just going to have to go up there...

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yeah but the car is 2 1/2 hours away from me :/

 

What it comes down to is this: If you want this car, you are going to have to go look at it. This guy obviously has no clue what he is doing or is trying to hide something. I know its 2.5 hours away, but if you're interested you're just going to have to go up there...

 

well i dont have the cash RIGHT now so i guess i will have to pass :/

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alright well this is the last thing hes said so far: " well were getting it look at most likely this weekend and if we get it fixed then its going back up to 2 g... and i have other buys that wanna buy the car so if u really want it u were the first person interested so ill let you buy it but if you dont want it im going to sell it its just sitting in my drive way takeing up space its not the timeing belt"

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It sounds like he's hoping you'll diagnose or fix it for him. I'd almost guarantee the moment it's running again, it will suddenly no longer be for sale.... watch and see.

 

Meanwhile, I'd LET him "get it looked at". He's playing you. He knows you want the car, and I have serious doubts he's planning to have it diagnosed or fixed.

 

Really, now.... How many buyers could you imagine he's got for an old car that doesn't even run? Not many, I'd wager (I'd bet NONE)....because most people have NO CLUE how to fix any car, let alone a DOHC.

 

My advice is to back off, and act as if you're a bit uninterested. You're probably the only true buyer, and if he sees you're losing interest, he's going to be much more interested in giving you what you want.

 

 

 

alright well this is the last thing hes said so far: " well were getting it look at most likely this weekend and if we get it fixed then its going back up to 2 g... and i have other buys that wanna buy the car so if u really want it u were the first person interested so ill let you buy it but if you dont want it im going to sell it its just sitting in my drive way takeing up space its not the timeing belt"

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