OT: '98 LeSabre sometimes won't start

LonM · Apr 13, 2014

My parents have been having trouble with their Buick sometimes not starting. The dash lights come on, but the starter will not kick in at all. This happens just every now and then. They try it a few times with no luck, but a few minutes later it will take right off. It had a new starter last year, a new battery just lately, and the local GM mechanic says there are no codes showing. He has it hooked up to his equipment to check it out when it acts up again, but so far it has started just fine for him. This is it's third trip to the shop for this problem (I am not blaming anyone, it is just an elusive problem). It has around 150,000 miles on it, and about half of those have been short trips. So I was thinking that maybe it has so many start cycles worth of wear in the ignition key switch that maybe that is just worn enough to act up. Has anyone encountered this problem? Any help is appreciated!
Thanks,
Lon

rrlund · Apr 13, 2014

Could it be a neutral safety switch? What happens if you wiggle the shift when it does it?

John in Nebraska · Apr 13, 2014

Try starting it in neutral, see if that makes a difference, if it does, it is possibly the neutral safety switch. Double check the battery post connections, intermittent no start I usually trace back to the battery. Also because a battery is fresh, may not mean it is ok. The other thing to check is if the cable on the starter is tight, takes a tight connection to pass 400 amperes.

Michael Soldan · Apr 13, 2014

I'm with you john,and I've seen poor ground cause similar problems in intermittent starting. Yes there are or may be other reasons but checking ground and having clean terminals is an easy start point in figuring out what is wrong.

cbop · Apr 13, 2014

This car has Passkey theft deterrent. There are a couple of thin wires that go to the ignition lock cylinder that will break and make intermittent contact. Have they noticed what the security light on the dash does when this happens? If this is it, the fix is to replace the lock cylinder or you could wire in the proper resistance value resistor into the system so that it bypasses the sensor in the cylinder

Goose · Apr 13, 2014

Ignition switch. I went through that with a '99 Olds 88 last summer.

And not the lock with the computer chip, the switch itself at the bottom of the steering column that the lock actuates with a rod down the steering column.

gab · Apr 13, 2014

My guess would be the passkey wires broken at ign switch

John Fulton · Apr 13, 2014

Has any mechanic considered the crankshaft sensor? I had now idea there was such a thing, my 97 Buick had same trouble, took it to 3 different dealerships, they all said essentially that if computer doesn"t"t diagnose problem, they cannot fix it, and why don"t I bring it in next time it won"t start DUH!! Anyhow, I finally took it to an independent garage that relied on his wits and experience over computers. Bottom line,2 hours and $90 and I am on the road again!!

Super-H-Mike · Apr 13, 2014

LonM · Apr 13, 2014

Thank You all for your input. I am going to talk to the mechanic tomorrow and see what he thinks. If he gets it figured out I will follow up here.

Lon

Goose · Apr 14, 2014

If there were any broken wires, as some have suggested, it would NEVER start. A broken wire isn't intermittent.

IH2444 · Apr 14, 2014

the starter or starter solenoid?
Did it have the problem when the starter was replaced last year?
Is the cables tight on the starter?
Perhaps a rebuilt starter went bad?

Perhaps we are making the problem more complicated than it is.

OT: '98 LeSabre sometimes won't start

LonM

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rrlund

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John in Nebraska

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Michael Soldan

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cbop

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Goose

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gab

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John Fulton

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Super-H-Mike

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LonM

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Goose

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IH2444

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