My 07 equinox is definitely a testament to this engine it's never had intake or head gaskets and currently sits at 417k miles it uses a quart every 5k it runs like new it's had plugs wire's and an alternator at 415k it's very torquey been the best car I've seen besides an old Corolla it won't die and the trans won't give up these new equinoxes can't say that a buddy of mine had one with 325k miles it got totalled from being rear ended they're great work/grocery getter cars
I have that engine in a 2000 Impala. I replaced all the things you mentioned at about 135,000 miles before they had a chance to go bad. It has 287,000 miles on it now, still going strong and gets 30-32 MPG on the interstate running 70mph at 1800rpm. Excellent highway car
I would like to compliment you on your discussion. Your advice is spot on and you're helping a lot of people. Some advice to those of you that are leery of doing your own repairs. Never do the repair yourself if it has to be done in a hurry. This is where mistakes get made. Always be organized, take your time and fully research the repair before you do it. Good luck.
Help me out big time I was worried that I had run when I start my Pontiac Grand Am in the morning but now I’m not worried as much I was going to do a full engine rebuild anyway great car starts right up drives anywhere and gets it for me to be I will be repairing the small issues that he said in the video I’ve done multiple repairs before on this car and it turned out to be great never a hassle for me very easy motor to work with!
I'd strongly recommend that you do the head gaskets too if you're also doing the intake. You can get a complete gasket set online for @$100. Then get oil & coolant. I've done an intake, then had to turn around and do the head gaskets after putting it all back together. It's not that much more work and the car will be solid for another 100k miles. VT247
If you do head gaskets you should have them milled, might as well have them checked for cracks. Great way to blow an unnecessary $300-$500. I'm done one, currently doing my second one. Didn't replace the head gaskets on the first, more am I doing it on the one I'm finishing up tonight. Hopefully I didn't get it hot enough to blow them, if I did I'll spend the money buying the second gasket kit.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP, I GOT THE SAME CAR, OIL LEAKS ALL OVER, WAS IN A WRECK A BOUT 4 OWNERS AGO, NOW AS LONG AS IT RUNS AND PASSES INSPECTION, IT IS MY DAILY DRIVER.
What I know from the GM 3.4L 60°V6 (LA1) in my Grand Am: LIM Gasket: One from the factory was a dud. Replaced with Fel-Pro or *REVISED* LIM gasket. (The original gasket itself was flawed, and changes were made.) In my case I got lucky. Was replaced by under extended warranty by a competent mechanic. (New bolts and correct torque-down are important here! Not done right means don't bother doing it at all.) Good news? Fixed correctly, it stays fixed. EGR: In my case also under extended warranty. Basically was sticking. More or less lapped valve seat removing burrs where carbon can build up along with ECU reprogram controlling EGR operation. MAF sensor: This can fail while still giving values in the range accepted by the ECU, thus no trouble codes. You'll get drivability problems that may look like something wrong with the transmission. Typically power cuts out on the top end and may resemble hitting a RPM limiter. May also need throttle body cleaning on occasion, PCV suction isn't that far where IAC is. Sometimes with battery being out or after working on the throttle body also may need to do the TPS learn procedure (it's easy), or it will have drivability/shifting problems. Coolant system: Nothing too unusual vs. what happens with age. Pump after about 10 years. Reservoir tank or seals may also need replacement because plastic doesn't resist aging either. (Old car rather than GM problems.) O2 sensor: Again, old car rather than GM problems. A bit too much a pain to get at for DIY. Wires: short of having rodents get in, nothing more than old car problems with material aging in terms of needing replacement.
2000 Pontiac Montana here with the 3400. Not all of these are engine, fuel, and cooling-related, but here goes: Thermostat was stuck open and appeared to be factory. Previous owner has definitely replaced the radiator but it still needed hoses. Aftermarket radiator has a different petcock and does not fit the level sensor well. Coolant level sensor wasn’t working so we replaced it and the replacement wasn’t working either. Replaced AGAIN since the “Low Coolant” message definitely goes away when unplugged and that did the trick. Unfortunately, the working replacement does not seem to clip on the aftermarket radiator and blew out twice, dumping coolant and ruining a brand-new fail-open thermostat. The factory fuel pump was still going strong but the fuel level sender was only jumping between E and F (never in-between). A1 Auto recently said there was a GM campaign to replace the level senders back in the day for that very reason. Had a shop replace the whole fuel pump but the replacement makes a loud ringing sound like a low speed pedestrian alert in a Bolt EV. They refuse to warranty it unless it fails so I’d better pressure-test soon (thanks for the tip!). The ECU is marked “reconditioned” by GM. Gauge cluster works so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was reconditioned too. There is one bulb blown behind the fuel gauge and the whole cluster seems to reboot at least once per drive: needles suddenly drop then it lights up like a Christmas tree before settling down, exactly like it would when starting (self-test). The rubber grommet on the plastic hose going to the back of the valve cover from the intake hose was completely rotted. Took me forever to find it and even longer to find where it was supposed to go. At least the replacement hose with grommet is cheap. The rubber bushing in the transmission end of the shift cable also crumbled away, leaving me stranded in Neutral once. The Dorman part claims it only fits 2001 and newer but it worked perfectly. On that note, the cruise control detent cable end was broken but I found a replacement from ATP that was sold as a transmission cable end for even older GM vehicles. Worked great. The window switches failed so I swapped in a junkyard set that also failed a week later. In the mean time I had broken open the original to clean and treat the switches with dielectric grease, which worked about as long as the junkyard unit. I got a cheap replacement from eBay but lost the “Auto” function where it rolls all the way down with just a tap. You can’t disassemble them to move the new switches to the old board without breaking the lighted switch caps. The driver window was also tilting forward and jamming if you didn’t help it up with your palm. The regulator was bent but it turned out to be a symptom, not a cause. After replacing the regulator I cleaned and regreased everything and tweaked a rail inside the door (front edge of window). All Christmas trees fasteners involved needed to be replaced. I can’t tell where water is getting in but it’s sometimes pouring down the A-pillar and from the overhead console with the compass heading and temperature display. Water would have to flow UP if it’s coming in from the windshield but that must be what’s happening. Getting the windshield replaced tomorrow after a mishap so we will see. Had a lens fall off the headlight housing when replacing a bulb so I bought replacement housings and side marker light housings. When moving the turn signals to the new side marker housings both of the sockets crumbled to bits. The replacement sockets I ordered were cheap but I figured out that you can replace them without cutting, crimping, or soldering since the wire terminals can be removed and swapped if you disassemble the socket. The bulb socket itself is an insert in the broken retainer part which can be unclipped. Small blades from the insert retain the terminals attached to the wire harness so you can grab them behind the rubber plugs and remove once the two pieces are unclipped. All my rear bulbs seem cooked into their sockets but the van came with a junkyard tail light so I’m not too worried about it. I’ve had to replace the TPS and knock sensor and something emissions-related back when I was first getting it registered. The clock radio display becomes unreadable during the drive and the tape player stopped accepting a cassette… probably bad capacitors and needs to be cleaned out inside. No more Bluetooth cassette adapter for me! No AC. Not sure why yet. Compressor clutch can be turned by hand without issue but it isn’t coming on by itself. The fresh/recirculate actuator (mode door actuator?) was clicking with a broken gear inside and couldn’t move the air door. I replaced that but in the process my dash and defrost vent crumbled into a million pieces. I put a carpeted dash cover over it but I might need to do more if I ever get the AC going again (appears to be part of channeling air around). Heat works fine. I’m in the south but this thing clearly lived up north at some point. You can grab handfuls of rusted rocker panel that has turned to dirt and the jack points are toast but the frame and everything else seems just fine. Actually had a shop refuse to do brakes because of the rust. Engine doesn’t burn oil and seems to run fine. A couple times I’ve found the transmission making hard shifts and sounding like an RC car but after sitting all night the issue had gone away each time. Weird. The rear washer fluid sprayer doesn’t seem to work. Not sure if it’s a clog or a bad motor. It didn’t include the remote so I bought and programmed a replacement. Actually, I bought two but the second wouldn’t program. The first was only able to unlock for about a day before that quit working but it could still lock. I suspect the BCM. It’s probably also what’s keeping me from programming the second remote. It continued working for lock-only for almost a year but that suddenly quit working last week. I know the remote still works because I can hear it try to operate the power door when I press that button (power sliding door cable removed by previous owner). All the plastic pieces in the floor that key specific positions for the removable seats are busted up after removing them to clean old soda and kid snacks. Yuck. Had to be done though… I literally found live maggots living off the mess from a previous owner’s kids. Flip-down cup holders on the side of the first and second row seats are clearly missing a spring since they lay flat and can’t possibly hold a drink. No replacements available. The lever for tilting the second row seat forward is missing the plastic handle and is often jammed way too tight to operate by hand (no doubt, why it’s broken). Air bag light keeps coming on. It seems to be a bad connection under the passenger seat since manipulating the wires there will make the light go away for a while. Mileage says 160,000 but the title says “Odometer Discrepancy” so take that as you will. I’ve been very impressed by the reliability of the motor itself but very disappointed that all the rubber/plastic parts I need are unobtainium. No one makes a Trans Sport/pre-2001 Montana grille, for example, and good luck finding that upper dash! The rubber shift cable bushing being listed as incompatible for pre-2001 models was particularly annoying when the only other option was a whole shift cable for hundreds… and requires you to take apart the dash/steering column and go through the firewall!
Wow. Several of the issues you mentioned were reminders of problems I had with some of the Pontiac Azteks we’ve had. The airbag light coming on was particularly annoying, having to reach under the passenger side seat to fiddle with while stopped at a light. Wife would know just what to do when the blower motor would suddenly turn off, kick the plastic panel under the dash, it would come right back on. For replacement parts, don’t rule out the junkyard, found several hard to posts there. Replaced a few power windows motors too. When the windows would fall off track, the plastic holding pieces were typically the issue. The transmission hard shifting is usually due to bad solenoids on the valve body. If ever replacing them, do them all. It’s possible to loosen the subframe bolts, take off the wheel and take off the cover to gain access. Another TH-cam video saved me hours instead of dropping the cradle. VT247
2:00 Got a 95 Firebird with this engine a few weeks ago and that vacuum problem was the first issue I had. Got really worried about the hesitation and rough idle, but it turned out to just be a disconnected hose on the air pump 😂. Really informative video man. Keep it up!
This is one of the weird years for the Firebird. Getting a code reader to scan for codes can be challenging. If you can get the codes read, that would give a better understanding to what the issue may be. My first thought with the issues you've described would be the ignition system such as the coils, spark plugs or plugs. VT247
@@Vacationtime247 yeah, obd 1.5 is a pure annoyance. nah I have a code reader. And I'm currently trying to get my computer to read it too. A dude on the firebrid nation forum is helping me out. No codes are popping up, and the guy I bought it from said he just changed the spark plugs. I'll consider that though
First and foremost I wish to give a shout out to author and participants of this board. A dedicated GM 3.4L Engine Discussion board is pretty awesome!!! I have a 2003 Chevy Impala. The only difference between my engine and the author's is that there are motor mounts at the front of the engine. I need to change the back spark plugs. I am rather large in stature (6'2'', 275lbs), so feeling around the back to access them like some of you shorter and skinnier guys do is not an option for me. According to what I researched thus far, GM states that it is best practice to rotate the engine. While there are videos out there that shows you how to do this, but the challenge is finding the resource for specifically for the application for the 2000-2005 chevy Impalas. My question specifically where do you strap the engine to perform the this procedure? I want to do it the right way. Thanks!!!!
Take out the motor mount bolts nearest the engine 13 & 15 mm and loosen the ones closest to the radiator. Grab onto the motor and rock it to take out the 2nd bolt. Swing up the mounts. Get a ratchet strap and hook to the motor removal bracket and pull it forward. Should give enough clearance to change. Or jack up the car, put it on stands and reach up from underneath without having to pull the engine forward. VT247
You meantioned some noise it tends to make during a cold start. I have a slight knocking that happens upon ignition. It always happens first thing, but runs flawlessly after warming up.
Could be a few different things. Piston slap, the piston rattles around in the cylinder until warmed up making a chattering noise. Possibly a weak lifter that bleeds out until oil pressure is up and engine running. Doubt it's a stripped out rocker arm since it only makes the noise when cold. VT247
if heard this is normal that is the engine success because that is GM best engine designed for 400.000 miles. the knocking is because the parts have a little play. that's normal
Had a 3.6 in a Malibu which is virtually identical and the 3.4 in my Impala I drive now. Piston slap seems to be caused by the rods connecting the rocker arms fitting too tightly. Clean them up really good with rubbing alcohol then give them a good lubing up with some clean oil makes a world of difference. Too much torque on the rocker arms can also introduce the same problem: tighten to spec then with a box end wrench 2 hours of a clock tighter. The MAF sensor element can be cleaned to restore it's functionality. It's a resistive element so adding or removing material changes it's output. Clean with a non-corrosive cleaner like rubbing alcohol. Gaskets on this engine should be sealed with AC Delco 88864346 or equivalent silicon. The typical black silicon has a nasty reaction with the aluminum used in this engine, causes the aluminum to corrode which will produce a disgusting sludge that takes bottle cleaners of various sizes to get out of the coolant and oil channels. Eucalyptus oil can dissolve this crud to make cleanup easier and is safe to mix into any of your fluids in small quantities (1:10 ratio would be ideal). This engine wears the drive belt really fast compared to any other engine I've had. As a result I treated my last belt with glycerin before installing it. Neatly wrap the belt and shove it into the bottom of a jar, fill just enough glycerin to cover it and let it sit overnight. Take it out the next day, wipe it dry with a junk rag then install it. If the belt starts to show significant wear, check the pulleys, it shouldn't wear once treated as long as the pulleys are all spinning good. Heat shrink tubing can be used to seal a leaking vacuum line. Find the leaking section. Score a circle with a pipe cutter or razor then snap it clean. Slide heat shrink on and hold it together while you either wave it over a heat gun or have a friend heat it with a lighter using a swaying motion. The Anti-Theft system you likely have since you have this engine. Do not even bother trying to fix it when it begins to fail. For the price of a new BCM you can order an aftermarket BCM from Omega that actually solves the problem once and for all. When I ran into this problem I tried everything from switches to turn off the anti-theft to resistors to eliminate the hall effect sensor to making my own debugging adapter using an Arduino, documentation AC Delco provided and a lot of low level code to sniff traffic using man-in-the-middle techniques with a laptop. All pointed toward the system working properly even though it clearly wasn't. My Impala already had the Omega BCM installed when I purchased it and I haven't seen so much of a hint of the stock system's problem. When your radio decides it's been stolen, which from what I seen all of them do at some point. There is a code on the service tag in your trunk that you can enter using the radios debug menu. You'll have to look up which button combo opens that menu for your specific radio but dialing it in is very easy. Just expect to do it again a few years down the line if you keep the car. The code is a 3 digit number in one of the corners of the tag, not in the big group of numbers. The big group of number are just the options the car was ordered with.
I have a Grand Am 3.4 and have replace my Lim gasket already at 199. Have replaced fuel pump, alternator, water pump (preventive maintenance), a/c compressor (came frozen with the car), fuel purge valve. This car has 204000 right now and the next lim will be replace at 300000. This engine is a beast. I have replaced all my fluids to Amsoil and my coworkers are stout engine dont make any noise at iddle. I will rplace my muffler and my cat soon. I have been owner of Honda cars inthe past and let me tell you these are reliables. Will go from Miami to Ohio this summer on the Grand Am.
Possibly the coil pack is arcing out. They can give sufficient spark at low RPM but can't deliver the right amount of current needed once RPMs go up. Also you mentioned that it gets worse when it's wet. Be careful with this next trick and don't zap yourself. But I've used a spray bottle in the dark and sprayed a mist around the coil pack and wires. Watch for any blue arcing. The water will allow it to jump spark easier and be more visible in the dark. VT247
Because GM is cheap and will not pay for a quality made gasket and they treat their suppliers like crap going always to the low bidder an then knocking them down another 7%. Then they slow pay the suppliers 90+ days.
@@Texaca a small number were made at the Tonawanda plant in Michigan before it was shut down but the vast majority were made in Mexico at the Ramos Arizpe plant. I used to own a 2001 Alero with a Tonawanda made 3400 engine and the gaskets were made of fucking cardboard.
I love my 2001 olds silhouette... its ported ,polished intake and throttle body.cold air intake...a shift kit and stall converter upgrade. sitting on 18" rims with open absorption passive magnaflow exhaust... holy crap fast
At 2:29 you touched a line but didn't mention the name. I have the same engine but in a Pontiac and I'm looking for that line. I put a rubber cap on it and it stopped the rough idle but did nothing for the acceleration. Please help. Auto places are being jerks.
2003 Buick Century 3100. Just bought this car. I had to replace a leaking water pump. Pressure testing the cooling system afterwards resulted in coolant in the oil pan. I had to have the Lower Intake Manifold gaskets replaced. I let the dealer do this job at a total cost of $989.00 including new coolant reservoir. I have not had a GM before and also noticed the piston slap. Runs good now. Hopefully no engine damage. Coolant is no substitute for oil.
I bought a 2005 Montana in 2011, with 145K on it and they just put a 57K engine it cuz their kids blew up the factory one. I've got 350K on this van now and I keep the fluids changed regularly as well as any maintenance I can do myself which is a large majority of it. I've been pretty pleased with it.
I've sold this car, so I'm doing the best to remember. I believe it goes to the evap system. Check and feel under the coil pack (DIS system), there is a place that a vacuum line connects there. If I'm remembering correctly, the white tube slides into a larger black vacuum hose. LMK VT247
Great Video. I have two Chevy Equinox's 2008 and 2009 both with high mileage and have had no major issues with either one, I think GM must have fixed many of the problems in later production versions of the 3.4L
With the belt on, loosen up all 4 bolts holding on the pulley, then take off the belt and remove all 4 bolts. Behind the belt remove all the bolts holding on the pump. Some are hidden under the pump that are difficult to see. Helps to run your hand around the pump to feel and make sure they are all off. When I replaced mine it came right off. Not sure what would be holding yours on unless perhaps one or more are still attached. Hope this helps. VT247
ok I just put back on the old coil packs and ignition module charged the battery now it started right up and starts a good as it use to. I think the new coil pack I bought have to be faulty because when they were in it was a hard start (spark related sound) then quit starting,. put the old packs back in (had them tested at the autozone) and now it starts fast. so I hope all my issues are fixed. If I have any issues I will defiantly contact you again. A million thanks minus taxes of course!
I have the identical car. Mine is black and it's a 2001 with 124,344 miles. I bought it for 300 bucks a few weeks ago. Runs awesome. I can tell it sat for awhile, but it started right up after sitting through a -10+° winter here in Michigan. It was in my neighbors driveway for a couple months before I got to it. It over heated on me a couple days after I started driving it, apparently the radiator reservoir cap seal is a common problem with the 3.4, so I went to my local auto parts store and picked a whole new reservoir up for 35$ and took the 10 minutes to install it and top off the coolant. Haven't had an issue since. The only other issue I have is the water pump pulley making a squeaky sound until its warmed up. Might have to go grab one for 40$ and take the hour and put a new one in. The biggest thing for me is that I've NEVER EVER worked on any of my own cars until I got this 18 year old beater. It's super easy to work on the small stuff and a good car to learn on and parts are readily available and cheap. Have fun out their you all! No matter what your experience level is, it's all a learning experience!
Awesome glad you like it. Just keep in mind that the gaskets on these engines will eventually need replaced. Like every single one of them, head, intake and timing cover. Speaking from experience having owned about a half dozen vehicles with this motor. VT247
I just bought a 03 Aztek with 160,000 on it, drove it twice engine sounded pretty good strong yet. So I bought it, within 24 hours I drove it home and then to work not issue's went to leave work started it up and the engine noise was bad. The first thing that I thought of was a rod, then valve's floating, or piston or pistons slapping. I was hoping it would go away when it warmed up, run it for about 15 minutes no change so I decided to try putting in some Murphys Mystery Oil in it. But it stayed about the same if not a bit loader. Went to my second job, and a few hours later when I left the same thing, hoped it would quiet up but it didn't. So stopped at Walmart on the way home and bought some STP Oil additive the small blue bottle very thick oil improves viscosity and helps with engine wear and stuff. But after putting it in there is no change almost as if it is gradually is getting louder. It sounds like a diesel pretty much now, don't know what to think now other than go and ask a mechanic. And I contacted the guy I bought it from and he said it was fine, I don't know what to tell you!?! Anyone have any Idea's other than small claims court!?! Thank you!
Ughhh..... Man, that sucks. Shady deal man. I'd be PISSED!!! But I'll do you a solid and tell you what the problem is. The reason the fix-an-engine-in-a-can oil didn't work is because it's most likely the rocker arm studs / pedestal. Adding a thicker oil won't change the noise at all. The engine at some point has had the head or intake gasket fixed. When the steel rocker arm bolts are torqued back down onto the aluminum head they can get stripped out. In order to fix this problem take off the valve covers. Tap, thread and heli lock the stripped out threads. You'll know the bad one as it will be loose. Someone off of Craigslist would most likely do this job for @$300-500. Check out my video's on GM 3400 fixes, the same engine as in your Aztek. Several Aztek videos along with how to set up the tent option. Currently own 3 Azteks. They're awesome! VT247
The oil pressure switch is located between the oil filter and the starter. It's above and to the right of the oil filter, close to the knock sensor but to the right if looking from the front of the car. The knock sensor is larger than the oil pressure sensor. The oil pressure sensor is @ $10. VT247
The larger plastic tube that connects behind the mass air flow sensor connects to the rear valve cover. You may have to loosen up the 2 10mm bolts that holds on the coil pack to get it in there. Hope this helps. VT247
I'm replacing my fuel injectors on my Alero. Looks just like this one, same color and everything. Noticed antifreeze where you pointed out at the 0:30 mark. Gasket was missing a piece out of it. LOL
I've currently got 3 Pontiac Azteks. They are awesome cars! Definitely different. Most 3400 engines have already had the intake manifold fix done. Typically the 2001 model Azteks have the most options. But look for a GT or Rally. '04-05 models are pretty good too. VT247
Yes, the engine will either stall out or die completely when the oil cap is removed. It looses vacuum from the PCV. Glad you found the problem and even better, it's on #6, so it's easy to get to. Not in the back. VT247
Educational video! I already knew that the air intake gaskets are of poor quality. Ok see that you have an open air filter. I tried the same with mine but it doesn't really give that deep sound that I had hoped for so I built everything back to the original. Greetings from Holland.😎👍🏼
I have a 2001 Chevy Venture, that Im thinking has a blown head, The night I bought the vehicle it ran fine had no problems other than a shake when accelerating, but that's not the issue. I started driving home the next day after purchase, got about 3 miles from where I started, and overheating begins, and speeds slows to 20 mph, I shut it down immediately. Waited on it to cool down and got home 3 miles later again getting hot. I changed the rad cap and added coolant from napa, just to be sure it wasn't a blown head, I checked for water in oil and oil in water, and even checked trans fluid, didn't see anything wrong at the time. Drove it about 7 miles and loss heat, then overheating and shut it down again, got to a mechanics shop, they did a block test, not showing blown head however the shade tree mechanic noticed it had sludge on the valve cover inner wall and said well its had a blown head gasket and looks like they drained the sludge and replaced old engine oil. This is evident-ally a scammers way of selling a blown head gasket vehicle, he said to get some blue devil pour and go head gasket sealer. Tried that, but bled the cooling system after refilling and didn't over heat, ran good and had good heat. So thought this fixed the problem. Next trip on the way home its overheating again, so I checked the bleeders maybe there was air in the system still sure enough pushed a lot of air out before getting coolant. After bleeding it no problem but since then in order to drive this I have to bleed the coolant each time and add maybe a cup of coolant to top off. Is this a blown head or is it the intake man. gasket? I don't have a lot of cash to dump into this, and hoping for an easy fix but figuring its not going to be. Just today the trans started shifting hard not sure if that helps with all I have said but, it is up to date info as to what I have seen go on with this vehicle.
