2005 Buick Century Car Occassionally Won't Start

WAVECREST

MEMBER
2005 BUICK CENTURY
3.1L
V6
FWD
AUTOMATIC
100,000 MILES

I took my car to a reliable repair shop that I have gone to for years for minor repairs (including fixing a severed wiring harness around the rear trunk that went to back up lights). However, the day I got the car back from the repair shop I couldn't restart it at a shopping mall. I used a portable battery charger to restart the car and took it to a nearby Advanced Auto Parts store and they tested the battery. They said the battery was fine. I subsequently brought the car back to the same auto repair shop where they told me the battery needed to be replaced. A new battery was installed (alternator and volt regulator were okay) and the car started normally for a number of days until the same problem reoccurred. I tried starting it numerous times. The car not only wouldn't start but also no dashboard warning lights appeared. I briefly connected the portable battery charger and it registered 12 volts. I disconnected it and tried again and the car started up fine. Do you have any ideas on why my car won't start sometimes?

1 Reply

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

SOMETIMES OBVIOUS STUFF GETS OVERLOOKED OR JUST HASTILY IGNORED (USUALLY 'CAUSE IT TAKES SOME TIME, AND 'CAUSE NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR STUFF, LIKE YOU DO! (MY OWN SELF TAUGHT PHILOSOPHY LEARNED THRU DEALING WITH HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND EVEN WITH "CREAM OF THE CROP" PERSONNEL DURING BLEAK AND HARD TIMES AT U.S. ARMY RANGER SCHOOL.

IF YOU WOULD

THE NEXT TIME IT WILL NOT CRANK/ TURN OVER (SAME THING)? (AND ALONG WITH THAT, NOT START/ BUST OFF/ RUN). OR YOU COULD LOOK FOR THE ISSUE WITH IT STILL OPERABLE. (DOING THIS WOULD TAKE OUT THE ELEMENT OF "I KNOW FOR SURE, THIS FIXED IT") AS ALWAYS, IT'S GONNA HICCUP, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO SYSTEMATICALLY LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM!

I AM ASSUMING THE CRANKSHAFT IS NOT TURNING AT ALL DURING THE ISSUE

PLEASE LOOK MY LINK OVER - IT'S LONG - IT'S BORING - IT COVERS STUFF YOU HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED - STUFF THAT MAY PERTAIN TO SOME ONE ELSE - I MADE SOME PICS AT THE END!

UNFORTUNATELY, I NEED TO MAKE SOME PICS OF "SIDE POST" BATTERY CABLE ISSUES TO GO ALONG WITH THE WHOLE SCHEME OF THINGS (I WILL ONE DAY)

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1996-chevrolet-tahoe-wont-start-sounds-dead-battery-jumpbox-get-same-reults

MAINLY, THE SECOND HALF OF MY "DRILL SERGEANT" TYPE TACTICS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO CHECK OUT. A LOT OF THIS COULD BE CHECKED/ DONE BY A NINTH GRADER!

LEMME KNOW HOW THINGS GO

THE MEDIC

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