@#$!%^&$# Buick!!

[87TIGN]

I am at my wits end with this &$#^$%@ Buick. I had a problem with my crank sensor that put me back a month of figuring out what was wrong. Finally a buddy of mine found a loose connection on the crank sensor connector and we fixed that. Car ran great for about an hour than started to sputter, backfire, and barely ran so I nursed it home. Let it sit for an hour but only ran for about half hour than it did it again, sat another hour than after 10 mins it did again, sat another hour and than would barely run. So I pulled the plugs and saw that the plugs were COVERED in fuel, like soaking wet. So I changed the plugs and it ran decent for a couple minutes than died again. I next unplugged the MAF and the car ran fine (got an SES light and it wouldn't run really well, obviously it dosent know the amount of air being added to the motor). So I replaced the MAF and it ran fine for about an hour than the @%#$@^!& sputtering again!!! This time it would start and run after about 30sec-1min of cooling off and run ok for a bit and than die again. So I called G-bodyparts and talked to them and they said it was my ICM. Replaced that today and it ran great for an hour than the same $%#%@^ thing again!! I am so fed up. So I grabbed my spark light and hooked it up. The car at idle has great consistent spark but as you bring idle up and the sputtering begins it starts to cut out and eventually there is almost no light up just before it dies. So I think it is the ICM still ?? Maybe with my luck I just got a bad one the first time around??? What do you guys think?? My fuel pressure remains constant this whole time so I would assume its just a spark issue if the spark light dosent work when it sputters right???
Thanks
-Andrew

 

[GNVYUS 1]

Scanmaster or any data?

ICM, what is that? Is that supposed to be the IAC sensor?

Since the plugs were so rich we'd need BLM, TPS and IAC #'s to help.

 

[87TIGN]

ICM is the Ignition Control Module

 

[moose]

Sounds like a loose crank pully to me, if it doe's better at an idle then the more you give it gas the more the intercooler fan pull's the pully forward away from the crank sensor and makes it do CRAZY stuff.

 

[bmackinnon]

Did you check (or replace) the coil pack as well? Sounds like it may be getting hot and going goofy.... coil packs have a habit of failing around the same time as the module and, on the way out, will display similar symptoms as a dying module... which you are experiencing... You can half-ass check the coil pack by ohming across the two spark towers (front to rear) of each coil.... should be 11k-13k ohms each.... of course that is NOT a foolproof test and doesn't necessarily always catch a bad coil.... the coil pack is not terribly expensive, so if you don't have a spare or know someone with a known good one to try, you may want to just replace it...

 

[bmackinnon]

Sounds like a loose crank pully to me, if it doe's better at an idle then the more you give it gas the more the intercooler fan pull's the pully forward away from the crank sensor and makes it do CRAZY stuff.

yep, make sure the balancer isn't loose if you didn't already in your crank sensor fiasco...

 

[TwinyTwin]

I had the same problem with mine. Replaced the chip, ecu, coil pack, maf, plugs wires, and was still having the same symptoms. Come to find out that the crank postion sensor was not adusted right. You may want to give that a try. I forget how many bolt/screws it is but loosen it up and try adjusting it. Make sure it does not come in contact with the crank pulley.

 

[Nick McCardle]

Try another set of plug wires?

 

[Razor]

3 parts on a Buick,
ECM,
Ignition module/coil pack,
MAF

If you replace those three and you still have issues.. your id deep doo doo.

You could be losing fuel pressure cuasing your issues as well. Confirm fuel pressure doesnt drop.

 

[KevinB]

Sounds like a loose crank pully to me, if it doe's better at an idle then the more you give it gas the more the intercooler fan pull's the pully forward away from the crank sensor and makes it do CRAZY stuff.

Had the same thing happen to me. Same exact issues you are explaining.

 

[ROYAL_6]

Make sure the crank sensor is position correctly.. might have to play with it and go from there... also make sure the plugs are gapped correctly, and that youre spark plug wires are all to par.. i had a tiny open on two spark plug wires, and made made those 2 cylinders run rich, creating sputter and back firing.. good luck.. and dont start with the big parts, always work your self from the smallest and easyest to the bigger and harder(expensive) parts.. coils, ignition madules, ech, are less likely to go than spark plug wires, fuse, or uncorrectly position cranck sensor... check your fuses, and go from there...

 

[GNVYUS 1]

Ah, but no data to post?

 

[87TIGN]

Ok so I am going to let the car warm up and start to do its crap and than change the coil and see what happens. I have an extra one laying around that I can toy with. I will also check the crank sensor. I have heard that the crank sensor needs .030 gapping on each side of the positioning wheel. Any thoughts on this? Oh and I don't think I am loosing fuel pressure because my FP gauge is constant throughout the whole ordeal.

