Pt cruiser won't stay running

[Mason]

My 01 pt cruiser will not stay running it starts and if I get lucky it stays running for about 30 seconds. It 80k miles on it and is a automatic. Non turbo

All fluids are good. I did a fuel pressure check off the fuel rail and it was all good. I also did a check on spark plugs, coil pack, and spark plug wires and they were all good.

I am now doing compression checks on all the cylinders. I did it and they all held pressure I am going to redo the test and give you guys numbers tomorrow. And sense I can't do it while at optimal temp. I am doing it with the engine cold.

I have not checked the fuel injectors. The car runs for 20-30 seconds which is making me stumped on what the problem could be.

Any thoughts or ideas?

[SpannerHound]

Oil pressure sensor is a favourite

I suppose it could also be an immobiliser/ alarm issue if one is fitted, is it recognising the key ok?

[chuzz]

Still sounds more like a fuel system problem to me. Have you ever cleaned the throttle body and IAC valve? I'm guessing not. Try cleaning them with some THROTTLE BODY CLEANER, not carburetor cleaner or brake cleaner.

[ptcruisersteve]

Is your engine light on? If so what are the engine trouble codes?

If you don't have an engine light on I would suggest checking your fuel pressure. You should be getting 58 +/-5 PSI.

[SvenCruiser]

Apart from a fuel system maulfunction,could also be a computer/electric issue if you're one of those people who decided its a good idea to wash down your engine bay with the pressure washer.

[Mason]

I noticed bubbling coming from my thermostat when turning over. I also see watery liquid coming out of spark plug holes when I am turning it over doing the compression test. Does this mean a blown head gasket?

[SpannerHound]

Originally Posted by Mason

I noticed bubbling coming from my thermostat when turning over. I also see watery liquid coming out of spark plug holes when I am turning it over doing the compression test. Does this mean a blown head gasket?

Is the watery liquid coming from the plugs not fuel? If it's water/ coolant there's an issue. I assume you mean the radiator cap when you talk about bubbling from the thermostat? If so, try cranking it without the radiator cap on. Does coolant get thrown out of it without the cap on?

[Mason]

It's just lots of air bubbles each time I crank it. It is a brown color and doesn't smell like gas. But it is shooting out the spark plug holes. I have the cap off

[ptcruisersteve]

Is the liquid blowing out of every cylinder?

I would suggest doing a coolant pressure test and see if the coolant is going into the cylinders.

[SpannerHound]

That doesn't sound great. Lots of air bubbles at the radiator just on cranking could be nothing more than some trapped air in the cooling system, but it's pretty unlikely imo. Coolant being sprayed out of the plug holes, however, is a whole other matter. If that's what it is, it would be a sure sign of gasket failure at the least, perhaps worse.

A proper coolant system pressure test should highlight any leak, but if you don't have the equipment, a quick 'n dirty trick would be to use a compressor with a jet nozzle/ tyre inflator and just squirt some air blasts into the overflow at the rad cap. Don't go mad with it, just a couple of little blasts is all you need. Make sure the coolant is topped up first so the system is full. If it's leaking anywhere, you will usually either see it immediately, or at least hear it escape and be able to track it down