2003 Buick won't stay started
Asked by Tyona Feb 13, 2017 at 10:51 AM about the 2003 Buick Century Sedan FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
My car would only start if I give it a
jump so I assumed it was the
battery so I replaced it with a
brand new battery the car worked
fine for 3 days went to go start the
car on the 4th day drove it to the
gas station once I put gas in her
went to start it back up and it
would start but will not stay
running my husband put his foot
on the gas and brake at the same
time and it stayed started long
enough for him to drive it around
the corner to our house as he pulls
in the parking space it cuts off by
itself.. also I smell a egg like smell
coming from the car
5 Answers
OK thanks so much and do the egg smell have anything to do with the replacement of the alternator
I would also like to know should I keep the new battery or can I put the old one back in since it wasn't the problem and get my money back
I would have the old one tested. They will tell u if you need to keep the new one. As for the egg smell, when a vehicle is running low voltage they don't smell great. Alternator should solve your problems.
That egg-like smell is the catalytic converter, when they go bad they can plug up, restricting the exhaust system and making it very to keep running, without riding the gas pedal. A temporary fix is to remove it but you won't pass smog emissions and you'll throw some O2 codes, the proper fix is to replace it but they're not cheap. As to the battery situation, go to any auto parts store, and have them run a free charging system test, then you'll know if the battery and alternator are good or need to be replaced.