1990 oldsmobile cutlass ciera 3300 intermittent no start

[1990_Cutlass]

Hey there,
I need a bit of help from the gurus here with my 1990 3300 in my olds cutlass ciera. Car sat for about a winter while i did the intake gaskets. Got it back together and it ran great for a few days then developed an intermittent no start condition. If it starts it would run for hours no issues. Turn it off then it wont start sometimes. It was at the mechanic for a couple months and i just got it back and sam issue still. He thought it was when the car warmed up but sometimes it would sit for multiple days and still not start.

He changed the injectors as he found them to ohm out wrong, and we changed the ignition module under the coil packs. What he said was that when it cranks but no start he doesnt have a cps signal either. He didnt change it as he said this is tied into that ignition module under the coils. The cps seems to be a common part to fail so I am going to try this myself before returning it to him.

im wondering if anyone has any other ideas on what could cause this? Has anyone had a bad cps without the stalling issues that i read about online?

My balancer seems to be a slide on one (no puller holes), any tips on setting the proper gap on this sensor? Doesnt look fun with the three rings

[Pontiac6ksteawd]

CPS sounds like the culprit to me.

[tlc1976]

I agree, I was thinking CPS before I even got that far. As far as aligning it, I’ve never done one that needed aligning. But I think others in here have done shortcuts.

[Zaloryan]

I'll chime in and third the notion that the Crankshaft Position Sensor is likely causing your concern. Sometimes as they age, the coil inside of them will heat up arbitrarily, causing a no start condition.

The 3300 is unique in that it allows the sensor to be adjusted forward or backward to attain the proper clearance between the two trigger rings on the backside of the harmonic balancer. When you pull the old sensor, compare the new CPS to the old and verify that it is mounted identically to the original. It is not easy to measure clearance unless you have the Kent-Moore tool mentioned in the factory service manual. As long as the original CPS doesn't have any witness marks on it, which would indicate that the trigger rings are contacting the CPS, the sensor alignment should be correct.

As for removing the crankshaft position sensor, do the following:
1. Jack up the passenger side of the car and safely support it on a floor stand.
2. Remove the passenger wheel.
3. Remove the inner fender splash shield.
4. Remove the serpentine drive belt.

Here's where things can get a little difficult. The 3300 balancer has three small slots inside of it, which are supposed to allow for 3 bolts to thread into it so you can attach a traditional harmonic balancer puller. Unfortunately, this method rarely works because the rubber ring inside of the balancer will deteriorate over the years, causing the slots and threads to no longer line up.

5. Instead, use a jaw puller and attach 2 legs to it instead of three, so you can pull on the 3 o'clock + 9 o'clock position of the balancer. Do not let the jaw puller apply force to the old crankshaft position sensor or the oil filter adapter, which will damage either. Be especially sure to use an insert (a small socket, or 'press pin' included with the jaw puller) inside the crankshaft snout so the jaw puller will not damage the threads of the harmonic balancer bolt within the crank. The balancer should come off with minimal force using the jaw puller. If the rubber of your balancer has detoriated substantially (which it probably has), it is possible that the trigger rings have shifted slightly, which would skew your entire spark timing table. In this case, replace the balancer.
6. With the balancer removed, the crankshaft position sensor is easily accessible for replacement and you can now inspect the timing cover for potential coolant and/or oil leaks.

[1990_Cutlass]

Ok thanks guys, i have an oem sensor on its way. My harmonic balancer looks different from the replacement ones on rock auto. I am going to get a pic on here and see what you guys think.

[1990_Cutlass]

So here is my balancer. I dont see the thread in pull holes and it looks very different from those on rock auto.

I assume this is the one that needs the jaw puller as mentioned above?

[Pontiac6ksteawd]

Thats one of the externally balanced HB. Have not seen one of those in a VERY long time. I seem to remember it had something to do with the engine vibrations, and dampening of them.

I am not sure how the replacements for them work. I see that some of the replacement balancers have been made wider, with a weight placed on the inside (yours is on the outside).

Whats more confusing is that the weighted balancer was used in the 1991-92 model years, where the 1990 model was not weighted or balanced.

[CieraSL92]

It has been SO long since I did one of these. I replaced the balancer on my 1992 Ciera w/3300. I do recall 89-90 & 91-92 had different balancers. You're going to want a harmonic balancer puller. The bolts that come in the kits don't work though. I wound up using something I had laying around. Believe it was metric. Once you've broken the bolt loose, it comes out very easy. well..mine did, anyway. the replacement part (at the time) was a dorman from rockauto, but this was in 2008 so i'm a little hazy on p/ns.


let us know how it goes. it really does sound like the crank sensor.