I have a 2000 cavlier 2.2L auto. Idle pulley went left me dead on the road in the snow.. granted the car did hit the red on temp gauge for about 2 mins of driving, then I pulled it over.. Got it towed home, replaced pulley, charged battery, annndddd.. now WILL NOT start... it cranks and sounds like it wants to start. It actually did for about 30 secs. Then i shut it down. once again, nothing.. the oil isnt milky, but more a chocolate milk color.. im saying blown head gasket. i can smell guess when i try to start it, fuel pump engages when i turn the key. All plugs have spark. ANY IDEAS?????

2 things to check for blown head gasket.
1. It may be kinda hard, but look for bubbles in the coolant overflow.
2. Buy a compression tester for $20-$30 and check the compression on each cylinder. You can unplug the fuel rail injector harness to prevent large fuel dump

I have a similar problem. I was told that a car with a blown head gasket would still start but it would run really bad. Is that true? Or would the car not start at all if it was just the head gasket?

Plugs could be fouled with coolant or at this point it's just flooded. Compression test it and you'll find that the head gasket is blown. That head will need resurfaced, too.



"In Oldskool we trust"

Inspect the head or have it inspected VERY well if you reuse it. These heads love to crack, especially when they get hot,



"In Oldskool we trust"