# 1999 Buick LeSabre - Hard starting **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** buick\ **Created:** [November 26, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709 "2020-11-26T20:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jeffelartista](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@Jeffelartista](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffelartista)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/1 "2020-11-26T20:35:32Z")
Hard to start in morning. Fine rest of day. Fine even when I shut it off after 30 seconds after it finally starts for 1st time. Has brand new battery. All fuses ok except one for trunk makes testing device flash, but no change when removing that fuse, except then auto door locks don’t work. Friend thinks maybe battery is getting drained overnight with a ‘parasitic draw’ on the battery. ? ---
**Author:** ![oldnotdeadyet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a6a055/32.png) [@oldnotdeadyet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldnotdeadyet)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2020, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/2 "2020-11-26T21:23:35Z")
You need to give us a very complete description of what “hard to start” means. A number of problems might be described that way. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffelartista](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@Jeffelartista](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffelartista)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/3 "2020-11-27T05:58:50Z")
Hard to start meaning it turns over but won’t start, I shut it off and try again, and on 3rd try (on the cars worst day) it starts. The multi meter is what I think the device is called that my mechanic friend connected to the battery when we tested to see which fuse might be connected to the slow overnight drain of the battery. As I said, the fuse for the trunk caused the meter to flash. My friend said he hadn’t seen that kind of reaction on the meter, and that usually if a fuse pointed to a problem that the light on the multi meter simply would go out. The electronic trunk options were disconnected (at a plug in device located behind the lock on the trunk’s lid) so that it can only be opened with a key. Otherwise, there is a switch to open trunk next to the steering wheel, a button in glove box, and a 3rd remote option on key chain. Replies appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![oldnotdeadyet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a6a055/32.png) [@oldnotdeadyet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldnotdeadyet)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 11:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/4 "2020-11-27T11:36:49Z")
Your problem is very different from “hard to start”, because that just sounds like a low battery due to other causes. 1. Get the battery fully charged, and confirm that it is good. 2. See if the battery continues to discharge, now that you have disconnected the electric mechanism. Note that the problem still might be in that circuit, because it could be a frayed wire in that circuit. It would be best to find what fuse controls that circuit, and remove the fuse. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffelartista](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@Jeffelartista](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffelartista)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/5 "2020-11-27T18:40:05Z")
I confirmed that my brand new battery is indeed good, and that the alternator is working. Removed that questionable fuse and the problem persisted the following morning. ---
**Author:** ![oldnotdeadyet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a6a055/32.png) [@oldnotdeadyet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldnotdeadyet)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/6 "2020-11-27T19:52:58Z")
So, you have ruled out that circuit, and you need to keep looking. I am not sure what meter you are using, and what the flash means. It might have detected a problem in the fuse box near that particular fuse. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/7 "2020-11-27T22:05:57Z")
> [@Jeffelartista](#): > > it turns over but won’t start, I shut it off and try again, and on 3rd try (on the cars worst day) it starts. A long crank time usually is caused by the fuel system not holding pressure while the engine is off. Connect a fuel pressure gauge and monitor the fuel pressure after shutting off the engine. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffelartista](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@Jeffelartista](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffelartista)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/8 "2020-11-30T06:31:25Z")
Thank you for your reply! ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/9 "2020-11-30T15:54:24Z")
Fuel and fuel pressure may be leaking back into the gas tank. To test this, try the key dance: turn the key to Run (not all the way to Start) and the fuel pump should run for a couple seconds. You may hear it. Turn Off, then back to Run so it runs some more. After a few such steps, then turn the key all the way to Start. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Jeffelartista](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@Jeffelartista](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffelartista)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1999-buick-lesabre-hard-starting/172709/10 "2020-11-30T18:01:36Z")
Thank you for your reply!