1995 Oldsmobile 98 Car Died and Won't restart

Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 OLDSMOBILE 98
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 182,000 MILES
Today my car died in the drive through and won't restart. It says HOT. AC Disabled. It cranks but won't turn over. The windows are down and won't roll up and the locks won't trip. It has a 1/4 tank of gas in it currently but had an 1/8th of a tank when it stalled. I checked all the fuses even under the hood. I think, the blower motor relay swith has been fried for some time, I have to plug in the blower when I want to use the A/C, and unplug it when I turn the car off. The A/C was on when it died but the blower wasn't pluged in. Help me I am a woman and don't have a clue where do go from here. I should also add that it went through a flash flood about 4 weeks ago and stalled out. We had to pull the plugs to get the water out and change the air filter. We got it started and it has been running tip- top for 3 1/2 weeks.
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 AT 3:28 PM

15 Replies

Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Hello and thanks for donating

What has me concerned here is the fact that you said the fuel tank did get low, to about 1/8th of tank. This is very hard on the fuel pump and also can contaminate the fuel filter which will resctrict fuel supply to the engine. Can you hear the fuel pump coming on when you first turn key in ignition? You may need to test fuel pressure to ensure engine is getting fuel.
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Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 AT 10:40 PM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
I will check the fuel pump this morning. But what about the windows and locks? If it was fuel related why won't the power windows and locks work. If the dome light is on when I attempt to roll up the window, as soon as I push the window button the dome light goes off. Same with the locks.
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Thursday, August 5th, 2010 AT 9:22 AM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
The fuel pump does click on but it still don't start. The windows are still stuck rolled down. I have been trying to figure out what could be the problem and I keep seeing this ECU. What is an ECU and how much do they cost.
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Thursday, August 5th, 2010 AT 11:35 AM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Sorry didn't notice the window issue.

The ECU is engine control unit, may also be called ECM or PCM. It is like the "main brain" of the vehicle. It is the main computer that controls the entire vehicle's systems. You can find one at a salvage yard much cheaper than buying a new one.
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Thursday, August 5th, 2010 AT 2:27 PM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
So in your opinion does this sound more like an ECU problem and do you think it is worth the price to fix? Outside of this issue, the car is a nice car. Well maintained and runs like a dream. I have limited funds and am unable to obtain a loan for a new car. If I was to junk this car I would only get 200 for it and then only be able to replace it with a another 800 dollar car.
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Friday, August 6th, 2010 AT 9:21 AM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
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With the info at hand, yes it does point towards a faulty ECU and I would definitely not junk the car because of it.
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Saturday, August 7th, 2010 AT 11:13 AM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Ok so I did what you said and I didn't junk the car. I bought a used ECU. Now I need to know where it is located in my car so I can replace it. Are there any tricks that I need to know about or any special instructions? Please advise.
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Monday, August 16th, 2010 AT 6:48 PM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
I'll need the 8th digit of your VIN so I can get the correct location
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Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 AT 4:23 PM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
The 8th digit is K
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Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 AT 9:19 PM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
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Thanks, your PCM is behind the right side of the dash , pic below.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Noname2_842.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Noname_2593.jpg

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Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 AT 9:40 PM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Believe it or not, the tow truck came to pick up the car today to take it in and have all the connections double checked, wires and grounds. Etc. And the car started and the windows rolled up. But when I went to put it in drive, it died again. Luckily I rolled up the windows. After a once over at the shop, it was given a good bill of health with a recomendation to replace vacuum hoses and a canister? I guess it sits behind the engine. They couldn't find anything else wrong with it. I drove it home today. I never replaced the ECU.

Is it possible that I had a loose sensor and by them checking it, they fixed it?

Can I trust that this won't happen again in a day or two? It seems to me, after reading other posts on this site, that these cars are notorious for acting up like this.

All your info so far has been awesome and extremely helpful. Thanks for your patience and your time.
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010 AT 9:06 PM
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
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A loose sensor wouldn't cause all these issues so i'm not sure if it's alright to drive or not without risk of it happening again. Computer really seems to be the culprit here but drive it around some and if it doesn't happen anymore than maybe it was just a fluke in some wiring or something.
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Friday, August 20th, 2010 AT 2:00 AM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Ok I will keep all that in mind. After all I still have the ECU. I will keep you posted. Thanks for all your hep and advice.
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Friday, August 20th, 2010 AT 4:50 PM
Tiny
ADAYASMAMA
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Ok. Check this out. I drove the car one day, the thing died and I had to have it towed home. So today I went out and swaped out the ECU. The car started, ran for about 5 min, then died. But here's the weird part. When the car is running and you attempt to roll the window down or push the locks. It dies. I KNOW THIS IN NOT A CONICIDENCE. I waited a bit and tried starting it again and it did. I was able to drive it up the alley and back and let it idle for another 5-10 min, using the windows and locks the whole time. Then, it happened again. While the car was running I pushed the window and the car sputtered, then it quit. THIS IS MAKING NO SENCE TO ME, PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MORE DIRECTION ON THIS. THANKS
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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 AT 9:06 PM
Tiny
JOHN CRIDER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
On Thse models of GM cars with a 3200 series 2 Motors and the fuel pump dies when You opperate a power window or seat the problem is the ground block in the main harness under the carpet about 10 inches behind th kick panel. It gets moisture under there and the plug in and the spades that the BLACK wires connect to get corroded. I have made this fix many times. Hope this helps.
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Monday, September 24th, 2012 AT 2:22 AM

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