Hi Hanky, Happy New Year.
I'm back with this problem again. I thought I had something when I replaced the bypass hose. I reasoned that the leak was inline with the sensors on the cam shaft and the crank shaft and feeding those areas water that it might be causing the sensors in those areas to malfunction and for a while, something worked because the light cam on once after I did what I consider a dry out of the two sensor areas. Later, the light didn't come on for a whole 2 and 1/2 days and now it's back. On the 27th, my wife and I went to run some errands and the light came on as soon as I started up and by the time we got to the end of our street, there was a little hesitation and then I gave it some gas as if try to clear and that took us to the corner and a right turn and I gave it the again and then a jolt and we lost power. After it started, we had a full day where the light didn't come on. I gained access to the PCM and saw three large connectors but I didn't bother them since they looked good and I was afraid if I disconnected, it might cause further. problems. So, I'm back to square one.

 

Latest development. I was able to find a source to test my Ignition control module off the car and it is a good unit. So, if I replaced the cam sensor, and the ignition control module is good, all that is left is the crank sensor which is the toughest, since it requires removing the pulley.

 

Hi again !
I just happened to decide to check if there were any Buick problems that I "might" help correct.
Crank sensors can be somewhat troublesome and many times will not throw a code. That bolt holding the crank pulley on can sometimes be a stinker. You would need to remove the serp belt, R/F wheel, the plastic vent screen covering the pulley and then you should be able to get at the pulley bolt. If you had the means, a 1/2 in impact gun and socket takes care of that problem. Then you carefully remove the pulley and crank sensor and install the replacement. Make sure the blades on the pulley are clean and not damaged.When installing the sensor try to get it centered as close as possible between the shutter blades on the pulley then tighten the retaining bolt(s). Make sure the wiring going from the sensor is not contacting anything where it could cause an erratic signal to the module. Finish installing the pulley and button it up.

 

Nice to hear from you again. Ithought you went on vacation, so I went back to my family genealogy search for a while. Meanwhile, I ordered a new sensor via e-mail and saved over $20 doing so. Tomorrow, I will attempt to install the new sensor. Having the shop manual doesn't answer all the questions. i.e. The manual says the balancer removal tool has three 1/4" bolts but doesn't say the thread, 1/4-20 or 1/4-28, so I have to find that out since I have a universal tool with no bolts. The pulley bolt is visible, so that will be the first thing to remove in that area. It looks like it holds a kind of cover on and that comes off when the bolt is removed. That will probably expose the balancer where I have to use that tool. How will I know how well centered I have the sensor vs the shutter blades. It doesn't seem like the visibility will be there unless that opportunity presents itself. . According to the book, there is a crankshaft position sensor shield as well. I'l let you know how I make out. Regards

 

the problem has further manifested itself by the engine cutting out while I am driving. This has happened several times now and when it happens, there is a little hesitation and I see out of the corner of my eye the dash lights (oil, bat. etc.) come on and the speedometer surges and then things go back to normal until it happens again. One of the additional things I saw was when the problem happened at night and I saw the headlights dim as well. So, now I'm thinking it might be time to replace the crank sensor. I don't have an impact tool, so I will take the fly wheel cover off and clamp the wheel with HD vise grips and use a breaker bar.

 

Hi,
hope everything is going well ! I believe the crank sensor could be in line for replacement, but From the symptoms you describe , if you lose the crank signal it should not affect the dash and headlights. I believe we are chasing a poor connection in the supply voltages to the vehicle.As you already know, even a minor drop in available voltage to certain systems of the vehicle will result in a dropping out of those systems.
There very possibly is a poor or insufficient connection either with the supply from the battery to the distribution sections or a questionable ground connection.
I would suggest checking everything from the battery positive cable connection at the battery on up to all the fuses in the fuse panel . Whatever is happening is affecting more than just engine operation. Ground cable and connections can also do the same thing. The positive cable at the battery can look OK, but underneath can be having a corrosion problem. There are numerous ground connections, but since the headlights are showing some symptoms it is probably a large resistance preventing the voltage from being available to everything.
I don't recall if the dash has a voltage indicator, but if possible try to connect a voltmeter to the fuse supply panel and ground and see if you can notice any fluctuation when the problem presents itself. That way you may be able to see what is happening. There is also the possibility of something rubbing through a piece of wiring creating a partial short circuit. What do you think?

 

Hi Hanky good to hear from you. I have been prepping to replace that crank sensor for a long time now and still hesitate since there are so many things popping up that don't go with that. Lately, my wife & I went to run some errands with a destination of about 15 miles going and during that period, the engine quit 3 times. I just pulled over, waited about a minute and was on the way again. Coming back it happened once. Seeing that headlight dim another time raised the question about the problem being the Crank Sensor. I have removed and checked as many grounds as I know about and did a continuity test to the tree wires coming from the sensor to that large flat connector on the ICM. I pulled and wiggled the wires all the way up just to make sure that they held the continuity and they did. Since the positive cables going to the battery, at least, look so clean, I never did take them off just to see what is underneath but I will do that. Hope you're there when I get back.

 

I'm back. I just disconnected both sides of the battery and checked the connections and they are clean and tight. I did drive around a little with no incidents but the light is still on. I finished up by leaving the ground cable off and In a couple of hours I will reconnect to see if I still get a light.

 

Found out earlier that O'Reilly had the reader I needed for my car and went over to have a scan. Now I have one code only at that is 342, which points to the cam sensor. I put a new one in a while ago after the first read but now I'm thinking it might be the connector or a wire. The drive is about a 6 mile round trip and didn't have any negative incidents other than the check engine light staying on. Later on, I am going to pull the cam sensor and check the connectors and the wires.

 

Food for thought.
If possible , consider getting genuine delco parts from a dealer. There is a lot of aftermarket stuff out there that is substandard. A lot of that junk does not even work out of the box. I am aware that the dealer may not even have or can get parts for some older vehicles, so try to stick with a good brand when possible.