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79 Buick Wont Start


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mcclellan1214
New User

Nov 30, 2012, 12:38 PM

Post #1 of 4 (2125 views)
79 Buick Wont Start Sign In

1979
Buick
Lesabre Limited Sedan
4.9 L 301 CID 2 BBL Carb Automatic 3 speed
~220,000 miles

I drive this car as my everyday driver, it has a V8 and still gets decent gas mileage. Last winter I had major issues with it starting in cold weather, it wouldn't turn over fast enough for the engine to fire. It would just flood itself out, I would have to hook up a battery charger to get it started. (Carburetors, gotta love em) I eventually had enough with it flooding that I bought a new battery with 850 CCA, new top post terminals and put it in. For an entire year it started great with no problems. Now this year it is doing the same thing but worse. I drove it four hours one day to my cdl school, four days of starting in cold weather the battery drained itself. Classmates helped me jump it again and still no luck, I looked around the carb and noticed a bad vacuum line. it had cracks on either end, I taped them for temporary fix. I got in and it fired after the first revolution like there was nothing wrong with it. To be on the safe side I let it sit but started it everyday and night to assure it would start for my trip home.
The last day it started up just fine and ran even better than before, I drove it more than 200 miles to a gas station and shut it off. It turned over about 8 times before it fired again, so I drove it home and parked it. the next morning I got in it to start it and it turned over very slowly about five times and the battery went almost completely dead. I waited for my girlfriend to get home to jump it and after ten minutes of charging it did the same thing, turned over until the battery drained and did not fire. Now the interior electronics work but no sound from starter or battery at all. WHAT SHOULD I DO??? PLEASE HELP.


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Nov 30, 2012, 12:57 PM

Post #2 of 4 (2099 views)
Re: 79 Buick Wont Start Sign In

This should take care of it.





Original engine? Did you replace all the crusty vacuum hoses? Any vacuum leaks?





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Nov 30, 2012, 12:59 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Nov 30, 2012, 1:00 PM

Post #3 of 4 (2090 views)
Re: 79 Buick Wont Start Sign In

Sounds like the last Pontiac small V8 but not your issue. Battery seems like it isn't charging so check the voltage before and after running.

Top posts? Whatever you did to change that check that again. If just cheapo u-clamps those suk. Can still use a spliced in top post clamp just get real good ones.

Battery could be toast already no matter how new so charge it and test it. You are saying you get interior lights but no response from starter so connections or battery are high on the list. Plain lighting doesn't take much, starter take lots! Generally if just low will flutter the solenoid. Nothing at all is way too low.

Vacuum lines anywhere: Just do them all one by one so you don't mix them up. Cheap for parts, just some time. Cut any on plastic vacuum trees with a razor and peel off. Those break off easily and no glue found to me will fix them now would be near impossible to find.

Do larger vacuum hose to brake booster too which is specific hose that wont collapse under vacuum and marked probably for PCV or fuel use on it.

That wasn't the worst carb. Try the next few years right after 1979!

If the Pontiac and you want tons more out of this car do check the timing chain as they ate them for lunch - poor lubrication even on replacements,

T


mcclellan1214
New User

Nov 30, 2012, 1:01 PM

Post #4 of 4 (2086 views)
Re: 79 Buick Wont Start Sign In

I replaced the ones that I saw were horrible, everything on this car was original when I got it even the brake pads still had gm orange paint on them.






 
 
 






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