1998 Chevy Malibu?

Question

i own a 1998 chevy malibu i have a lot of smoke coming out of my exhaust!!! and my engine is just acting real noisy. i had a crack in the block because water was getting in but i think i feeled it, and flushed the oil and radiotor. it has a hard hit before it starts up . my question is any ideas why it hits hard before it starts? why there would be smoke?

Answer 1

I would suggest to have your vehicle checked out by a professional tech. I agree, the intake may be causing coolant into your engine causing "white" smoke, but the fact that its making alot of noise now, internal damage may already be done. Coolant can wash down cylinders and create wear from lack of oil. Good luck on this problem, it may get expensive

Answer 2

I think you need to have this looked at by a professional.

The 3.1L and 3.4L that Chevy put in most of their mid size cars are prone to intake gasket leaks. This could leak externally or internally. If internal it would mix with the oil. Stop leak will not be able to fix this type of leak.

If it did actually crack the block you need a new one. A hard hit when first starting could be the coolant filling up a cylinder while the engine is shut down, called hydro lock. Since liquids don't compress when the engine tries to start the piston cannot move upward and usually something is bent or broken.

Call a couple of shops and explain what has happened. Ask them how much it will cost to check out the problem and to give you an estimate for what it will take to repair it.

Answer 3

Why it hits hard... would be the starter. Smoke.... if it is thick and bluish white then you are burning oil. If the smoke is white and smells sweet and your radiator coolant goes low, then you have a blown head gasket and you are burning the coolant. If the smoke is just white, but not heavy, this is normal in cold weather.

Answer 4

Most likely you have a leaking intake gasket if it was getting into the oil. I have fixed many of them.


1998 malibu did not come with a 3.8.

Answer 5

Mala bu bu Babbie Rather go there that drive a gas guzzling money Pit.

Answer 6

most likely if its a 3.8L, its got a cracked upper intake manifold. there is an updated parts kit for this repair. you have to retrofit the EGR passage and clean out all the coolant from the upper manifold sealing area

Answer 7

1964-1972
The first Malibu was the mid-range Chevrolet Chevelle from 1964 to 1972, the SS being the top of the line. 1964 was the first production year of the Chevelle Malibu).


[edit] 1973-1977
The Malibu was restyled for the 1973 model year. Models included the base Chevelle Deluxe, mid-range Malibu and the top-line Laguna.

For 1974, the Deluxe was dropped, and the Malibu became the entry-level Chevelle. The Laguna trim package was replaced with the Malibu Classic. The Laguna S-3 model was introduced to replace the SS, and continued through 1976.


[edit] 1978-1983
For the 1978 model year, the Malibu name replaced the Chevelle name on all mid-sized Chevrolets except the Monte Carlo coupe. This was a downsized version compared to previous mid-sized Chevrolets. Only two trim levels were offered - Malibu and Malibu Classic.

Three bodystyles were produced (station wagon, sedan, and coupe); the 2-door coupe was last produced in 1981. In recent years, the coupe has been sought after by drag racers and usually spotted as street machines.

The 4-door Malibu was also used in fleets, especially for law enforcement usage. After the Chevrolet Nova ceased production in 1979, the 9C1 police option was transferred to the Malibu, filling a void for mid-sized police vehicles.

General Motors Canada also produced a special order of Malibu sedans in 1981 for the Iraqi government, although the order was ultimately rejected due to quality concerns. These "Iraqi Taxi" Malibus were auctioned off to the public at a greatly reduced price, since they carried the undesirable combination of the smallest V6 engine with a 3-speed manual transmission. They were mostly sold around the Halifax, Nova Scotia area.


[edit] Engines
1980-1981 305 5.0 L (305 in³) V8

[edit] G platform
The 1982 Malibu shared GM's redesignated rear-wheel drive G platform with cars like the Pontiac Grand Prix, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Buick Regal. 1982 was the final year that a Malibu Classic was marketed; Malibus were produced as 4-door sedans (and station wagons) until 1983 when it was replaced by the front-wheel drive Chevrolet Celebrity. Although the sedan and wagon were phased out, the El Camino remained in production until 1987.


