Please help. My girlfriends '98 SOHC Neon will not start. Here is what she told me. She was driving in traffic for about 45 min., went home and had it off for about 15 min., then attempted to start (heard loud grinding sound), then got out of the car and noticed a leak.

So I go to address the situation and noticed a pretty decent size anti-freeze leak under her car. It will attempt to start but will not turn over.

Is the engine block cracked? Head gasket blown? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

well my head gasket was blown and i drove it around for a couple days so mine atleast started with the HG blown, so i dont think that would prevent the car from starting
so theres an antifreeze leak, where is it leaking from
when you turn the key on does the fuel pump engage,
when you try to start it does the starter engage

 

I didn't find where the actual leak was located. It was in the general area of the overfill reservoir. The starter does turn and I am not 100% the fuel pump is on but it does sound like it about to turn over. I wouldn't think it would be the fuel pump based on the info she told me, especially the grinding noise that was heard.

 

Does it continue to make the grinding sound? It is possible that the coolant hydrolocked the engine. The grinding would be the piston and/or rod pieces. Try this, pull off one of the spark plugs and try to crank it and see if any liquid shoots out of the engine. Also take a look down in there and see what you can see.

 

hmm my sisters car when it had overheating problems it leaked from the resivour area...i added some and there was like a hole in the res. or something and it just leaked out...so i just added anti-freeze to the rad. via the cap...

but it could just be the starter going or something happened to the flywheel maybe... but most likely the starter..

 

I don't think it would be the starter. Initially it did start, then she heard the grinding noise so she turned it off. When she tried turning it back on it would turn over.

I doesn't make any grinding noise when I attempt to start it. It sounds like it about to turn over, but never actually does.

das2123- What would that tell me if I do see liquid shooting out of not of the engine? I am afraid it might be a rod, but want to ask any ways of testing what is wrong that I can... Thanks.

 

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If liquid does shoot out, then it means your coolant leaked into your engine, hydrolocked the motor and the pistons and/or rods broke. Therefore, creating the grinding noise.

Lets start with the basics first though. Check all your connections to the battery and starter. Make sure they are clean and secure on there.

 

All the basics have been checked. If no liquid shoots out of the spark plug whole....then what the possibilities? I still don't see how it could be the starter if she heard the grinding noise after the engine turned over.

 

Well if no liquid comes out, then you might not have a blown HG, but it's still a possibility. So the engine cranks, but will not turn over?

 

ahh you are correct lol...for a second i was thinking of something else lol... but as das said check your grounds and such... i had an old Jeep that i was restoring and it would turn over but not start and sometimes when u would go to start it would just grind and grind and grind then finally turn over... it ended up being a bad battery and wires... but that was on a 22 year old vehical...