stupid car..anyone know cars?

[halfassedjediknight]

I got a 95 buick century, notorius for problems and breakdowns.

anyways, sometimes it wont start and acts like it has a dead battery. ill check the battery and its fine..all connections and hoses are fine as far as my eye can see. if i wait a while (sometimes 5 minutes..sometimes an hour or so) it will start and run fine. sometimes it will start and it will die in the middle of driving.

anyone know anything that might help? i dont think its the starter or the solenoids or anything like that..i think it may be the computer but im not too sure. im not used to fiddling with newer models.

[LIP]

When you say it wont start, is the electric starter motor turning the engine over? Or not at all - basically, when u turn the key is there any power going to the starter motor?

[halfassedjediknight]

When you say it wont start, is the electric starter motor turning the engine over? Or not at all - basically, when u turn the key is there any power going to the starter motor?

no power at all. you know the little "ding...ding..ding.." sound when you put a key in the ignition? it doesnt even do that when this problem arises. everything goes out. all electrics cease to exist.

[mattks1]

well, if your lights or any accessories dim when this happens i would say its your alternator. this is what keeps your car charged and running.

[LIP]

Right - now, next time this happens and the electrics all stop - try putting headlights or indicators on - see if they are working.

Because if you've got no power yet the battery isnt flat, it's got to be a connection in the loom - you want to find out what part though.

If the battery was flat though, you'd hear the relays as the power passes through.

[halfassedjediknight]

well, if your lights or any accessories dim when this happens i would say its your alternator. this is what keeps your car charged and running.

just replaced the alternator a few months ago..it isnt that. nothing dims or anything..everything just stops working abruptly.

[thcbongman]

Check to see if your terminals are corroded.

[halfassedjediknight]

now my work keeps calling me and bitching because im not there. ahhh!

they told me to fix it after work and someone there will pick me up.

what if i cant fix this and it happens tomorrow? and the next day? i wanna get this fixed so i can make it to work as usual and all they care about is me making it in there for a three hour shift.

[halfassedjediknight]

Check to see if your terminals are corroded.

they are squeaky clean

[halfassedjediknight]

alrighty im gonna take the bus to work or something.

stupid crap car.

any tips advice suggestions words of almighty wisdom anything will be cool. ill be back around 1 or 2 to fix this heap.

thanks for the help guys! :thumbsup:

[ValkyrieAg]

Im going with battery cables. If it ceases to show any electrical input, and its not the battery.....its gotta be the cables.

The engine computer is on a completely different harness than the electrical stuff like radio and lights.

[The Figment]

If you look at the Ground cable that comes off the Battery (The one with the minus sign) you will see the main cable that runs to Ground (Engine Block) and a smaller cable/wire running from the terminal to the fender or a Bolt on the side of the fender...This is a fusable link try replacing it,when the fusable link gets old is has a tendancy to short,killing ALL the power to your car...This can happen at any time,even while going down the road!! AND CLEAN BOTH OF THE CONNECTOINS,THE BATTERY POSTS AND THE INSIDE OF THE CABLE CLAMPS...MAKE THEM SHINEY!!!

[Psycho4Bud]

Had the same thing happen to my Ford Taurus a few years back. That was the computor box........it went out at about 60,000 miles if I recall right but it was just like someone yanked my battery on me.......absolutely NO power at all.

Good luck and..........

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

[halfassedjediknight]

If you look at the Ground cable that comes off the Battery (The one with the minus sign) you will see the main cable that runs to Ground (Engine Block) and a smaller cable/wire running from the terminal to the fender or a Bolt on the side of the fender...This is a fusable link try replacing it,when the fusable link gets old is has a tendancy to short,killing ALL the power to your car...This can happen at any time,even while going down the road!! AND CLEAN BOTH OF THE CONNECTOINS,THE BATTERY POSTS AND THE INSIDE OF THE CABLE CLAMPS...MAKE THEM SHINEY!!!

ive replaced that thing already! haha. i dunno what happened to it but it completely melted. i replaced it though and its nice.

[halfassedjediknight]

Had the same thing happen to my Ford Taurus a few years back. That was the computor box........it went out at about 60,000 miles if I recall right but it was just like someone yanked my battery on me.......absolutely NO power at all.

Good luck and..........

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

im only at 73,000.

im almost thinking its time for a new car. its always one problem after another with this thing.

[LIP]

Well the rule of thumb for me and new cars is when it starts to cost more than it's worth in upkeep it's time to change.

[Psycho4Bud]

im only at 73,000.

im almost thinking its time for a new car. its always one problem after another with this thing.

At 73,000 I'd lay odds it's your computor box.....about a $300 item depending on the model. Get a Chilsons book and do it yourself...it's not that hard a fix.

Good luck.......

Have a good one!:jointsmile:

[xcrispi]

Sounds like you have a bad ground cable - again .
Which cable melted last time ? red / blk . All lights /acc. still work but engine wont crank ? Im betting on a bad ground connection or bad ground cable .
Cars far from used up if ppl. took care of it . 70,000 miles aint nothing .
Peace
Crispi :jointsmile:

[Frickr]

could be your bat. there should be 2 covers on top of the battery, pop those off with a screwdriver, and check the water level, they should be almost to the top, if they arent, then fill up a glass of water and fill them up, distilled water is the best, but it doesnt matter really, when they are out of water, they will still produce 12 volts, but it isnt stored on tap, so when you hit your key it takes a few seconds for the chemical reaction to start back up at full voltage.


