(Since there's all of these starting the car threads I feel like I should join along!)
A few days ago this happend

My alarm didn't go off so I was late already but then the car just made it worse...

I hop in, start the car, the usual roar of the 3800, and then it dies....
Maybe I was still too sleepy so I started the car again, again it starts and then dies.....
I'm still in disbelief that my car starts and turns itself off so before the third time I throw up a few prayers, chants and dances and we try again... it starts (yay) then it dies (boo!!)
So now I just sit there looking at my gauge cluster with the most puzzled look, so for the fourth time i turn the key, it starts, and then I decide to give it some gas and watch the tachometer plummet back down from 4k and it stops @ the usual 1.2K and stays on!!
So then we head off to work 20 mins late . On the way backing out I notice it was 1am and the sun was out, i was like something is wrong here.... So i figured that my clock died, then I turn up the radio and notice it's already up and no sound, my radio was off, so I turned it on and then I noticed it was on a random station because all of my presets were gone! And even when the battery has died on this car I've never lost the time or my presets.

:Sparknotes: I start the car and it does it's usual roar up to 2k rpms and then it dies, i tried 3 times before the 4th time which I gave it gas and then it stayed on. And then I had to re-do my clock and radio presets.

edit: I read another thread today about cars not starting w/ low gas so to knock that out I was on about a half tank during the process.

Well while at work I was pretty scared that it wouldn't start up again but when it was time to go the car started and I drove off as normal in total disbelief.

Is this the sign of the end of the blade? Or just a simple problem?? I can't have it randomly deciding to die on me now... I need a banger to last me while I save up money for a newer car.

But ever since then the first startup of everyday has been fine, what made that day so special?

 

Um, or a low battery.

 

Battery is less than a year old and the voltage meter read the usual amount of voltage.

 

Yeah it sounds like the battery went completely dead. Did you leave a light on or was a door not properly closed so the dome light stayed on or something like that?

 

*thinks* well the dome lights never worked (that fine GM engineering for ya ) and the reading lights turn themselves off after a period of time and if i did leave them on i would have noticed (i usually do notice) them pop on when the car started, arggg i hope it's not the battery because this would be battery #3 w/n a two year period, I thought batteries lasted like atleast a few years?? (And no I do not have an aftermarket sound system or any added electrical goodies, my car is pretty stock)... Now that I think about it, no there were no lights on, unlike the Camry (gramma's car) my lights go off as soon as I press lock and the car turns dark, and last night was no exception.

 

Maybe your alternator is not charging properly thus killing your battery every year or so. Try getting it tested at AutoZone...

 

Got the alternator AND the battery tested, both are okey dokey.... which is good news yet bad news? oh yah also I lost my clock and my radio presets AGAIN but I didn't have the startup problems.... and another thing, while listening to Jim Rome on AM I can hear my engine on the radio (this just started happening).... *rant time* this is just one of the MANY things wrong with this car, I just posted this one because this is the most serious, god I hate GM, my car is acting much worse than my friend's '91 Legend going on 300k miles (also I take care of THE BLADE better than my friend's Legend, which is another thing that pisses me off). *end rant*

 

Go to a Buick forum and look for all/most of the grounding points for the electrical system. An electrical system that is not grounded will act REAL funky.

 

thanks! i'll try that....

....grr i can't find any really active ones, but i'll try buickforum.com

 

hmmm sounds familiar..happened to me the other night..SUCKED..my friend said that teh dealer should replace the battery?