92 Buick Park Avenue Crank Sensor location information needed....

Fellow Ladies and Gentlemen,

Can anyone tell me where the electrical connector is that connects to the "crank sensor" to help me trouble shoot my current car problem?

Background: 92 Buick Park Ave - 3800 Motor Problem: Just started a two days ago; otherwise a great running car! Seems whenever I take the car to work now, at the end of the drive

45miles all highway, when I slow down to the first stop sign or traffic jam, the car goes poof (stalls; like one big miss) and won't restart in neutral as I'm coasting down to the stop. Next. I pull over, place the car in park and turn off the key. SOMETIMES the car will restart - MOST TIMES the motor just turns over and acts like it "will not fire; or flooded" leaving me in the "lonely side of the Detroit I-94 construction two-lanes only, stuck in the left lane and very dangerous" stranded mode.

Next, after waiting like 5-30min, I try to crank the motor and she fires up like nothing happend?????

I just replaced the manifold sensor from the computer code information being returned. Two codes were returned the manifold sensor bad and the crank sensor bad. RESET computer and now only the manifold sesnsor was indicating still bad - so I replaced it.

I'm still having the same intermittent stalling problem seems after the motor is warmed up. I was going to test the "crank sensor" by pulling the plug on it (cleaning it from corrosion, and reseating it).

Can anyone point me to the "crank sensor" plug location on the 92 Park Ave or the GM 3800 motor for that year or after?

Regrards,

Laynester

Reply to
brentrobertson
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On my car its on the right side of the harmonic balancer pulley and slightly behind the pulley.

To remove the sensor you have to remove the harmonic balancer pulley, then reinstall using a line up tool to assure the fins on the back of the balancer clear the new sensor.

You might also inspect the HB for rubber deterioration - the rubber like to seperate from the steel pulley, then your in for a thrill if it goes sailing off when your cruising at at 76 mph.

Mine broke New Years eve leaving me stranded for 4 days.

Harryface =D8=BF=D8

1991 Pontiac Bonneville LE 302,820 miles
Reply to
Harry Face

It does sound like it could be crank sensor. Could also be ign.mod. The plug is usually on the sensor. It is a Hall Effect sensor.

Reply to
« Paul =?is

The dying is the EGR/gas recovery system - it's clogged or dead. The not starting is likely the coil packs or the MAF.

Good. Half the problem solved - they only last 50-75K at best, so the smart thing to do is replace the MAF when you replace the water pump and insepct the chain/timing gear.

EGR valve(or the equivalent). Pretty simple to fix, thankfully.

Now, you do have a major gremlin looming - the timing gear. The engine's main cog is synthetic! Also the chains stretch and the end of the camshaft rotates on a little spring-loaded teflon assembly. It's usually the reason half of the Buicks are in the junkyard - the timing goes south and it won't run - at about 150K miles or 15 years or so.

$400 fix to replace everything with steel and bearings if the cover isn't ground into by the failing spring assembly. Most people also replace the two sensors at the same time as well. With this "fix", the engine is good for easily 250K.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

She's Fixxed!

List of repairs needed:

manifold sensor crank sensor harmonic balancer w/ rubber new ignition module

Total Cost parts and labor: $850

Well I'm back on the road - Buick Park Ave body milage is 243,000 / the actual motor milage is 180,000.

I'm glad to hear I'm good to 400K! The car nolonger stalls after a long haul, when the motor revs down (like approaching a traffic jam), parks me on the side of the road for 20min (acting like no spark), until "something" reset's and the car starts firing again (starts up).

Good luck to all other old 3800 motor folks who experience this type of motor response behavor. The guy in the shop said the "harmonic balancer" is one of the first things he looks (suspects) in older 3800 motors not firing (besides the ignition module) in cases like this.

Reply to
Laynester

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