If its not that i would aslo check your ignition switch,maybe that isnt making contact in there

[Frickr]

something somewhere is shorting out, look around for any loose wires, maybe on the back of your stereo if you have done anything to that, electrical problems are the hardest to find on newer vehicals because everyhing runs off of them, is your check engine light on at all?

[halfassedjediknight]

Sounds like you have a bad ground cable - again .
Which cable melted last time ? red / blk . All lights /acc. still work but engine wont crank ? Im betting on a bad ground connection or bad ground cable .
Cars far from used up if ppl. took care of it . 70,000 miles aint nothing .
Peace
Crispi :jointsmile:

the fusable link melted.

[halfassedjediknight]

Well the rule of thumb for me and new cars is when it starts to cost more than it's worth in upkeep it's time to change.

ive been replacing little dinky things for like 2 to 4 years with this car. its definately not worth it.

i got it like 4 or 5 years ago for graduating and it was alright for the first year or so. i only drove to college and work and it was like 62,000 miles so i havnt even driven it for too long. but as long as i have been, ive replaced all sorts of crap.

im high im rambling

[Plastic Jesus]

I got a 95 buick century..... im not used to fiddling with newer models.

:wtf: 12 years old is "newer?"

[halfassedjediknight]

:wtf: 12 years old is "newer?"

if i ever work on cars im used to working on old monte carlos usually. like 67ish

[xcrispi]

the fusable link melted.

Are you even getting a click out under the hood when you turn key fwd to start the motor / Is the solenoid opening ? Id dbl. check the fuseable link again and both ends of the pos. / neg. batt. cables . Eliminate the cheap things first by process of elimination before jumping to conclusions like p4b about bad ECM's and such you'll save yourself some coin in the end .
Peace
Crispi :jointsmile:

[halfassedjediknight]

Are you even getting a click out under the hood when you turn key fwd to start the motor / Is the solenoid opening ? Id dbl. check the fuseable link again and both ends of the pos. / neg. batt. cables . Eliminate the cheap things first by process of elimination before jumping to conclusions like p4b about bad ECM's and such you'll save yourself some coin in the end .
Peace
Crispi :jointsmile:

thanks for the tips, but i checked them this morning. the fusable link was fine, and battery cables look fine, as far as i can see.

[The Figment]

If you replaced the fuseable link cuz it was melted that tell me that you have what is known as a Dead Short...A Hot Lead (Positive Wire) is shorting out somewhere in your car,that is why the fuseable link is there,to keep your entire wiring system from catching fire...Its a BIG FUSE!! go get a Multitester and start at the Head lights and work your way thru the engine compartment,under the Dash ,all the way back to the tail lights...focus on HOT wires (Positive)

You Have A Big Fat Short Somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHECK FOR BLOWN FUSES!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you popping a fuse on a regular basis? If so Thats the circut I would start with!

[dopefiend]

this isnt a reply to this but another question. i have a spark plug socket thats been stripped on my engine and im wondering if theres any way to fix it, even if its not a diy

[Pipe Dreams]

67 was a good year for cars

Sounds like you got a short somewheres. Dont take my word for it, the only thing I can do is general upkeep on a car o.O

[thouragood jankins]

My brother has a 96 Jeep, hes got the exact same problem, for about 3 months in Texas, it sat at the Chrysler dealership, they couldn't seem to figure out the problem... well they replaced something (not exactly sure what it was) thinking it would fix it, and it still didn't work properly. We moved to Virginia, and hauled the thing on a trailer being as unreliable as it is. We heard something about the Catletic (sp?) Converter, got it replaced, still nothing, we bought a new alternator and the battery, still does the same thing. We took it to my grandpa's who's worked with cars since he was in the army, he got to messing with the computer (not exactly sure because being as young as I am I don't know much about cars) but there were 3 main plug-ins and we got to moving 2 of the around (while the car was on) and it shut off just like it would when were driving around. We tired strapping them down with plastic straps, but it still misses as we are driving, so maybe replacing the computer as somebody else was suggesting could help, which might be the route were gonna take.

[STIMPY21]

A battery can have an intermittent open circuit caused by a problem inside the battery. It will start and run ok and they die having no power whatsoever. Then later it may start fine. If I were u I'd borrow a battery from someone and run the car for a while, if it doesn't die you know what the problem is... the battery. It is impossible to say for sure considering the vaugeness of the internet and me not knowing your experience level. Try another battery.
STIMPY21

[xcrispi]

if i ever work on cars im used to working on old monte carlos usually. like 67ish

GM didn't make the Monte till 1970 .
Let us know what this ends up being . Im curious .
Peace
Crispi :jointsmile:

[happyjack]

Does it have a stereo halfassed wired to the battery terminals? Just asking, seen it a couple times.