'95 Buick Park Avenue - Rough Idle and Hesitation

artworks1

I've had my vehicle for 3 years with no problems. Before that my grandfather owned it for at least 5 years. It currently has 133,400 miles.

I was out of town for a week and the car sat in the driveway. When I went to start it up for the first time last Thursday, it wouldn't start. It just clicked when I tried to turn the key. AAA came and started it and we took it straight to the mechanic who put in a new battery. He checked several other things and said everything seemed fine. It ran fine for a day and then I let it sit for 2 days over the weekend. On my way to work on Monday(yesterday), I experienced rough idling and hesitation while driving. On my way home, I experienced the same thing and the check engine light came on. However, since I turned the car off the check engine light hasn't come back on. (So I can't take it somewhere to read the computer codes.) The hesitation and rough idling appear to be getting worse (I drove it this morning and afternoon), but the check engine light isn't coming on.

By the way, when I say hesitation - when I press the gas pedal the car shakes and runs really rough and as soon as I take my foot off, the roughness stops. It only happens randomly.

I'm assuming it's something with the fuel ... any help would be appreciated!

imidazol97

MAF sensor needs cleaning?

Bad coils or coil... or the ESC plate underneath is going bad? Check connections to the plate and then take off each coil and inspect under it and inspect the leads on the high voltage side.

Fuel pressure. You'd need a gauge to put on it and tape to windshield for a while. I believe someone said some of the autoparts stores loan fuel pressure gauges.

There should be a code stored. It would be worth finding out what it is.

How long since it's had spark plugs and ignition wires?

The other thing that comes to mind is some Bonneville owners say there are more computer failures in 94 and 95 than in other years. One symptom of that is strange behavior like you're saying--still driveable but bad. Computers are relatively cheap.

artworks1

Thank you for the helpful information. The car got progessively worse last week and I really don't know much about auto mechanics so I took it back to the garage. They (of course) couldn't get the check engine light to come on but did retrieve a history code of P1361.

The mechanic wasn't really sure what to do but said replacing the Ignition Control Module might work. If that didn't work then the only other option would be to replace the computer. He didn't seem too optimistic but once I told him about the problem occurring daily on my commute he seemed more confident it would fix the problem. It cost me $400 ... and the next day I drove it and the "check engine" light came on right after it ran really rough going up a small hill (almost like it wanted to just shut off). Of course as soon as I turn the car off, the "check engine" light goes off.

Anyways, I traded vehicles with my grandfather and he's going to take a look at it for me. I printed out the previous response, so hopefully that will help him out.

Any clue on what that code could mean in combination with my cars symptoms?

jsmash1on1

When I start the car it is reving very high like 3000 RPM, and sometimes the needes goes all the way to the end like it's going crazy or something. Once you put the car in drive it drops back down to where it should be and seems to ride close to perfect, but when you put the car in park it jumps back up to a high idle. It seems like the cold has effected this. If I shut the car off and start it back up a few times it idles normally sometimes. Could this be the idle control sensor or something of that nature? Thanks fellas, I appreciate it. Oh, and the check engine light us on.

imidazol97

You should inspect the rubber lines around the motor that carry vacuum. See if any are cracked or rotted, especially near the ends or where they are closer to the hot motor. You also can use a can of carb cleaned spray and spray around the base of the plastic upper manifold and around the rubber hoses to see if it changes the idle while the motor is running; that would mean air is being sucked in there and the carb cleaner is adding to the combustible mixture.

The high idle could be the idle air control. You can take it off and clean carefully with a cleaner--do not let any go up into the device where there are parts that can be damaged.

You also might have a throttle plate that's surrounded by crud and doesn't close completely due to friction. Those sometimes are helped by cleaning. But usually those get gunked up by backflow from the crankcase and stick when the car is first started; moving the throttle the first time is difficult and the car jumps as it lets go and rotates. You're not describing that.

I'd look for vacuum leaks with the age and symtoms others have found in forums. I'd expect a rubber tube rotted or split. Second would be an upper that is warped and letting in air around the perimeter and heats and seals back up.

But you might have a temperature sensor telling the motor that it's very, very cold and the motor is running fast for a cold start.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

jsmey567

I had the same problem with my 1992 Buick Park Avenue. It happened immediately after I changed my fuel filter. The car ran rough, and would hesitate when the accelerator cable was pressed, to the point where it would cut off. It was also running rich, you could look under the car and see the catalytic converter glowing and it smelled like a firecracker. It ended up being the ignition control module. I think this is a common issue with these cars. I would also replace the spark plugs/wires while you're at it, that is if it hasn't been done in a while. I'm not sure but I think a faulty ignition control module could reak havoc on them. Also check the connections at the battery. I had one bolt loose and the car would cut off and on, also the alarm would go off randomly and the lamp indicator would blink. The loose connection was also causing the positive battery cable to catch on fire. It was all fixed with a $2 dollar piece of welding cable from Batteries Plus. I would replace the module if I were you. It can be found here link title

fohlen

I have a 1995 park avenue and upon starting it up it hesitates for the first minute or so then runs fine. I've had new plugs new wires and still each time I start it up it runs down the road a minute or two like it has no power then it runs fine. I don't know what it could be.

csoria

My car has a intermittent problem it talls out while on the road. the last time this happed i travaled about 6 miles away from home. I drive a 95 Buick Parkavenue 3.8, i took the car to auto zone to see if the could find a trouble code and no code was retreavable they said because there was no check fault on instrument panel. While i was at auto zone i turned car on and idled car for about 4 to 6 minutes and the car stalled out while there, again they told me without a check ingine fault the scanner would be no help. i bought a HEI spark plug tester to check for a spark myself and there was no spark i only checked #1 plug then i checked for a signal at one of the fuel injectors with a home made Led that i made and the Led did light up, then i pulled a coil and checked for 24vdc and checked for a signal at ICM and the Led did light on off signal. What i have been doing to get home is litting the car sit for about 20 minutes then iam back on the road again. Auto zone checked the ICM by that time the ICM cooled down and it checks out O.K. on there diognostat machine.

fohlen

we found out that the air flow sensor was not reset after brakes plus put new manifold gaskets. Car is back to running great. If you have work done on your buick park avenue and they don't reset the air flow sensor or its needing replacement that causes the car to run real slow like no power the first minute or so then it kicks in and will run great