Ok, im new here. Ok i have a 2004 Grand Prix GT (GM 3.8L V6 Motor). Been driving it for a whole year, the only two problems were 1) I would loose coolant 2) Would be hard to start, now with the car having those two problems it was still drivable and for a whole year at that, just would have to add water after long drives, i was cool with that. Now up until a week ago, i decided its time to just go ahead and get the leak fixed. I took it to get a Coolant pressure test, found out it was my LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET leaking out coolant. Ok, i went and bought the gasket. Changed it myself (First time doing a job like this). I put everything back together and temped to start the car and it kind of act as if it didn't want to turn over but suddenly fired up and BOOM!! SHe was was running perfect!! No More leaks!!!
Ok the next day, drove her an hour and 30 min a way to Columbus ,GA. It ran Fine most of the time there! Then about one hour into the trip the car started misfiring and running rough, then the check engine light went to flashing. I continued to my designation. Drove it around in that condition. I Visited a store. Came to get back in car and it wouldnt start! I panicked hard. And older guy came and helped me out, he said it was my battery ends. SO he went to his truck and grabbed a spare Battery end and cut my wire with a Knife and attached the battery end to the wire. Begin to try to start, no luck, then tried it again and it started up. He was standing by the engine and he told me i needed some oil and to follow him to his house he will give 4 qrts 5w-30. I begin to crank and the car wouldnt start again, he came back and pushed down on the NEgative battery cable and the lights got brighter and car crunk right up, he then stated that i need to changed that end when i get a chance. He gave me 4 qrts but i dint put them in because the car already had oil even though it was old. So i drove back, car still making rough idling. Parked at room, tested the start up and still acted as if it didnt want to crank but then suddenly ( Im worried because it doesn't usually does it like that). So the next day i drove all the way back home, car still idling rough and small little knock.
I get home hooked code scanner to it and it read Random Misfire P0300 and Cylinder 3 Misfire. So im assuming its a coil pack, so i went and bought one, that didnt fix the problem. So i checked cylinder 3 Spark plug and it was Dry Black ( Carbon fouled), first time ever having a fouled spark plugged. So Went and bought new spark plug, put it in Cylinder 3, and started car, still misfire,rough idle, small deep knock.checked the new sparl plug and it to was fouled (Dry Black). So now im thinking maybe i need to re apply the lower intake manifold gaskets or atleast check them.
So i took the everything back apart, noticed while remove the MAF a small little bit of water came out the pathway it connects to (The upper intake ) , which didn't happen when i first disassembled everything (??). thats when i figured i misdid something, so i went along take things apart. Check the intake gaskets,lower and upper, noticed i forgot to put one bolt in right next to one of the fuel injecters which had liguid around it and some on the injector. So i tighten it up, put everything back together.
She started up like it usual does, no leaks, but still Misfiring and rough idle and deep knock. Changing the oil and putting new oil in. Crunk her up and still its misfiring and deep knock. I opened hood , fustrated, and see i made a mistake a broke the MAP sensor, i got exicted thinking that was going to fix the rough idling and misfire, i went and bought one from the junkyard from a 2001 Grand Prix 3.8 Motor, installed it, car crunk, then suddenly white smoke coming from the exhaust. I checked my oil Dipstick and saw a brown milky color on oil stick, i was like damn i blue a gasket or something. So i drained oil out of oil pan and the **** was milky ass hell, like a milkshake. Im panicking now. So i again dissambled everything to get to the Lower intake gasket and when i got ready to take off the lower intake manifold i noticed one of the bolts had shot out and was just lying in puddle of oil/water (I guess). I knew then thats why the water mixed with the oil, because intake was bolted down strongly. So i did a test, i poured water in the radiotor why the bolt was still out and i could see the water coming right out of the OIL PAN. So i tighten the intake down tighter, poured water in the radiotor and saw not water was no longer getting into the oil pan. So i put everything back together after draining rest of water out from radiotor and draining oil pan out. So now with the car back together , i filled radiotor up with water until i saw water coming out the bleeder. I crunk car up and it was still misfiring and running rough at idle but the knocking sound kind of went away put you could still hear it. So drove her out to the highway, then she instantly shut down and was hard for me to steer. She crunk right back up and i took her home. I let her sit. I took her out again, i wasnt planning on driving her but i had to, i got on the highway , drove for about 1 mile and she died again, hard for me to steer , i ended up pulling next to gas pump, assuming it was just out of gas, i put gas in it.
Began to start it and it woulnt start , just made noise as if battery was weak. I assumed it was the battery cable ends again so i went moved the negative one around but that didnt help. A guy at the store said he can tell my battery is weak, so he tried to give me a jump off, but it still wouldnt crank. He said i have a bad short somewhere. So i left the car over night, came back and my battery was hella low! Lights were dim,horn sound sick. So i changed the negative battery cable end but the battery was already low.
So up paying $50 to have car towed to my house ( 1 mile away smh). When it got there i resumed on the battery end for the negative, after i installed it, the ground wire was to short to reach the top post of battery, so i went and bought a negative 4 gauge battery cable, the original one was a 10 gauge (smaller). But the guys at autozone told me the size doesn't matter, at the sametime i got my battery charged and checked and it was tested good. So i got back home, installed the 4 gauge ground wire and hooked battery back. Begin to crank and walla!! I got the cranking noise like it wanted to turn over but never did. So i tried it again and no luck. I felt a little hope because the store it wasnt even making the cranking noise, just a CLICK and electrical sound. So i attempted to start again and this time after turning it back off, i saw smoke coming from the starter (Burnt smell). I took starter todayto get tested and tested bad. When the chick put it on the machine you could smell the burned odor.
So now im confused. Sounds liked i created alot of problems after CHANGING THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.SMH I wish i can just go back and never attemped to fix it. Right now Im going to buy a USED Working starter and a Crank Position Sensor. Will see if they fix the problem. My biggest question is what caused the started to fry?? Im scared i will fry the new one i put it. What symptoms is my car having?What i will i have to do to get her back running like before?? Im very fustrated right now, this is my only car. Any Help is highly appreciated.