[edit] 1997-2003
A new front-wheel drive Malibu was introduced in 1997 on an extended wheelbase version of the GM N platform with the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Achieva, Oldsmobile Alero and Pontiac Grand Am. All N-body Malibus were produced at the Oklahoma City Assembly plant (after 2003 it was retooled to build the GMT360 SUVs) and the Wilmington Assembly plant (after 1999), before moving production to Lansing, Michigan. The Wilmington plant was then retooled to build the Saturn L-series in 1999. The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a clone of the Malibu as a stopgap vehicle before the Oldsmobile Alero. The Malibu replaced the compact Chevrolet Corsica, which not form the size factor of the competing Accord and Camry. Power came from a 2.4 L 150 hp (112 kW) I4 or 3.1 L 155 hp (116 kW) V6. The Malibu was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1997.

1997 to 1999 Malibus had a front grille with the Malibu logo in silver in the center; 2000 to 2003 models, including the Classic, had the blue Chevrolet emblem on the front grille. 1997 to 1999 LS models were sometimes equipped with special gold-colored badges (the rear Malibu lettering and logo).



The 3.1 L V6 was updated in 2000 with a new power rating of 170 hp (127 kW), and the 4-cylinder was dropped. Although the N-body Malibu remained in production until 2005, the 4-cylinder was reintroduced in 2004 where the Ecotec was an option.


[edit] Engines
1997-2003 3.1 L LG8 V6
1997-1999 2.4 L LD9 I4

[edit] Trivia
Although not officially imported to Chile, Malibus are part of the Presidential Escort of that country.


[edit] 2004-2007
The Malibu name was moved to the new Epsilon platform for 2004, but the previous car remained in production as the Chevrolet Classic for car rental and fleet use, which was discontinued in 2006. The Epsilon-based Malibu comes in two bodystyles, a standard 4-door sedan and a 4-door Malibu Maxx station wagon. This is Chevrolet's first station wagon since the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Caprice wagon in 1996.



This generation of the Malibu initially debuted with a front fascia design featuring a wide grille split horizontally by a prominent chrome bar that ran the entire width of the car, which was intended to make it resemble Chevrolet's trucks. However, for 2006, the front end was updated with more conventional styling; the chrome bar was removed, and the grille itself was made smaller, bearing a resemblance to the grille on the previous Malibu.

Base power comes from a 2.2 L Ecotec L61 I4 which produces 145 hp (108 kW). LS and LT trims originally had a 3.5 L 200 hp (149 kW) High Value LX9 V6 while both sedan and Maxx SS models are powered by the 3.9 L 240 hp High Value LZ9 V6. For 2007, the LX9 was replaced with the LZ4 V6, which in the Malibu produces 217 hp (162 kW). A remote starter is also available, which was introduced on several other GM vehicles for 2004.

The Malibu is manufactured at GM's Fairfax #2 factory in Kansas City, Kansas.


[edit] Engines
2004-2007 - 2.2 L Ecotec I4
2004-2006 - 3.5 L LX9 V6
2007 - 3.5 L LZ4 V6
2006-2007 - 3.9 L LZ9 V6 (SS)

[edit] SS


A special SS trim is available on the Malibu and Malibu Maxx with the 3.9 L LZ9 V6.


[edit] 2008
The Malibu will be redesigned for the 2008 model year. It will be built on a revised version of the long-wheelbase Epsilon platform shared with the Saturn Aura and Pontiac G6. The Malibu will be roomier than before, with a redesigned interior and more powerful engines.

According to Car and Driver, the 2008 Malibu will offer a 164 hp, 2.4 L inline-4 as the base engine, and a 252 hp, 3.6 L V6 as an option. Like the current model, the 2008 Malibu will be offered in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels, however the 4-cylinder engine will now be available on the LTZ, and on that trim level it will be paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The V6 models will all come with a six-speed automatic, however the 4-cylinder LS and LT models will continue to use a four-speed automatic [1]. There is no indication a manual transmission will be offered. When the new Malibu arrives, Chevrolet will no longer offer the Malibu Maxx station wagon. GM is reportedly working on a hybrid variant for 2009. [2]

On December 18, 2006, photos of the next Malibu were accidentally leaked on the internet via the North American International Auto Show website. This was in addition to a preview shot leaked by GM earlier in the day, however the NAIS photo showed the entire car, unlike the GM photo which only revealed the grille and headlamps. [3]


[edit] External links
2008 Chevrolet Malibu
The official website of the Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx
Automotive History Online - Chevrolet Malibu history & photos
Maliburacing.com The 1978-1983 Malibu Performance Site
Malibu Club is the Leading N-body and Epsilon Body Member Forum