HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

hi everyone, my name is kyle. i drive a 1999 pontiac grand prix gtp.

anyhow, thats not important here. what is, is that i detail cars.

so i was spraying the engine bay down on my girlfriends uncles 91 eldorado, and i covered the alternator and coil pack with aluminum foil. anyhow, i had the car running while washing it and it ran for abotu 5 minutes afterwards. then all of a sudden it stalled. so i started it back up, it ran for aminute or 2and stalled again. i then had t jump it cause it said the battery was low. it started and ran for about 5 minutes again. it now wont even start. if i turn the key it sounds like it wants to turn over, itll crank for just a second and then stop.and all you hear is the fuel pump.

what is going on? is the starter wet? i want to get the car back to him soon so he can sell it, thats why i was detailing it in the first place. hes not in a hurry to get it back he said, but id liek to get it taken care of for him.

thanks,

-kyle

RE: HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

Boost it again, and drive it a bit, the battery is not charging. Belt could be slipping because of water or Alternator going bad. The starter seems ok because it cranks, fuel delivery ok because you hear it pump, just not enough juice to turn over the Caddy V8 I'd say.

RE: HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

so its defintely not water that somehow got into the intake or anything then right?

when the rpms drop before idle (liek when i tried to put it in reverse to do exactly what you suggested) it stalled again.

my girlfriends uncle said he washes it every spring and doesnt even cover anything, so i dont knwo what the problem is, neither does he. as long as the motor isnt hydrolocked or somethign liek that, im sure ill be able to fix it?

update/edit: battery is bad?diagnostics on my battery charger said it has an open cell and needs reconditioned or replaced. why did it start and run fine otherwise then?

RE: HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

Get a new battery, by then it will have dried out.

RE: HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

will the battery from my 1999 gtp fit? theyre both side post batteries and look to be the same size.

RE: HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

Probably it will fit BUT you need to see if the Pontiac has the same or more CCA as the Cadillac battery. Cold Cranking Amps - it is listed on the battery label somewhere. There will be a number like 625 CCA or whatever it is. If it is close but not as many, say within 50, try it.

RE: HELP 1991 eldorado DOES NOT START
 

i got the caddy started, theres a black idle control solinoid thing that has the throttle cables going through it right on the top of the engine. anyhow it was stuck closed and the car could not idle, and therefore not run. it had nothing to do with the water.