From everything you've described here, the head gasket is blown or the head is warped. Fill up the radiator, overflow tank and bleed the system. Once the vehicle warms up to operating temp, check for bubbles in the overflow tank. My bet is that there will be. Bubbles in the overflow means that exhaust gasses are getting into the coolant. Exhaust gas pressurizing the system and putting air in as well causing overheating. I've got several video's up on how to fix these motors. Hopefully it's just the head gaskets and not the heads. Check each head for cracks between the intake and spark plug hole. Also check that each is straight on the combustion side and not warped. If the heads are good, you can order a $80 rebuild kit shipped with all included gaskets and bolts. If the heads are bad, you can get a nice set off eBay for $350 shipped. Watch this 2 minute video on why they go bad. th-cam.com/video/K5mwjWLemA8/w-d-xo.html VT247
My guess on the noise is piston slap. Once the engine warms up the ticking / rattling stops because of heat expansion. Bad news on the coolant leak though, it's probably the intake manifold gasket. It's not a terrible job to do, just time consuming. I have a video up on how to do this repair. The two issues are not related. The intake manifold gasket repair can be done for @ $150 if you do the work yourself including all the fluid and gaskets. VT247
I'm back. My '01 Alero has 135k and seems to have an intake leak. It idles with a very slight roughness and has a slight hesitation with slight acceleration. A little more throttle cleans it up. Temperature wise the car runs a little above mid-range but approaches 3/4 when in traffic. When I shut is off I hear a hiss for a couple seconds and it sounds like it originates from the intake bolt where coolant seeps from. Compression is in the 140's on all 6 cylinders, so thinking intake. More to come
02 Buick Rendezvous. On occasion will start right up, grumble and then die after about one second. Then won't start, just cranks and cranks. If I let it sit 15 minutes or so and come back, then usually starts right up. Runs great once running, no stalls, hesitation or other issues. Problem only happens once in every 5 starts or so. Fuel pressure is good (58 psi). No leakage (gas, coolant, vacuum) in engine that I can see. Any advice what to look for next?
Any engine codes on? Sounds like a fuel related problem or a bad crank signal. Is the fuel pressure reading while running or before starting? Possibly a fuel pressure regulator or filter.
the oil pump drive can leak oil, where you have to replace the "O" wring. Symptom oil on the ground. Pooled oil under the throttle body on the lower intake manifold.
Loosen all the 4 bolts holding on the pulley. Take off the serpentine belt. Take out the 6-8 bolts holding on the water pump marking the mounting location (makes re-installing the new one easier). Scrape away all the excess gasket material on the mounting surface. Coat both sides of the gasket with RTV black silicone. Install new water pump, install pulley, install serpentine belt, fill radiator and overflow up with coolant. VT247
It is exactly that and I think the EVAP or PCV is the reason for the oil cap removal killing the engine. Well hey, next time I buy one of these cars, I will be able to fix it right this time and flip it quickly. I am keeping this one though, until a nicer one comes along, these are pretty sweet and luxurious cars for the price.
@Texasselling @Texasselling The relay gets power all the time, your just completing the circuit. The temp sensor tells the computer when to engage the fan through the relay. Make sure to check fuses too. Check coolant level. What operating temp does it go to before the fan would kick on? Mine would go past 1/2 before the fans kicked on. Mine rarely ever turns on, but work.
Hopefully the intake isn't broke. Had this happen once when I did a head gasket job on one of these 3400's. The intake can crack and cause a vacuum leak. Listen with a stethascope (or a piece of vacuum tube in your ear) for where the whistle is coming from. This will help locate the problem exactly. Hopefully it's just an o-ring on an injector. VT247
Thank you! WD-40, elbow grease, and a two-handed grip on the needle-nosed pliers did the trick. Six new spark plugs and six new spark plug wires. Hoping my random misfire is done.
The check engine light is on but the reader said it's the knock sensor and the evap sensor. The fuel pump was getting fuel through to the filter when we changed the fuel filter. So not sure what else to check.
Not sure of what size bolts they are, believe they are metric. It's located on the bottom, in front of the engine hooks in front of the transmission. Disconnect the battery, unfasten the large starter wire and the smaller positive + wire. It's not hard to get off and is about a 1/2 to an hour job. Helps to have the car lifted for easier access. VT247
The Camshaft positioning sensor is located behind the power steering pump. Power steering pump has to come out to get access to it and an 8 mm socket is needed to remove. Had the OBDII computer tell me the camshaft positioning sensor was bad in a car once, turned out to be the spark plugs and wires though. VT247
I have a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero 3.4 Litre, bought it off a friend of mine, had a nightmarish experience with Overheating, messed up the engine that came with it, replaced it with another engine, and the overheating persisted, read through some opinions on the web, told my Mechanic to check the manifold intake, he checked replaced the gaskets but the overheating persisted, fortunately my Mechanic is as dogged as i am, he insisted that there must be a reason the overheating won't go away, so he disconnected the Complete exhaust system and allow the the car to run, noisy though but that solved the problem. the catalytic converted was bad and was blocking the free flow of the exhaust, he remove the catalytic converter and replaced it Voila, overheating stopped, now my Alero is my favorite car. Overheating seems to be one of Alero's negs. I hope this helps.
At some point, nearly every gasket on the 3400 will go bad. Had to replace the timing chain cover, the head and intake gaskets on nearly every one I've owned. But, they are generally pretty reliable once the gaskets get changed. VT247
Vacationtime247 Very correct, they are pretty reliable once you get it right. I love the surprise when i compete with super cars on the highway. nothing to show on the Alero that it's got muscles under the hood.
If you have oil and water mixing, it's the intake manifold gasket. I had an Aztek that had a bad thermostat in it. Drilled out 4 holes through the thermostat and fixed it. If you have a sweet smell coming out the exhaust, it's a head gasket. VT247
I agree with Vacationtime247 I am rebuilding the same motor now. I am not sure about all of the 3.4s but it seems they have problems with the head gaskets and also with the oil galleys blocking up. Mine was very well maintained and had only 85k on it. Also drain the factory coolant out of it!! Put in the coolant that can be mixed with anything. I have found the GM factory coolant is terrible! The first thing I do after buying a GM vehicle is drain the coolant and replace it.
Make sure there isn't a frayed fuel injector wire, could be causing the injector to misfire. Jack the van up and put it on stands. Get under the van and remove the spark plugs from underneath. Found this to be the easiest way for removing the spark plugs in the back. VT247
Drained the oil and filter when my intake manifold went bad. Oil was a milkshake. Filled the system back up after fixing it with some used motor oil and the old filter. Ran it until it reached operating temp, checking the oil while it warmed up. Let it cool then changed the oil and filter. Been fine ever since. VT247
If you think that the timing chain has broke, pull off the front valve cover. Loosen the 4 8mm bolts and take the cover off. It's got a rubber gasket so it can be reused, just dab a blob of silicone around the sunk in edges at each corner when re-installing. Have someone turn the engine over and watch to see if the rocker arms move. If they move, the timing chain is still turning the cam, lifters, pushrods, rockers, valves, etc. VT247
I'm putting another 3.4 in my 99 venture van. I got a 2004 3.4 from a Olds Alero with 110,000 miles that ran well. Before I put the new engine in My van I decided to take it apart clean everything and re-gasket the whole thing. Upon removal of the heads the head gaskets were not leaking but at least 3 of the coolant passage holes in the gaskets were plugged with red crud. The culprit? G.M.'s wonderful 150,000 mile crap known as dex-cool. If you have a GM car do yourself a big favor . Flush your cooling system the best you can and replace that crap with ethelene glycol and distilled water. Your motor will run cooler and do away with some of the inherent overheating issues these motors are famous for. (Disclaimer) This is all from My experience. Uase what works for you.
Carranzabigbable my friend had this problem check that your starter wire hasnt gotten melted or frayed. Get a meter on ohms and see what your voltage is from the postitive battery terminal to the strter cable should be 12-13 volts hot and cold. Wen thencars hot but off you can also check the resistance on the wire
Not sure exactly what your referring to. The engine needs a water pump. But if you mean the extra coolant tube for a water / oil cooler it helps with cooling when towing. Goes from @ the top of the water pump down to @ the oil filter. My '01 Aztek has one of these. It allows for better cooling when hauling a load. If using the van for hauling, be sure to use 3rd gear, don't tow in overdrive (OD). If you don't tow, the tube can be capped on both ends. VT247
If you have a car wash nearby take and spray off the engine really well. Then look to see were the leak is coming out from. These engines have issues with the intake manifold going bad, especially if it's never been fixed before. Also, the oil pan is aluminum. Check that as well for cracks if you've hit something. LMK what you find. VT247
It never used to stall out or sputter when the oil cap was removed. Now I don't know if that is because the old EVAP/PCV was bad or the new one is. Seems logical to me that it should sputter/stall if the cap is removed if the PCV is there to balance the vacuum.
I just replaced the Gasket that belongs to the EGR, hopfully that will will give my Monte Carlo a lil more engine power.I dont have a fuel pressure leak, I think I may have to replace the purge valve and the elbow...smdh... I'm tired of working on the engine my to solve my problem and, Then I can move on to something else. Thanks for all your advice, it help me a lot..
The power steering lines run beside the alternator bracket. One is threaded into the pump the other is the low pressure return line. The low pressure line slides onto the plastic nozzle coming out of the pump. The high pressure threaded line can be a task to get back on sometimes. Enough fiddling with it and it'll go on. Takes a minute or so to get it started on right. VT247
Geeze, that sounds like a good time. We just picked up a Honda accord and grand marquis both for 500. Not really having high hopes for the Honda it was kind of a package deal, but the grand marquis looks likes it might be in pretty good shape.
