Buick - Century :: 1994 - Alternator Replaced / Airbag Light Started Blinking Intermittently
Mar 15, 2011
The car is a 1994 Buick Century, 3.1L V6, ~ 80k miles. Four months ago she wouldn't start, so I got a new alternator and battery put in. A month later, while on a short road trip, the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree the whole drive home (ABS, airbag, check engine, battery) and the voltmeter bounced around from mid-high to red-zone high. Thinking it was a bad reman, the alternator was replaced again when we got home. A few weeks went by and all seemed to be going well with the new alternator until, after driving around the city for a while, the airbag light started blinking intermittently.
Accompanying the blinking, the battery gauge again was bouncing around. Eventually, when accelerating from a stop, the car stuttered when moving forward, the battery light flickered, and the ABS light stayed on. Worried that I'd burn up another alternator, I had a mechanic look at it before my next trip. He checked the alternator/battery loads and pulley and said that nothing looked wrong. On the next trip, the intermittent airbag light blinking and voltage fluctuation returned as well as a single episode of stuttering from a stop... these things all only seem to happen after at least an hour on the road.
TO RECAP: Voltmeter gauge steady sometimes, bouncy other times... but usually too high. Airbag light blinks intermittently (seems to happen only after car is warm). Sometimes (rarely) the car will jerk from a stop, at which point the ABS light stays on. No check engine lights. Battery and alternator are new. Same problems (voltmeter in red, warning lights) occurred with last alternator until it burnt up. It seems like a voltage regulation / alternator problem, but the same symptoms occurred with two different alternators (with two different internal voltage regulators). I suspect that there is some electrical problem (short?) that is causing the fluctuating voltage and the tendency for the car to burn up alternators so frequently. However, I don't know much of anything about cars. Does that sound right? If so, where do I even start?
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I have 89 buick Century custom cpe had it out on the highway last night and the Batt light started to flash intermittently. after a little while it calmed down. Had it out running around today and no problem. what should I check besides the battery terminals?
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2 or 3 years ago my airbag light started blinking. 120,000 miles, only owner. The code changes daily. Then the car started reviving at highway speeds. Then cruise control wasn't reliable. Sometimes when I hit a bump, the cruise goes off. My mechanic said the reviving felt like it was going in and out of overdrive, so he rebuilt the transmission. No change. This past month, the car started to pull to the right. It felt like I was driving with the brake on, couldn't get up a small hill. Before I could get the car home, the brakes went to the floor and the car stalled. I had it towed to mechanic.
After 10 days, he couldn't duplicate problem, so I took the car back. A few days later, after 4 hours of errands in the hot Texas sun, it did it again for me. Pulled to the right, driving with the brake on feel, brakes to the floor. This time it smelled like something was burning, either brakes, belt or something, and the rear ABS light came on for the first time. Latest mechanic says it is probably a brake booster, but that doesn't explain the reviving does it? I've had it to 2 dealers, 3 mechanics, and no one has a clue what to check apparently. I am a senior, so I can't really start replacing everything. What should I tell them to check, and in what order? I love my Aerostar....
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I have a 2003 Buick Century 3.1L. The airbag light goes on randomly. I realize that it is supposed to go on momentarily after I start the engine. Sometimes the light will stay lit for one or more drives and sometimes it will stay off for one or more drives. I have checked the fuse; it is good. I have tried smacking the airbag on the steering and the dash...the light remains lit. I have seen a bundle of wires on the back side of the fuse box and am not sure whether I should try to trace the fuse wire back to both locations or what to do next. Is there some trick of the trade like a reset button and what do you think I should try next?
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Ok, got a 99 Buick Century that is a cantankerous old hag. It doesn't like to start sometimes. naturally when i really need to get somewhere. The security light blinks at me for a while, goes solid, then i cycle the ignition and hope it will start. It happens with multiple keys and remote start(which has been removed multiple times because each mechanic thinks that will magically fix it). No rhyme or reason, it sends no code, the local buick dealership couldn't figure it out. I think its my security computer. what is the easiest/cheapest diy solution besides get full coverage and leave it in the ghetto with the keys and hope it ends up on cops? battery is fine, it starts normally most of the month, just maybe a handful of times a month it won't. Starter I believe is still good as well, and gets voltage when it starts. Fuel pump audibly works all the time.
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I am having a very tricky problem with my Buick.
For approximately the last 4 months, it has been (at least according to the heat gauge on the dash) running pretty hot. Not overheating, but getting close. And it doesn't take long for it to get there. This all seems to have begun right around the time that my father and I flushed the coolant system.
Since then, I have replaced some parts, and learned a few things in the process.
I learned that there are bleeder screws which can be opened to let air bubbles out. And I have heard that the 3.1L is especially susceptible to them.
