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Oil pan

P

PaulGoldstraw

New member
The car is a 1998 Grand Prix GTP. Last night I drove over something and the bottom of the oil pan got pushed up a little less than in inch right in the middle. Shortly after (within a few minutes) the engine started rattling and quickly died. It will not start again. Is it possible the oil pump was damaged, resulting in the engine not getting oil?
 


Have fun removing that pan! I just did mine yesterday and was a b%$ch. If you need a how to I could help :) (hope you have long fingers)
 
Some more info - I just walked over (about 1 mile) to the car with my CarMD code reader, plugged it in, scanned for error codes and walked back home. I'm getting code P0336 which is a problem with the crank position sensor. This sensor was replaced at the end of August so it doesn't make any sense that it should fail so quickly and I can't see any way it could have been hit by something to damage it. I haven't crawled under the car yet to see if the wiring to the sensor is exposed and could possibly have been damaged so I think that's my next step. Any other suggestions are welcome.
 


Check your wiring harness to the crank sensor if you hit something that hard something else might have been damaged too and not allow it to start.
 
If that dent is in line with the oil level sensor that's screwed into the side of the pan then you could have bent the oil pickup tube. After checking the wiring as dsmuts said I'd still be checking out that pan. The pump is driven off the front of the motor so no worries there but if that tube is bent up then it's starving for oil.
 
It is also possible that the oil level sensor got pushed by the pickup tube. If it's not reading oil... it shouldn't start.
 


Update - Checked the wiring harness to the crank position sensor and everything looked ok. To be sure I unplugged the connector at the ignition module so I could use a test meter on the wires than run to the sensor. When I cleaned up the connector and plugged it back in the car was able to start. There must have been dirt on this connector causing the non-starting problem.

With the engine running I am getting oil pressure (cold 50psi, warm 30psi both at idle) so can I assume that for the time being I can use the car until I can get the time to replace the oil pan?
 
It sounds like you are fine.

I have dented a pan or two with a floor jack (for you GP guys..look at the distance in a Bonnie, you'll understand how) and there is a decent amount of room between the pan and pickup.

I'd think you are ok.
 
Another update, and digressing from the oil pan - Took the out to do some errands. After about 30 minutes the car died. On a hunch I unplugged the connector to the ignition module, reconnected it, and the engine started. Is there something in these ignition modules that can hang up and it's reset if it's unplugged?
 
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