Well I have 2000 Cavalier z24 convertible with around 55k original miles automatic... about a week ago i went to the local meeting
I always babied my car....about a week ago i went to the local meeting I changed my oil on a saturday and on sunday i went to the meeting... To make it short I was just cruising around with some friends... and friends started racing their z24 and i was on the back... just to keep up with the friends so I floored it to the red line changed gear to 2nd and the car couldnt go over 70mph i after that suddenly loses power. I coast til the next gas station and opened the hood a started to hear a ticking/knocking noise around the top left of the engine. At idle it the sound is very little but if revved the sound becomes a little louder. The sound is synchronized with the engine. Also the oil light started to light up intermidiately.. it would turn on and off. Whats the problem right now??? Valve , Lifters , Rods, Bearings? time for a new engine or could it be fixable?

did u check to see if there was any oil in the motor?

Yeah, check the oil level first. If you were beating on it, with the level low... you've probably killed it. Might have jumped the timing, if the noise is coming from the timing chain housing.

Time to do a compression test! Pull the plugs and check 'em out..

Forgive me if I misunderstood, but when you say "changed gear to 2nd" do you mean you intentionally shifted your automatic transmission into 2nd gear while at red line and nearing 70mph?

actually I did the oil the a day before this this happened...


and no, all the time it was in "D" (drive) . i did not intentional change to 2nd sorry about that....

I put Mobil 1 synthetic high mileage 10-30w oil in it. with an ACDelco oil fitler part # something PF46 something like that...


the car idles fines at around 700 to 800 RPMS

did you run conventional oil in it before? and this was the first time you had used synthetic?

if so theres your problem.



I'm tired of wasting my time... now I'm breakin' free.

nop. I had it before... same kind of oil before.

10w30? In a 2.4? Ok then.....

I'd agree with John about the timing.....

I was thinking he Jumped a tooth on his timing chain also... but the oil light thing is odd.... unless the idle is dropping down low enough to make the light come on... but you would think it would die before that happens. Are you low on oil too?

Theres also the possibility that you screwed the bearings or something in your oil pump wich is causing the low pressure light to comes on, making the sound, and causing the engine to run crappy due to increased drag on the motor..... but thats just grabbing a guess out of the air.....

CHECK YOUR OIL LEVEL and get back to us.

Yeah, check oil level first. Then pull the plugs. If it sounds like a lawnmower at anything above idle, you may have melted a plug... or chipped a piston, which smashed the electrode shut (like my 2.4L did...)...

How about this, when you changed your oil, did you make sure that the rubber gasket came off with the oil filter?

I spun a bearing that way in an engine with 1000 miles on it. Just had it rebuilt, changed the oil, didn't make sure the gasket came off, finished my oil change and drove off. I didn't make it far when I noticed my oil gauge tankin out...

well finally today i tried to start the engine and still works... it idles fine and everything.
but i didnt revved it up or anything like that..... I couldn't hear the knock, tapping sound when it was cold but
when i was warm i started to hear to knocking sound..... i turn it off. After a cooling probably like 8 hrs. I pulled the plugs and
the plugs are fine there are not melted or anything it didnt have the electrode shut.........
ill turn on the car and see if the oil light is off or on.... i cant remember if it was on off..... also i think i put all the 5 quart oil jug in the engine... also could that made it cause that?
what you guys suggest? OIL PUMP? ROD KNOCK? VALVES?

sounds like u broke the connecting rod bearing and with running it it will soon get louder. rebuildible just a pia its down there. specialy when oil dropped too low and then u beat on it to keep up.

i dont have planning on driving it but.. if it would be the connecting rod bearing how much would it cost... like just on parts????? what would i need to get?

let say... ike gaskets ,etc...

You could do it on the cheap with just the oil pan gasket and rod bearings for under $100, but that oil light issue needs to be addressed. You can always hook up a mechanical gauge to check what your oil pressure is. I'd try to do that first since you need the oil pan off to swap the oil pump. Suck to put it back together just to drop the pan again for the oil pump. Also a low mileage engine like yours I would stay with the recommended 5w 30.

so where to buy the parts????

I have Autozone, Oreilly's, Advance autoparts... or online???what website?

How or from where you check the oil pressure with a mechanical guage?

Also so first check compression, check oil pressure.. and depends on that.... we should continue....

well i took it to the mechanic and he checked it . He turned it on an revved it up and start it to knock and when on idle it doesnt knock. I left it for a week with the mechanic.. and i call today and he says that is 850 for parts and he is charging me 650 for labor... what you guys think???

Also i think hes changing all the bottom end.. crankshaft, oil pump, water pump, timing chain... bearing all that.....


so guys what you think???? it is better to find another engine or fix it?

I think before you agree to anything you should find out exactly what he is doing.

At that price i don't think you are getting what you think you are getting, I could be wrong though.

well i went today to the mechanic and my engine is in pieces.... he told me that the crankshaft was bad... hes replacing it ... water pump, oil pump, timing chain, bearings, gaskets and some more things.....