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My car is only running on 1 cylinder?
My car was idleing really rough and almost dying when the radiator fan kicks on, but i can still go 0 to 60 in 15 seconds when driving, not in idle. I took it to a mechanic and he told me that 3 out of the 4 cylinders are bad and that i need a new engine. It seems weird to me that i still have good power with only driving on one cylinder, it does burn a quart of oil a week, just wondering if anyone else has experienced this
9 Answers
- 8 years ago
Well first of all what kind of car do you have? Is it a regular car or do u use it for racing? But the issue with your cylinders is not true your car will not run at all on just one so shoot your mechanic are you sure you don't just have an oil leak? Get a different point of view on your engine it could be something small that will seem like it causes a lot of trouble hope everything works out
- Anonymous8 years ago
Ok, some of these answers are ok but heres my two cents. your vehicle is burning oil. The reason why you still are able to drive is becuase your cyl are not dead misfiring. Oil entering the combustion chamber will cause rough idling and misfiring but not shut down that cyl all together. Especially at the rate of one quart a week is not a good sign to begin with. Yes is repairable, but is is worth rebuilding? Thats what you need to look for. piston rings, valve seating and head shaving is not a one hour job. it will require a full overhaul which will cost samr in labot as if you wrre replacing the entire engine. Find out how much a rebuild would cost and compare it to replacing with a new engine as well as warranty.
Source(s): Ase certified - 8 years ago
He just means that the cylinders are not performing at full power due to wear on the pistons and cylinder walls, not that they do not function well enough to drive, but a valve job and new set of piston rings with a shaved head should do the trick, you probably dont need a new engine
Source(s): me - ?Lv 45 years ago
So long as it runs well, don't worry about it. The sensors or logic can effectively be as faulty because the part it is supposed to be monitoring. It's possible the coil is going unhealthy, however don't substitute it except it runs badly. One factor you can do is to curb the spark plug gag to round .035'. A smaller gap ensures an improved spark. You might also swap plugs 1 and three with 2 and four, in case it's truely a borderline plug. And continuously take it to independent garages. They have got a lot more incentive to get it proper then buyers do. And are about half the cost.
- Anonymous8 years ago
idk what the person above me is talking about. I had a grand prix that was running on only 2 cylinders. went through gas like crazy. didnt let it last too long to notice if it was burning up the oil or not. it broke down on me a week after buying.
i didnt have to replace the engine tho. im not sure what all the mechanic did but he fixed it up for me... but not even a year later the head gaskets were shot. so get it fixed asap and keep a close eye on it.
Source(s): know a bit about vehicles/grew up around em - DanaLv 48 years ago
That sounds like a vacuum leak. I had the same thing happen to me and discovered the intake manifold was loose. Once it was tightened up it was fine and that was on an 85 Chevy Celebrity 4 cylinder. It could also be a broken vacuum hose or one that is disconnected.
- 8 years ago
That would be the best way to go is go ahead and get a new engine. If your car is only running on 1 cylinder then there's extra pressure on that cylinder to do all the work by itself so it will also probably go out soon.
- Trump 2020Lv 78 years ago
Before spending ANY money on it, I would get a second, or even a THIRD opinion. Not ALL mechanics are honest, and not all mechanics are competent.
- 8 years ago
sounds to me like you need to replace your spark plug and wires. cause of burning oil is most likely your intake manifold gasket that needs to be replaced. you can buy some injector cleaner at any gas station or auto part place and put it in your gaz tank. will clean the fuel injectors. hope that helps