engine cranks but doesn't start...very random and not CPS

[bubba1978]

So I bought this 2000 Catera last Tuesday for my wife to drive while she is pregnant and the next day it failed the CPS. After ordering that and putting it in it seemed to start just fine and I thought that was the end of my problems. Then yesterday after I was about an hour away from home I get a call from my wife saying the car won't start again and she was furious. She crancked it so much the she killed the battery. The next morning I jumped the car and it started right up. No codes stored and it's been fine all day so far. Is there anything else I should check or replace that would cause the car not to start. One other thing...before she parked the car before it failed to start she said she was just driving along and the radio shut off and the headlights went off and came back on. not at the same time but one right after the other. Could that be related?

I'm sorry that this has to be my first post but what can you do.

I hope I'm not in for a world of grief from this car.

Kevin

[Warez]

To be clear, did you replace the cam or the crank position sensor?

[bubba1978]

I replaced the crank position sensor.

This thing is really starting to tic me off. I drove it for 3 days waiting for it to happen again so my wife could drive my truck and nothing happened. Then last night we drove to a dark area to watch the eclipse and while we were watshing it the car just stopped running. It restarted just fine and we drove back home. Today I took my truck cause my wife has the day off. She wanted to go to my moms house and guess what...it didn't start. I asked her to check for any codes and nothing came up. Now the battery is dead...again. I had the battery checked by autozone last weekend and it came back fine.

I did however notice the it seems like my voltage is prett erratic. Where does everyone else's voltage gage sit at when a lot of electrical devices are on? When I have headlights, seat heaters, and HVAC on it sits just below the middle line. As soon as you turn on the rear defrost or start moving the seats around it slowly drops to the line just above the red area and only goes back up if you rev the engine. Is this normal or is my alternator shot? Could this be why it doesn't start on cold mornings...it does seem to cranck fine but I know on some of the GM vehicles I work with that if the battery voltage drops below a certain point that the ECM drops out and the vehicle cannot start. The last time it wouldn't start i jumped it and it started just fine...I wonder if it didn't start because I was showing my wife how the voltage gage was dropping when she was playing with her seat then I shut the car off. What do you think?

kevin

[Warez]

Could be a problem with the charging system. The power gauge drops just above the red on my car on some occasions. I think my alternator is nearing the its end.