Oldsmobile - Alero :: 2000 - Hard To Start / Engine Knocks And Putting Out A Lot Of White Exhaust
Apr 8, 2011
My 2000 alero was WAY low on oil so I added a quart then drove for about 45 mins at 40 mph the car seemed fine. the following morning when I went to start it the car turned over but would not start when it finally started the engine knocks and it is putting out a lot of white exhaust. obviously I need to see a mechanic but what might be wrong. my neighbor said one of the cylinders isn't doing what ever it is supposed to do he said it passed a compression test but I don't know what that means...
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2001 Oldsmobile Alero, 4cyl, purchased in March with around 150k miles.About a month and a half ago I topped off the coolant. 2-3 weeks ago I noticed the exhaust was intermittently throwing off white smoke. Not thick, opaque plumes or anything, but more like how your exhaust might look on a cold day. Being May though, I knew the temperature was not responsible.
This white smoke would occur intermittently and usually stop after driving for a a little bit. Since the white smoke was not constant and the coolant levels seemed to be okay I figured maybe it was something with the EVAP system or the fuel mixture. On a hunch and as a matter of maintenance I put in new Oxygen sensors a few days ago. The next day my coolant light went off again. Since then I've put radiator stop-leak in the coolant and some STP "gasket rejuvenator" in the oil.
My theory: if the head gasket is indeed cracked, it's a very small crack--small enough so that after the engine warms up a bit the gasket expands essentially sealing the crack. This would explain the intermittent nature of the white smoke and and slowness of coolant leak. Are there any other tell-tale signs I should look for with a bad gasket, if this indeed that case? I saw in the store some stuff similar to stop-leak specifically designed for sealing head gaskets that involved draining the radiator, dumping this stuff in and running the engine for a bit, draining it out, and letting the car sit for a day before putting new coolant in. If the head gasket is the issue would the combination of stop leak.
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I am writing this about my fiances 2000 Oldsmobile Alero 3.4 liter. I live in MN so we see our fair share of cold weather. After her car has sat over night it will not start in the morning when the temp is below 32F or so. It started happening at the end of last winter and then it got warmer out and the car became normal...which is hard to figure out the issue when you cant verify the problem when you want to. Anyways we just had one of our first pretty cold nights and we went out to start her car and it barely started.
I have suspected it to be a fuel issue because while trying to start it if I hold the gas pedal in it will start to backfire lately and just acts like it is flooded. This last summer I looked over some things and found that the Fuel Pressure Regulator was leaking into the vacuum line which would go into the intake manifold and flood the car. So I replaced that convinced that it would solve the issue. It didn't. I also found that the PCV valve was stuck so I replaced that. Last winter I dumped in a bottle of gasoline de-icer or whatever that stuff is called thinking maybe she got some bad gas and her lines were freezing. That didnt change anything.
When the car wont start I can literally crank until the battery is dead (newer battery in the car) with no luck. I have had to be jumping it and cranking it over for a good hour to get it to start. Not cranking straight time obviously. But about an hour worth of time before it starts. And at that time i am thinking it starts just because of the air temp going up in that amount of time or something... I don't know. I am not quite ready to bring the car into the shop because I know it will need to stay there for a few days to be able to get the right conditions for them to verify the problem. My fiance and me have very busy schedules between both working full time and going to school full time. So to be without a car for a few times isn't an option.
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Having some issues with my 2003 Alero 4 cylinder. Upon start the entire engine shudders and the check engine light flashes. I have to turn it off and turn it on and it will stop most of the time. I've taken it in and the mechanics can't get it to reproduce the same issue for them. Just replaced all four plugs, boots, ignition coil.
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I have a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero. Whenever my gas gauge gets to about 3/4 tank, my car acts as if it is out of gas. I know my fuel gauge is working and that my car has gas. I was told that it was most likely the fuel pressure regulator valve so I had that replaced but it hasn't worked at all. Is it my fuel pump? Or what else could it be?
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Have a 2000 Alero. Mechanic says oil on ground is from leaking head gasket. $3000 to repair, or buy rebuilt engine for about the same. I thought head gasket leaks were into the coolant, not outside. Is this legit, including the cost? Valve cover gaskets were replaced earlier this year. Should I get another opinion? Other possible sources of leak?
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I have a 64 Olds Cutlass. I drive it once a week or so. That means it sits most of the time. Lately it's been very damp and rainy. I've noticed that when I start the Olds up there is white smoke coming from the exhaust. This lasts about a minute or until the car warms up and I start driving. Then it disappears. Is this just condensation burning off or, I hope not, a blown head gasket? How can I tell the difference?
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I've been having a problem with my 2000 Alero recently where, periodically, attempting to start the car will end in the car stalling and the security light beginning to flash on the dashboard. Usually after about 10 minutes the light goes off and the car starts normally (well, insofar as feeling like it's going to shake itself apart the moment it hits idle is normal, but that's another topic for another post). This happens about 40% of the time when starting the car, and seems to be happening more and more frequently (which may be my imagination).
I took the car into the dealer (after my local mechanic told me he was familiar with the problem and wouldn't be able to fix it), and they told me I needed to replace the body control module and passlock sensor... Car info : 2000 Oldsmobile Alero~140,000 miles2.4L I-4.....
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I have a 2002 Alero with 124,000 miles and it's been giving me problems lately. Sometimes while I'm driving my car just shuts off. Radio still on and lights work, but the car just stops running. There are days where I can start my car with no problems and there are days where my vehicle doesn't start at all for days/weeks. I've taken my car to two different shops and they didn't find anything wrong with it but as soon as I got it back it started doing the same thing again. What is wrong with this car or what I need to do?