New parts which I have installed:
- thermostat
- coolant temperature sensor
- radiator cap
- upper radiator hose
- lower radiator hose
I have checked the water pump and it seems to be perfectly fine. No leaks. No signs of bad bearings. And it circulates coolant just fine. I have not been witness to either cooling fan, primary or auxiliary, switching on in a while.
The exact symptoms are these:
The heat gauge does not take long to get to mid-way point, but will sit at that point for a bit if the vehicle remains stationary. Once the vehicle is in significant motion, the heat gauge will climb fairly quickly, especially with moderately high RPMs. It WON'T touch the red though, but will get very very close to it. The car runs fine. It does seem to be a bit underpowered, but I am comparing it to my fiance's 1996 Olds Cutlass Ciera, which I believe has a different transmission. My Buick does not seem to have lost power since this problem arose. The cooling fans no longer kick on. The oil appears fine. The coolant as well. With the radiator cap off, coolant does not bubble out or shoot out.
I made sure after changing upper and lower hoses to fill the radiator, let the car run long enough for the thermostat to open, and then slowly poured more coolant into the radiator until it was full again. And the reservoir is at proper level and the the reservoir hose s not clogged.
I am not SURE, but I don't believe the radiator is clogged. I believe that covers it, at least as well as I can.
BTW, I do not know where the fan relays are, otherwise I would test the fans to see if they still work.
What the heck is up with my Buick? Also, it has 97,xxx miles on it, and the transmission fluid is at proper level and looks normal.
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I have a 1994 Buick Century Wagon with a 3100 SFI V6 engine that I can't get to fire at all. I have read many posts with the same problem but haven't been able to find a follow up fix from them. My Buick just wouldn't start one day after running fine before. I came to this site and tried some of the suggested troubleshooting and found, while testing for power to fuel pump, that if I jumped from the battery to the gray wire on the fuel pump relay the car would start and run fine. So that rules out any fuel pump problems or fuel filter problems. I then swapped fuel pump relay to a different similar relay on the car and still wouldn't start. I have read on this site about the oil pressure/ fuel pressure switch being a possible cause and I believe I have found that switch. It is in the side of the block toward the front of car and has three wires, (orange, tan and gray) going into it.
I was going to try to jumper the orange to gray but didn't want to do the wrong jump in case of negatively effecting the EMC controller, usually green/white wire? I also heard of the crank shaft sensor located on the back side of block but am not sure of which of three sensors I'm seeing back there to test. I guess first I'm looking for proper jumping procedure. I tried jumping the gray to orange in the fuel pump relay but no good. I get 12 volts at that orange and for a couple of seconds 2 to 3 volts at the green/white wires at the fuel pump relay when ignition is turned on, so when I jump the orange to gray at the relay it should start as it does when I jumper from battery to gray. I had relay apart when I jumpered the orange to gray, do I have to jumper with relay together and use a pin/needle wire jumper so rest of relay wires are connected? The same would apply for jumper testing oil pressure switch and crank shaft sensor? If it's not the switch or sensor then it looks to maybe be the EMC?
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1994 Buick Century 3.1
Fuel pump relay is not powering the fuel pump. I was able at one point to jump the orange wire to the gray wire but it will not even do that now. I know the fuel pump works because I can jump from the battery to the gray wire and it will turn on.
I used a multimeter and tested the volts from the orange wire on the relay to the neg post on the battery and it is only reading about 1.3 volts. Is this normal?
Checked the fuel pump 15a fuse and it is ok. I am getting spark. Could it be the crank sensor? How can I test that? (It is above the start I believe). Could it be the ignition control module? How to test? Location? What else can I test with the multimeter and post back with the results to further diagnose?
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My daughter drives a 94 Century (120+ K) and it was running great, no issues to speak of. Thursday morning she was advised that her brake lights were stuck on when the car was parked in school lot. This drained the battery. The battery was very old so she got a new one properly size & installed; the car started up and drove fine. Later that evening it started up and drove again with no issues.Next morning; NOTHING; No Start. I checked and when door is opened interior lights come on, insert key and door chime rings. Turn key and there is nothing at all, a total loss of power, lights go out, door stops chiming but nothing. Starter never engages, no noise, no attempts of the engine to turn, remove key and lights return and door chimes!
1994 Buick Century 3.1L SFI OHV 6cyl .....
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Currently I have a 1998 Buick Century Custom having turn signal issues.
The front left blinker is not blinking. Understandably, with this malfunction, the rear left blinker blinks rapidly when the turn signal switch is in the left turn signal position. However, when I put the hazard lights on, BOTH rear blinkers blink normally as does the front right blinker.
When the headlights are on, the amber-colored blinker bulb remains lit (left front). The right side front and rear blinkers work great.
I have checked the fuses, replaced the bulb and cleaned the socket of the front left blinker and still have no results. While my next guess would be that the flasher unit is the problem, I don't believe the rear, or front right blinkers would blink if that was the problem.
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The ESC warning light has started coming on intermittently on my 06 GLS. Stays solid, not blinking. Turning the car off and starting again resets it but never for long.
