1998 LaSabre won't start

A bad battery, dirty battery posts/cables, bad battery cables(high resistance), bad ground connection from battery to frame and/or engine block.

So many possible causes, but I'd start by (easiest and quickest first) checking for coolant in crankcase; if it has coolant mixed in oil, then there's a leak, either from head/gasket or manifold/leak. Then check the voltage available at the starter, and compare to voltage at the starter while attempting to start it. If voltage drop is too great, you have a bad battery or bad connection, pos or ground. Check battery with a load-tester. If good, start tracing wires from starter back to battery to find weak connection. If voltage drop is not too great, try removing spark plugs and then see if turning engine with starter forces coolant out. If so, same problem as water/coolant in crankcase. Next check would be to bypass the ignition switch and try starting to determine if ign. sw. is bad. (A couple of tests you may wish to change their order if a 'later' one looks easier.) HTH, s

When you turned the engine with a socket did you turn it the same direction as the starter would turn it? These engines have a nasty habit of warping and leaking water. You could have a cylinder that is hydrolocked. Try pulling the plugs and see if it will crank.

Steve B.

I meant to say that the intake manifolds have a nasty habit of warping and leaking water.

Steve

Correct...That engine is the one that has the problem with the decomposing plastic fuel injection manifold. When they fail, they can do so suddenly and without warning.

It could be other things as well, but this possibility should not be overlooked.

A quick follow up..I tried starting it again on the way home by putting a nice fresh battery in it and noticed that the positive terminal on the battery was getting hot after a number of unsuccessful starts...Thanks for all the advice so far!

Have the starter checked, sounds like it's drawing too much current.

Oh Horseradish.

Sara is posting across groups and the story is somewhat different every time.

Go to a mechanic and get this POS fixed, if you can.

Sara is just farting around, and we are getting part of the story. Enough is enough

What is you problem?...I was posting on various groups as obviously there are a variety of groups which this topic is relevant and thus I could increase my chances of input...With multiple answers one can see if there is a common thread or pattern and thus choose the more likely things to look at...If the "story is somewhat different every time" is it because I would try different things to check/test/fix and would report back the next day or the same day with the new info/results in hopes the changing info might help narrow down possible causes...If you have nothing positive to contribute then butt out..."Take the car to a mechanic" is the advice of someone who has no clue what the problem may be or how to fix it...Thanks to all the nice helpful people who replied :-)

Actually, multiple postings are a very bad idea because they fragment threads, precisely like he described. If you have something that is relevant to multiple newsgroups, crosspost it between them rather than post multiple times. You may want to read the posting on netiquette in news.announce.newusers which describes why crossposting exists and when it is a good and a bad idea.

--scott