QuestionI am the original owner of a 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera with 2.2 Liter, 4 cylinder engine - Mileage 10,000 miles.
Problem:
Although the starter always cranks full strength when attempting to start, sometimes the car will not start when cold or hot or it will stall while driving with engine partially or fully warmed up. This may occur once every two weeks or every two days and then not happen again for a month.
To determine if the car is going to start, upon starting the vehicle cold or hot, I have learned to turn the key to the "on" position (not cranking) for a few seconds and listen to the fuel pump. With the ignition in the on position (not cranking), if the car is not going to start, the following occurs: With the heat and A/C switched off, the radiator cooling fan may turn on and off erratically, the speedometer needle jumps and bounces from 0-30 mph, the sounds of electrical chattering of fuel injectors or solenoids is heard and the fuel pump pulses on and off in unison with the speedometer needle bouncing. Again, all of these events happen at the same time, should the car decide not to start or if it stalls and a restart is attempted. Then, I wait for a few minutes (even when cold) and the car will start. When this first happened, I replaced the battery, even though voltage was OK at nearly 14 volts. Needless to say, a check of the alternator and new battery did not reveal an electrical supply problem to be the cause of the mystery stalling and no starts.
Again, the same symptoms can occur after the car stalls and the vehicle has been operating for some time. In the case of a stall, I wait a few minutes and all symptoms disappear and the car restarts and runs flawlessly.
As the problem seems unrelated to operating temperature or operating time, I am inclined to believe this is an electrical grounding problem because I cleaned the ECM grounding lugs near the exhaust manifold and intake area and the car ran fine for 5 months without one stalling or no start episode. But now, the problem has returned.
However, I am curious if oxidation at the ECM ground wire connector's crimping may be the culprit. Perhaps aluminum oxidation at the connector wire crimps may be the cause. Manipulating these connectors during the grounding lug cleaning process may explain why the car ran fine for five months before the no start/stalling events began occuring once again.
On Board Diagnostic II System has detected no fault codes.
Please advise if you have experienced this problem and the appropriate repair.
AnswerHello David,
I have not experienced this problem, but I would like to say you have done a great diagnosis description.
Ground integrity is what I was thinking also.
I have seen crimps that need replacing. Cold solder joints can also be temporarily corrected with wiggling connections, like in wiper pulse boards.
You could even find a broken wire behind a crimp connector, that is touching most of the time, as well as the connector itself, possibly being streched.
Van
