Car starting/dying problems!!!

Heya Intrigue Know-it-alls! :p

My '98 Intrigue is giving me a handfull of problems as of late. Ya see, when I try to start my car, it sometimes fires right up. Other times I turn the key to the ON position and only my airbag light lights up, and nothing happens with my gauges or other lights and the car doesn't start. Sometimes the dashboard lights up but the doesn't start, doesn't even move or try to start. AND SOMETIMES it TRIES to start but all it does is crank and crank. ALSO (heh heh) it starts runs for a second and then dies and my "Low Trac", "Check Engine" and "Service Engine Soon" lights come on. The car has even died on the road while I was driving. sigh...

Now before I spend too much money for a diagnosis (it's hard livin' on your own with a job that doesn't pay too much), I was hoping you guys could help me out a bit!! :D Now I did check the battery and connections from the battery and they are fine. My alternator is also pumping very well.

I have 3800 series II 3.8L. Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANX!!!

How many miles are on your Intrigue?

Based on your symptoms and with that many circuits being affected check into the possibility of a flaky ignition switch. Also, made sure the grounding is good at the battery and the main grounding stud located at the driver's side of the engine/tranny.

Heh heh, sorry to bump this thread...but I eventually got my DTC codes checked and found out my problem was rather ineresting and thought I might share my results.

It turned out that my security system was freaking out (ha! didn't notice the "SECURITY" light) and it kept cutting the fuel to the regulator (at least I think that's what the machine said). So the car would die at random or not start at all, unless I turned it in the OFF position and tried again. I cleared the codes but it still gives me probs and to fix the system is roughly $350!!

My starter is also wigging out on me which might attribute itself to the mess of problems my poor Intrigue has.

Does anyone think it's possible his key could be bad? Doesn't the Intrigue use the Passkey stuff? Maybe the code isn't getting passed through from the key to the ignition to the computer correctly. I don't know, just typing out loud.

Does anyone think it's possible his key could be bad? Doesn't the Intrigue use the Passkey stuff? Maybe the code isn't getting passed through from the key to the ignition to the computer correctly. I don't know, just typing out loud.

You are actually more than right about that. I talked to a mechanic about it and he suggested going to a locksmith and getting the keyhole redone to rematch the key...don't know for sure if this will work. By the way...is there a way to bypass the security system? Ya know...just in case this does not work?

THANX!!

I think this is the post you want.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=332526&highlight=passkey
Its about halfway down on the page. I'm assuming its the same if not similar to the Intrigue wiring.

Does anyone think it's possible his key could be bad? Doesn't the Intrigue use the Passkey stuff? Maybe the code isn't getting passed through from the key to the ignition to the computer correctly. I don't know, just typing out loud.

No. The key has nothing to do with the coding since it is Passlock. The key works in junction with the key lock cylinder which is the actual transponder device that passes the code to the body control module (BCM) to enable the fuel injectors.

On Passkey I/II the resistance of the key pellet and resistance value of the lock cylinder combined determine the proper value.

See link below:

http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/safety/security/theft_deterrence/index.html

On GM Passkey III systems the key pellet was illiminated and it now works similar to Passlock I/II/III.

THEFT DETERRENT RE-LEARN WITHOUT SCAN TOOL OR TECHLINE EQUIPMENT
This procedure takes approximately 30 minutes . Make sure the battery is fully charged before proceeding.

Turn the ignition switch off.
Turn the ignition switch all the way from the off to the start position, then leave it in the on position. NOTE: The engine will not crank.
The SECURITY will come on and stay on for at least 10 minutes .
Turn the ignition switch off for five seconds .
Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 again for a second time.
Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 again for a third time.
Turn the ignition switch off.
Turn the ignition switch all the way to the start position. The engine should now start.
Check for BCM Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) .

Thanx for the info all.

I'll try that relearn procedure!

Anyways, I took it to a mechanic before going on a trip recently, now, i got the codes cleared and all and thankfully (hah!) the car acted up while he was looking at it. Now the thing with my car is that the security system is a little...off. I was told, by the mechanic, that this system is supposed to kill the car after driving a certain distance and it's NOT supposed to restart...but my car does...he says it could be a bad ground problem since 3 out of 4 of my ABS sensors have bad grounds and don't work. He THINKS it could be related to that and the ICM is having problems talking to the BCM because of the possible bad grounds.

Now on the trip however, I had cruise on and it never acted up once, and I drove about 300 miles total. Might be nothing...but boy is this car acting weird...

Thxs, I'll give this a try, I've tried a few ways by now with out success.
My ride has 180k 3.8 GL relativlt problem free, knock on wood.

My car does the SAME DAMN THING as realillusion, but mine is a 2000 with
42,xxx miles and has the 3.5 liter, it has been doing this, to some degree, for about a year now, maybe a little longer, and it has gotten slightly worse since. I bought the car in feb of 2005, with 22,8xx miles on it, it drives me crazy

I have a similar problem, i was getting drunk at a friends house, when my wife walked in and told me the car wouldn't start. this isn't a good thing since she is pregnant and a couple days left till the date. today i went down to the car 98 old intregue, and tried to start it. it started right up, then died. I tried again , same thing , then I started it up with the eccelerator down to the floor. i could keep running but around 3000 rpm. no check engine light on and no security light on. the thing that gets me is that it starts just fine but lasts about a second. Now is this a fuel pressure regulater or some stupid computer related glitch. reply's would be welcome. thank you.

I have a similar problem, i was getting drunk at a friends house, when my wife walked in and told me the car wouldn't start. this isn't a good thing since she is pregnant and a couple days left till the date. today i went down to the car 98 old intregue, and tried to start it. it started right up, then died. I tried again , same thing , then I started it up with the eccelerator down to the floor. i could keep running but around 3000 rpm. no check engine light on and no security light on. the thing that gets me is that it starts just fine but lasts about a second. Now is this a fuel pressure regulater or some stupid computer related glitch. reply's would be welcome. thank you.

Welcome to AF.

Best thing to do is check the fuel pressure to see if it is is specs. Using a fuel pressure tester you can check it at the front fuel injector rail Schrader valve located on the fuel pressure regulator. This will check the fuel pump, filter, fuel lines, fuel pressure regulator and possible leaky fuel injectors.