Hey everyone. Well, I think my 94 bonneville SE is dead.

My dad was driving it with me in the passenger seat....it has had an oil leak for a little while now, but thought it was nothing serious. On the way home it started knocking, not too terribly. The oil pressure guage started to bottom out into the red, the car gave an audible alarm.....my dad accelerated a little bit to get up a hill and then we lost all oil pressure, the car shut off, and we were stranded...

Towed it home, got on the forum, and did some research. It has been about a month since the accident. Apparently, I think my problem is the UIM/LIM, and am not sure if it could be as serious as a cracked head/thrown rod/seized motor....I plan on draining all the oil and then opening up the engine.

I consider myself good with tools and am a good problem solver, as well as a good critical thinker, but I have never disassembled an engine....but I am more than willing to give it a go.

Here are some pics to help....

Driver side, low on the engine


Driver side


Driver side


Behind radiator


Passenger side


Whole engine


Looking over engine


Driver side


Dip stick, is the oil like milk to you? I don't think it is, IMO.


Front of engine



********FYI********
We have 3 Bonnevilles, all are SE from 94-95. I looked today, all are leaking oil in the same spots....this sucks.


Any help is appreciated guys.

The pics look normal enough. Driving with a knock and no oil pressure usually means you will need a crank and bearings. Driving it that way until it stopped means you would probably need cam and balance shaft bearings, too as the oil system filled up and circulated little abrasive bits from the rods and mains. Plus a thorough cleaning of lifters, block, and all oiled parts.

I would be considering a junk yard motor at this point.

The UIM problem isn't much of an issue till 95 when they changed how the EGR is routed. If you lost oil pressure but still have oil... I suppose the oil pump coulda gone. Drain the oil and look for shiny stuff in it.

Thanks. I will drain the oil tomorrow and report what I find. There is oil in it, and when I checked it today it seemed like there was way more than normal.

Did the coolant level change?

damn, your story sounds almost exactly like mine...my car did die at one point, but it started a minute later and ran fine....then a few days later i heard knocking and found out i spun a bering....my motor is apart now and quite sludged up, but it'* a good motor and worth rebuilding....i think all i'll need that'* new is a connecting rod, and bearings...we aren't sure about the crankshaft yet, although i'm told i'll probably need a new one...anyway, that might be what you're looking at..sorry this had to happen to you as well, but i'm glad for you that you didn't throw a rod or anything...good luck

Not that it matters, but what'* your milage?

It sounds like a cracked block leaked coolant into the pan.

Concur on the used engine. Unless you want to completely go through it, they're never right after they seize up.

.Buy the entire crank kit, exchange, and get reconiditoned rods, if and ONLY if the cylinder walls aren't too scored.

There'* a lot of damage you don't see to the various parts when an engine seizes up due to low or no oil pressure.

It has 190K on it, and it has had a slow, but steady coolant leak for about 6 months now....thought it just might be a leak in a hose because I replaced the radiator about a year ago.