My Buick Lesabre won't start =[?

[Andrew D]

Hey everyone,
I've done all that i can think of to get my car to start, but nothing seems to be working, so i was hoping that someone here might have an answer that would help me out...

I drive a custom 1998 Buick Lesabre (yeah, i know i know =P, but it gets me from A to B). Anyways, about a month ago, it had started acting weird when i would try to start it up. It would take 3-5 seconds of semi-struggling before it would start up. So i had the oil changed and all, and it had been getting better, but then last week, when i was trying to leave the library parking lot on campus, it wouldn't even try to turn over...
At first i thought it was the battery, so i had multiple people come over and try to jump it, without success...so to make sure I had the battery checked at advanced auto parts and they told me to replace it...I did...but the car was having the same problem...I had also accidentally get the antifreeze a bit low, but from what i have heard, the car would at least try to turn over if it were an engine problem.
The only other problem i could see was the security system acting up. It had done something similar last year, but after looking through the manual, a friend and i were able to fix the problem...now it will not work...i have tried cleaning the key, using the spare (in case the chip in the key had gone bad), and checking the fuses, but nothing has helped so far.
Anyone have any suggestions? I would really appreciate it...

 

[Matt R]

take to dealer they will fix it

 

[Chunk 28]

could be the alternator or starter unless u had that checked already or have u noticed anything leaking under the car
sorry i cant help you out more might have to take it to a garage

 

[imidazol97]

Hey everyone,
I've done all that i can think of to get my car to start, but nothing seems to be working, so i was hoping that someone here might have an answer that would help me out...

I drive a custom 1998 Buick Lesabre (yeah, i know i know =P, but it gets me from A to B). Anyways, about a month ago, it had started acting weird when i would try to start it up. It would take 3-5 seconds of semi-struggling before it would start up. So i had the oil changed and all, and it had been getting better, but then last week, when i was trying to leave the library parking lot on campus, it wouldn't even try to turn over...
At first i thought it was the battery, so i had multiple people come over and try to jump it, without success...so to make sure I had the battery checked at advanced auto parts and they told me to replace it...I did...but the car was having the same problem...I had also accidentally get the antifreeze a bit low, but from what i have heard, the car would at least try to turn over if it were an engine problem.
The only other problem i could see was the security system acting up. It had done something similar last year, but after looking through the manual, a friend and i were able to fix the problem...now it will not work...i have tried cleaning the key, using the spare (in case the chip in the key had gone bad), and checking the fuses, but nothing has helped so far.
Anyone have any suggestions? I would really appreciate it...

From the post I take it the motor actuallyl turns over when you're trying to start it. The VATS system will not engage the starter motor nor the injectors if the wrong key resistance is read. The security light will come on and flash for 3 minutes and then reset ready to read another key inserted.

You are saying it doesn't want to fire and run, but is turning over.

When you had the battery cables off did you clean between the two red positive terminals to be sure there's good contact for both of them. There's a lead washed between them, I've been told. Sometimes corrosion between them causes funny things.

If the engine is cranking but just not catching and running like it should, you may have low fuel pressure from the pump in the tank. If the tank is often run low below a quarter that's hard on the pumps. And sometimes they just fail.

My thinking is low pump pressure would not give a good spray pattern from the injectors in cold hard-to-start weather.

You might have a loss of pressure while sitting. Try priming the pump. Turn the key to ON and you'll hear the pump run for 3 seconds. Then turn key off and back to ON. Do this 3 times. That build the pressure up in the line that's supposed to stay there when you turn the motor off. If it starts more normally after doing this, your problem may be the leak back valve at the pump.

You might check the fuel pressure regulator sitting on the front of the motor with vacuum lines going to it. It adjust the fuel pressure to the vacuum the motor is making. If there's gasoline in the vacuum lines to the regulator, that's a sign it's failed. I believe these were recalled on my 98 because of problems where the raw gas allowed a misfire that could split open the ABS Upper intake manifold.

last is your fuel pump may not be making enough pressure. Also check by the right rear wheel to see if you smell raw gas after running the pump or the car. Mine developed seeps in the metal pressure line from the pump on top of the tankto the plastic line it meets that goes to the fuel filter which is under the passenger side rear door inside the rail under the car. Mine was leaking gas--I'd noticed fuel mileage wasn't as good. Drop tank and replace pump and associated tubes and gas gauge sender is expensive.

Also check connector at front of base under coils which is the electronic spark control.

Hope one of these helps.

 

[Hapynzap]

Hey everyone,
I've done all that i can think of to get my car to start, but nothing seems to be working, so i was hoping that someone here might have an answer that would help me out...

I had also accidentally get the antifreeze a bit low

last week, when i was trying to leave the library parking lot on campus, it wouldn't even try to turn over.....

Sounds like a classic case of the upper intake manifold failure and the engine HYDROLOCKED.

 

[imidazol97]

What does the oil look like after it's running? If it shows a milk shake color and effect. You're getting coolant in the oil and damaging the bearings with it.

Could be starter motor giving problems.

Let's be clear: is the motor turning over when it won't start and fire or is it not turning at all?

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Sounds like a classic case of the upper intake manifold failure and the engine HYDROLOCKED.

Thats what I was thinking. But we need more info to be sure.

 

[GNX TECH]

Hey everyone,
I've done all that i can think of to get my car to start, but nothing seems to be working, so i was hoping that someone here might have an answer that would help me out...

I drive a custom 1998 Buick Lesabre (yeah, i know i know =P, but it gets me from A to B). Anyways, about a month ago, it had started acting weird when i would try to start it up. It would take 3-5 seconds of semi-struggling before it would start up. So i had the oil changed and all, and it had been getting better, but then last week, when i was trying to leave the library parking lot on campus, it wouldn't even try to turn over...
At first i thought it was the battery, so i had multiple people come over and try to jump it, without success...so to make sure I had the battery checked at advanced auto parts and they told me to replace it...I did...but the car was having the same problem...I had also accidentally get the antifreeze a bit low, but from what i have heard, the car would at least try to turn over if it were an engine problem.
The only other problem i could see was the security system acting up. It had done something similar last year, but after looking through the manual, a friend and i were able to fix the problem...now it will not work...i have tried cleaning the key, using the spare (in case the chip in the key had gone bad), and checking the fuses, but nothing has helped so far.
Anyone have any suggestions? I would really appreciate it...

The tiny little wires attached to the ignition cylinder in the column are broken. The Vats system can no longer see the key when you put it into the ignition. The cylinder will need to be repalced. The dealer can diagnose that real easy with the VATS diag tool they have at the dealership. It will tell them if the car sees the key in the cylinder.
Jim

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

If it winds up being the VATS issue, you can just bypass it by soldering a resistor between the 2 wires under the dash near the column. It's alot cheaper than doing the cylinder, but you loose the security feature.

 

[grantlee3000]

My dad had the same problem with his 2002 Buick Century. So we bought the Newrockies over ride system but it turned out to be Body Module, part # 19244861 SL-R. The auto mechanic had checked that module but the problem was intermittent and only failed 10% of the time so the auto mechanic didn't find the problem because it worked just fine for him whenever he tried it. But my dad made him replace the part anyway and has not had a problem since.