Need Help?

2004 Buick LeSabre Custom 4dr Sedan

Trim Info:

Front Wheel Drive, 4 Dr Sedan Custom, Large Car
20 mpg city / 29 mpg hwy

Other Trims

Do you own this car?

Estimated Mileage
Miles

Enter current mileage for most
accurate info about this vehicle

Track Your Service Records

Get Recall Alerts

Get Updated Value Estimates on Your Car.

back to question list

Ask Our Mechanics

Ask The Community

February 28, 2012, 10:51 am

AutomotiveForums M

Question: Why would my car not start sometimes and start ok other times?

I need some mechanical advice.
My 2000 Buick is having starting issues. This has been going on for months. at first it was only once in a while it would not start. then it was about once a week. It would always start up as soon as it was jumped. Then it became every other day, and then back to once a wekk or every 10 days. my battery is located under my back seat. The car was becoming difficult to start under the hood so it had to be jumped directly at the battery.
Dana had the battery and alternator tested couple of months ago. Alternator found good battery on its way out. Told battery probably not the issue. Bought new battery about a month ago...all was well for about a month. Now it has to be jumped everyday.
Also have an on and off issue when shut the car off and remove key, open door the bell dings as if key is still in ignition. Not sure if related to starting issue. it seems that the non-starting is worse when it gets cold outside. Please advise.

July 30, 2012, 7:39 pm

Dustin S

is the car still cranking, it sounds like a key off drain. these issues can be tricky to track down. My best advice would be to start a journal of what's happening with the car keep track of everything!! time, temperature, noises lights all of it even if it seems irrelevant at the time. I have had a few cars that have had issues of this sort keep me puzzled for days on end until I was able to gather enough information to move forward. a good journal will help your mechanic find and correct the issue. (a common cause in your model year though is the ignition switch)

0/0 users found this helpful.

My Auto Score

See the free AutoCheck score

Ask a Certified Mechanic

Need car repair help? Ask a question to an auto mechanic for free.

Tips on Servicing

Car Brakes: How Do You Know When to Change Them?

By Zach Bowman For those who suffer a daily commute through heavy traffic, your vehicle's braking system can bring thousands of pounds of metal, plastic and empty Starbucks cups to a stop hundreds of times before you get to work. It goes without saying that these pieces wear out, but they do so slowly, meaning you may not notice they need attention until ...