Help a n00b diagnose a VR6 engine problem.

[Jace]

Hey you guys.
Okay, so a week or two ago, I was cruising back from Baccus Marsh doing 100km/h or so, sudden loss of power and stalled, pulled over, wouldn't fire when it was turned over.

Oil spattered on the front left susp. gear, oil smoke coming from accessory side of the engine until the engine cooled itself down, smoke (thin but black oily smoke) coming through the intake, no firing at all, engine will turn, but wont fire up.

I've pulled the covers off the engine, and found that the timing chain is intact.
Turned the crankshaft by hand and the cams turn too, so that hopefully rules out timing chain and/or guides?

My next and most recent theory is coilpack failure, because everything turns fine and it wont fire up, but this doesn't explain the oil everywhere!

I'm an aspiring DIY mechanic, I want to be able to fix this myself if I can.

Help me out pleeeasssee! I'll love you long time. If you're in Geelong and feeling friendly, come give me a hand and I'll buy you a slab or whatever.

Thanks guys.
Jace.

[greens_tuf]

I'm no expert but I don't think complete coil pack failure is likely. When my coil pack failed the car would run but not on all cylinders.
And even then part of the coil pack broke off and was hanging attached to the lead and the car was still running. But that doesn't mean it won't happen...

It sounds like a fuel pump or something to do with the fuel deliver... again, I'm no expert but it could be electrical like you suggested or maybe fuel delivery, might that explain the burning oil?

Not much, but hope it helps!

[Jace]

There's oil covering the drivers side strut and lower control arm, the airbox and the chassis underneath the airbox. Like something sort of popped in that appoximate location, more than just burning oil.
The heat gauge displayed normal running temerature right up until whatever has happened. No overheating, the oil was burning from within the intake and I guess from the side of the engine because it was hot but not.

Thanks anyway mate.

[Jace]

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I haven't done an oil change since buying the car, but I have checked it and it wasn't over-full.
Good idea though, wouldn't cause cut out though.
Thanks.

[greens_tuf]

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I haven't done an oil change since buying the car, but I have checked it and it wasn't over-full.
Good idea though, wouldn't cause cut out though.
Thanks.

I think JoeVR might be onto something there... But I'm curious where the oil came from to start with... Do you have oil pressure? Did the oil pressure warning light flash or buzzer sound when you were driving and the engine died?

Did you lose power steering?

[Golf Loon]

Probably popped the oil brether filter. It comes off the rocker cover on the drivers side and plumbs into the intake. Probably the plastic pic has exploded and sprayed oil everywhere and the car wount start cos you have a huuuge vacuum leak.

[Jace]

Okay, makes sense. Thanks mate.

[Jace]

To confirm, it's nothing that obvious. I had the top of the engine apart and still didn't find anything that didn't look right.
Good theory though. Fitted the bill.
Yes, it's time to take it to the professionals.

[whiteVR6]

Post a picture up

[Jace]

Wont help. While I am not very experienced, I know what the engine looked like while it worked, doesn't look different from a top or side view.
There was oil, quite a bit of it, within the throttle body and inside the intake plenum.
More than usual, I am sure. That's the only thing I've found that simply doesn't look right.

I will organise a trailer with a winch and take it off to the mechanics. ****.

[gldgti]

pull a plug and check it out - if its covered with oil too, is probably why it isnt firing - spark just wont go if the plugs all covered with oil.

also, you ought to be able to have found there the oil had come from in hte cleanup.... if there's loads in the throttle body and intake, then its getting htere through the breather, and if it went outside of the breather, then somewhere there must be a leak or some damage. i think Loon has a good theory.