I found the annoying ticking sound, but the hard way. It was the AC wiring connector that had been pulled into the belt along with the metal bracket. The connector looked like it was cut almost in half diagonally and the bracket was bent into the path of the belt. So the belt had to be replaced and I also did the water pump as it was not expensive and I was already in there. No real challenges for the car yet so time will tell on the hot running issue. I'll be back for more drama.
my 1998 with 3.i in the mid sized chevy was the best auto I ever had.i could kick ass on hearleys,and some sport cars too.i got 30 mpg,hwy,23 town.the gasket are a probem,but these engines[evolved now]are in caddys.3.6 twin turbo 425 h.p,kicking asses around the world.
hey VT247 thanks for the tip on the water pump. It was a snap! BUT it was still overheating. I did everything I could to Burp it using the water pump bleeder and the thermostat bleeder(I didnt feel the t-stat was bad cause with the radiator cap off once it warmed up the coolant dropped a lot led me to believe the t-stat opened.) It did bubble a bit which really worried me cause Im afraid the intake or head gaskets are bad. Im gonna take it in to test the coolant reservoir for combustion gas!
Well I gave up on doing the work myself in fear of creating a bigger mess. So to the shop it went. A local shop who I very much trust looked at it and quoted me less than $700 for the intake gasket. Since I budgeted more than that I will have him check some other items while they are there. New thermostat and maybe some new coolant lines are in order. He said no labor on those since we would already be in deep. Fingers crossed the overall stays under a grand.
I've personally repaired like 10 of these engines and i hated changing out the gaskets, it's such a huge pain to do and it's not even worth it at this point since many of these engines blew up anyways.
I've told countless people when they discover a head, intake or timing cover gasket leak. Do them all at the same time. Yes, it does mean basically an engine overhaul of the long block, but the factory gaskets will eventually fail and if a person only does one, they'll be back in there later doing the rest. VT247
Hi. You are super knowledgeable on these 3.4. Have you heard of motor running rough all of the sudden bc of a loose bolt or helicoil thread? My car is running real rough all of a sudden it's got new plugs new wires and I just changed out the three coil packs today. The same identical thing happened on the same car before covid and the mechanic said it was some type of helicoil or something that came loose and was in the cylinder head. And it was still driving like that that sounds very strange to me. Wouldn't anything loose in the cylinder head cause damage while it was running? Thanks 👁️🐯
@@Vacationtime247 I appreciate your reply. I have since figured it out it's the rockers in the valve cover they are held in with a Time sert or helicoil. Thanks again 😎
@@mgtowlevel5293 Oh! Ok, now I know what they're referring to and yes, it could certainly cause issues. If the rocker arm doesn't open up the valve, then air can't get in correctly or the exhaust can't exit. VT247
Solved the prob. It was the exhaust bypass tube rusted thru. What a "B" to reinstall. Used a 3/4 black pipe w/ slot cut out to fit over tube and a hammer to press fit it back in. Picking the old tube out w/ a small screwdriver was easy. replaced the manifold gaskets only to have the head gaskets go 3 wks later. very common prob.
I appreciate ur response. I'll check out that Chiltons. Not particularly fond of Haynes books. BTW, found a rebuild video for the trans (4T60E & 4T65), I think theyre in the alero. Thanx again
You will need an OBD II scan gauge to pull up the codes. Any autozone or parts store will run the codes for free. The pinging could be bad gas or the elevation. Possibly the EGR system. The EGR system tends to get carboned up. Change the EGR and clean the port with a coat hanger and strong solvent. Also check for vacuum leaks with a water bottle or carb cleaner. Be sure to check your oil too, make sure there isn't water in with the oil indicating a bad intake manifold. Hope this helps. VT247
I used a Felpro gasket on mine and it never leaked again. Use a liberal amount of silicone on the edges to ensure a good seal. Let the sealant dry overnight and then add coolant. VT247
B Did rotate the engine to reach the back plugs, was impossible form under. Did not take of manifolds or starter so now runs great but have a hard start issue no codes. Prior coded P305 checked plugs etc rotated Coil packs got a 303 so replaced coil pack. No more codes but just the hard start now. Engine fires up fast just a little noise now on start up.??? what do you think?
I would love to know where those two vaccume lines run off of the intake manifold I'm having the hardest time trying to find where the one off the front goes and the one on the back left go if it's possible to see while making a video
The one at the front goes to the back intake connects the two the other one at the back is the one that connects onto the air intake tube before the mass air flow sensor
I know this feed is old but i've watched every video you made, i have my whole engine apart in my 99 olds silhouette, got everything cleaned painted and sad to say all my parts got mixed up, bolts and all, this is gonna be fun, i'm most worried about the vaccum lines
Luckily there aren't many vacuum lines in this engine. Should be plenty of diagrams available. Some of the bolts that hold on the alternator bracket and alternator are similar but use different lengths. VT247
I have a 2000 Alero with 201,000 and I don't have piston slap. Only thing I've done engine wise besides oil change is I had to put a water pump on it when I got it. It had 192,000 when I got it. Otherwise I love it. Car still runs like a champ. I do have one slight issue that's weird. in the summer the car runs a proper temp but in the winter time the temp gauge won't even make the first line after cold unless you're setting idle. Even then once you get moving again it drops right back to that temp. So the heat ain't as hot as it should be.
If it was a bad head gasket then wouldn't it over heat? Me and my dad are thinking my Thermostat is sticking open so I'm going I replace that first cause that's a cheap fix. I'm not working right now so if it's a head gasket then I'm screwed lol so I hope this takes care of it
Yea I figured the same. I am going to try and take it out of the top because I cant get the van in the air high enough to pull anything out of the bottom. i barely had enough room to drop the A fram to remove the oil pan.
First thing I'd check is the ignition control module under the coil packs. They heat up and cause it to shut off. Also the fuel system, fuel pump, regulator and filter. VT247
If it's a belt squeal, make sure there is good tension on the belt. Take the 3/8 drive ratchet and put it in the tensioner. Press towards the firewall to give more tension. Make sure you didn't over tighten the bolt going through the tensioner into the block. The tensioner may not be giving enough 'pull' to keep the belt tension correct. VT247
My wifes Aztek did the same thing. Luckily it was caught before any major damage was done. I'm sure your engine is flooded. No worries though! Should be a one day fix. You'll need to replace the intake manifold gasket and spark plugs. What happens is when the water fills the oil pan the pistons can slosh around the 'milkshake' and foul out the plugs. Check out my video on how I replaced the intake manifold gasket on my '01 Pontiac Aztek 3400. VT247
It's quite possible it's the intake gaskets, not much separating the oil from the coolant. But, trust me on this one, do the head gaskets too. They'll eventually go bad anyhow and it's not that much more work or expense. Have a video up on how to do the head gaskets on a 3400, the 3.1 is basically the same thing. Good luck with your fix! VT247
at 2:47, there are three vacuum lines nicely displayed. From left to right: (1) Transaxle (white section) - Not on all engines! ; (2) Fuel pressure regulator; (3) PCV.
Ive built a few of these LA1 3400's and i like them alot they are good engines when built right. If ur gonna build one ALWAY GET THE METAL LIM GASKETS!!! The plastic ones are all trash and i noticed the intake runners on them are smaller too. Also if its a 99 swap out those multec injectors for bosch type 3 from a 90's Tbird will run like a champ just make sure grind down the bracket posts. For my 2001 grand am i just built i use 28lb trailblazer injectors with a fuel pressure reg from a 99 grand am they run at 43psi
Here are a few items to check. The exhaust bypass tube for the EGR, allowing to much air in the system and check the EGR for proper flow and carbon in the intake ports. The Fuel pressure regulator, not allowing enough fuel in to feed the injectors. This is where I'd start. Let me know how it turns out. Well No codes for any of the things you stated but now the engine idles great I can give it some gas to about 15000 RPMs the at 16000 it starts the chug and hesitation thing. I am stumped.
I'm getting that pool of liquid in the spot that you were pointing at in my 2000 Grand Am. Not only that but the anti-freeze is brown with some sludgy brown residue on the reservoir cap. I'm trying to figure out if it is the intake gasket, head gasket or combination of both.. All the best!
The sensor is probably getting hot and causing it to misfire when it warms up. Check the module under the coil packs too, they tend to go bad as well. Replace the Crank Sensor on the front of the engine by the balancer. VT247
Make sure the marks are lined up. Lube it up with some soap. Push the plastic connector all the way to the end of the metal tube. If it still is causing trouble try a small screwdriver and maneuver it in. Hope this helps. VT247
There is a vacuum line going to the EVAP, behind the throttle body going to the PCV valve, the MAP sensor behind the intake and there is one under the coil pack but you'll have to reach your hand down there to find it, can't really see it from up top. VT247
the only thing i can think of is that the fuel line is running to close to the exaust and the coolant hoses and i think that might b causing to much heat in that area. on a side note i changed the fuel filter when it was doing the whole not running and it was still hot, and as soon as i took off the fuel filter it shot gas everywhere like there was a cut in a garden hose. and that is what turned my thinking toward vapor locking
My guess is it is probably the head gaskets. I've replaced the head gaskets on most every 3400 I've owned. Got a video on TH-cam on how to do this repair. Here's how I found out it my head gasket. Let it run for a few minutes and bled the air bleeders then sealed them back up. Drove it up and down the road shortly. Sure enough the temp didn't stay consistent. It overheated, checked the bleeder, more air came out. Even heard a hissing when turned off around the block ie head gasket. VT247
I do understand, but I was looking for the cheapest least involved solution. I guess once the rocker arms and push rods are off the heads themselves don't add much more work with the exception of the exhaust.
Twist and turn the spark plug wire boot gently until it spins freely, then pull off at the large rubber end. Sometimes they're stuck good, a set of long needle nose grips works well. Do not pull at the thin wire, always at the boot. If the wire pulls out from the boot it can get difficult. Especially if the metal tab stays on the spark plug wire. VT247
Possibly the coil pack is arcing out. They can give sufficient spark at low RPM but can't deliver the right amount of current needed once RPMs go up. Also you mentioned that it gets worse when it's wet. Be careful with this next trick and don't zap yourself. But I've used a spray bottle in the dark and sprayed a mist around the coil pack and wires. Watch for any blue arcing. The water will allow it to jump spark easier and be more visible in the dark. ok gave it a try last night and saw 2 areas
Hi, thank you for the video. I have an issue with the small plastic pipe that comes out of the tip of the air intake boot hose. It won't go back in at the other end, the one that goes to the motor. What is it called and what is the purpose of it?
That isn't an easy one to get back on. Usually helps to put the back in first then the front to the air intake. It's used to vent crankcase gases back into the intake manifold. VT247
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My 07 equinox is definitely a testament to this engine it's never had intake or head gaskets and currently sits at 417k miles it uses a quart every 5k it runs like new it's had plugs wire's and an alternator at 415k it's very torquey been the best car I've seen besides an old Corolla it won't die and the trans won't give up these new equinoxes can't say that a buddy of mine had one with 325k miles it got totalled from being rear ended they're great work/grocery getter cars
I have that engine in a 2000 Impala. I replaced all the things you mentioned at about 135,000 miles before they had a chance to go bad. It has 287,000 miles on it now, still going strong and gets 30-32 MPG on the interstate running 70mph at 1800rpm. Excellent highway car
Once the gaskets are replaced they’re not bad motors. But all the gaskets on this thing eventually fail from the factory.
VT257
I would like to compliment you on your discussion. Your advice is spot on and you're helping a lot of people. Some advice to those of you that are leery of doing your own repairs. Never do the repair yourself if it has to be done in a hurry. This is where mistakes get made. Always be organized, take your time and fully research the repair before you do it. Good luck.
Help me out big time I was worried that I had run when I start my Pontiac Grand Am in the morning but now I’m not worried as much I was going to do a full engine rebuild anyway great car starts right up drives anywhere and gets it for me to be I will be repairing the small issues that he said in the video I’ve done multiple repairs before on this car and it turned out to be great never a hassle for me very easy motor to work with!
