Coolant change... Now car won't start.

[FatManDangerous]

Tonight I flushed all my coolant out to run distilled water and water wetter for the summer months... While re-filling everything I turned the engine over little by little in order to allow the water to fill all the gaps that it would miss otherwise...


That was probably my first mistake. After doing this for a bit, cranking it, topping it off, etc, the engine fired up, shot to 2k rpms as it usually does, but then it made a TERRIBLE grinding noise, as if a vacuum line got caught in the radiator fan and the engine stalled.

The car is now full of coolant, and it will crank over, but I'm not hearing ANY spark whatsoever. Any ideas?

I also topped off my oil (added 1/2 quart) could that be an issue?

I'm really lost here, unless I happened to get ignition components wet or something.

Any help would be great. This is on a 93 GSX. Thank you.

Edit-

Is it possible that I may have flooded the engine with the constant cranking?

 

[Colt4G63 also]

I don't understand why you would turn the engine over little by little. The impeller on the water pump isn't going to create any actual flow unless it's spinning at idle speed minimum.

Maybe you washed down the cylinders with fuel and siezed the pistons in the bores. Does water wetter provide any type of corrosion or boil over protection?

 

[FatManDangerous]

Supposedly it does, it is redline water wetter... And the engine still cranks so I doubt the cylinders are "seized." The cranking was just a hope that the pump actually operated all the time... I did not know that, but now I do.

 

[Palmetto_TSi]

is it possible that just by coincidence your timing belt broke, and it has nothing to do with the coolant? I'm sure it is a separate issue.

If you flooded the engine, it wouldn't have started and ran at all...

 

[9!'clipseDOHC]

I'm a little confused as to why you were filling it up in that manner. I like to squeeze the lower hose to get the majority of the air out and then start the car up and let it idle while topping it off. Also make sure there is coolant in the overflow.

As for your current issue, I have no idea about that grinding sound. (And I don't know what a vacuum line caught in a fan sounds like either) I would check to make sure that you can rotate the crank by hand to make sure its not locked up before doing anything else. Then a compression test would be a good idea before moving on.

 

[Colt4G63 also]

Supposedly it does, it is redline water wetter

Cool, I've been meaning to try that stuff in my '51 Buick, but I haven't bothered to pull it out of the garage in two years.

Maybe the electric fan came on and sucked a bunch of water out of the radiator fins. That will make a pretty wicked noise, and soak all the ignition components in the process.

 

[DSMnoobsause]

the pump does run off of the timing belt so it does spin whenever the motor is turned over. but to blead a cooling system you have to fill it full then add fluid till operating temp. then let it the car cool and top off coolant. done.

 

[Colt4G63 also]

the pump does run off of the timing belt so it does spin whenever the motor is turned over. but to blead a cooling system you have to fill it full then add fluid till operating temp. then let it the car cool and top off coolant. done.

The water pump doesn't run off the timing belt; what motor are you working on?

Besides, the water pump is a spinny fan like the turbo, are you telling my that by just bumping the compressor wheel you can build boost? It's the same principal.

Edit: Obviously you aren't saying that, but turning over the motor doesn't by any means pump water.

 

[FatManDangerous]

is it possible that just by coincidence your timing belt broke, and it has nothing to do with the coolant? I'm sure it is a separate issue.

If you flooded the engine, it wouldn't have started and ran at all...

I took the timing belt cover off, cranked it a few times and it still seems fine. It is relatively new (<15k miles)

I'm a little confused as to why you were filling it up in that manner. I like to squeeze the lower hose to get the majority of the air out and then start the car up and let it idle while topping it off. Also make sure there is coolant in the overflow.

As for your current issue, I have no idea about that grinding sound. (And I don't know what a vacuum line caught in a fan sounds like either) I would check to make sure that you can rotate the crank by hand to make sure its not locked up before doing anything else. Then a compression test would be a good idea before moving on.

The crank isn't locked up by any means, the engine still turns over.

the pump does run off of the timing belt so it does spin whenever the motor is turned over. but to blead a cooling system you have to fill it full then add fluid till operating temp. then let it the car cool and top off coolant. done.

I will keep that in mind, thanks.

I pulled the plugs, they reek of gasoline. I don't have the materials to do a proper compression test. Thanks for the speedy replies guys.

Edit: Obviously you aren't saying that, but turning over the motor doesn't by any means pump water.

I know that now, thank you.

Any other ideas guys? Timing belt is in-tact, engine turns over at a solid 400-500 rpm as it usually did. I don't see why compression wouldn't be anything less than it has been in the past.

Could the timing belt have slipped?

 

[phunny]

Are you getting spark?

Did you verify timing?

 

[FatManDangerous]

So... My balance shaft belt ended up snapping, and debris got caught under the timing belt and threw off timing a couple teeth. Both belts are in the process of bein replaced... Anything I should keep an eye out for besides bent valves and/or dinged pistons?


Thanks again guys.

 

[DSMnoobsause]

So... My balance shaft belt ended up snapping, and debris got caught under the timing belt and threw off timing a couple teeth. Both belts are in the process of bein replaced... Anything I should keep an eye out for besides bent valves and/or dinged pistons?


Thanks again guys.

Just make sure everything spins and doesn't catch before the new belts go on.

 

[DSMnoobsause]

The water pump doesn't run off the timing belt; what motor are you working on?

Besides, the water pump is a spinny fan like the turbo, are you telling my that by just bumping the compressor wheel you can build boost? It's the same principal.

Edit: Obviously you aren't saying that, but turning over the motor doesn't by any means pump water.

I meant drive belt. But the pump does spin while the motor is being turned over. I never implied it actualy pumped water anywhere. It mearly spins with engine rotation.