VortecJeep
Powered by Uranium-235
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2005
- Location
- Concord, NC
In-law's car: 2000 Buick Regal LS, 3.8 liter engine, auto tranny, approx. 95,000 miles, day-time running lights
Car died while they were driving it at night with lights, radio, heater fan, and wipers going. Tried to start it again, all the lights on the dash began flashing. Finally got it restarted. Test of battery and alternator showed battery OK, but alternator was on its last leg. Replaced alternator and checked battery and alternator again, both OK. Drove it once, ran fine. Drove it again an hour later, engine died when we hit the turn signal. Got it to restart and drove it home (about 2 miles). Cleaned battery terminals, it started, thought it was ok. Next day, mother-in-law drove it to the store, and wouldn’t start after she parked it. Had it towed to their house. Now, sometimes it will start, sometimes it won’t. Now the ABS light is on. Check Engine light is not on. Shifter will not shift out of Park unless you press a hidden button which is an emergency release for the shifter. Sometimes when you try to start it, all lights on the dash flash at you, but if you turn the lights on, they stop. Finally got it started and tried to drive it to the dealer, but it died 2/10 of a mile up the road. Had it towed to dealer. GM dealer said they couldn’t read any codes from the computer because of something (I don’t remember what). GM Dealer claims they can’t test drive it until they replace the shifter unit ($500) even though we told them about the emergency release (that GM installed at the factory). They also said they won’t do anything else until they replace the ABS module because the ABS light is on (another $500). Those two problems didn’t show up until after the main problem, which is the engine dies when you hit the turn signal, so the dealer just wants to treat symptoms instead of diagnosing the problem. Father-in-law is going to get the car from the dealer today. Hopefully they won’t charge him too much, so far all the dealer has done is charge the battery, which didn’t need a charge.
Any ideas?
Car died while they were driving it at night with lights, radio, heater fan, and wipers going. Tried to start it again, all the lights on the dash began flashing. Finally got it restarted. Test of battery and alternator showed battery OK, but alternator was on its last leg. Replaced alternator and checked battery and alternator again, both OK. Drove it once, ran fine. Drove it again an hour later, engine died when we hit the turn signal. Got it to restart and drove it home (about 2 miles). Cleaned battery terminals, it started, thought it was ok. Next day, mother-in-law drove it to the store, and wouldn’t start after she parked it. Had it towed to their house. Now, sometimes it will start, sometimes it won’t. Now the ABS light is on. Check Engine light is not on. Shifter will not shift out of Park unless you press a hidden button which is an emergency release for the shifter. Sometimes when you try to start it, all lights on the dash flash at you, but if you turn the lights on, they stop. Finally got it started and tried to drive it to the dealer, but it died 2/10 of a mile up the road. Had it towed to dealer. GM dealer said they couldn’t read any codes from the computer because of something (I don’t remember what). GM Dealer claims they can’t test drive it until they replace the shifter unit ($500) even though we told them about the emergency release (that GM installed at the factory). They also said they won’t do anything else until they replace the ABS module because the ABS light is on (another $500). Those two problems didn’t show up until after the main problem, which is the engine dies when you hit the turn signal, so the dealer just wants to treat symptoms instead of diagnosing the problem. Father-in-law is going to get the car from the dealer today. Hopefully they won’t charge him too much, so far all the dealer has done is charge the battery, which didn’t need a charge.
Any ideas?
