Questions and Answers
Calais Won't Start... Sometimes
Q. I've been trying to trouble shoot a problem with my 1991 Olds Calais. The car is equipped with a 2.5L, fuel injection, automatic. It has 135k on it. It has been slow starting intermittently for 3 months or so. It has gradually gotten worse. It sometimes will not start at all. When it does, it runs great. It turns over fine, just won't crank sometimes.
A few days ago, it would not start at all. For several days it would not start. Today, I turned the key and it fired right up. I removed the air filter and poured a little gas in it a few times and it started. I have also tried that with no success.
Several people have told me that it is the fuel pump. I am trying to avoid sending it to the shop. I know that the car is not worth all that much, and I don't want to spend anything that I don't have too. I don't know a lot about auto repair. I can replace parts but I am not a good diagnostic person. Please help if you can.
Thanks,
WayneA. You're confusing me here, and believe me, that's not difficult to do. "Turns over" and "Cranks" mean the same thing. Are you saying the engine cranks (cranks, no start) and doesn't start? Or the engine doesn't crank (no crank) at all?
If it is a no crank condition, then you possibly have a bad starter or something in the starter system bad. If it is a cranks, no start condition, you have to determine why it doesn't start. You can do this by testing the spark when the condition exhibits itself. You can make a basic spark tester by taking an old spark plug and gaping it to .100". Take a fairly heavy piece of wire about three feet long and strip about 9" of insulation from one end. Wrap it around the metal base of the plug and twist it so it stays on. Put a clip on the other end of the wire.
Unplug one of the spark plug wires and plug your tester in and clip the wire to a metal part of the engine or the battery negative terminal. Crank the engine and see if there is a spark. If there is, then you have a fuel problem. If there isn't, then the chances are you have a bad ignition module. A very common problem with this car. They can be a PITA to replace because the distributor is mounted under the intake manifold and is not easy to get to.
