Buick - Parkavenue :: 2000 - Engine Is Really Rough And Bumpy / Code Reader?
Sep 29, 2011
I am told I am possibly having some engine misfires and I need to get my error codes read. The problem is I don't want to drive the car to an auto parts store to get read because the engine is really rough and bumpy. So what kind of code reader to get, OBD I, OBD II, CAN..etc??? I have a 2000 Buick Park Ave. I have a mechanic coming over tomorrow, and it seems he doesn't have a code reader off hand, so I gotta pick one up...
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I have a 1997 Buick Park Avenue with a 3800 series II motor that runs perfectly in dry weather. However, in wet conditions, rain melting snow, etc. it will begin to miss and throw out a P0300 OBDII engine code. This is the code for multiple random misfire. If I leave it to idle on its own it will get worse and die out right. Sometimes restarting it is an option though it still runs rough, but I can limp it to somewhere I can work on it. I think its electrical, since it doesn't seem to get the spark it should though fuel doesn't seem to be a problem as you can smell it after a bit of cranking.
I've been battling with this thing for over a year so far and have replaced the following, ECU, all 3 coil packs, spark plugs/wires(newest parts), mass airflow sensor, cam position sensor, ERG?(emissions deal I believe, mechanic friend put it on) valve. I had the battery trickle charged and tested at an Autozone, I haven't had the alternator tested yet.
Its a very frustrating problem, as far as I can tell I've replaced everything on the ignition system with the hopes that it did the job only to get stranded during the next long rain. It does take quite a while in wet weather for it to start acting up, but once it starts missing a little bit, it doesn't stop until the entire engine compartment has had a few days to dry. Engine temp doesn't seem tosolve the problem dry out. I'd also like to note that I've noticed on this latest trouble that the interior lights have been flickering and headlights too. It may have been doing this earlier, but I hadn't noticed if it was. I'm going to check what kind of voltages the alternator is throwing out next time I have it running.
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About 2 weeks ago my 1997 Buick Park Ave (115,000 miles) began running bad during a heavy rain storm. It was running fine. Then all of a sudden at a stop light the motor hesitated and wanted to stall. I nursed the gas peddle and limped home and turned the car off. The car hesitated and sputtered all the way home as if I was running out of gas.The next day the car would not start. It turned over but would not start. I tried starting the car for three days. My mechanic friend later diagnosed the car and stated the computer was not functioning correctly. He replaced the computer. The new computer seemed to correct the problem.
The car ran great for the next 2 weeks. Yesterday, it was raining hard while I drove the car about 150 miles without any problem. Then suddenly again the motor started running badly. Again, the motor wanted to stall and hesitate as if I was running out of gas. I limped home again. This morning I tried to start the car without any luck. In addition to installing a new computer, In the last 2 months I have changed all the fuel injectors and installed new spark plugs.I have also changed the fuel pump and repaired the fuel tank. My mechanic say the cam sensor and crank sensor are operating correctly. There is spark coming from the coil packs and to the spark plugs. I do not want to randomly change parts.
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I just bought a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria with sport package. It is similar to the P71 Police Interceptor model with stiffer springs, thicker anti-roll bars, etc. I checked the sticker on the door and found that Ford recommends 32 psi for the front tires and 35 psi for the rear tires. This is a conventional front-engine, rear-drive car. I was expecting to see 29-32 psi, and same pressure for both front and rear. I don't understand the manufacturer would recommend higher pressure in the rear for a car that is a little heavier in the front. I am thinking of keeping both the front and rear at 32 psi.
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Got a strange one here. 1995 Buick Park Avenue, supercharged 3800, 159K miles... an older car, but an unmolested one. A little over a week ago I began to notice an occasional miss when cruising along at highway speeds, along with a slightly rougher idle. Both the fuel filter and the plugs/wires predated my ownership of the car (a little more than 6 months); so seeing no obvious culprit, I replaced them and hoped for improvement.
Unfortunately, neither had any impact. The missing continued to become more noticeable. It was never present under acceleration. Most of it was like a split-second long version of "bucking" that could be observed while cruising at lower (<2000) RPMs. It was also very noticeable at idle. Eventually a code was set: P0341, camshaft sensor issue. If the story had ended there, it would have been just another night in the garage. But it didn't.
As I was noticing the aforementioned symptom increase, I also noticed my voltmeter would occasionally "twitch" in the downward direction. Eventually I had an incident where I came to a stoplight... transmission in Drive, foot on brake, gauge dropped to around 10-11v. It returned to 14v momentarily, but dropped back down, held there for several seconds, returned, etc. No particular rhyme or rhythm. Of course my first guess was that the alternator was failing; a separate problem from the other.
