1992 LeSabre Electrical Nightmare
niko851
12-17-2003, 04:48 PM
[COLOR=navy][FONT=comic sans ms]Hello All
First, let me begin by giving the background. I have a 1992 Lesabre Custom, 3800, given to me by my father with 187,000 miles on it. Trust me - he has babied the thing since day #1.
Before it got handed over due to him buying a new vehicle, he changed the battery, plugs, wires, alternator (2nd one due to a bad 1st replacement), synthetic oil change, brakes, etc. etc. He sank quite a bit of $$ into it knowing I was taking it.
Recently, an unknown "being" has taken over the car. No matter what time of day, hot or cold, overnight sit or 15 minute break, 5 min. drive to a 5 hour drive, it literally does what it wants, when it wants, and how it wants. From simple hesitation to outright demonic posession, take your pick. The one and only consistency with these issues are chattering in the glovebox and complete loss of power/intermittent power respective to how long it wants to rest before "coming back to life".
So I did the basic checks - good grounds, everything nice & tight where it should be, etc. etc. $300 later, elec. shop tells me that the battery was bad and replaced it. Knowing my father just replaced that batt., i argued about it and got the price down to the $150.00 diag. charge only - and I got my old battery back. She drove well - after nothing being done but a battery swap and then back to the orig. batt., until last weekend.
Now, instead of having engine/power issues, she's decided that it is going to be worse this time around. Now the transmission either stays in 1st gear until a brief chattering occurs in/near the glovebox, which will either kill the engine/hesitate the engine AND kill power/fluctuate power, and then either switch into 2nd or stall. If it switches into second, then you are stuck in second-OD; you can't get back into 1st until the chattering occurs again. The chattering occurs when it is supposed to be changing gears. Mechanically, the trans. is in excellent shape and has been pinpointed to an electrical/control issue via my intelligence and the opinion of a TRUSTED local mechanic.
Before I bore you with the rest of the stories that are just deviations of the ones you have heard, I'll sit and see if anyone may have a potential suggestion. FYI as well, I had a 1992 Geo Tracker that had basically the same issue, only it was a manual, and until the chattering quit - it went nowhere. I had repalced the good ol' "brain" which made it run until rust put it into the ground.... Either this is one hell of a coincidence, or I've already got my answer. I'm simply hoping/praying this isn't the case as I am VERY WELL aware of the cost of that silicon board (LOL, well, not really - but laugh anyway; either that or i'll go nuts)... The same mechanic that diag'd the Tracker also said the Buick is heading in that direction more/less.....
Thank you to all in advance for any direction in this matter. If you need more info, please don't hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
Niko Abramski
First, let me begin by giving the background. I have a 1992 Lesabre Custom, 3800, given to me by my father with 187,000 miles on it. Trust me - he has babied the thing since day #1.
Before it got handed over due to him buying a new vehicle, he changed the battery, plugs, wires, alternator (2nd one due to a bad 1st replacement), synthetic oil change, brakes, etc. etc. He sank quite a bit of $$ into it knowing I was taking it.
Recently, an unknown "being" has taken over the car. No matter what time of day, hot or cold, overnight sit or 15 minute break, 5 min. drive to a 5 hour drive, it literally does what it wants, when it wants, and how it wants. From simple hesitation to outright demonic posession, take your pick. The one and only consistency with these issues are chattering in the glovebox and complete loss of power/intermittent power respective to how long it wants to rest before "coming back to life".
So I did the basic checks - good grounds, everything nice & tight where it should be, etc. etc. $300 later, elec. shop tells me that the battery was bad and replaced it. Knowing my father just replaced that batt., i argued about it and got the price down to the $150.00 diag. charge only - and I got my old battery back. She drove well - after nothing being done but a battery swap and then back to the orig. batt., until last weekend.
Now, instead of having engine/power issues, she's decided that it is going to be worse this time around. Now the transmission either stays in 1st gear until a brief chattering occurs in/near the glovebox, which will either kill the engine/hesitate the engine AND kill power/fluctuate power, and then either switch into 2nd or stall. If it switches into second, then you are stuck in second-OD; you can't get back into 1st until the chattering occurs again. The chattering occurs when it is supposed to be changing gears. Mechanically, the trans. is in excellent shape and has been pinpointed to an electrical/control issue via my intelligence and the opinion of a TRUSTED local mechanic.