Rod knock*
My 07 equinox has this same engine and I love it, only problem I had was the mass airflow sensor, but it was a relatively easy and inexpensive fix
you solved my idling problem ive had 4months god bless you.That was my problem.
I recently bought a 2002 Olds Alero with this engine. Learning everything I can about the car before I own it for too long. Glad to see this video!
I'd strongly recommend that you do the head gaskets too if you're also doing the intake. You can get a complete gasket set online for @$100. Then get oil & coolant. I've done an intake, then had to turn around and do the head gaskets after putting it all back together. It's not that much more work and the car will be solid for another 100k miles.
VT247
If you do head gaskets you should have them milled, might as well have them checked for cracks. Great way to blow an unnecessary $300-$500. I'm done one, currently doing my second one. Didn't replace the head gaskets on the first, more am I doing it on the one I'm finishing up tonight. Hopefully I didn't get it hot enough to blow them, if I did I'll spend the money buying the second gasket kit.
THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP, I GOT THE SAME CAR, OIL LEAKS ALL OVER, WAS IN A WRECK A BOUT 4 OWNERS AGO, NOW AS LONG AS IT RUNS AND PASSES INSPECTION, IT IS MY DAILY DRIVER.
They can be a real challenge to work on. But, as long as it still runs and gets ya there : )
VT247
What I know from the GM 3.4L 60°V6 (LA1) in my Grand Am:
LIM Gasket: One from the factory was a dud. Replaced with Fel-Pro or *REVISED* LIM gasket. (The original gasket itself was flawed, and changes were made.) In my case I got lucky. Was replaced by under extended warranty by a competent mechanic. (New bolts and correct torque-down are important here! Not done right means don't bother doing it at all.)
Good news? Fixed correctly, it stays fixed.
EGR: In my case also under extended warranty. Basically was sticking. More or less lapped valve seat removing burrs where carbon can build up along with ECU reprogram controlling EGR operation.
MAF sensor: This can fail while still giving values in the range accepted by the ECU, thus no trouble codes. You'll get drivability problems that may look like something wrong with the transmission. Typically power cuts out on the top end and may resemble hitting a RPM limiter.
May also need throttle body cleaning on occasion, PCV suction isn't that far where IAC is. Sometimes with battery being out or after working on the throttle body also may need to do the TPS learn procedure (it's easy), or it will have drivability/shifting problems.
Coolant system: Nothing too unusual vs. what happens with age. Pump after about 10 years. Reservoir tank or seals may also need replacement because plastic doesn't resist aging either. (Old car rather than GM problems.)
O2 sensor: Again, old car rather than GM problems. A bit too much a pain to get at for DIY.
Wires: short of having rodents get in, nothing more than old car problems with material aging in terms of needing replacement.
Thank you. MAF sensor comment is spot on with my symptom. Thanks for taking time to post. :-)
Hello! How do I do a TPS learn procedure?
AMAZING information thank you very much
2000 Pontiac Montana here with the 3400. Not all of these are engine, fuel, and cooling-related, but here goes:
Thermostat was stuck open and appeared to be factory. Previous owner has definitely replaced the radiator but it still needed hoses. Aftermarket radiator has a different petcock and does not fit the level sensor well.
Coolant level sensor wasn’t working so we replaced it and the replacement wasn’t working either. Replaced AGAIN since the “Low Coolant” message definitely goes away when unplugged and that did the trick. Unfortunately, the working replacement does not seem to clip on the aftermarket radiator and blew out twice, dumping coolant and ruining a brand-new fail-open thermostat.
The factory fuel pump was still going strong but the fuel level sender was only jumping between E and F (never in-between). A1 Auto recently said there was a GM campaign to replace the level senders back in the day for that very reason. Had a shop replace the whole fuel pump but the replacement makes a loud ringing sound like a low speed pedestrian alert in a Bolt EV. They refuse to warranty it unless it fails so I’d better pressure-test soon (thanks for the tip!).
The ECU is marked “reconditioned” by GM. Gauge cluster works so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was reconditioned too. There is one bulb blown behind the fuel gauge and the whole cluster seems to reboot at least once per drive: needles suddenly drop then it lights up like a Christmas tree before settling down, exactly like it would when starting (self-test).
The rubber grommet on the plastic hose going to the back of the valve cover from the intake hose was completely rotted. Took me forever to find it and even longer to find where it was supposed to go. At least the replacement hose with grommet is cheap.
The rubber bushing in the transmission end of the shift cable also crumbled away, leaving me stranded in Neutral once. The Dorman part claims it only fits 2001 and newer but it worked perfectly.
On that note, the cruise control detent cable end was broken but I found a replacement from ATP that was sold as a transmission cable end for even older GM vehicles. Worked great.
The window switches failed so I swapped in a junkyard set that also failed a week later. In the mean time I had broken open the original to clean and treat the switches with dielectric grease, which worked about as long as the junkyard unit. I got a cheap replacement from eBay but lost the “Auto” function where it rolls all the way down with just a tap. You can’t disassemble them to move the new switches to the old board without breaking the lighted switch caps.
The driver window was also tilting forward and jamming if you didn’t help it up with your palm. The regulator was bent but it turned out to be a symptom, not a cause. After replacing the regulator I cleaned and regreased everything and tweaked a rail inside the door (front edge of window). All Christmas trees fasteners involved needed to be replaced.
I can’t tell where water is getting in but it’s sometimes pouring down the A-pillar and from the overhead console with the compass heading and temperature display. Water would have to flow UP if it’s coming in from the windshield but that must be what’s happening. Getting the windshield replaced tomorrow after a mishap so we will see.
Had a lens fall off the headlight housing when replacing a bulb so I bought replacement housings and side marker light housings. When moving the turn signals to the new side marker housings both of the sockets crumbled to bits. The replacement sockets I ordered were cheap but I figured out that you can replace them without cutting, crimping, or soldering since the wire terminals can be removed and swapped if you disassemble the socket. The bulb socket itself is an insert in the broken retainer part which can be unclipped. Small blades from the insert retain the terminals attached to the wire harness so you can grab them behind the rubber plugs and remove once the two pieces are unclipped.
All my rear bulbs seem cooked into their sockets but the van came with a junkyard tail light so I’m not too worried about it.
I’ve had to replace the TPS and knock sensor and something emissions-related back when I was first getting it registered.
The clock radio display becomes unreadable during the drive and the tape player stopped accepting a cassette… probably bad capacitors and needs to be cleaned out inside. No more Bluetooth cassette adapter for me!
No AC. Not sure why yet. Compressor clutch can be turned by hand without issue but it isn’t coming on by itself.
The fresh/recirculate actuator (mode door actuator?) was clicking with a broken gear inside and couldn’t move the air door. I replaced that but in the process my dash and defrost vent crumbled into a million pieces. I put a carpeted dash cover over it but I might need to do more if I ever get the AC going again (appears to be part of channeling air around). Heat works fine.
I’m in the south but this thing clearly lived up north at some point. You can grab handfuls of rusted rocker panel that has turned to dirt and the jack points are toast but the frame and everything else seems just fine. Actually had a shop refuse to do brakes because of the rust.
Engine doesn’t burn oil and seems to run fine. A couple times I’ve found the transmission making hard shifts and sounding like an RC car but after sitting all night the issue had gone away each time. Weird.
The rear washer fluid sprayer doesn’t seem to work. Not sure if it’s a clog or a bad motor.
It didn’t include the remote so I bought and programmed a replacement. Actually, I bought two but the second wouldn’t program. The first was only able to unlock for about a day before that quit working but it could still lock. I suspect the BCM. It’s probably also what’s keeping me from programming the second remote. It continued working for lock-only for almost a year but that suddenly quit working last week. I know the remote still works because I can hear it try to operate the power door when I press that button (power sliding door cable removed by previous owner).
All the plastic pieces in the floor that key specific positions for the removable seats are busted up after removing them to clean old soda and kid snacks. Yuck. Had to be done though… I literally found live maggots living off the mess from a previous owner’s kids.
Flip-down cup holders on the side of the first and second row seats are clearly missing a spring since they lay flat and can’t possibly hold a drink. No replacements available.
The lever for tilting the second row seat forward is missing the plastic handle and is often jammed way too tight to operate by hand (no doubt, why it’s broken).
Air bag light keeps coming on. It seems to be a bad connection under the passenger seat since manipulating the wires there will make the light go away for a while.
Mileage says 160,000 but the title says “Odometer Discrepancy” so take that as you will. I’ve been very impressed by the reliability of the motor itself but very disappointed that all the rubber/plastic parts I need are unobtainium. No one makes a Trans Sport/pre-2001 Montana grille, for example, and good luck finding that upper dash! The rubber shift cable bushing being listed as incompatible for pre-2001 models was particularly annoying when the only other option was a whole shift cable for hundreds… and requires you to take apart the dash/steering column and go through the firewall!
Wow. Several of the issues you mentioned were reminders of problems I had with some of the Pontiac Azteks we’ve had. The airbag light coming on was particularly annoying, having to reach under the passenger side seat to fiddle with while stopped at a light. Wife would know just what to do when the blower motor would suddenly turn off, kick the plastic panel under the dash, it would come right back on. For replacement parts, don’t rule out the junkyard, found several hard to posts there. Replaced a few power windows motors too. When the windows would fall off track, the plastic holding pieces were typically the issue. The transmission hard shifting is usually due to bad solenoids on the valve body. If ever replacing them, do them all. It’s possible to loosen the subframe bolts, take off the wheel and take off the cover to gain access. Another TH-cam video saved me hours instead of dropping the cradle.
VT247
2:00 Got a 95 Firebird with this engine a few weeks ago and that vacuum problem was the first issue I had. Got really worried about the hesitation and rough idle, but it turned out to just be a disconnected hose on the air pump 😂.
Really informative video man. Keep it up!
Update: think it's an exhaust leak. I'm still having the problem
This is one of the weird years for the Firebird. Getting a code reader to scan for codes can be challenging. If you can get the codes read, that would give a better understanding to what the issue may be. My first thought with the issues you've described would be the ignition system such as the coils, spark plugs or plugs.
VT247
@@Vacationtime247 yeah, obd 1.5 is a pure annoyance. nah I have a code reader. And I'm currently trying to get my computer to read it too. A dude on the firebrid nation forum is helping me out. No codes are popping up, and the guy I bought it from said he just changed the spark plugs. I'll consider that though
First and foremost I wish to give a shout out to author and participants of this board. A dedicated GM 3.4L Engine Discussion board is pretty awesome!!!
I have a 2003 Chevy Impala. The only difference between my engine and the author's is that there are motor mounts at the front of the engine. I need to change the back spark plugs. I am rather large in stature (6'2'', 275lbs), so feeling around the back to access them like some of you shorter and skinnier guys do is not an option for me.
According to what I researched thus far, GM states that it is best practice to rotate the engine. While there are videos out there that shows you how to do this, but the challenge is finding the resource for specifically for the application for the 2000-2005 chevy Impalas.
My question specifically where do you strap the engine to perform the this procedure? I want to do it the right way. Thanks!!!!
Take out the motor mount bolts nearest the engine 13 & 15 mm and loosen the ones closest to the radiator. Grab onto the motor and rock it to take out the 2nd bolt. Swing up the mounts. Get a ratchet strap and hook to the motor removal bracket and pull it forward. Should give enough clearance to change. Or jack up the car, put it on stands and reach up from underneath without having to pull the engine forward.
VT247
You meantioned some noise it tends to make during a cold start. I have a slight knocking that happens upon ignition. It always happens first thing, but runs flawlessly after warming up.
