Buick - Parkavenue :: 1995 - Red Light On Beside Voltage Meter Comes On Intermittently
Nov 3, 2016
Most cars have either an idiot light or a volt meter. This 1995 Buick Park Avenue has both in the same pod. The customer complains that the red light comes on intermittently, but the voltage continues to read just above 13 volts. Sometimes it's dim or flickering, others it's bright. It seems to be more prevalent when the headlights are off, rather than when it is under a heavier load with them or the A/C on. I have not had an opportunity to see the car. It has not failed to start.
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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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When I turn on the car the internal temp number flashes for about a minute. The AC blows cold and I haven't noticed any issues with the HVAC system. Why is it flashing?
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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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The brief information:
1. Stuck/non moving in traffic on the freeway for roughly 1 1/2. During that time the AC was running, but once I noticed my "battery light" on the dash turn on, I turned everything off.
2. Since then while on my way home from work the voltage meter only showed barely 12 volts at full throttle.
3. I charged my battteries, and started it up today to go into work. While going to work the voltage meter showed 14 at its high point, but shortly there after it dropped back down to 12. At which time the battery light came back on.
New battery or alternator?
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I first thought my issue might be the ignition switch or maybe the neutral safety switch but through some info I've come to realize that my issue appears to be from the anti theft system. I did a test where I turned key to start and backed off to run and then leave car for 10 minutes. I did this 3 times and it was supposed to go around the security system and then try to start but it didn't. I went through two trials with the same result. On the first of 3 times in each of the two trials the security light was not on but the 2nd and 3rd times it stayed on. I've heard this problem can be nearly impossible to trace and repair.
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I have a 1995 buick roadmaster with 308,000 miles. The car quits intermittently but starts up immediately thereafter. Seems like an electrical issue but it doesn't act like the distributor is malfunctioning or fuel stoppage since it doesn't shudder prior to quitting. I have had the car since new, we love it and would like to keep it.
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My 1995 LeSabre (3800 v6, 62K miles) has a stalling problem, no engine power, but still has electric. It happens randomly and intermittently. Most times it will restart but has been increasingly difficult to restart. The only indicator prior to stalling is the speedometer "surges" and then the loss of power. Dash lights come on (oil, voltage, CEL). Sometimes the CEL will flash in time with a fast clicking that I believe comes from the fuel pump relay under the right side of the dash. Until this clicking stops the engine will not restart. I have replaced ignition control module, and then the crank and cam sensors. Replaced PCM with rebuilt and it was worse (defective?) and put the old one back in. Mechanic can't find any codes to determine what is causing it to stall, except possibly PCM is bad.
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Has there been any definite solution to the problem of the voltmeter going to zero immediately after the Touareg starting up and loosing the blinkers, including the hazards. When the vehicle is running in this mode all the other electronics are working fine, I tried them all. The vehicle runs normally, just the volt meter at zero and no blinkers. Has happened three times in two and a half years. I would take it to the dealer but it wouldn't do it there and they would just tell me it is working fine. What can I do, or even tell them to fix it.
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I have a 5.0 with the Explorer intake, GT40 heads, RJM harness, E303 cam, and a A9M computer in a '68 Mustang.
When you let off of the throttle the CEL comes on indicating low voltage on the MASS air meter. I changed the MASS from the '89-93 5.0 Fox Mustang meter to a new '94 Cobra style meter, reset the computer and it does the same thing (immediately).
Current intake setup is the Explorer throttle body, an '89-93 Fox 45* elbow, MASS air meter and a double cone Spectra air filter mounted directly on the meter.
I don't really have room to go cold air unless the battery goes in the trunk and since this is my wife's daily driver, I am reluctant to. Car is running open loop at 12mpg.
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I was driving down the road and the rpm gauge went crazy. Then it flat lined at zero. The voltage warning light came on then the car stalled. It then wouldn't restart. Tried jump starting and tightening the battery cables. After sitting a while after I tried starting it I heard a sound like a demon grumbling I think it may have been a pump of some sort.
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1995 Cadillac DeVille 4.9 L Check engine soon light comes on, battery voltage high. When I increase speed the head lamps get brighter when I decrease speed the head lamps get dimmer. I changed the alternator because that's what a mechanic said I needed but I still have the problen battery voltage high. Will this damage the battery or other components? Should I stop driving the car.
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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 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 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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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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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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