'92 Lesabre starts intermittently

Hello to all and thanks for any help I’ve received in the past from other posters here. We have a ‘92 Lesabre that does not start all the time. We had a subzero day here in Illinois last week and car did not start. Turn key and nothing, no clicks, nothing. I suspected battery and took to Autozone for test. Was told that battery showed good. Put back battery and still no start. Had car towed to mechanic. He just assumed dead battery and put in new one ... car started for him. We picked up and that night, same no start. Wife turned key again and car started. Next morning took car into mechanic. I don’t think battery was culprit. He kept car for couple days and then we picked it up. Yesterday the car started same pattern. Now driving me (us) nuts. This same mechanic put NAPA starter in last August. I suspect starter is acting up but mechanic says he can’t do anything until the car does not start for him. Of course he never tested it in the first place ...just dumped in new battery and thought he just picked up a fast $120. If anyone has any input, we would sure appreciate any ideas. Thanks, Mitch

An "intermittent" problem is very difficult. The best you can do is log the conditions of the problem at the time and hopefully duplicate them.. Cold, Hot, after sitting outside, inside, etc.

No click could be your VATS circuit or your fuses or your shift position Park/Neutral transaxle switch. (a popular problem area) or even wiring between.

I think you can check your VATS start enable relay under your Intrument panel for a click to see if its getting activated when you have the problem but you will perhaps have to be very alert and listen.
I recommend you disconnect the starter control wire on the starter to avoid wear an tear and check many tries and see if that VATS start enable relay clicks every time after pulling the key each time while hot and cold.
I dont suspect either of the two fuses since they work sometimes.
I do suspect the VATS system or ignition switch getting dirty or somthing similar.



Good Luck

Thanks Bass, I wonder if it would be easier to check the VATS system for the "click" when I'm getting no response from the starter anyway. It seems like this would be a good time to rule out the VATS relay. Amazing how much electronics there is under that dash. Do you know if the starter switch is easy to replace? Is it up under the steering column somewhere and easily accessible? Thanks, Mitch

When you turn the key to the run position the security light should come on for 3 or 4 seconds then go off. If it stays on (or does it start flashing?) that indicates a problem. The usually problem is that the Vats module isn't able to read the resistance of the pellet in the key. If this is the case you'll have to do the Vats bypass ($1 or 2) or replace the lock cylinder & keys ($50-60?).

If the security light is working properly then we need to see if power is getting to the small wire that goes to the starter solenoid. Since this is an intermittant problem you might want to connect a 12 volt light bulb between the small solenoid wire & ground.

If the bulb lights but the starter doesn't operate then:
Battery is weak
Bad battery cable or connection (check both ends of all cables)
Starter or starter solenoid is bad

If the bulb doesn't light then:
Bad ignition switch
Bad starter relay
Bad park/neutral switch
Blown fuse (2 possible fuses but not likely since it's intermittant on your car)
Bad Vats module.
& bad wiring is also a possibility

Hopefully I didn't miss anything. Depending on what you find we can narrow this down & hopefully pinpoint the exact problem. Let us know what you find!

Is it easy to replace?
Gosh .. good question.. but dont suspect it yet.

Its a lot easier when its warm outside.. I know that... heh.

Its proubbly not that relay thats bad... however.. its proubbly the VATS if its not clicking / tripping it ..
Its really not a starter switch.. Looking at the schematic, its the VATS control relay switch.. wheras the VATS will switch it by providing a ground when VATS says the key is correct..

Here is a good way to check it out. First turn down the radio.

Its easiest to get your head under the dash and listen for that relay when you put it in RUN.. VATS clicks/activates it on RUN and keeps or holds making that contact as you continue to turn the key to START... on START its already activated. Thats not to say its good, just that its trying to be good and your key/vats side of ignition key area is Ok. To check the contact points on that relay the Yellow side of that relay that goes HoT on START from the key twist and allows passing the Yellow voltage on through to the starter. If its bad on its contacts only one side (one of the yellows) should toggle to high as you twist further to START with the key instead of both. Of course this would only fail on a bad attempt of that relay.

If you have to look further, that yellow goes to the PARK/NEUTRAL position switch assembly under the hood from the shifter, allowing START only in those 2 positions. I'm hearing they often wear out. It comes out of that P/Neut switch assembly as PURPLE and to the Solonoid/Starter tripping the bendix on the starter. Im often folks with that unit going bad, find it more reliable to crank the starter in neutral instead of park, a classic symptom.

Leastwise with all this you may have more confidence in VATS..

That wire to the solonoid may be dirty or loose too.

Does that help? Its kindof hard to explain this in text.. heh


Good Luck

So far this week the ole Lesabre has been starting every try. I'm looking forward to checking out all of the components as you guys have described. Thanks very much for the valuable info. We are in NW Illinois and getting a real blizzard today and tomorrow with temps dipping to 0 tonight. I'm going to pull the Buick in the garage this weekend and crank up the electric heater which I installed just for these occasions last winter. I'm going to keep everyone posted as to the progress of my search for the reason the starting is so erratic. Stay tuned and keep warm! Mitch

Thanks for the help. My car also starts intermittenly. Im in Maine and we have been having sub-zero temps here too if that has anything to do with it. When i put the key in sometimes it wont start and when it does this the security light is on. The first time it happend to me a few days ago when i went to buy it. The woman i bought it from said to try the spare key and it still didnt work and thats when i noticed the security light on with no key in the ignition. It happened to me today and we are in the middle of a blizzard with 10 degree temp and blowing wind. I read this post before it happened me fortunately. I tried to listen for the VATS Module under the dash and couldnt hear anything because of the blowing wind. I will try again on a calmer day. But i did notice that when i took the the key out and waited a few minutes the light went out and i put my key back in and it started.