Before I bore you with the rest of the stories that are just deviations of the ones you have heard, I'll sit and see if anyone may have a potential suggestion. FYI as well, I had a 1992 Geo Tracker that had basically the same issue, only it was a manual, and until the chattering quit - it went nowhere. I had repalced the good ol' "brain" which made it run until rust put it into the ground.... Either this is one hell of a coincidence, or I've already got my answer. I'm simply hoping/praying this isn't the case as I am VERY WELL aware of the cost of that silicon board (LOL, well, not really - but laugh anyway; either that or i'll go nuts)... The same mechanic that diag'd the Tracker also said the Buick is heading in that direction more/less.....
Thank you to all in advance for any direction in this matter. If you need more info, please don't hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
Niko Abramski
joshey
12-17-2003, 05:45 PM
two things, first this is an electric shift tranny, second the wall behing the glove box is where the relays are located, try replacing thoes first, if not i will guess the computer is to blame. find a good pick-a-part in you local area and you can get a computer for 20-60 bucks good luck
edg
12-17-2003, 06:05 PM
Perhaps you have a problem with the torque converter clutch solenoid or its driver circuit. When the TCC engages at the wrong time, it can cause symptoms like you're describing. Are you getting a TCC error code?
niko851
12-18-2003, 08:16 AM
Hi Joshey & EDG;
Thank you for your replies. As far as the relays go, i've yanked & replaced them one by one; wait until dad does inventory at the shop (LOL); i was hoping that it WAS a bad relay, however since i've replaced them all, that's where I came up with the bad computer issue. I did this after the original posting yesterday....
Also EDG - Surprisingly, no error codes, but SES light has been on for years now, and when it is off, it runs worth crap; when it is ON, then she'll run until she's had enough for the day/night...
Been looking @ the local "get your own part out" yards, but so far no success. Last resort will be getting a new one; hell I have to find the thing first - i'm assuming it's behind the dash, under one of teh seats, or in the nice huge fuse/relay center that is on my wonderful "chattering" wall.
Thanks again to both of you;
Niko
Thank you for your replies. As far as the relays go, i've yanked & replaced them one by one; wait until dad does inventory at the shop (LOL); i was hoping that it WAS a bad relay, however since i've replaced them all, that's where I came up with the bad computer issue. I did this after the original posting yesterday....
Also EDG - Surprisingly, no error codes, but SES light has been on for years now, and when it is off, it runs worth crap; when it is ON, then she'll run until she's had enough for the day/night...
Been looking @ the local "get your own part out" yards, but so far no success. Last resort will be getting a new one; hell I have to find the thing first - i'm assuming it's behind the dash, under one of teh seats, or in the nice huge fuse/relay center that is on my wonderful "chattering" wall.
Thanks again to both of you;
Niko
joshey
12-18-2003, 02:08 PM
i do pick-and-send by mail if interested i have a computer for you-$100 if its bad i send you another at my cost but i do test them before i send them
pcmos
06-09-2004, 02:07 AM
I had a similar problem with my 1992 lesabre custom at 210k miles, this sounds crazy but it turned out to be the "main" wiring between the battery, the alternator, and finally the huge fuse bus mounted on the firewall. Take all of the wires off, use a file to clean all of the contact and then replace any bolts that you find that are holding contact in place. There is a small ground wire that splits off of the negative battery terminal on this car and runs down behind the battery and basically straight into the engine computer. Although I cleaned all of the connectors, I truly believe this wire was the source of my problem. There is a connector in this line about 12 inches or so after it comes out of the negative battery terminal. On my car this connector was totally rotten. Then on the positive terminal you will find a main bus wire that goes up to a fuse block mounted on the firewall, once you get to this fuse block you will see where it bolts onto a big contact on the back of the fuse block. Make sure this connection is good because this is basically what supplies power to the whole car. The clicking that you hear in the glove box is probably from the relays, if they aren't getting the right power supply they click to their default positions, or the positions they would adopt when the car is turned off. If they are clicking on and off it is probably an idication that they are getting irratic power spikes and dips.
Jed Rule
06-10-2004, 07:17 PM
pcmos, I think you are right on with that repair. It's definately a power supply problem and as my old shop teacher always said "Start at the source".
public
06-11-2004, 06:59 PM
Yes, those relays are telling you they are losing power. You may also check the Ignition Starter Switch and its plug. The contacts can become corroded. Good Luck.
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