not sure plz help

as i turned the key on the riv 2day the engine tried to start(usually starts right up as soon as i turn the key) but would not, but when i turned the key back , i heard the starter rotate 1 time i believe after reading some its the screech everyone is talkin about(not sure if thats the right term)....now i have power but the engine wont even try to turn over no compression not even the starter. thanks for reading . also starter was rebuilt 3 months ago also i know its not the battery

Why do you know it is not the battery?

Why was the starter rebuilt (instead of replaced)?

How did you measure compression?

Starter screech usually is a starter solenoid that isn't engaging the gears firmly enough for starting the engine, or stripped/chipped starter/flywheel gears.

What can you tell us?

let me re type here, i was a bit drunk when i wrote my last comment .3month ago driving on rt 51 i stopped to get gas and when i started the car it made that screech sound but my car still started up, so i pulled into eds generator & starter garage it been there as long as i have been alive he took out my starter rebuilt it on the spot . the car has been running fine ever since . this time when it made the screeching sound i turned the ignition off, now when i start it the engine wont even try to turn over(sorry thats what i meant by no compression)my neighbor checked the battery with a circuit tester and said the battery was fine. i'm getting the car towed tomarrow  morning @ 6:30 am

ok my mechanic got the beast running by wiring in a push button starter switch under the driver side kick panel, now i turn the key on and hit the button in the beast starts right up, he mounted it right where the light goes in on the driver side kick panel. thanks for reading. all comments welcome! have a gr8 day ppl!!

I have no idea.

first he hit the starter with a hammer then jump started the starter with a screwdriver, then tested all the fuses and relays with a circuit tester all were fine, then he unplugged the neutral safety switch used the circuit tester there(found a problem with power with one of the wirers)i left the garage for an hour when i came back he had everything hooked up

I'm glad he got it going but it just sounds strange.

when i see him again i'll have him explain it a bit better then i will post it

Glad to hear.

the starter was replaced 2day ..... so now i have kill switch/starter button. so now i turn the key to start then push the button.

Did he bypass the neutral safety switch?

he said no,the mech said,its the same as the newer cars with the push button start .he spliced one wire under the driver side kick panel and added the starter button.so i turn the key until power comes on then push the button to start

Rivieraz wrote:

he said no,the mech said,its the same as the newer cars with the push button start .he spliced one wire under the driver side kick panel and added the starter button.so i turn the key until power comes on then push the button to start

My gut feel is he bypassed the start contacts in the ignition switch. I think yr headache comes when something else in the switch breaks, which it probably will soon. You might want to source a new switch at JEGS or RockAuto. I think the reason he woulda done this is the ig switches may not be readily available in parts stores. I am on my third. Had one fail and replaced it. When they went on close out I bought another and stored it. When the replace,Ent acted up I replaced it again. The one that’s in now, I don’t expect it to fail anytime soon. It is not doing any of the stupid stuff the first couple of switches did...

Alberto

albertj you are talking about a starter ignition switch or the lock cylinder or both?and one other thing before he replaced the starter he was able to get the car started by hitting the old one with a hammer.

Rivieraz wrote:

albertj you are talking about a starter ignition switch or the lock cylinder or both?and one other thing before he replaced the starter he was able to get the car started by hitting the old one with a hammer.

I'm talking about the starter ignition switch, but the lock cylinder has the contacts for the PassKey II system. If the contacts in the lock cylinder get dirty, when you try to start the car the PassKey will time out. After a (kinda long) delay you can start the car.

If your security system is locking out the starter, the time delay is just enough to make it seem like hitting the starter works to get things going.

The first thing to try to fix that, is clean the contacts in the lock cylinder by dipping a qtip in dry gas or contact cleaner, then sticking it in the lock cylinder to clean the silver pads that are just inside the escutcheon. If that does not work, then change out the cylinder for a new one. If you have already installed a PassKey bypass resistor, then the problem simply is the connection at the bypass resistor needs to be inspected and fixed.

other than locking the starter out would it lock out anything else? my remote door locks worked stereo worked.it wouldnt start last friday until he hit it with a hammer on monday before he put the brand new starter in

Rivieraz wrote:

other than locking the starter out would it lock out anything else? my remote door locks worked stereo worked.it wouldnt start last friday until he hit it with a hammer on monday before he put the brand new starter in

No, it won’t lock out anything else.

Since I wasn’t there, I maybe shoulda just smiled and shut up...  My context is that my starter failed about the same way, and it was the pass key II issue.  My dad insisted it was the starter lol. Replacements are cheap and easy to install, so I did the replacement and the problem didn’t change (wophich no doubt is why your guy installed the button). Dad argued I got a bad starter but instead I read the fine manual and figured it out.

thank you albertj your knowledge/wisdom is always welcome!!!!!!!

the starter ignition switches run from 67.00 to 300.00(oreilly auto parts)is one better than the other?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/buick,1995,riviera,3.8l+v6+supercharged,1022016,ignition,ignition+lock+cylinder,10041

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/buick,1995,riviera,3.8l+v6+supercharged,1022016,electrical-switch+&+relay,ignition+starter+switch,4700

thank you Larry70GS

I'd go with the AC Delco (GM's parts company) if possible.

Jack the R wrote:

I'd go with the AC Delco (GM's parts company) if possible.

Jack the R wrote:

I'd go with the AC Delco (GM's parts company) if possible.

Yes, it's also the cheapest one in the list, which is good. $$ might not track quality for these.

i took the car to another mech, put everything back together , with a new starter to diagnose.......funny thing now its running fine(its been 3 days)