98 Buick stalls and wont start for hours later

I am on board with @Nevada_545 Given what I see any electrical draw can kill the engine, bad or shorting connections, but I would certainly have a battery test and clean and check all terminals and ground to body connections.

You need to figure out a way to completely disable the security system. Then you’ll know for sure if it is involved in the problem or not.

it is definitely heat or humidity that is causing the shut down. Yesterday at a red light after only driving it for a few minutes it shut off. I pushed it to a parking spot. Came back that night and to go about a mile or 2 it shut down 3 times in that distance. I got it home and as i was shutting the windows it shut down again. It seems to have a overly gasy smell as it shuts down. so could it be that instead of when it wont start but just sputters a bit it is actually getting to much fuel instead of not enough? Also when it is in this mode before it resets itself or whatever. When you press on the window button and it does not move it makes a humming like noise that seems to come from under the dash. I am going to do a simple test of disconnecting the battery for a min and reconnect when this happens. See if something gets reset right away.

With the weather getting hotter this car is going to have to get parked. I just may keep this as a later fall winter early spring car and use my Neon, which is a better car for the later spring summer and fall.

so i don’t think it has anything to do with the security system anymore. i think something is overheating one of many possible devices or perhaps a short circuit. I really don’t understand the short concept. And what does hot weather do to make it worse?

An electrical short or a short circuit is a problem which occurs when an accidental path is created in a circuit, generating a connection where one did not exist before.

So if a wire say going to the windows from where ever it comes from, perhaps even the computer or something, has poor wires and when it gets to warm outside it is getting contact with another wire for some other device? Why the warmer weather have anything to do with it?

I told you that 8 days ago, but you didn’t seem to value my knowledge and/or opinions at that time

And you probably still don’t

:smirk:

sorry db but it is a very unusual problem. I did notice another thing this morning. I simply tested to see if the car would shut down by driving back and forward while opening the windows up and down. If neighbors seen me probable thought i was goofy. Didn’t take long before it stalled. I noticed a buzzing/humming noise coming from the lower corner of the dash on the passenger side. It only buzzes when the problem is current. When the windows don’t open and it wont start and you have the key on it makes a noise. When the windows work and it will start no problem there is no noise. I may take a look at it next week. Just have to tear that dash area apart and see what its coming from.

Heat causes materials to expand and contract, and once place where that can affect the electrical system, causing a short or open, is where there’s plastic/metal interface involved in the wiring, like on the surface of a printed circuit board, or a plastic encased electrical connector. The heat causes the plastic to expand more than the metal, which over time can crack it. Once a connector’s case is cracked, it can fail in both ways, w/either an open or a short.

It’s just that I didn’t want you to waste any time going down the wrong path

And pulling your hair out about the passlock system would have been just that

isn’t the lower right part of the dash area on the pass side not where most computers are located?

Exactly what computers are you thinking of . . . ?

My Corolla’s computer is right under the cup holders, under the edge of the dash, and in in line with the transmission shifter console tunnel.

ENGINE COMPUTER ECM ECU or something like that. The device that is the brains of the car.

I did a little googling, the ECM (they also call it the PCM) on a 98 LeSabre appears to be located at the left front of the engine compartment by air cleaner.

UPDATE. I took apart some of the lower right dash to find out what that buzzing noise is when the car does its thing. In this warm weather and humidity it only takes a few seconds to get it to shut down. Just put in gear, step on the gas and open the windows. That noise is coming from a relay. When I push on the relay the sound changes to a lower tone. It is the one that says Electronic Level Control Relay. There are 3 other relays of that size. I switched them up to see if that would change but it did not. So I assume its not the relay but something with this Electronic Level Control. Not sure what that is. Is it the Electronic Control Module?

By the way I do recall a few years ago they had a mice nest inside the car behind the glove compartment. Perhaps related or maybe not.

also when the relay is pulled out the buzzing goes away. it only buzzes when the car is in this no start stage.

The Electronic Level Control (ELC) system automatically adjust your air ride shocks for a smooth ride according to road conditions.

What would that have to do with it stalling?

nothing
but I would get it replaced to get rid of the buzzing

But why does it buzz when the car won’t start and the windows won’t move or power licks work? Also I seen a light goes dim when it buzzes. Door light.

Relays will buzz when there is insufficient power, this is often seen when a car has a dead battery. The buzzing relays are not the source of the problem, you have to find the cause of low voltage.

I am repeating myself, you need to open the hood and test the power supply from the battery to the ignition switch. You may be better off paying for an hours worth of diagnostic time, this shouldn’t take long to diagnose.