someone put a 96 engine in my 97 cavalier. are these engines compatible? i ask because the engine sounds like it wants to start but it won't. now another friend tells me that u cant put a 96 in a 97.
please someone help before i junk this.

Yes they are "compatible". You need to find out why the engine does not start(no spark, no fuel) then we can help. Good Luck.

does the emc have to be replaced? and do u know where the crank sensor is located, could this be a problem? if my questions are dumb it's because i'm a female trying figure out if this is worth the money to fix. the wires and plugs all matched up, should the sensors be the same as what was on the 97, or should they be the ones on the 96.
thanks for your help, it's truly appreciated.

they said there is no spark to the plugs

there was somebody in here last week who put a 97 engine in a 96, the knock sensor had to be jimmied to work

I'm back again. I was ready to get rid of this car, but now some one said it was the starter coil pack(I have no idea what that is) and it needed new plugs. He took out a plug and stuck a screw driver in and said it has compression. Do u think I should try the coil pack and plugs?

Cool, a girl willing to try auto repair. Quick! Clone yourself..:-)

1. You CANNOT check compression with a screwdriver! Perhaps they were checking for spark??
This would explain their mentioning the coil pack.

2. The crank sensor is on the back of the block bottom center. Kinda hard to get too.

3.As for parts compatability. You can always check the two cars in question at any parts store website such as http://www.autozone.com

4. The coil pack you heard about is on the back of the motor, you have two. These take the place of an old time distribuitor.

5. The coil pack may be shut down due to another componient failure. On the engine if you have a bad crank sensor, or bad oil sending unit, the computer will not let the engine start.

It would be nice if i could clone myself because this car is making one of me crazy. There's a good reason I need to get this going or I would just give up on it now.

What would u try first, there is no spark, it sounds like it wants to turn over. Should I try the crank or the coil pack first? do u have a better idea or should i just give up? It's just i don't give up to easily.

J.

what engine is it?? 2.2 or 2.4

also 96 had different ecu's then the newer 97-99 models could be something wrong going there

there where also slight changes on the engines to work with the different ecu's but what they are i cant remember

i would try the id cover/coil pak from the 97 engine and see if it fires with that

i dunno wish i could help more sorry

it's a 2.2. i guess i'll try the coil pack first. do u think i can do this by myself or do i need help getting to it? gotta go to work now.

thanks
j.

Always start withthe cheap stuff when shooting in the dark. Check and clean wire connections, then the oils sensor is about $4. The Crank sensor is $15. Coil packs are $50 each. There is also a module under the coils. $50 I believe. Coils and the module can be tested at autozone if they are removed from the car. A Haynes or Chiltons manual will show how to test the other componients using a multimeter.

Great info. i'm going to go get a book after work tomorrow, and start with your suggestions. I know I can fix this car! I'll let u know what happens.

Thanks,
j.