Drove it around running errands and it was fine. I picked up a friend, filled the tank, and then went home. When I went to leave again the battery was dead. I replaced it but when I tried to start it it wouldn't fire up. It sounded just like any other car would when you turned the key just without the eventual running part. At one point I got it to fire up and it was fine while it was running. However, I turned it off to see if the problem went away and when I tried to start her up again it was back to how it was before. Also every once in a while it sounds like it is about to start, making the sound a car makes a half second before it runs, but it doesn't seem to catch or something. I feel like I've checked everything I can think of. It has spark and fuel pressure. The spark plugs themselves are new. Does anyone have ideas as to what I could check next? I'm rather new to working on cars so I'm sorry if my descriptions aren't quite technical.

First thing that comes to mind is a possible cam sensor / magnet failure, or even a jumped timing chain. I can't recall if this year will batch fire the injectors without the sensor though.

Disconnect a fuel injector and hook up a 12v light bulb to the wire in place of the injector. The light will blink if the computer is pulsing the injectors (delivering said fuel pressure to the combustion chamber). I made a test light by soldering wires to a 12v LED/Resistor circuit, you can do the same with the small side marker light bulbs.

The next test would be to disconnect the mass airflow sensor and see if the problem goes away..

_________________
Boost addict


The Fleet:
'93 SSEi - Twincharged + manual Build thread
'97 Camaro - Top swap
'05 STS - V8, AWD, her DD
'92 Trofeo - Fair weather DD
'99 Montana - top swap 3800
'04 Sierra 2500HD - LLY Duramax

Current project:
Something cool, trust me.

Upcoming projects:
'92 Bonneville SSE
'87 LeSabre T-type
'67 LeSabre

Gone to greener pastures:
'84 Sierra Classic - Twin turbo 3800
'97 LeSabre - Top swap

RIP:
'86 LeSabre - pictures
'93 SE - L67

Check the spark at all 6 cylinders, could be one bad coil. Or remove the ignition module and computer connector and check
for good continuity.
Any codes? Mileage on car?

_________________
90 SSE Bonneville Sold but not forgotten.

can you hear the fuel pump turning on ?

From what I understand, it just uses the cam sensor to reference where cylinder 1 is for injection and ignition timing. It will run without it, but has a 1 in 6 chance of getting the timing correct. The computer mainly relies on the Crank Position sensor for actually running the engine. What you are describing, is exactly what would happen if for whatever reason, the sensor completely failed. It will crank all day long, but never actually 'catch'.

I haven't heard of one failing suddenly like that. Usually when they go out, they start acting up on a hot restart, where you have to wait a bit before it starts back up.

Dead batteries are funny things. Perhaps disconnect the battery for 30 minutes to let it all reset, and then reconnect?

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~Randall~


1993 Buick Park Avenue - 197k - Some odds and ends done - Simply won't die
1994 Buick Regal - 78k - Bone stock - Always ready for a good kicking
1990 Oldsmobile 88 - Gone to a better place