Could be a few different things. Piston slap, the piston rattles around in the cylinder until warmed up making a chattering noise. Possibly a weak lifter that bleeds out until oil pressure is up and engine running. Doubt it's a stripped out rocker arm since it only makes the noise when cold.
VT247
if heard this is normal that is the engine success because that is GM best engine designed for 400.000 miles.
the knocking is because the parts have a little play. that's normal
Had a 3.6 in a Malibu which is virtually identical and the 3.4 in my Impala I drive now.
Piston slap seems to be caused by the rods connecting the rocker arms fitting too tightly. Clean them up really good with rubbing alcohol then give them a good lubing up with some clean oil makes a world of difference. Too much torque on the rocker arms can also introduce the same problem: tighten to spec then with a box end wrench 2 hours of a clock tighter.
The MAF sensor element can be cleaned to restore it's functionality. It's a resistive element so adding or removing material changes it's output. Clean with a non-corrosive cleaner like rubbing alcohol.
Gaskets on this engine should be sealed with AC Delco 88864346 or equivalent silicon. The typical black silicon has a nasty reaction with the aluminum used in this engine, causes the aluminum to corrode which will produce a disgusting sludge that takes bottle cleaners of various sizes to get out of the coolant and oil channels. Eucalyptus oil can dissolve this crud to make cleanup easier and is safe to mix into any of your fluids in small quantities (1:10 ratio would be ideal).
This engine wears the drive belt really fast compared to any other engine I've had. As a result I treated my last belt with glycerin before installing it. Neatly wrap the belt and shove it into the bottom of a jar, fill just enough glycerin to cover it and let it sit overnight. Take it out the next day, wipe it dry with a junk rag then install it. If the belt starts to show significant wear, check the pulleys, it shouldn't wear once treated as long as the pulleys are all spinning good.
Heat shrink tubing can be used to seal a leaking vacuum line. Find the leaking section. Score a circle with a pipe cutter or razor then snap it clean. Slide heat shrink on and hold it together while you either wave it over a heat gun or have a friend heat it with a lighter using a swaying motion.
The Anti-Theft system you likely have since you have this engine. Do not even bother trying to fix it when it begins to fail. For the price of a new BCM you can order an aftermarket BCM from Omega that actually solves the problem once and for all. When I ran into this problem I tried everything from switches to turn off the anti-theft to resistors to eliminate the hall effect sensor to making my own debugging adapter using an Arduino, documentation AC Delco provided and a lot of low level code to sniff traffic using man-in-the-middle techniques with a laptop. All pointed toward the system working properly even though it clearly wasn't. My Impala already had the Omega BCM installed when I purchased it and I haven't seen so much of a hint of the stock system's problem.
When your radio decides it's been stolen, which from what I seen all of them do at some point. There is a code on the service tag in your trunk that you can enter using the radios debug menu. You'll have to look up which button combo opens that menu for your specific radio but dialing it in is very easy. Just expect to do it again a few years down the line if you keep the car. The code is a 3 digit number in one of the corners of the tag, not in the big group of numbers. The big group of number are just the options the car was ordered with.
I have a Grand Am 3.4 and have replace my Lim gasket already at 199. Have replaced fuel pump, alternator, water pump (preventive maintenance), a/c compressor (came frozen with the car), fuel purge valve. This car has 204000 right now and the next lim will be replace at 300000. This engine is a beast. I have replaced all my fluids to Amsoil and my coworkers are stout engine dont make any noise at iddle. I will rplace my muffler and my cat soon. I have been owner of Honda cars inthe past and let me tell you these are reliables. Will go from Miami to Ohio this summer on the Grand Am.
lose the airfilter put the factory one back on you're just sucking hot air from the engine bay with that open airfilter
Possibly the coil pack is arcing out. They can give sufficient spark at low RPM but can't deliver the right amount of current needed once RPMs go up. Also you mentioned that it gets worse when it's wet. Be careful with this next trick and don't zap yourself. But I've used a spray bottle in the dark and sprayed a mist around the coil pack and wires. Watch for any blue arcing. The water will allow it to jump spark easier and be more visible in the dark.
VT247
why cant a 100 yr old company seal an intake manifold correctly theyve had these issue forever
Because GM is cheap and will not pay for a quality made gasket and they treat their suppliers like crap going always to the low bidder an then knocking them down another 7%. Then they slow pay the suppliers 90+ days.
They also outsourced the 3100/3400 engines and they were made by the lowest bidder.
@@robc8468 no wonder why they went bankrupt
@@spencerquimby4726 ...where are they made?
@@Texaca a small number were made at the Tonawanda plant in Michigan before it was shut down but the vast majority were made in Mexico at the Ramos Arizpe plant. I used to own a 2001 Alero with a Tonawanda made 3400 engine and the gaskets were made of fucking cardboard.
I love my 2001 olds silhouette... its ported ,polished intake and throttle body.cold air intake...a shift kit and stall converter upgrade. sitting on 18" rims with open absorption passive magnaflow exhaust... holy crap fast
At 2:29 you touched a line but didn't mention the name. I have the same engine but in a Pontiac and I'm looking for that line. I put a rubber cap on it and it stopped the rough idle but did nothing for the acceleration. Please help. Auto places are being jerks.
I have a 05 Chevy Venture and also need to know the name of the piece
I would like to know its name too?
did any one find out what its called.
Hey I dont know too much about this engine but look for diagrams online, or in your cars manual
I need that same part. When I looked it up, I think it goes to the transaxle. But I cant find it anywhere.
That Is The Vacuum Hose For The Fuel Pressure Regulator
2003 Buick Century 3100. Just bought this car. I had to replace a leaking water pump. Pressure testing the cooling system afterwards resulted in coolant in the oil pan. I had to have the Lower Intake Manifold gaskets replaced. I let the dealer do this job at a total cost of $989.00 including new coolant reservoir. I have not had a GM before and also noticed the piston slap. Runs good now. Hopefully no engine damage. Coolant is no substitute for oil.
I bought a 2005 Montana in 2011, with 145K on it and they just put a 57K engine it cuz their kids blew up the factory one. I've got 350K on this van now and I keep the fluids changed regularly as well as any maintenance I can do myself which is a large majority of it. I've been pretty pleased with it.
I've sold this car, so I'm doing the best to remember. I believe it goes to the evap system. Check and feel under the coil pack (DIS system), there is a place that a vacuum line connects there. If I'm remembering correctly, the white tube slides into a larger black vacuum hose. LMK
VT247
Great Video. I have two Chevy Equinox's 2008 and 2009 both with high mileage and have had no major issues with either one, I think GM must have fixed many of the problems in later production versions of the 3.4L
With the belt on, loosen up all 4 bolts holding on the pulley, then take off the belt and remove all 4 bolts. Behind the belt remove all the bolts holding on the pump. Some are hidden under the pump that are difficult to see. Helps to run your hand around the pump to feel and make sure they are all off. When I replaced mine it came right off. Not sure what would be holding yours on unless perhaps one or more are still attached. Hope this helps.
VT247
I have an 04 montana with this 3.4 engine. No big issues yet. Needs a muffler. 341 thousand kms . Pretty good vehicle
ok I just put back on the old coil packs and ignition module charged the battery now it started right up and starts a good as it use to. I think the new coil pack I bought have to be faulty because when they were in it was a hard start (spark related sound) then quit starting,. put the old packs back in (had them tested at the autozone) and now it starts fast. so I hope all my issues are fixed. If I have any issues I will defiantly contact you again. A million thanks minus taxes of course!
I have the identical car. Mine is black and it's a 2001 with 124,344 miles. I bought it for 300 bucks a few weeks ago. Runs awesome. I can tell it sat for awhile, but it started right up after sitting through a -10+° winter here in Michigan. It was in my neighbors driveway for a couple months before I got to it. It over heated on me a couple days after I started driving it, apparently the radiator reservoir cap seal is a common problem with the 3.4, so I went to my local auto parts store and picked a whole new reservoir up for 35$ and took the 10 minutes to install it and top off the coolant. Haven't had an issue since. The only other issue I have is the water pump pulley making a squeaky sound until its warmed up. Might have to go grab one for 40$ and take the hour and put a new one in. The biggest thing for me is that I've NEVER EVER worked on any of my own cars until I got this 18 year old beater. It's super easy to work on the small stuff and a good car to learn on and parts are readily available and cheap. Have fun out their you all! No matter what your experience level is, it's all a learning experience!
Awesome glad you like it. Just keep in mind that the gaskets on these engines will eventually need replaced. Like every single one of them, head, intake and timing cover. Speaking from experience having owned about a half dozen vehicles with this motor.
VT247
I just bought a 03 Aztek with 160,000 on it, drove it twice engine sounded pretty good strong yet. So I bought it, within 24 hours I drove it home and then to work not issue's went to leave work started it up and the engine noise was bad. The first thing that I thought of was a rod, then valve's floating, or piston or pistons slapping. I was hoping it would go away when it warmed up, run it for about 15 minutes no change so I decided to try putting in some Murphys Mystery Oil in it. But it stayed about the same if not a bit loader. Went to my second job, and a few hours later when I left the same thing, hoped it would quiet up but it didn't. So stopped at Walmart on the way home and bought some STP Oil additive the small blue bottle very thick oil improves viscosity and helps with engine wear and stuff. But after putting it in there is no change almost as if it is gradually is getting louder. It sounds like a diesel pretty much now, don't know what to think now other than go and ask a mechanic. And I contacted the guy I bought it from and he said it was fine, I don't know what to tell you!?! Anyone have any Idea's other than small claims court!?! Thank you!
Ughhh..... Man, that sucks. Shady deal man. I'd be PISSED!!!
But I'll do you a solid and tell you what the problem is. The reason the fix-an-engine-in-a-can oil didn't work is because it's most likely the rocker arm studs / pedestal. Adding a thicker oil won't change the noise at all. The engine at some point has had the head or intake gasket fixed. When the steel rocker arm bolts are torqued back down onto the aluminum head they can get stripped out. In order to fix this problem take off the valve covers. Tap, thread and heli lock the stripped out threads. You'll know the bad one as it will be loose. Someone off of Craigslist would most likely do this job for @$300-500.
Check out my video's on GM 3400 fixes, the same engine as in your Aztek. Several Aztek videos along with how to set up the tent option. Currently own 3 Azteks. They're awesome!
VT247
The oil pressure switch is located between the oil filter and the starter. It's above and to the right of the oil filter, close to the knock sensor but to the right if looking from the front of the car. The knock sensor is larger than the oil pressure sensor. The oil pressure sensor is @ $10.
VT247
C 2 years and 5K you help me more than The dealer, good year and the local parts store. thanks a million.
The larger plastic tube that connects behind the mass air flow sensor connects to the rear valve cover. You may have to loosen up the 2 10mm bolts that holds on the coil pack to get it in there. Hope this helps.
VT247
Thank you for your response. I did bleed the system but failed to realize that it should be done at operating temperature. JP
I'm replacing my fuel injectors on my Alero. Looks just like this one, same color and everything. Noticed antifreeze where you pointed out at the 0:30 mark. Gasket was missing a piece out of it. LOL
I've currently got 3 Pontiac Azteks. They are awesome cars! Definitely different. Most 3400 engines have already had the intake manifold fix done. Typically the 2001 model Azteks have the most options. But look for a GT or Rally. '04-05 models are pretty good too.