 

[QUIP'6']

Ok so I am going to let the car warm up and start to do its crap and than change the coil and see what happens. I have an extra one laying around that I can toy with. I will also check the crank sensor. I have heard that the crank sensor needs .030 gapping on each side of the positioning wheel. Any thoughts on this? Oh and I don't think I am loosing fuel pressure because my FP gauge is constant throughout the whole ordeal.

your problem is heat related it could be three things crank sensor because it has the same goo in it as the coil pack. even though you changed it it could be junk. is it a gm crank sensor or a cheap one. second it could be the coil pack and or control module or the maf. well i guess thats 4. get each one checked before you start throwing money at it. something is expanding when it heats up.

 

[87TIGN]

your problem is heat related it could be three things crank sensor because it has the same goo in it as the coil pack. even though you changed it it could be junk. is it a gm crank sensor or a cheap one. second it could be the coil pack and or control module or the maf. well i guess thats 4. get each one checked before you start throwing money at it. something is expanding when it heats up.

Now the car wont even start . I am so done with this hunk of crap. I will try a new crank sensor right now they are only 30 bucks. It has a new Ignition control module, a new MAF and a new coil pack on it. Any one in the Denver area that knows theses cars to a T???

 

[ROYAL_6]

Now the car wont even start . I am so done with this hunk of crap. I will try a new crank sensor right now they are only 30 bucks. It has a new Ignition control module, a new MAF and a new coil pack on it. Any one in the Denver area that knows theses cars to a T???

Im far from an expert, but im down in colorado springs... so the car isnt starting anymore?? Also out of curiousity, is your O2sensor working correclty.. a faulty O2 can make your car run like crap also...

 

[howdies86]

Now the car wont even start . I am so done with this hunk of crap. I will try a new crank sensor right now they are only 30 bucks. It has a new Ignition control module, a new MAF and a new coil pack on it. Any one in the Denver area that knows theses cars to a T???

Now is the perfect time to find an intermittent problem!! First crank the engine with fuel pump fuse out. See if you have spark. If not, then check (1) crank sensor loose?,(2) wiggle wires on sensor plug,checck for spark again. Still no spark,(3) wiggle ( believe it or not) CAM sensor wires. Or if you have extra cap or can borrow one, change it!! I had a similar problem, (and trust me) if a wire is broken almost in two in the cap, you will get intermittent spark. I paid Craig Smith, that work at Fast years ago,$40 per hour to find the problem. Well worth it!! Now, if you had spark at step (1),but fuel pump fuse out,check plugs to see if they are wet. If so,crank engine over b/4 reconnecting fuel pump fuse to see if it starts to clean off plugs and get excess fuel out of the cylinders. Intall fuel pump fuse to see if it runs. Also think back to when problem arose. Was anything changed b/4 the problem started? I also agree with other guys, could be heat related, but don't leave a stone unturned. Don't take anything for granted. I've been where you are and I was ready to burn the car!! Hope this helps.

 

[87TIGN]

Ok so I got the new crank sensor and put it in and when I had the connector off i made sure to tighten the pins on the female end (wire end) and the car started. So I got these numbers from the scanmaster while the car warmed up:
O2=398-503, AF=07, LB=40-41, INT=128, BL=130, ATS=64, RPM=950, TPS=.42, IAC=85, PL=2.1, SP=25.7
Then once the car got warmed up and the stat opened (normal operating temp is 160-165 for this car) it happened again and died. So I started it back up and got these number from the scanmaster while it was struggling to run:
O2=490-650, AF=05, LB=36, INT=128, BL=130, ATS=64, RPM=950, TPS=.42, IAC=69, PL=1.9, SP=27.7-28.1
So I than stood over the engine bay and used the throttle to watch what spark was doing and as I added more throttle once again you could see spark on number one cut out more and more as fuel was added until it was almost not running anymore.
I heard that the dimple on the cam housing should be pointing toward the block and right now it is not...its pointing outwards. Maybe my timing is off 180? But I dont think this should be the case since after I got it back from the machine shop shortblocked it ran fine for several months.

 

[87TIGN]

Im far from an expert, but im down in colorado springs... so the car isnt starting anymore?? Also out of curiousity, is your O2sensor working correclty.. a faulty O2 can make your car run like crap also...

yea I was kinda wondering about the O2 sensor as well. It is probably 2 years old now but how do I test it? If i unplug it while the car is running will the car still run?

 

[87TIGN]

Im far from an expert, but im down in colorado springs... so the car isnt starting anymore?? Also out of curiousity, is your O2sensor working correclty.. a faulty O2 can make your car run like crap also...

Yea I was kinda wondering about the O2 sensor as well. It is probably 2 years old now but how do I test it? If i unplug it while the car is running will the car still run?