Thanks for taking the time to help.
Pontiac 6000 /1989/ 330 000 mileage
this has me stumped.
About a week ago , it started to act up. I would drive to point A for
messages, stay about 10 minutes in a store and come back out..car will not
start. I checked everything, Sparks, wires, liquids, all were in tact.
Leaving the car sit for an hour + and it will work again .
Took it to the garage and they were also stumped. They let the car run and
really gave it a run and it never stalled for them once. Everything checked
fine on the computer for the mechanic. He suggested the coil pack was fried
so I replaced that. Two days the car was running fine and suddenly today the
same problem is happening. I took it to work and back (45 minute drive there
and back) brought it home ( sat for 2 hours ) took my son to Karate ( the
car sat for 2 hours ) and when I got in it to go home , it would not start.
Also , the engine was extremely hot.Even after the two hour wait. I just
have not got the foggiest idea on what is wrong with it at this point. All
major components are fine and the engine was well maintained all through the
years, but this has got me very confused.
Thank you so much.

In article <y1XSc.21703$a65.980259 (AT) news20 (DOT) bellglobal.com>,
"tiffsedge" <wicked_eyescs (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Same thing happened with my '86 6000 - usually when it was wet outside.
It would start, but after being driven any distance, it wouldn't crank
or start unless it sat for fifteen minutes or so. Didn't happen all the
time, and never happened when it was near a mechanic.

--
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather

Putting the key in gets it going ( as in trying to start ) you here the
Whrrrr Noise of it trying to go .. but it never gets to the next phase of
getting fired up to run. Same problem with the mechanic as you. The one time
it was there all day at the garage being started and restarted it never did
it once. I am totally stumped on this one.

Sounds like the crankshaft sensor. The sensor may work when the engine is
cold & not when it gets hot. I had to replace one on a cutlass 3.3 v6. It
acted very similar & keeps getting worse once the sensor starts breaking
down. The sensor should cost about $40.00 I believe. If you replace it
yourself, be sure to set the spacing correct with a feeler gage.

I have a 1989 Pontiac LE (122K miles) suffering the same problem. Gets me
to work, but doesn't always start in the afternoon to get me home. The
next morning it starts fine. I have taken it to three mechanics
(including 2 dealers), and it always starts for them. No error message
shows up on the computer when they plug it in. The fuel pump has been
checked and is okay, the fuel filter is new. It turns over but doesn't
start. Last night when this happened, I pulled one of the spark plugs and
checked for spark, and it had plenty. The car actually started to then run
with only the three spark plugs in. I replaced the one I pulled, and then
it started right up. What's going on? I have read the emails about the
crank shaft sensor. Has anyone replaced this and had the problem go away?
OB

In article
<23240ea46dbe3fb510c1092a2eae6bce (AT) localhost (DOT) talkaboutautos.com>,
"OldBetsy" <bisonpk94 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

I had an 86 6000LE 2.4 4 cyl. One problem that car had for the entire 10
years I drove it was that when the valve cover gasket got worn, oil
leaked into the plugs, fouling them. At best, I'd just drop a cylinder;
at worst, it wouldn't start without cleaning the plugs.

Other causes of intermittent no-start in my former car: faulty starter
relay; bad starter, bad distributor and bad plug wires.

When the relay was going out, it'd usually start okay cold, but could
take 20-30 minutes to start later in the day. Very hard on the battery,
plus embarassing to be sitting there, cranking away, waving away help,
saying, "It'll start ... sooner or later ..."

Note: I am not a mechanic.

--
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather

In article <KV4cd.11701$Kl3.2605 (AT) twister (DOT) socal.rr.com>,
Geoff Welsh <geoffdubya (AT) some (DOT) rr.com> wrote:

I had the feeling I was remembering something wrong. The whatever-it-was
repair was a few years ago; it seems as though you have a *far* better
idea than I do - would you mind posting the correct name for what I was
describing?

--
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner."
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather