Changed oil, car won’t start now
12-20-2023, 08:03 PM
#31
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2023
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey all. Thank you for taking the time. I changed the oil recently and now my car won’t start. You hear a shshhshshsh and more sounds but no start. I checked for battery issues and that’s not the case. Sounds like engine is not getting fuel or pressure to begin starting.
two mistakes I made:
let oil drain for too long
didn't remove the fuel pump fuse.
This is for a 2006 C4
any advice recommended before I decide to tow it to my mechanic.
two mistakes I made:
let oil drain for too long
didn't remove the fuel pump fuse.
This is for a 2006 C4
any advice recommended before I decide to tow it to my mechanic.
Letting the oil drain for too long is not bad.
12-20-2023, 10:48 PM
#32
Rennlist Member
Can you post a video of the sound your car makes when you try to start it? Just a few seconds. With this, we can tell if the starter is engaging the flywheel, if the engine has compression, or if it sounds too slow to turn over (bad battery).
A trickle charger could be a smart charger, but trickle chargers are often not to be used if the battery is completely dead.
And I agree, 12.17v is not good. A fully charged and healthy battery should be 12.4-12.6v or so.
If you have an old battery, and you drain it, then you freeze it out in the cold, yes, that could kill it permanently. Every time you fully drain a car battery (AGM and acid batteries) and then charge it all the way back up again, you reduce the life of the battery.
Letting the oil drain for days is fine. There will always be some oil in the cylinders, even for months and months - enough to have compression on most cylinders and enough to start the car. Even straight and V-engines where gravity is pulling oil down will still have oil in rings after months.
The only other things that can cause zero compression is if you forgot to put the spark plugs back in, or left a rag in the intake throttle body. None of those things should have been done for a simple oil change, of course, lol.
A trickle charger could be a smart charger, but trickle chargers are often not to be used if the battery is completely dead.
And I agree, 12.17v is not good. A fully charged and healthy battery should be 12.4-12.6v or so.
If you have an old battery, and you drain it, then you freeze it out in the cold, yes, that could kill it permanently. Every time you fully drain a car battery (AGM and acid batteries) and then charge it all the way back up again, you reduce the life of the battery.
Letting the oil drain for days is fine. There will always be some oil in the cylinders, even for months and months - enough to have compression on most cylinders and enough to start the car. Even straight and V-engines where gravity is pulling oil down will still have oil in rings after months.
The only other things that can cause zero compression is if you forgot to put the spark plugs back in, or left a rag in the intake throttle body. None of those things should have been done for a simple oil change, of course, lol.
Last edited by Mike Murphy; 12-20-2023 at 10:50 PM.
The following users liked this post:
JAAM (12-21-2023)
12-21-2023, 08:44 AM
#34
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
It's simple - unless you way overfilled the oil (should have put in 7.5 to 8 quarts), your battery is bad
Do not go to the trouble of trying to put oil into the spark plug holes - that guy has an inline 6 BMW and you have a horizontally opposed 6 cylinder 911 - you do not have a compression issue and the oil pump will pump oil to the cylinders when cranking the engine over.
Do not go to the trouble of trying to put oil into the spark plug holes - that guy has an inline 6 BMW and you have a horizontally opposed 6 cylinder 911 - you do not have a compression issue and the oil pump will pump oil to the cylinders when cranking the engine over.
The following users liked this post:
JAAM (12-21-2023)
12-21-2023, 11:23 AM
#35
Not the battery guys. Just put in a new one. I let it go for longer today when I was trying to start and I smell gas. It almost confirms that it has to do something with missing compression.
If I’m overfilled how do I go about removing “some” oil? I’m starting to think I did overfill. I did close to 9qts.
If I’m overfilled how do I go about removing “some” oil? I’m starting to think I did overfill. I did close to 9qts.
Last edited by user 9089299; 12-21-2023 at 11:29 AM.
12-21-2023, 11:29 AM
#36
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Not the battery guys. Just put in a new one. I let it go for longer today when I was trying to start and I smell gas. It almost confirms that it has to do something with missing compression.
If I’m overfilled how do I go about removing “some” oil? I’m starting to think I did overfill.
If I’m overfilled how do I go about removing “some” oil? I’m starting to think I did overfill.
When you try to start it, does the tach needle bounce at the bottom of the gauge or just sit dead on the zero?
did you unplug any electrical connectors when changing the oil for any reason?
12-21-2023, 11:30 AM
#37
What does the oil gauge show on flat ground when you turn the key without pushing in the clutch. Should be no higher than the top arrow which means the top half segment should be empty and many of us run it one full segment down below the top arrow to allow for expansion when it's hot. Overfull can damage the AOS. I think you'd have to be way overfull for the car not to start though - like 2 quarts or more.
When you try to start it, does the tach needle bounce at the bottom of the gauge or just sit dead on the zero?
did you unplug any electrical connectors when changing the oil for any reason?
When you try to start it, does the tach needle bounce at the bottom of the gauge or just sit dead on the zero?
did you unplug any electrical connectors when changing the oil for any reason?
12-21-2023, 11:33 AM
#38
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Yes. How many quarts did you put it. Never seen one need more than 8 and I usually start at 7.5 and top up from there.
You can remove about 1/3 to 1/2 a quart by removing the oil filter and dumping it out. Alternatively, you could get a brand new bucket, and just redrain all of it, measure what comes out and put back in 7.5 quarts.
