hydrolock is where you get a liquid in the cylindars. Fuel, oil, coolant, etc. Because liquids don't compress anywhere near as much as air, the engine basically locks up. If you try to crank the motor and it has a liquid in one or more cylinders it can bend a rod. Most common cause of getting a liquid in a cylinder is probably replacing the injectors. Or on a smaller scale the glow plugs. Fuel and oil can drain into the cylander if the proceedure is not followed corectly. Coolant in a cylinder could be caused by a bad injector cup(usually accompanied by fuel on top of the coolant in the bottle) or maybe cavitation. Either way I would think that there would be a lot of white smoke.
Craig

 

Wow, that does sound nasty. Luckily I've seen so white smoke whatsoever so I think I can rule that one out. Thanks for that.

 

I hope you get your problems fixed without wasting your money. I don't know about the optima automotive batteries but I do know something about the ones they make for the boating industry. I looked about using them in my bass boat and my dealer strongly recommened that I don't. He said that warranty was the big problem. They (optima) would not allow the dealers to replace a bad battery. The dealer had to send it back to optima for them to check and then they would decide to replace it. The customer would have to wait until the 2 week process was over before he would get a battery. Like I said, these are Marine batteries but I assume they are made by the same company.

Good luck

 

Hydrolock from fuel/oil leaking into the cylinder should be accompanied by white smoke once it starts. Coolant leaking by the head gasket would cause steam/coolant smell out the exhaust pipe. Hydrolock from coolant getting by the head gasket can happen fairly rapidly once the engine is warmed up, because the coolant becomes pressureized. Any hydrolock might be accompanied by a engine knock/miss once it starts.

I don't think your problem has anything to do with your glow plugs, unless your batteries just can't handle the draw of both glow plugs and the starter. Taking them out and having them load tested sounds like the logical first step.

I have had really good expierences with interstate mega-tron batteries myself.

Your starter relay is bolted to the inside of the passenger side fender.

 

Got it. Thanks for that. I'll be testing the batts. tomorrow and locating that relay as well. I'll keep everyone posted as to how this situation works out. Thanks again

 

I wouldn't bother with the Optimas unless you want to brag. I use Interstate Megatrons as well and the engine cranks like it's had way too much coffee.
Also keep a close eye on that coolant. I've seen lot's of hydrolocking VW 1.8L gas engines that never put out any smoke on a cold engine startup. But you could hear it grunt over the full cylinder and then blow it out the exhaust valve and crank freely after that.
Hydrolocking is extremly destructive to the engine. Liquid is not compressable and when the piston comes up the cylinder pressures go up off the scale. Whatever is the weakest link then gives way. Head gaskets, ring lands, connecting rods bend, whatever is the weakest component. On one VW engine the pressure was high enough to break the ceramic insulation out of the spark plug.

 

In the original post you stated: "Let me just start by saying I have a brand new alternator." What problems did you have before changing out the alternator?

 

It just stopped charging. That all made perfect sense. You know...jump starting would get it going but everytime you shut it off it wouldn't start again. The volt meter would be pinned low, and also I put a tester on it while it was running and it wasn't putting out anything.

 

Ok, ok, ok...you're scaring me Kwik, not that I don't appreciate the insight, 'cause believe me, I do...but that is one scary prospect. This is what happened today:
I had the trickle charger (which I know isn't the solution, just kind of helping out right now) on all night along with the block heater. Here in the North East we had a pretty horrendous night as well with snow and the lowest temps in a while. Unplugged all that stuff, got in and was extremely excited to hear that buzzing sound strongly humming upon the turn of the key to fire the plugs off and the volt meter way up high. Sometimes when I get in the buzzing sounds weak and the volt meter barely goes past 8. As soon as the WTS light shut off I turned the key and she spun over like there was no tomorrow. "NICE!!!" I thought. Sooooo...I let her get up to temp and drove her around for about 30 mins. thinking that I was getting somewhere with this problem. When I got to my warehouse I shut her down for about 15mins (just to tempt fate really), and got back in to leave, turned the key to fire the plugs and noticed a slightly lower pitched hum and slightly lowered reading on the volts, slow turn for first revolution, and then spun right to life. DAMN!!! Like I said in the original post "Killing Me!" I tell ya. The only saving grace is that I really don't think she's hydrolocked because I am seeing lower voltage before I try to crank. The only thing that makes me scratch my head is that all these symptoms seem to indicate a bad alternator, but it only has about 1000 miles on it. I guess it is possible that I got a bad one...isn't it? I hate to ask to have my hand held but man am I puzzled.
Once again...Thanks in advance...I really don't know what I'd do without this forum...be paying out the *ss for dealer inaccurate diagnosis I guess!

 

Yes you can get a new one that bad. Around here any parts store will check you alt. and batteries for free. I still think new batteries are in you near future.
Keep us up to date.

 

With all this hydrolocking talk I'd cry tears of joy to buy new batteries!! Let's just hope you're right!!

 

You can start crying now.
The lower voltage is a good sign.

 

Whats the chance of the glow plugs not turning off and loading down the batteries. I have the dual batteries w/ dual alternators and when my GP's are fired up, the lights dim, until the GP's turn off a few minutes later. If its on all the time, would it not run down the batteries?

 

What do your glowplugs sound like?

 

they don't make any sound other than the relay click on then off about 2 minutes later depanding on the temps. but yes the glow plug would run the battery down very fast that why our trucks have 2 batteries.