Pontiac Repair: pontiac bonneville cranks wont start and power windows out, pontiac bonneville, carpet padding

Question
QUESTION: My 98 pontiac bonneville occasionally out of nowhere wont start. It cranks fine but wont start. This has been going on for about a year and happens for no reason or warning. It could be good for a few months but out of nowhere wont start. I have also noticed that every time this happens the power windows also wont work. I recently had a new battery, alternator, and fuel pump installed and had my remote starter removed. Thank you

ANSWER: Hi Phil:

Great observation as to something else not working at the same time as the no start. This has a ground issue. The power windows share the same buss ground as the fuel pump. The bround splice for the pump and power windows and other things is under the sill plate on the l/f door pull the sill plate up and pull the carpet back. the ground wires are all black and there is a junction splice pack for them taped to the wire harness that ground splice is corroded eithet the car has a water leak in it or you live in the rust belt like I do and the elements getting tracked into the car during the winter finally cought up to it 13 years later. My guess is if you clean up that ground splice you should be good to go. if the carpet padding is wet right now there is a water leak into the car look for it or you will be in the same boat gain sooner rather then later. Good luck :)


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Your advice was great everything was just like you explained. However after working great for a week i am having the same problem where it only starts occasionaly and again the windows dont work. I cleaned the bus ground bar up siliconed it and taped it real good, and everything seemed tight and connected well.  I did notice there was an area on the bar where there was minor melting. would this maybe cause for me to need a new bar. Or are there any other tips you have that I could try. Thanks again  

Answer
take a second look there. If there is evidence of corrosion or meting then take a look at the terminals in the connector if any of them look bad replace them. You could is theory take and solder all the wires together and eliminate the buss bar all together and give that a try. BUT if you strip back any of the wires and find that the wire ic not copper color ther is corrosion in the wire keep cuttin it back untill you get to good looking copper wire and splice in a piece that you need to amke it all the same length it was before and use the same gauge wire nothing smaller.