Devast8sjl
Buick Newbie
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2014
- Messages
- 7
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- Buick Ownership
- 2003 Buick LeSabre
So for a few weeks the random misfire my '03 LeSabre was exhibiting was a bit of a mystery for not only myself but 2 different shops and about 15+ ASE tech hours.
I went through all the basics of everything I read on this forum, other GM forums, or just about anything that would come up on a search. Plugs, wires, voltage tests, ohm tests, vacuum tests, pressure tests, cleaning sensors, checking grounding......the list goes on.
The first shop ran the car through a similar gambit of testing and scanning with their SnapOn scanner plus doing fuel system flushing and fuel flow tests, and even swapping a couple of the basic spare parts they had on the shelf to rule them out. After 2 days and about 6 labor hours, they said 'we can't fix it..'
They recommended another local shop that they send the problem children that they can't figure out to. These guys have a GM tech 2 scanner, so everyone figured no problem, in a couple hours or less they'd have this issue nailed down. Again, 2 days later and about 8 hours of tech time they finally took their best "guess" and grabbed a used PCM at the local car recycle center, reprogrammed it and bang, the car runs like new again. Of course there were some posts that I read speaking of this issue, but I wouldn't have ever gone that route due to the expense it would have taken based on a hunch.
I've had the car back a few weeks now and it has run flawlessly. We've driven it several hundred miles without issue. I won't claim to be an auto tech of any sort but I am still a little dismayed at how this car stumped these guys with way more experience and advanced tools than I would ever dream to have, and ended up taking a best guess to fix it. All and all, if this fixes the car in the long run, I've made out like a bandit. The first shop charged me nothing since they couldn't figure it out, and the second shop only charged me for the used part, programming and a few hours of labor. Good times.
I went through all the basics of everything I read on this forum, other GM forums, or just about anything that would come up on a search. Plugs, wires, voltage tests, ohm tests, vacuum tests, pressure tests, cleaning sensors, checking grounding......the list goes on.
The first shop ran the car through a similar gambit of testing and scanning with their SnapOn scanner plus doing fuel system flushing and fuel flow tests, and even swapping a couple of the basic spare parts they had on the shelf to rule them out. After 2 days and about 6 labor hours, they said 'we can't fix it..'
They recommended another local shop that they send the problem children that they can't figure out to. These guys have a GM tech 2 scanner, so everyone figured no problem, in a couple hours or less they'd have this issue nailed down. Again, 2 days later and about 8 hours of tech time they finally took their best "guess" and grabbed a used PCM at the local car recycle center, reprogrammed it and bang, the car runs like new again. Of course there were some posts that I read speaking of this issue, but I wouldn't have ever gone that route due to the expense it would have taken based on a hunch.
I've had the car back a few weeks now and it has run flawlessly. We've driven it several hundred miles without issue. I won't claim to be an auto tech of any sort but I am still a little dismayed at how this car stumped these guys with way more experience and advanced tools than I would ever dream to have, and ended up taking a best guess to fix it. All and all, if this fixes the car in the long run, I've made out like a bandit. The first shop charged me nothing since they couldn't figure it out, and the second shop only charged me for the used part, programming and a few hours of labor. Good times.