I checked all the relevant connections (at the battery, at the alternator, etc), and cleaned them for good measure. All were tight, relatively clean, and the cables showed no resistance on the ohmmeter. It happened that I had another correct alternator on hand (used/working pull), so I swapped it in. No change. I reinstalled the original and was back where I started.
On my most recent drive, I noticed both issues had become very noticeable. The drop in voltage was happening at nearly every stop, and the missing was happening a few times per minute while coasting along. There seemed to be some correlation between the missing and voltage fluctuating, but it wasn't absolute.
I decided to attack the voltage issue again. Re-checked all the cables; same result as before (all OK). Looked all over the car for possible bad grounds, loose connections, or other visible problems, but found none. My next thought was to run a jumper from B+ to the voltage regulator's Sense input (have seen issues there on more than a few older vehicles) - but after reading that this car uses the PCM as the voltage regulator, I didn't proceed.
Just to be certain I'm going to have the alternator tested by the local auto parts store. But I suspect it'll pass.
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Get in my car, try to start it and BAM it hits me. As I turn the key, the engine cranks up quick, kinda too quick, if you ask me. As I go to adjust my radio, I feel my car start to jump around and shake pretty rough. As I look at my gauges, I see my check engine light start to flash. So instead of trying to drive away, I turn it off and try to start it again. Same thing happens!! So I try it again and finally a normal start. Whew, I thought that was close. But oddly enough my check engine light comes on and stays on this time, no more flashing and the engine feels fine. What the problem could be? Is it safe to drive my car?
2000 Buick Park Avenue 3.8 auto....
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I have a 1993 Buick Park Ave Ultra with 127,000 mi and it has a rattle like noise in the engine. I took it to the mechanic and he said it was the supercharger and that if that went out the car would not run. I would like info on the supercharger, eg. is it critical for just riding around town and exactly what it does, and how expense is it to fix/replace.
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I own a 1999 Park Avenue Ultra. Recently it's developed a problem where the engine just stops when I'm driving. It happens at all speeds--on the highway, on local roads, in parking lots, or just idling. Starting up the car after it stalls is not problem; it always starts right up. The car stalls at least once a day after it's all warmed up. Additional stalls can occur, but there is no quantifiable interval between additional stalls. This car has spent most of its 148,000 miles in the upper Midwest. This past winter I drove to car to Arizona, and that's when the stalling started. One mechanic looked at the car, but couldn't find anything wrong and couldn't get it to stall when he took it out for an extended drive. What the problem might be?
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Now I know I'm having problems when I go to start my car, and the check engine light starts flashing and my engine is idling really erratic. What could this be? I have a 2000 Buick Park Ave. I went to start it today.... problems. I have had this problem before and it seemed to correct itself.
I started my car. It was kinda rough when I started it. My engine started trembling and check engine light started flashing. I turned my car off and back on and it went away. No check engine light...no trembling..nothing!! Well, at least til now. I went to start it up and the same thing happened...really rough idle and my check engine light started flashing.
I was recently told it could be a misfire, but I was also told by a family mechanic that it could just be a faulty plug or shorted wires. Also, recently when I have been driving, my car has been feeling a little sluggish right around the 2nd gear mark, and I have watched my voltage gauge on my dash jump around a lot, anywhere from 11v to 13v. Could this be a symptom? Or the effect of something else? I don't want to get ripped of for something as simple as changing some spark plugs or wires.
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I have a 2000 Buick Park Ave, and recently since the cold weather is coming around I am starting to hear a slight squeaking from under my hood around the engine pulleys. It doesn't make noise upon start ( no screeching or clicking) but after its started and starts to idle I am hearing a slight chirping, and I have notice that as the weather has gotten colder that chirping/ squeaking is starting to get a little louder. After The car warms up the chirping/ squeaking seems to go away but is this a problem I should Be worried about? Is this a major issue or a minor issue?
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2000 F150 V6 auto just bought it 140k. Check engine light on.. Code reader wont come on? has 2 lighter sockets in dash one on the left works right one dont? I hear one is inline with the code port? Checked 1 fuse #110? looked good...I don't have a manual so I"m lost.. or there are more fuses?
Also the speedo mileage sometimes will go blank? at start up then come back on ?? seems to be working even when blank? First I need to get the code reader port to put out..so i can see the codes....
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I have recently been having some movement in the rear of my car...I can mainly feel it when I am going under 20 mph. I have had replaced the two rear tires with other used tires cuz my original tires were going bald. Can this be the problem? Can Broken belts on the tires or "BAD TIRES" can cause this or is it another problem I should be worried about i.e sway bar links/ sway bar, etc.? 2000 buick PA 3.8
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My Buick Park Ave 2000 is having an acceleration problem. It seems to be skipping at different times. It happens more often at lower speeds than higher speeds. It still happens at higher speeds though. I was on a long trip of about 180 miles and on the highway it seemed fine. What do you think is causing this? I did take it to a garage and they couldn't find anything wrong with it and of course true to form nothing happened when they took it for a spin. They did computer checks and everything was fine.