The brake light switch was already replaced once at 36K miles. It's now at about 84,500. Do these things have a history of going bad multiple times?
For what it's worth, my little ELM327 ODB II plug-in gadget shows no faults but it may not be able to see the right data. I'm taking it back to the dealer in the morning, where they probably won't fix it and probably will break something else.
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Just bought my first F150. 1998 XLT 4.6l automatic. 126K miles, looks like it was mostly garage kept. All power, A/C, etc.
Picked it up this evening, drove it home after dark. About a 30 mile mostly highway speed drive. Everything went fine, no problems, no hiccups......Until I turned on my last street, about a half mile from home. The battery indicator light on the dash started blinking intermittently. I didn't notice anything else, just the red battery shaped light blinking.
What would cause this, what should I check? I don't want a big problem when I haven't even transferred the title yet!
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SO, my Buick has given the code for bad TPS, and it was replaced a little over a year ago...and now after the same symptoms, replaced again.. However, this time, right after replacing, it gave the code again, and still stalls out /doesn't want to stay running especially when put in gear. My regular mechanic also recently just put on a new catalytic converter and a new fuel pump and fuel filter. I'm at a loss, and desperately need my car back.
A little back history...about 3 years ago a 'friend' was to work on my car to install the thermostat and power washed the engine...which shortly after started having all kinds of electrical issues. Right after that, my mechanic had to install a coil, spark plugs, new ignition panel and the 1st tps.
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I have a 96 Buick Century Special with the 3.1 six cylinder engine. Starting on March 18, 2015 my car has started blowing the Injector Coil fuse any time I take a fast left-hand turn. It never does it during a right-hand turn. I have now replaced the fuse a total of 5 times since March 18.
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Bought 09 Buick Lacrosse CX 4/11 with 26K mi. Jun. '12 passenger airbag began turning off intermittently with passenger in seat. Buick shop replaced pps module. In 2/13 it began doing it again. This time buick shop said the computer was being confused by placing items on the seat weighing less than 75-80 lbs. and didn't know whether to stay on or turn off. They "reset" computer. Been placing items on the seat ever since buying and never experienced this problem. Is the airbag sensor that sensitive? It's doing it again, a few days after the shop "fixed" it with the reset, and I only placed a newspaper on the edge of the seat and snatched it back up immediately.
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My Buick has started acting weird and I've had a hard time figuring out what's going on. As I understand it 94' was the transition year for the OBD1 and OBD2 sensors, therefore auto zone and o'reilly haven't been able to pull codes on my car. It runs off of OBD1 codes but has 16 point OBD2 sensor pins.
Here's the problem: When the car is started it revs up to 2000rpm at idle, when shifted into neutral the rpm jumps up to 3500. In drive and reverse it goes back down to 2000rpm. While driving the car is hard to stop and surges when I take my foot off the break, it also gains speed on flat ground without touching the gas pedal. After driving the car when I put it back in park it revs back up to 3500rpm and is quite noisy.
I've replaced the mass airflow sensor, cleaned out the entire throttle body (there was a little carbon build up but not too bad), replaced all the vacuum hoses(that put a stop to it for about a week), and I'm still having the same problems. I recently replaced the a/c pump because the bearings went bad but I don't think that would cause any problems like this.
I have a very, very slight gasket leak on my valve covers but it's been like that for the last few months and the car was acting fine. The car has done this before but it usually stops after you drive it somewhere. The hotter it's gotten out the more often it started happening and now it's not stopping like it did before.
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Replaced sensor, light stays on.Removed sensor, grounded the probe, light goes out.Replaced antifreeze, bled system twice, no air or oil.Getting desperate. Removed and cleaned battery to body ground strap.Removed and cleaned battery to engine ground strap.Today found out there is no error code in the OBC but the light is still!
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Ran scanner and it showed codes C1215, C1226 and C1233. We checked the passenger front and found the wire to the sensor hanging off. It was damp inside so we dried it as much as we could. We reconnected the wire and tested. The light still on. We ran the scanner again, Only one code came up C1233. The book says ( Right front wheel speed circuit open or shorted)
C1233 - Right Front Wheel Speed Circuit Open or Shorted
Read more at: [URL] .....
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2000 Buick Century Custom with 140K miles: Service Engine Light came on. Re;placed gas cap, light still on. Took to dealer who replaced HO2 sensor, light still on. Took to dealer who found no problem but charged $100 for looking. Light still on. Took to dealer who said it needed two major parts. Light still on. Took to another mechanic who could find nothing wrong. Light still on. Is there hope?
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I have a 2004 Buick Century and the small window that indicates what gear you are in, on the dash, is very dim. All other dash lights are bright and working good. Is this the bulb and what sort of job is it to change it.
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The Buick Century has about 22,000 miles. The Service Engine Soon light has appeared on the dash. The instruction manual is not clear. What would you recoomend? What might cause the light to appear?
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