1995 Oldsmobile 98 Car Died and Won't restart

Hello and thanks for donating

What has me concerned here is the fact that you said the fuel tank did get low, to about 1/8th of tank. This is very hard on the fuel pump and also can contaminate the fuel filter which will resctrict fuel supply to the engine. Can you hear the fuel pump coming on when you first turn key in ignition? You may need to test fuel pressure to ensure engine is getting fuel.

I will check the fuel pump this morning... But what about the windows and locks?? If it was fuel related why won't the power windows and locks work. If the dome light is on when I attempt to roll up the window, as soon as I push the window button the dome light goes off. Same with the locks.

The fuel pump does click on but it still don't start. The windows are still stuck rolled down. I have been trying to figure out what could be the problem and I keep seeing this ECU. What is an ECU and how much do they cost.

sorry didn't notice the window issue.

the ECU is engine control unit, may also be called ECM or PCM. it is like the "main brain" of the vehicle. it is the main computer that controls the entire vehicle's systems. you can find one at a salvage yard much cheaper than buying a new one.

So in your opinion does this sound more like an ECU problem and do you think it is worth the price to fix? Outside of this issue, the car is a nice car. Well maintained and runs like a dream. I have limited funds and am unable to obtain a loan for a new car. If I was to junk this car I would only get 200 for it and then only be able to replace it with a another 800 dollar car.

with the info at hand, yes it does point towards a faulty ECU and i would definitely not junk the car because of it.

Ok so I did what you said and I didn't junk the car. I bought a used ECU. Now I need to know where it is located in my car so I can replace it. Are there any tricks that I need to know about or any special instructions? Please advise.

i'll need the 8th digit of your VIN so I can get the correct location

The 8th digit is K

thanks, your PCM is behind the right side of the dash , pic below.

Believe it or not, the tow truck came to pick up the car today to take it in and have all the connections double checked, wires and grounds... etc. And the car started and the windows rolled up. But when I went to put it in drive, it died again. Luckily I rolled up the windows. After a once over at the shop, it was given a good bill of health with a recomendation to replace vacuum hoses and a canister? I guess it sits behind the engine. They couldn't find anything else wrong with it. I drove it home today. I never replaced the ECU.

Is it possible that I had a loose sensor and by them checking it, they fixed it??

Can I trust that this won't happen again in a day or two? It seems to me, after reading other posts on this site, that these cars are notorious for acting up like this.

All your info so far has been awesome and extremely helpful. Thanks for your patience and your time.

a loose sensor wouldn't cause all these issues so i'm not sure if it's alright to drive or not without risk of it happening again. computer really seems to be the culprit here but drive it around some and if it doesn't happen anymore than maybe it was just a fluke in some wiring or something.

Ok i will keep all that in mind. After all I still have the ECU. I will keep you posted. Thanks for all your hep and advice.

Ok... check this out. I drove the car one day, the thing died and I had to have it towed home. So today I went out and swaped out the ECU. The car started, ran for about 5 min, then died. But here's the weird part. When the car is running and you attempt to roll the window down or push the locks. It dies. I KNOW THIS IN NOT A CONICIDENCE. I waited a bit and tried starting it again and it did. I was able to drive it up the alley and back and let it idle for another 5-10 min, using the windows and locks the whole time. Then, it happened again. While the car was running I pushed the window and the car sputtered, then it quit. THIS IS MAKING NO SENCE TO ME, PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MORE DIRECTION ON THIS. THANKS

On Thse models of GM cars with a 3200 series 2 Motors and the fuel pump dies when You opperate a power window or seat the problem is the ground block in the main harness under the carpet about 10 inches behind th kick panel. It gets moisture under there and the plug in and the spades that the BLACK wires connect to get corroded. I have made this fix many times. Hope this helps.