You can remove about 1/3 to 1/2 a quart by removing the oil filter and dumping it out. Alternatively, you could get a brand new bucket, and just redrain all of it, measure what comes out and put back in 7.5 quarts.
12-21-2023, 11:34 AM
#39
Yes. How many quarts did you put it. Never seen one need more than 8 and I usually start at 7.5 and top up from there.
You can remove about 1/3 to 1/2 a quart by removing the oil filter and dumping it out. Alternatively, you could get a brand new bucket, and just redrain all of it, measure what comes out and put back in 7.5 quarts.
You can remove about 1/3 to 1/2 a quart by removing the oil filter and dumping it out. Alternatively, you could get a brand new bucket, and just redrain all of it, measure what comes out and put back in 7.5 quarts.
I did about 9qts. I read online that the car takes 9.25qts so I did 9 thinking I was safe.
12-21-2023, 11:38 AM
#40
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I just did a bunch of service work on my 997 yesterday and did exactly that since the oil in it only had a couple hundred miles on it. Drained it into a new bucket and poured it back in when I was done changing the chain tensioners. I wasn't sure if the bank 1 tensioner would allow all the oil to drain out or not, so decided to play it safe and not end up with 8 quarts of oil on the garage floor.
12-21-2023, 11:45 AM
#41
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
2009 C2S 193K miles
I've put in around 9 quarts before but ... I suspect you overfilled the engine because it is really hard to get that much oil out... the only way I was able to get more out than just draining is to jack the car up on its side, high, and that will start another drain as oil pooled in whatever gallies are hidden in there tip. The proper way to know how much to fill, is measure what came out and match that. The only way to remove some oil is via the drain plug... no other way. I've tried running tubes down the oil fill pipe and the holes in the bottom of the oil filter housing to suck out fluid ... just no way to get to the sump. So... if you are to remove oil, best way is to use a clean bucket and let'r rip, and refill.
Overfilling is bad because moving parts of the engine can froth up the oil and the resulting bubbles will reduce lubrication. Futher, the oil may get sucked up into other systems.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
I've put in around 9 quarts before but ... I suspect you overfilled the engine because it is really hard to get that much oil out... the only way I was able to get more out than just draining is to jack the car up on its side, high, and that will start another drain as oil pooled in whatever gallies are hidden in there tip. The proper way to know how much to fill, is measure what came out and match that. The only way to remove some oil is via the drain plug... no other way. I've tried running tubes down the oil fill pipe and the holes in the bottom of the oil filter housing to suck out fluid ... just no way to get to the sump. So... if you are to remove oil, best way is to use a clean bucket and let'r rip, and refill.
Overfilling is bad because moving parts of the engine can froth up the oil and the resulting bubbles will reduce lubrication. Futher, the oil may get sucked up into other systems.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
Last edited by Bruce In Philly; 12-21-2023 at 11:47 AM.
12-21-2023, 11:50 AM
#42
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
2009 C2S 193K miles
I've put in around 9 quarts before but ... I suspect you overfilled the engine because it is really hard to get that much oil out... the only way I was able to get more out than just draining is to jack the car up on its side, high, and that will start another drain as oil pooled in whatever gallies are hidden in there tip. The proper way to know how much to fill, is measure what came out and match that. The only way to remove some oil is via the drain plug... no other way. I've tried running tubes down the oil fill pipe and the holes in the bottom of the oil filter housing to suck out fluid ... just no way to get to the sump. So... if you are to remove oil, best way is to use a clean bucket and let'r rip, and refill.
Overfilling is bad because moving parts of the engine can froth up the oil and the resulting bubbles will reduce lubrication. Futher, the oil may get sucked up into other systems.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
I've put in around 9 quarts before but ... I suspect you overfilled the engine because it is really hard to get that much oil out... the only way I was able to get more out than just draining is to jack the car up on its side, high, and that will start another drain as oil pooled in whatever gallies are hidden in there tip. The proper way to know how much to fill, is measure what came out and match that. The only way to remove some oil is via the drain plug... no other way. I've tried running tubes down the oil fill pipe and the holes in the bottom of the oil filter housing to suck out fluid ... just no way to get to the sump. So... if you are to remove oil, best way is to use a clean bucket and let'r rip, and refill.
Overfilling is bad because moving parts of the engine can froth up the oil and the resulting bubbles will reduce lubrication. Futher, the oil may get sucked up into other systems.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
12-21-2023, 11:51 AM
#43
9 quarts is when the factory fills a completely dry system. A lot of oil gets left in the system when you drain. Measure before draining. Measure what comes out. Fill with the same amount out plus whatever you were down. If you were high before draining, then subtract that from what came out. Shoot for the middle to bottom segment. AOS damage occurs on an overfill. The lower part of the measurement allows for thermal expansion.
Gas smell implies flooded conditions. In your case, it does not have anything to do with compression, IMHO.
Again, battery voltage during cranking and the sound clip that has been requested might help us know better what is going on.
Gas smell implies flooded conditions. In your case, it does not have anything to do with compression, IMHO.
Again, battery voltage during cranking and the sound clip that has been requested might help us know better what is going on.
12-21-2023, 11:56 AM
#44
Thank you guys. Running to the store to get new bucket. I’ve done some much troubleshooting at this point that when bucket and correct refill fixes it. I need about a 2 hour drive on the car.
12-21-2023, 01:35 PM
#45
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member