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2001 LeSabre - failed to start in trip


MrDuck
03-29-2004, 08:15 AM
Howdy!

I tried scanning and checked a few of the older posts here, and got a few ideas, but I thought I'd ask as well.

My father has a 2001 LeSabre, 40,000+ miles. During a long trip Friday in rural Iowa (redundant, eh?), he parked the car, and after about an hour it failed to start. This had happened once before, locally, but after 15 minutes it would start up again. Not this time. They waited about an hour and it still failed to start. It would crank, but not fire up.

A local "old coot" who had a nearby shop (but hasn't worked on a car since 1979) wandered over and tried to help. Dad and the OC lifted the air-intake over the manifold and as Dad cranked the car, the OC shot some starter fluid in and it would start and run for about a second, then die. After that failed, Dad had the car towed to a Buick (multi-GM) dealer up in Fort Madison. Actualy it wasn't towed, it was flat-bedded there. When they wheeled it off the truck, just for the heck of it, a tech hopped inside and it started right away.

Dad still wanted it checked becaues he would have to drive 200 miles to get back home and didn't want to be stranded. The techs pulled it in, saw no codes in any of the diagnostics. Nothing. They offered to replace the fuel pump for $650, but without a confident diagnosis, Dad said no. So he filled up the car (it was a little less than half a tank full when the problem started), and drove it straight home.

Again, this has only happened once before, but it started after waiting 15 minutes and it was about a year ago. Dad's concerned about having it happen again on a long trip (he drives to Colorado and Wyoming for vacations every year).

Any thoughts?

Any response would be muchly appreciated.


MrDuck

ghink
03-30-2004, 02:54 AM
Pour ice cold water on the crankshaft sensor.

MrDuck
03-30-2004, 07:31 AM
Where/what is the crankshaft sensor?

And why would someone want to pour ice water on it?


Thanks for the reply.

MrDuck

chickman
04-06-2004, 09:20 AM
It's right behind the harmonic balancer. A typical failure mode is for them to quit working due to heat. Other things can cause a similar problem. Pouring cold water on the sensor should make it start working. If it doesn't, it's probably something else.

MrDuck
04-06-2004, 09:32 AM
Umm....sorry, you still lost me. I wouldn't know a harmonic balancer if it came up and kicked me in the nuts. Do you have a link to a picture showing where these thingies are.
I am NOT that mechanically inclined...

But thanks!

MrDuck

chickman
04-06-2004, 10:13 AM
It's mounted to the crankshaft where the crankshaft comes out of the front of the engine. The sensor is between the HB and the engine block.

MrDuck
04-06-2004, 10:49 AM
Okay, that makes more sense. Thanks, I'll tell my Dad.

MrDuck

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