1999 Bonneville won't start

Hi, I could use some advice please. My 1999 Bonneville died just as I was leaving my driveway and won't start again. It did briefly restart once for about 5 seconds, but now the engine turns over and it won't start. Seems like it's not getting fuel? I'm not a mechanic so to speak, but I can do some basic troubleshooting if I know where to look. 105,000 miles. Any thoughts?
Thanks! Bruce

Are you able to hear a buzzing sound coming from the tank for two seconds upon turning the car on?

If you suspect a fuel issue, you may want to buy (~$40) or borrow a fuel pressure gauge. This screws onto the Schrader valve on the fuel rail and will help in the diagnostics.

No pressure: fuel pump fuse or relay, fuel pump
Low pressure: fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator
Normal pressure (~47 PSI): other things like ignition module, cam sensor

Are you able to hear a buzzing sound coming from the tank for two seconds upon turning the car on?

If you suspect a fuel issue, you may want to buy (~$40) or borrow a fuel pressure gauge. This screws onto the Schrader valve on the fuel rail and will help in the diagnostics.

No pressure: fuel pump fuse or relay, fuel pump
Low pressure: fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator
Normal pressure (~47 PSI): other things like ignition module, cam sensor

Thanks for the ideas. I took the day off tomorrow and I'll check in the morning for the buzzing sound and also I'll check for spark. I can't be sure yet if it is fuel related, just the way it died and momentarily restarted made me wonder. Is there a way to remove a fuel line in the engine area to see if it pumps gas?

You can remove the fuel line from the end of the fuel rail but I wouldn't do it since you will probably cause more problems than you want to deal with. I agree with randman1, your fuel pump has probably gone south permanently and needs replaced. The reason you restarted for about 5 seconds was probably due to some residual fuel and pressure caused by the heat of the engine causing the fuel to expand.
If you decide to remove the fuel line be sure to stick the fuel line in a large container since you will get a large amount of fuel in a short amount of time. Be careful not to damage the O ring on the end of the line and you might want to lube it up with some petroleum jelly before reinstalling. If there is no gas then the fuel pump will need to be replaced. You can do it yourself but if you are not mechanically inclined then take it to a garage. Expect to pay around $400. If you are getting fuel then your problem may be the ignition module located under the coils. They can go bad but usually they will give some warning and a check engine light. Let us know what you find out.

Thanks GTP Dad and randman1. On first try I didn't hear any buzzing sound, but the battery went dead, so I recharged. I also removed the negative lead to reset the computer as recommended by a friend. After the recharge I can hear a buzzing noise coming from the gas tank. I can hear it from inside the car as well as when I put my ear to a screwdriver touching the tank. It still doesn't start though. I pulled a spark plug wire and can see it arc to the engine block.

One other odd thing, and maybe it's due to low battery, but my electric windows won't work. The lock and lights work, but no windows.

I haven't been able to test fuel pressure yet. Would you still suggest an ignition module? Other thoughts or checks I can make?

If the fuel pump is working and the fuel pressure is OK, once you check it then the problem may be in the Crankshaft position sensor. If you are getting good spark,as you proved by the arc to the engine block then the ignition module is probably working alright but it may not be talking to the computer and sending the spark at the proper time. If the fuel is OK then the CPS would be the next place to start. The low battery may be the cause of the windows not working but check the power relay in the power control center under the hood. There are a lot of other things we can try but start with the above. If no satisfaction then we will try something else.

Well I raised the white flag myself and had it towed to a garage. They suspected the fuel pump. Two days and $500 later it's not the pump. Instead they believe there is a faulty ground - possibly why my electric windows won't work either. Hopefully it won't cost me a fortune in additional troubleshooting. I'll update you when I get the final verdict. Thanks again for the advice.

My car runs again! It was a bad ground. The mechanic couldn't find the ground block under the driver side kick panel as advised, so instead of chasing wire harnesses forever he added an axilary ground. Now my fuel pump and power windows work and my car starts. Thanks for all the help everyone!

I'm glad you got it rectified. Thanks for posting your results, too. Others can add this to their troubleshooting .

Just want to thank for this info. My son's car had the same problem with his 97 Bonneville. Went through all the same problems. Mechanic was baffled. Faxed this thread to him, and was able to fix. Pontiac dealership was no help. Seems to be a common problem. Thanks again.

I'm glad the information helped!
Bruce