...do these symptoms suggest? Okay, it's a 1996 Buick LeSabre Custom, 3.8l, front wheel drive.
Most of the time is starts, and most of my driving is short trips (under fifteen minutes). When it does not start appears to me to be random, but my wife, who does not drive the vehicle and is not along for most trips, says she notices it happens only after it has been driven a while, which in my mind would mean heat swell in the starter.
The starter works, it does turn the engine. The battery is good, too, I've tried two different batteries, one old and the other brand new, and the problem remains with either battery.
One time I found the battery red cables loose and it started right up after tightening. I have noticed this cable does not stay tight and I am not sure why. And tightening this cable does not always make it start. The first time I tightened it some corrosion fell out, but otherwise there is no corrosion visible.
It does always start first thing in the morning or after it sits a while, which makes me wonder if my wife's heat swell idea might mean something. But it has also happened that after it won't start after driving a lot, that sitting only a few minutes will let it start, or it will start after repeated attempts.
Any ideas? Am I missing something? Could old terminal leads on the cables itself cause a loss of contact and/or loosening? Or is the problem elsewhere?
Most of the time is starts, and most of my driving is short trips (under fifteen minutes). When it does not start appears to me to be random, but my wife, who does not drive the vehicle and is not along for most trips, says she notices it happens only after it has been driven a while, which in my mind would mean heat swell in the starter.
The starter works, it does turn the engine. The battery is good, too, I've tried two different batteries, one old and the other brand new, and the problem remains with either battery.
One time I found the battery red cables loose and it started right up after tightening. I have noticed this cable does not stay tight and I am not sure why. And tightening this cable does not always make it start. The first time I tightened it some corrosion fell out, but otherwise there is no corrosion visible.
It does always start first thing in the morning or after it sits a while, which makes me wonder if my wife's heat swell idea might mean something. But it has also happened that after it won't start after driving a lot, that sitting only a few minutes will let it start, or it will start after repeated attempts.
Any ideas? Am I missing something? Could old terminal leads on the cables itself cause a loss of contact and/or loosening? Or is the problem elsewhere?