VT247
The axtek is the ugliest minivan ever!!!😂
Yes, the engine will either stall out or die completely when the oil cap is removed. It looses vacuum from the PCV. Glad you found the problem and even better, it's on #6, so it's easy to get to. Not in the back.
VT247
Educational video! I already knew that the air intake gaskets are of poor quality. Ok see that you have an open air filter. I tried the same with mine but it doesn't really give that deep sound that I had hoped for so I built everything back to the original. Greetings from Holland.😎👍🏼
I have a 2001 Chevy Venture, that Im thinking has a blown head, The night I bought the vehicle it ran fine had no problems other than a shake when accelerating, but that's not the issue. I started driving home the next day after purchase, got about 3 miles from where I started, and overheating begins, and speeds slows to 20 mph, I shut it down immediately. Waited on it to cool down and got home 3 miles later again getting hot. I changed the rad cap and added coolant from napa, just to be sure it wasn't a blown head, I checked for water in oil and oil in water, and even checked trans fluid, didn't see anything wrong at the time. Drove it about 7 miles and loss heat, then overheating and shut it down again, got to a mechanics shop, they did a block test, not showing blown head however the shade tree mechanic noticed it had sludge on the valve cover inner wall and said well its had a blown head gasket and looks like they drained the sludge and replaced old engine oil. This is evident-ally a scammers way of selling a blown head gasket vehicle, he said to get some blue devil pour and go head gasket sealer. Tried that, but bled the cooling system after refilling and didn't over heat, ran good and had good heat. So thought this fixed the problem. Next trip on the way home its overheating again, so I checked the bleeders maybe there was air in the system still sure enough pushed a lot of air out before getting coolant. After bleeding it no problem but since then in order to drive this I have to bleed the coolant each time and add maybe a cup of coolant to top off. Is this a blown head or is it the intake man. gasket? I don't have a lot of cash to dump into this, and hoping for an easy fix but figuring its not going to be. Just today the trans started shifting hard not sure if that helps with all I have said but, it is up to date info as to what I have seen go on with this vehicle.
From everything you've described here, the head gasket is blown or the head is warped. Fill up the radiator, overflow tank and bleed the system. Once the vehicle warms up to operating temp, check for bubbles in the overflow tank. My bet is that there will be. Bubbles in the overflow means that exhaust gasses are getting into the coolant. Exhaust gas pressurizing the system and putting air in as well causing overheating. I've got several video's up on how to fix these motors. Hopefully it's just the head gaskets and not the heads. Check each head for cracks between the intake and spark plug hole. Also check that each is straight on the combustion side and not warped. If the heads are good, you can order a $80 rebuild kit shipped with all included gaskets and bolts. If the heads are bad, you can get a nice set off eBay for $350 shipped. Watch this 2 minute video on why they go bad. th-cam.com/video/K5mwjWLemA8/w-d-xo.html
VT247
My guess on the noise is piston slap. Once the engine warms up the ticking / rattling stops because of heat expansion. Bad news on the coolant leak though, it's probably the intake manifold gasket. It's not a terrible job to do, just time consuming. I have a video up on how to do this repair. The two issues are not related. The intake manifold gasket repair can be done for @ $150 if you do the work yourself including all the fluid and gaskets.
VT247
We have one that just blew a headgasket at 230,000 miles. We're going to try and keep it going. It's getting all new gaskets. It's long overdue.
I'm back. My '01 Alero has 135k and seems to have an intake leak. It idles with a very slight roughness and has a slight hesitation with slight acceleration. A little more throttle cleans it up. Temperature wise the car runs a little above mid-range but approaches 3/4 when in traffic. When I shut is off I hear a hiss for a couple seconds and it sounds like it originates from the intake bolt where coolant seeps from. Compression is in the 140's on all 6 cylinders, so thinking intake. More to come
02 Buick Rendezvous. On occasion will start right up, grumble and then die after about one second. Then won't start, just cranks and cranks. If I let it sit 15 minutes or so and come back, then usually starts right up. Runs great once running, no stalls, hesitation or other issues. Problem only happens once in every 5 starts or so. Fuel pressure is good (58 psi). No leakage (gas, coolant, vacuum) in engine that I can see. Any advice what to look for next?
Any engine codes on? Sounds like a fuel related problem or a bad crank signal. Is the fuel pressure reading while running or before starting? Possibly a fuel pressure regulator or filter.
the oil pump drive can leak oil, where you have to replace the "O" wring. Symptom oil on the ground. Pooled oil under the throttle body on the lower intake manifold.
Loosen all the 4 bolts holding on the pulley. Take off the serpentine belt. Take out the 6-8 bolts holding on the water pump marking the mounting location (makes re-installing the new one easier). Scrape away all the excess gasket material on the mounting surface. Coat both sides of the gasket with RTV black silicone. Install new water pump, install pulley, install serpentine belt, fill radiator and overflow up with coolant.
VT247
It is exactly that and I think the EVAP or PCV is the reason for the oil cap removal killing the engine. Well hey, next time I buy one of these cars, I will be able to fix it right this time and flip it quickly. I am keeping this one though, until a nicer one comes along, these are pretty sweet and luxurious cars for the price.
@Texasselling @Texasselling The relay gets power all the time, your just completing the circuit. The temp sensor tells the computer when to engage the fan through the relay. Make sure to check fuses too. Check coolant level. What operating temp does it go to before the fan would kick on? Mine would go past 1/2 before the fans kicked on. Mine rarely ever turns on, but work.
Hopefully the intake isn't broke. Had this happen once when I did a head gasket job on one of these 3400's. The intake can crack and cause a vacuum leak. Listen with a stethascope (or a piece of vacuum tube in your ear) for where the whistle is coming from. This will help locate the problem exactly. Hopefully it's just an o-ring on an injector.
VT247
Thank you! WD-40, elbow grease, and a two-handed grip on the needle-nosed pliers did the trick. Six new spark plugs and six new spark plug wires.
Hoping my random misfire is done.
The check engine light is on but the reader said it's the knock sensor and the evap sensor. The fuel pump was getting fuel through to the filter when we changed the fuel filter. So not sure what else to check.
Not sure of what size bolts they are, believe they are metric. It's located on the bottom, in front of the engine hooks in front of the transmission. Disconnect the battery, unfasten the large starter wire and the smaller positive + wire. It's not hard to get off and is about a 1/2 to an hour job. Helps to have the car lifted for easier access.
VT247
The Camshaft positioning sensor is located behind the power steering pump. Power steering pump has to come out to get access to it and an 8 mm socket is needed to remove. Had the OBDII computer tell me the camshaft positioning sensor was bad in a car once, turned out to be the spark plugs and wires though.
VT247
I have a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero 3.4 Litre, bought it off a friend of mine, had a nightmarish experience with Overheating, messed up the engine that came with it, replaced it with another engine, and the overheating persisted, read through some opinions on the web, told my Mechanic to check the manifold intake, he checked replaced the gaskets but the overheating persisted, fortunately my Mechanic is as dogged as i am, he insisted that there must be a reason the overheating won't go away, so he disconnected the Complete exhaust system and allow the the car to run, noisy though but that solved the problem. the catalytic converted was bad and was blocking the free flow of the exhaust, he remove the catalytic converter and replaced it Voila, overheating stopped, now my Alero is my favorite car. Overheating seems to be one of Alero's negs. I hope this helps.
At some point, nearly every gasket on the 3400 will go bad. Had to replace the timing chain cover, the head and intake gaskets on nearly every one I've owned. But, they are generally pretty reliable once the gaskets get changed.
VT247
Vacationtime247 Very correct, they are pretty reliable once you get it right. I love the surprise when i compete with super cars on the highway. nothing to show on the Alero that it's got muscles under the hood.
If you have oil and water mixing, it's the intake manifold gasket. I had an Aztek that had a bad thermostat in it. Drilled out 4 holes through the thermostat and fixed it. If you have a sweet smell coming out the exhaust, it's a head gasket.
VT247
What's the easiest way to get to and replace the freeze plug in the upper engine block on drivers side under egr?
I agree with Vacationtime247 I am rebuilding the same motor now. I am not sure about all of the 3.4s but it seems they have problems with the head gaskets and also with the oil galleys blocking up. Mine was very well maintained and had only 85k on it. Also drain the factory coolant out of it!! Put in the coolant that can be mixed with anything. I have found the GM factory coolant is terrible! The first thing I do after buying a GM vehicle is drain the coolant and replace it.
Make sure there isn't a frayed fuel injector wire, could be causing the injector to misfire. Jack the van up and put it on stands. Get under the van and remove the spark plugs from underneath. Found this to be the easiest way for removing the spark plugs in the back.
VT247
Drained the oil and filter when my intake manifold went bad. Oil was a milkshake. Filled the system back up after fixing it with some used motor oil and the old filter. Ran it until it reached operating temp, checking the oil while it warmed up. Let it cool then changed the oil and filter. Been fine ever since.
VT247
If you think that the timing chain has broke, pull off the front valve cover. Loosen the 4 8mm bolts and take the cover off. It's got a rubber gasket so it can be reused, just dab a blob of silicone around the sunk in edges at each corner when re-installing. Have someone turn the engine over and watch to see if the rocker arms move. If they move, the timing chain is still turning the cam, lifters, pushrods, rockers, valves, etc.
VT247
I'm putting another 3.4 in my 99 venture van. I got a 2004 3.4 from a Olds Alero with 110,000 miles that ran well. Before I put the new engine in My van I decided to take it apart clean everything and re-gasket the whole thing. Upon removal of the heads the head gaskets were not leaking but at least 3 of the coolant passage holes in the gaskets were plugged with red crud. The culprit? G.M.'s wonderful 150,000 mile crap known as dex-cool. If you have a GM car do yourself a big favor . Flush your cooling system the best you can and replace that crap with ethelene glycol and distilled water. Your motor will run cooler and do away with some of the inherent overheating issues these motors are famous for. (Disclaimer) This is all from My experience. Uase what works for you.
Carranzabigbable my friend had this problem check that your starter wire hasnt gotten melted or frayed. Get a meter on ohms and see what your voltage is from the postitive battery terminal to the strter cable should be 12-13 volts hot and cold. Wen thencars hot but off you can also check the resistance on the wire
Not sure exactly what your referring to. The engine needs a water pump. But if you mean the extra coolant tube for a water / oil cooler it helps with cooling when towing. Goes from @ the top of the water pump down to @ the oil filter. My '01 Aztek has one of these. It allows for better cooling when hauling a load. If using the van for hauling, be sure to use 3rd gear, don't tow in overdrive (OD). If you don't tow, the tube can be capped on both ends.
VT247
If you have a car wash nearby take and spray off the engine really well. Then look to see were the leak is coming out from. These engines have issues with the intake manifold going bad, especially if it's never been fixed before.
Also, the oil pan is aluminum. Check that as well for cracks if you've hit something. LMK what you find.
VT247
It never used to stall out or sputter when the oil cap was removed. Now I don't know if that is because the old EVAP/PCV was bad or the new one is. Seems logical to me that it should sputter/stall if the cap is removed if the PCV is there to balance the vacuum.
I just replaced the Gasket that belongs to the EGR, hopfully that will will give my Monte Carlo a lil more engine power.I dont have a fuel pressure leak, I think I may have to replace the purge valve and the elbow...smdh... I'm tired of working on the engine my to solve my problem and, Then I can move on to something else. Thanks for all your advice, it help me a lot..
The power steering lines run beside the alternator bracket. One is threaded into the pump the other is the low pressure return line. The low pressure line slides onto the plastic nozzle coming out of the pump. The high pressure threaded line can be a task to get back on sometimes. Enough fiddling with it and it'll go on. Takes a minute or so to get it started on right.