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I own a 1999 Buick Park Avenue - that stalls. There is no pattern to the stalling.It stalls when I start driving, after I have been driving for a long period or when I just begin driving. It stalls when I turn a corner or on the highway, when I am at a stop sign or a red light. It is baffling. My mechanic has tried a number of solutions, including replacing the crankshaft sensor, however, it still stalls.
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I recently had the radiator on my car replaced and wen I got it back the temperature and gas gauge needles are both blown past the HOT sign and past the full sign on my gas gauge and is sitting under the little black piece under the the cold side and under the empty side. it was obviously messed with and completely turned around but why is it like this? will it reset itself or should I take i.e., back to the mechanic to have it fixed by him?
2000 buick park avenue....
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I have a 1995 Park Avenue 3.8 with 278,000 miles. Runs fine until about 3rd gear and 55mph when if under any load at all the whole car jumps and shutters. If not under load, like going up-hill, no shutter or skip and runs smooth. If accelerator pressed at all, even when running smooth the shutter begins. Normally does not shutter at lower speeds.
Thought it was the transmission, so serviced the transmission. No improvement.
Took car to local transmission repair. They drove and do not think it is the transmission. They did check pressure at the throttle body, gas flow - let gas flow into clear container, no debris or water - and pressure was in the 52 range. Dropped some on acceleration while in park.
Shop did scan the computer, no codes. Check engine light is not on. Checked fuel filter and it was good.
They also checked all the spark plug wires and indications were that all were firing and in good order. They misted the wires with a spray bottle to see if they could detect electrical leaks - did not find any.
The car is not driven that often and was very low on gas. After leaving the transmission shop, bought gas and initially the car ran great with no hesitation or shutter even at 55mph. Shutter returned within about a mile. The car acts as if it has time to fill a container with gas it runs fine until the container looses some of the gas then it runs rough, or if you are driving along and try to take more than the normal flow out of the container the car runs rough - if they makes any sense.
Bought new gas filler cap just in case. No change.
The fuel filter and fuel pump were replaced at the same time about 2 years ago.
The EGR was replaced about 1 1/2 years ago. New plugs and wires about 1 1/2 years ago.
There is sometimes, but not all the time, a loud pitched whistle which seems to be coming from the area of the gas tank. Oddly enough if the car is in park and running while the whistle is happening, if the brake is pressed, the whistle changes in pitch to a louder and fuller whistle. When the brake is released, the whistle pitch drops in volume and more of a shrill whistle. Same happens moving transmission from P to R.
I feel I have a fuel problem, however, fuel flow, pressure, etc., seem to be ok. The mechanic drove the car with pressure gauge attached to the throttle body and didn't seem to feel that the gas was the problem upon returning from the drive.
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I recently bought a 1997 Park Avenue and have a couple of repair questions.1) The car is in need of struts/shocks. The rear has air shocks. Before I purchase new air shocks, how do I test the compressor to make sure there is no problem? If the compressor is bad, is it possible to install conversion shocks and do away with the compressor/ air shocks?2) The previous owner says the cruise control does not work. On rare occasions it will work for a brief time during the winter. What things can I check out? Someone suggested checking the brake light switch.
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The cruise control stopped working. The "Cruise" light comes on, but the speed does not hold.Where should I start looking? Where is the control module?
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on an 1979 Buick Park Ave, can't change from 1st gear to drive. Preliminary diagnosis is a low vacuum at the transmission regulator valve(?). Car has 207,xxx miles. Is this a carburetor problem that may be clogged with carbon deposits, or what else can be causing the problem. Gear change needs a higher vacuum on the transmission regulator
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The problem began with the battery going down slowly while the car sat. Then the blower motor wouldn't shut off, even with the key turned off. With the blower motor disconnected, the battery no longer discharges. I bought and installed a (used) climate control panel but the problem persists. I'm not sure where to go from here.
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i have a 1994 buick park avenue non supercharge. I replaced the harmonic balancer because it was split all the way around. ok then i start having low fuel pressure. it was at at 22psi so i got the fuel pump, strainer and filter replaced i also notice my cat was turning red. I also got the cat replaced and part of the new one is starting to turn red. I am experiencing poor acceleration ...my car shakes but shakes more when im in drive and foot on the brake..i can tell the difference in the acceleration from when i put the new cat on..it picked up a little bit but its not how its suppose to be. I also notice two of my coil packs have a slight crack across the top by the numbers....
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