2005 Buick Century Starts Itself

Dave’s Question: I’ve got a weird one. Sometimes my 2005 Century will continue cranking after I let go of the ignition key. And sometimes I’ll let go of the key because it’s not cranking the engine at all, but then the engine magically cranks and starts up. What could be doing this?
Answer: Well, you have one of the Buicks that actually uses the main computer (ECM) to start the car. And sometimes there is a lag between your turning the key and the computer sending electricity to the starter. Buick says this is just a normal attribute of these computer started Centurys. So I wouldn’t worry about it. But I do sort of worry about engineers who are making these computer starting systems. They end up adding a lot of cost to repairs, and have made a relatively simple task of sending electricity to the stater a more complex one. And as we all know, that often leads to expensive problems down the road.