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My 2001 alero 3400 engine is getting hot again this alero is running with a 2001 impala engine run great for few months, replace radiator, hoses, thermostat and suddenly coolant start leaking in the overflow, fans not working even with ac on, i replace the etc sensor and did not work, the fans turn on when I disconnect the etc sensor so i think the fan motors are ok. I got one pcm module from the salvage yard in case I need to replace it but I read that only the dealer can reprogram the computer system because vin number issues....
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I have an 01 olds alero, I been having problems with the engine stalling out. i was told it may need a new fuel filter so I replaced filter and now it idles rough till it stalls. What to do next? I replaced the plugs 2 years ago also.
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My mom's 2003 Alero has had a bad catalytic converter for the last few years.. at least that's what she was told when she took it to the shop. The engine light (P0420 threshold below efficiency) has been on over the last few years and I occasionally check it with a code reader to make sure no other codes have been added. Up until today - as far as I know - none have been. Now today when she was driving it the engine light started flashing and running rough and making a knocking sound.She brought it straight home and I hooked my scan tool up and it gave the same cat code as I just mentioned, plus a P0306 misfire code. So I pulled the plug wire on number six cylinder and hooked up a spark tester to it - and it showed a decent spark. And to verify the spark being normal, I tested at another plug wire and the spark looked about the same..so I don't think anything is wrong with number 6 plug wire or coil or anything like that but am not sure. Also, the spark plugs were replaced a couple of weeks ago because the ones in the car were worn down about .010''. I can't imagine this having anything to do with the misfire because I did them myself and made sure they were gaped properly and that all the wires were put back on the correct plug/cylinder and plus it ran fine after the plugs were installed - but thought I would mention it anyways. And I was very careful not to damage the platinum on the plug when gaping them.
Did a little bit of research and found this: A code P0306 may mean that one or more of the following has happened: Faulty spark plug or wire Faulty coil (pack) Faulty oxygen sensor(s) Faulty fuel injector Burned exhaust valve Faulty catalytic converter(s) Running out of fuel Poor compression Defective computer
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Car Details: 2004 Olds Alero GL, 250K miles, well maintained.
Our car recently started shuddering/vibrating at speeds over 45mph. Once the shudder begins, it continues for the remainder of the drive. It doesn't feel like it's in the wheels or the steering column, and there are no warning lights on the dash. It seems to be more intense when braking, as if something were fighting the inertia of the vehicle. There's no difference in the sensation when driving around corners.
After a few minutes of driving, there seems to be a burning rubber smell that is concentrated near the windshield in front of the driver's seat. I suspect that something is damaging a hose with heat or friction. I'll be taking it in to a mechanic.
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i just started having a problem with my car. I drove it somewhere and my trac off light was on i noticed it was running a little rough but i wasnt to concerned. When i got back in the car to drive it home it shifting very rough like it was throwing the car car forward when it shifted. Also when i stop it almost stalls out when i hit the gas. I have to press the gas a couple times to gwt it to where it wont stall.
Also forgot to say when starting and sitting idle no matter if it is hot or cold it runs really rough.
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I recently got the EGR system in my 1998 Rav4 working (replaced VSV) after driving with it non-functioning for several years. Without the system functioning, the engine ran great, but fuel efficiency suffered. Now, when the engine is warm only, the engine knocks and lugs between 1000 and 2000RPMs. This usually occurs right when I shift into 2nd gear. There are no engine trouble codes.
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2001 olds always has battery light on and past few days hard to start. Left wheel well sensor has gone out a couple of times the last 2 months. Just replaced radiator and now the car quickly overheats. So what is going on with my car?
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My husband bought this car 12 days ago. Had NTB check it out and they said we were good to go.
This afternoon, out of nowhere the car started getting usually hot, even though is was almost freezing outside. (Pic of temp below)
I pulled over and let the car idle for about 10 minutes. It cooled down by an amount so small its not even worth noting. I decided to try to make it home. As I drove it started to drop in temp... The car started sputtering as I slowed down at a red light. It started to shake. Then it cut off. I think I made this worse because I keep stepping on the gas hoping to get it back on. It did but it shook worse and anything close to 20 mph made it shut off again. It did this a total of 4 times before I made it home. Each time I stepped on the gas repeatedly to get it going again.
Once home I popped the hood and the pictures below are what I saw. Its in what I believe to be the radiator overflow. I checked the oil, and I do not see it there. I got down on the ground and looked for other leaks but all I see is the gunky stuff. The consistency is light very watery caramel. There was like smoke coming from the engine and it looks wet (included below).
Called my local repair shop and they are quoting me 3 grand. They said I need to replace the engine. My husband can't get to the car for another week and it is our only vehicle.
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My 02 Alero will start, but when I went to put it into reverse it looked into neutral and wont come out. I can move the gear shift but it won't come out of gear.
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There is a car i am interested in buying but the person selling it says the water pump is going out. The car is an Oldsmobile 2003 Alero with 141000 miles on it. How much would it cost to fix this water pump and how can i check to see how its working?
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The car is a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero. At some point a little ways back, the cruise control stopped working. Checking the brake lights, I discovered that the brake lights were also out (all 3 - two on the side and the one on top). I checked the fuses and they looked fine, and I even swapped a spare 20A fuse to the stop lamp spot just in case. To no avail there, I replaced the brake light switch. This also did not fix the issue. Anything else I can/should check?
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My 2000 Oldsmobile Alero's gas pedal sticks when its 70 degrees or higher outside. I can drive it all winter long without it sticking, then when the weather gets warm it starts again. I have to pull the pedal back up with my foot and it unsticks. I have replaced the throttle cable with one from a junk yard, but it does the same thing.
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