I’m looking at a local car for sale. It’s a ’94 Olds Cierra with the 3.1L V6. Car seems clean and the owner seems like a straight shooter, but the car has one problem, which is electrical. Figured I’d ask the experts here for opinions. Here are the symptoms.
It will run if you charge the battery and/or give it a jump. He did mention that to give it a jump, you have to get a “good connection”. It will then idle in his driveway all day. However, if you start driving it, it will run for a little while then die. It has left him stranded because it won’t restart at that point. He had it towed home and jumped it, and it started again.
If you turn on the hi beams, wipers and heater (i.e. put a load on it) when it’s idling in his driveway, it will still run but the interior lights go dim.
Battery is new, problem persists.
He said it was an intermittent problem for the past few years. Would run fine for months, then have the problem and then be trouble free again for months. But it’s now doing it consistently to the point he won’t drive it.
No idiot or warning lights on the dashboard come on. No belt squeal or other odd noises.
Thoughts? First thought would be alternator, but they wouldn’t have an intermittent problem like that? Battery cable?
Check major cabling for voltage drops and make sure the alternator is giving good output. Or just throw a match in it and walk off because it's an Olds Ciera. You'll be doing everyone a favor.
pres589 wrote:
Or just throw a match in it and walk off because it's an Olds Ciera. You'll be doing everyone a favor.
I hear ya. Oldsmobiles don't give me an adrenaline rush either. But it's a low mileage car (it was truly "your fathers' Oldsmobile") in good shape. For something to use as a cheap transportation appliance, including letting my 22 year old nanny drive it, it's appealing.
Yeah, sounds like bad/intermitent ground problems. Check the cables and end fittings. Betcha find corrosion. Or one of the ground cables is internally breaking/corroded.
Just go down to you local dealer and order part number uh, never mind.
And just because the battery is new does not mean it might be defective. Have it load tested.
I'm the "proud" owner of an Olds Intrigue with a number of electrical problems, most of which are said to be cured by installing a new ignition switch (cruise control is out, HVAC control head randomly goes into a full coma, rear defrost only makes clicking noises at the control relay) because the switch degrades and won't feed full power to some relays. Or something. HVAC blower fan needs replacement. Blows turn signal bulbs but only in the front and at the rate of one a year. Bum connector on the driver's door window motor means I haven't rolled the window down in over a year which makes for piles of fun at traffic stops or toll booths, etc. Probably some other electrical related parts or functions out as well.
And these things are dirt cheap, like $2k for a good one cheap, but since I still own this one... springtime will probably be spent slowly putting the thing right because I would rather save for a house. Or a cyanide tablet, not sure which. I can't imagine buying into a FWD Olds that has known electrical problems just because they're cheap. But tell me more about this 22 year old nanny!
Maybe it's because they were always driven by 75 year old men, but I thought the later years (no pun intended) Cierra was relatively reliable.
pres589 wrote:
But tell me more about this 22 year old nanny!
Well, she has intermittent electrical problems too. Sometimes the high beams don't work right. Once per month, she becomes real tempermental and the littlest thing will short her out. But the engine and transmission are solid. 
Actually, one more serious question about this. Even though there is no CEL on, would an OBD scanner pick up some kind of code if it's having electrical shorts somewhere? I can rent one free from Autozone.
CEL's don't show electrical problems unless it involves the ECU etc.
As most said, it sounds like bad connections, very possibly a bad ground.
Get the battery and alternator tested, then go from there.
electricity doesn't care who built the car.
iceracer wrote:
electricity doesn't care who built the car.
Unless they used Lucas parts !! 
