Question3.5L started in cold-driven 2 blocks and stalled--unable to restart. No check engine light on. Noticed a frayed belt so replaced that, changed oil and filter/air filter. Started when cold but after brief drivetime it stalled and appeared to be leaking antifreeze. Would not restart. Any ideas?
AnswerHi Jared,
A couple more bits of information would be helpful. First, though the check engine light didn't come on that doesn't mean that the engine control computer hasn't noticed something to be wrong. If it has, it will record the fault as a two digit code number. You can readout the memory for these stored fault codes.
Begin a readout as follows: Take your ignition key and turn the ignition switch "on-off-on-off-on" and leave it "on". Do this switching quickly so that no more than 5 seconds elapses. Then watch the 'check engine' light to begin to flash, pause, flash, pause, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause and make a note of them in the order that they come. The last two flash groups will be 5 in each. Repeat the readout until you have the numbers accurately (the same result, two times in a row). Then pair the numbers two at a time in the order they came, to form two-digit numbers, for example the last number will be 55 which is the code for "end of readout". Then write back and tell me the other numbers that came out and I'll see if any of them are related to your problem.
The second issue is the anti-freeze leak: is it at the radiator, a hose or hose fitting, somewhere on the surface of the engine but not seemingly related to a hose, out the tail pipe as white smoke, or? We need to rule out the possibility of a head gasket being blown so any observation along those lines would also help.
The last thing to to is to remove one of the spark plug rubber caps from a plug. Then insert the tip of a phillips head screwdriver which has a plastic handle into the rubber spark plug cap so that it goes to the wire connector deep in the cap and establishes contact with the wire, then hold the assembly by the plastic handle so that the shaft of the screwdriver is 1/4" from the cylinder head. Then have a helper crank the engine for 5 seconds and observe whether you get a spark jump across the gap between the screwdriver shaft and the cylinder head for the full 5 seconds of cranking or not.
Let me know the result of these tests and observations, and also tell me whether you have a volt-ohm meter for further testing.
Roland
