Crankshaft sensor is 1 in 6 starts sucessful.

yeah the crank sensor is the 1 in 6 thing, with it being the car will have a 1 in 6 chance of starting. (usually it will be less tries than that. when mine was going out, i'd almost always get it started on the 2nd if not first try.. but i guess mine wasn't totally bad.. just had some oil on it.)

I guess wha the was saying was that the 1/6 thing you spoke about regarding fuel delivery sounds like you may have been mixed up with teh 1/6 chance of starting a car with a bad CRANK sensor.

Don, this is the part where my experience was different. I bought an 88 LeSabre that a repair shop gave up on because it would not start. Bought it for $225. They had swapped the coils, ICM, PCM, installed a new crank sensor and cam sensor, and the car still would not start.

Now, I don't know, maybe the Buick PCM is different or the year makes the difference, or maybe the engine had been replaced (?) but I bought the car, and found the interrupter magnet was gone. (As I recall, this was the old style magnet, attached to the cam gear with a bolt and held in a little casting). When I replaced the magnet, the car started right up and I drove it for 2 years before selling it for $950.

I also have replaced an interrupter magnet in a '91 LeSabre. In that case, the car did start; ran sorta OK, just set the 41 code. That sounds exactly like what you you guys are describing. I think the '91 used the snap in plastic magnet. Maybe a PCM change was made between 88 and 91?

Would the car start without an SFI reference?

I think your '91 will start. The '91 I fixed with the bad magnet would start. To test it, we need to find someone with an 88 or 89 willing to try it.

Oh oh! Me me!! Pick me!!! lol


-justin

mine started with a thrown magnet, just threw a code and didnt offer what it normally did for power. would still get out of its own way though.

Was that car the '90 in your sig? or an '88 or '89?

whats left of it anyway

I'll say!!!

Fruity??? Don't you mean Fruitful? You must have driven thru too many Orange Groves!!!

But all seriousness aside and trying to stay on topic....I too had a thrown magnet this past summer. The car would start everytime without any problems(thank goodness it was during the summer) and I did notice a slight decrease in performance and gas milage. Padgett'* instructions on how to replace the magnet was very helpful. I don't know why anyone would go 7 years let alone 7 days with this particular problem(thrown cam magnet).