VT247
Geeze, that sounds like a good time. We just picked up a Honda accord and grand marquis both for 500. Not really having high hopes for the Honda it was kind of a package deal, but the grand marquis looks likes it might be in pretty good shape.
I found the annoying ticking sound, but the hard way. It was the AC wiring connector that had been pulled into the belt along with the metal bracket. The connector looked like it was cut almost in half diagonally and the bracket was bent into the path of the belt. So the belt had to be replaced and I also did the water pump as it was not expensive and I was already in there. No real challenges for the car yet so time will tell on the hot running issue. I'll be back for more drama.
my 1998 with 3.i in the mid sized chevy was the best auto I ever had.i could kick ass on hearleys,and some sport cars too.i got 30 mpg,hwy,23 town.the gasket are a probem,but these engines[evolved now]are in caddys.3.6 twin turbo 425 h.p,kicking asses around the world.
hey VT247 thanks for the tip on the water pump. It was a snap! BUT it was still overheating. I did everything I could to Burp it using the water pump bleeder and the thermostat bleeder(I didnt feel the t-stat was bad cause with the radiator cap off once it warmed up the coolant dropped a lot led me to believe the t-stat opened.) It did bubble a bit which really worried me cause Im afraid the intake or head gaskets are bad. Im gonna take it in to test the coolant reservoir for combustion gas!
Well I gave up on doing the work myself in fear of creating a bigger mess. So to the shop it went. A local shop who I very much trust looked at it and quoted me less than $700 for the intake gasket. Since I budgeted more than that I will have him check some other items while they are there. New thermostat and maybe some new coolant lines are in order. He said no labor on those since we would already be in deep. Fingers crossed the overall stays under a grand.
Hope this fixes it! Vehicle problems can get very annoying and sometimes expensive. Let me know how it turns out : D
VT247
I've personally repaired like 10 of these engines and i hated changing out the gaskets, it's such a huge pain to do and it's not even worth it at this point since many of these engines blew up anyways.
I've told countless people when they discover a head, intake or timing cover gasket leak. Do them all at the same time. Yes, it does mean basically an engine overhaul of the long block, but the factory gaskets will eventually fail and if a person only does one, they'll be back in there later doing the rest.
VT247
Hi. You are super knowledgeable on these 3.4. Have you heard of motor running rough all of the sudden bc of a loose bolt or helicoil thread? My car is running real rough all of a sudden it's got new plugs new wires and I just changed out the three coil packs today. The same identical thing happened on the same car before covid and the mechanic said it was some type of helicoil or something that came loose and was in the cylinder head. And it was still driving like that that sounds very strange to me. Wouldn't anything loose in the cylinder head cause damage while it was running? Thanks 👁️🐯
Check the vacuum lines and see if the coolant system holds pressure. The 3.4 was known to have bad gaskets. Never heard of the helicoil problem.
VT247
@@Vacationtime247 I appreciate your reply. I have since figured it out it's the rockers in the valve cover they are held in with a Time sert or helicoil. Thanks again 😎
@@mgtowlevel5293 Oh! Ok, now I know what they're referring to and yes, it could certainly cause issues. If the rocker arm doesn't open up the valve, then air can't get in correctly or the exhaust can't exit.
VT247
@@Vacationtime247 thanks again brother!
Solved the prob. It was the exhaust bypass tube rusted thru. What a "B" to reinstall. Used a 3/4 black pipe w/ slot cut out to fit over tube and a hammer to press fit it back in. Picking the old tube out w/ a small screwdriver was easy.
replaced the manifold gaskets only to have the head gaskets go 3 wks later. very common prob.
I appreciate ur response. I'll check out that Chiltons. Not particularly fond of Haynes books. BTW, found a rebuild video for the trans (4T60E & 4T65), I think theyre in the alero. Thanx again
You will need an OBD II scan gauge to pull up the codes. Any autozone or parts store will run the codes for free. The pinging could be bad gas or the elevation. Possibly the EGR system. The EGR system tends to get carboned up. Change the EGR and clean the port with a coat hanger and strong solvent. Also check for vacuum leaks with a water bottle or carb cleaner. Be sure to check your oil too, make sure there isn't water in with the oil indicating a bad intake manifold. Hope this helps.
VT247
I used a Felpro gasket on mine and it never leaked again. Use a liberal amount of silicone on the edges to ensure a good seal. Let the sealant dry overnight and then add coolant.
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Did rotate the engine to reach the back plugs, was impossible form under. Did not take of manifolds or starter so now runs great but have a hard start issue no codes. Prior coded P305 checked plugs etc rotated Coil packs got a 303 so replaced coil pack. No more codes but just the hard start now. Engine fires up fast just a little noise now on start up.??? what do you think?
I would love to know where those two vaccume lines run off of the intake manifold I'm having the hardest time trying to find where the one off the front goes and the one on the back left go if it's possible to see while making a video
The one at the front goes to the back intake connects the two the other one at the back is the one that connects onto the air intake tube before the mass air flow sensor
I know this feed is old but i've watched every video you made, i have my whole engine apart in my 99 olds silhouette, got everything cleaned painted and sad to say all my parts got mixed up, bolts and all, this is gonna be fun, i'm most worried about the vaccum lines
Luckily there aren't many vacuum lines in this engine. Should be plenty of diagrams available. Some of the bolts that hold on the alternator bracket and alternator are similar but use different lengths.
VT247
I have a 2000 Alero with 201,000 and I don't have piston slap. Only thing I've done engine wise besides oil change is I had to put a water pump on it when I got it. It had 192,000 when I got it. Otherwise I love it. Car still runs like a champ. I do have one slight issue that's weird. in the summer the car runs a proper temp but in the winter time the temp gauge won't even make the first line after cold unless you're setting idle. Even then once you get moving again it drops right back to that temp. So the heat ain't as hot as it should be.
Bad head gaskets. The OEM gaskets on these engines are junk.
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If it was a bad head gasket then wouldn't it over heat? Me and my dad are thinking my Thermostat is sticking open so I'm going I replace that first cause that's a cheap fix. I'm not working right now so if it's a head gasket then I'm screwed lol so I hope this takes care of it
Yea I figured the same. I am going to try and take it out of the top because I cant get the van in the air high enough to pull anything out of the bottom. i barely had enough room to drop the A fram to remove the oil pan.
First thing I'd check is the ignition control module under the coil packs. They heat up and cause it to shut off. Also the fuel system, fuel pump, regulator and filter.
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Ok thank you very much for your help I will keep you posted if I got it.
If it's a belt squeal, make sure there is good tension on the belt. Take the 3/8 drive ratchet and put it in the tensioner. Press towards the firewall to give more tension. Make sure you didn't over tighten the bolt going through the tensioner into the block. The tensioner may not be giving enough 'pull' to keep the belt tension correct.
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My wifes Aztek did the same thing. Luckily it was caught before any major damage was done. I'm sure your engine is flooded. No worries though! Should be a one day fix. You'll need to replace the intake manifold gasket and spark plugs.
What happens is when the water fills the oil pan the pistons can slosh around the 'milkshake' and foul out the plugs. Check out my video on how I replaced the intake manifold gasket on my '01 Pontiac Aztek 3400.
VT247
i have had issues with the PCV hose on the right bank that goes too the intake, easy fix, just taped it together so it would not come apart again!
It's quite possible it's the intake gaskets, not much separating the oil from the coolant. But, trust me on this one, do the head gaskets too. They'll eventually go bad anyhow and it's not that much more work or expense. Have a video up on how to do the head gaskets on a 3400, the 3.1 is basically the same thing. Good luck with your fix!
VT247
at 2:47, there are three vacuum lines nicely displayed. From left to right: (1) Transaxle (white section) - Not on all engines! ; (2) Fuel pressure regulator; (3) PCV.
Ive built a few of these LA1 3400's and i like them alot they are good engines when built right. If ur gonna build one ALWAY GET THE METAL LIM GASKETS!!! The plastic ones are all trash and i noticed the intake runners on them are smaller too. Also if its a 99 swap out those multec injectors for bosch type 3 from a 90's Tbird will run like a champ just make sure grind down the bracket posts. For my 2001 grand am i just built i use 28lb trailblazer injectors with a fuel pressure reg from a 99 grand am they run at 43psi
Here are a few items to check. The exhaust bypass tube for the EGR, allowing to much air in the system and check the EGR for proper flow and carbon in the intake ports. The Fuel pressure regulator, not allowing enough fuel in to feed the injectors. This is where I'd start. Let me know how it turns out.
Well No codes for any of the things you stated but now the engine idles great I can give it some gas to about 15000 RPMs the at 16000 it starts the chug and hesitation thing. I am stumped.
I'm getting that pool of liquid in the spot that you were pointing at in my 2000 Grand Am. Not only that but the anti-freeze is brown with some sludgy brown residue on the reservoir cap. I'm trying to figure out if it is the intake gasket, head gasket or combination of both..
All the best!
The sensor is probably getting hot and causing it to misfire when it warms up. Check the module under the coil packs too, they tend to go bad as well. Replace the Crank Sensor on the front of the engine by the balancer.
VT247
Make sure the marks are lined up. Lube it up with some soap. Push the plastic connector all the way to the end of the metal tube. If it still is causing trouble try a small screwdriver and maneuver it in. Hope this helps.
VT247
There is a vacuum line going to the EVAP, behind the throttle body going to the PCV valve, the MAP sensor behind the intake and there is one under the coil pack but you'll have to reach your hand down there to find it, can't really see it from up top.
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the only thing i can think of is that the fuel line is running to close to the exaust and the coolant hoses and i think that might b causing to much heat in that area. on a side note i changed the fuel filter when it was doing the whole not running and it was still hot, and as soon as i took off the fuel filter it shot gas everywhere like there was a cut in a garden hose. and that is what turned my thinking toward vapor locking
My guess is it is probably the head gaskets. I've replaced the head gaskets on most every 3400 I've owned. Got a video on TH-cam on how to do this repair. Here's how I found out it my head gasket. Let it run for a few minutes and bled the air bleeders then sealed them back up. Drove it up and down the road shortly. Sure enough the temp didn't stay consistent. It overheated, checked the bleeder, more air came out. Even heard a hissing when turned off around the block ie head gasket.
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I do understand, but I was looking for the cheapest least involved solution. I guess once the rocker arms and push rods are off the heads themselves don't add much more work with the exception of the exhaust.
Twist and turn the spark plug wire boot gently until it spins freely, then pull off at the large rubber end. Sometimes they're stuck good, a set of long needle nose grips works well. Do not pull at the thin wire, always at the boot. If the wire pulls out from the boot it can get difficult. Especially if the metal tab stays on the spark plug wire.
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Possibly the coil pack is arcing out. They can give sufficient spark at low RPM but can't deliver the right amount of current needed once RPMs go up. Also you mentioned that it gets worse when it's wet. Be careful with this next trick and don't zap yourself. But I've used a spray bottle in the dark and sprayed a mist around the coil pack and wires. Watch for any blue arcing. The water will allow it to jump spark easier and be more visible in the dark.
ok gave it a try last night and saw 2 areas
Hi, thank you for the video. I have an issue with the small plastic pipe that comes out of the tip of the air intake boot hose. It won't go back in at the other end, the one that goes to the motor. What is it called and what is the purpose of it?
That isn't an easy one to get back on. Usually helps to put the back in first then the front to the air intake. It's used to vent crankcase gases back into the intake manifold.
VT247