Classic Hifi Care

3 guesses. I didn't want to hijack the "Something New" thread but I got a dilly...

Started the 2010 buick with the remote this morning before church. Car is still running when we were ready to leave. Unlock the car with the remote, put the key in the ignition and IT WON'T TURN!!! Remote start session times out and car WON'T RESTART WITH REMOTE!!!

Can't get it out of park, nothing...

Sprayed the cylinder with cleaner. Unplugged the battery to drain the stupid out. Checked fuses.

Any ideas???

I feel like a Luddite with my good old Ranger--real key to open & start; no fobs, no touch screens, no remote control. Then I read something like this and I am grateful.

Chris Campbell

I would suggest the old CYA trick a GM engineer showed me. Disconnect both battery cables. Touch them together for ten seconds. Connect the battery cables and then see if all is well. This action resets everything. I can't tell you how many times this has worked for me. One of the body control computers glitched.....

Yeah... I just heard that trick from someone else. Right now, I'm leaving the battery disconnected all night. Can't look at it anymore.

Thank God I have the 91 cadillac to fall back on!!! At least I have the shop manual for it.

Touching the cables together is the secret. I have no idea why or how it works. Merely leaving the battery cables disconnected may not work.

In my Mini, the door locks and climate control is part of the radio. Plus the English lady who warns me me that doomsday has arrived.......

Doing that really drains all the stupid because it discharges the capacitors.

It was explained to me that the individual modules that retain "Memory" have "batteries" inside them so the settings are still there should there be a power failure. Shorting the battery cables together discharges those batteries. When you just disconnect the battery cables, or one battery cable, it doesn't discharge those "batteries" (likely a capacitor as you stated) so the "brain" is not completely cleared. We unplug our range and our refrigerator once a year. I take a test lead and short across the power plug, just like you would do with the battery cables on a car. Whirlpool tells you to do this if you have a weird, sudden failure.

Is that car rusty underneath? I keep seeing on YouTube videos where guys find a lot of rusted, corroded ground connections that cause weird and sudden failures. I know you take care of your stuff, but you do live in rust country.

I've never really been under this car. It's the only car I've owned that I never even changed the oil myself. Too afraid of all the electronics and crap and here I am... we do have annual inspections and it looked OK in August when it was on the lift. And I honestly drive maybe 60 miles a week since this WFH solitary confinement. Easy to go 3 days without driving anymore.

I did find a no start video where a wire was eaten away from battery acid on one of these so I have that lead. And there's a hidden shift release that this condition almost seems like the car doesn't think it's in park.

Well I got it started and immediately drove it to the dealer. Locksmiths had 10 excuses to the Rapture...

Jiggled the key and it finally turned. If it didn't, I was looking at a flatbed tow, having the cylinder drilled out and probably an entire module which means pulling the wheel.

Hopefully I get my mechanical MOJO back. I need to work on the 62.

That is good news that you got it started and avoided a tow bill. Did the dealer give you an idea or was that the drilling and replacing the module.

Bill

those years of GM's would do that... the ignition and body modules would stop talking to each other ... My mother in law had a 2012 impala , same problem she couldn't turn the key... until we re-booted the car ... weird

Apparently they were able to pop the cylinder out so no drilling or module replacement. Part is $75 and they had one in stock.

Car was under recall for rear suspension rods so they're doing that for free. Looks like I'll have this car until it rusts out now.

Those are good cars, Walter, and except for rust, they pretty much run forever.

Bill

Done. Did oil and state inspection and a front wheel bearing that was throwing off the ABS and traction control. I got the impression my old mechanic is not interested in that big a job so I had it all done. Plus the ABS not working has to be reported to the state with the inspection. No more idiot lights!

Came in around 650 which was a lot less than I thought for dealer rates. Still cheaper than a car payment!

650 is cheap, I would have expected that much just for the ignition problem. Sounds like you are good to go for a while, Walter. Here's hoping you will be trouble free for a long time.

Bill

Does that car have the 3800 engine, or is it too new?

May we assume that the old battery cable trick has worked again.....

Has the 3800. 5th car we've had in the family with some generation of it. Really great powerplant.

No, sorry but the cable trick didn't work. This was mechanical in the tumbler.