Buick Electra Ballast Resistor Replacement at your home or office.

Our mobile mechanics offer services 7 days a week. Upfront and transparent pricing.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(17)

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Customer Ratings

(17)

Ballast Resistor Replacement Service

How much does a Ballast Resistor Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Buick Electra Ballast Resistor Replacement is $420 with $325 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1986 Buick ElectraV8-5.0LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$764.53Shop/Dealer Price$936.92 - $1431.57
1989 Buick ElectraV6-3.8LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$744.53Shop/Dealer Price$916.93 - $1411.60
1987 Buick ElectraV6-3.8LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$744.53Shop/Dealer Price$916.93 - $1411.60
1981 Buick ElectraV8-5.0LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$744.53Shop/Dealer Price$916.91 - $1411.56
1990 Buick ElectraV6-3.8LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$744.53Shop/Dealer Price$916.95 - $1411.63
1989 Buick ElectraV8-5.0LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$744.53Shop/Dealer Price$916.93 - $1411.60
1982 Buick ElectraV8-5.0LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$749.53Shop/Dealer Price$921.80 - $1416.36
1984 Buick ElectraV8-5.0LService typeBallast Resistor ReplacementEstimate$749.53Shop/Dealer Price$922.17 - $1417.02
Show example Buick Electra Ballast Resistor Replacement prices

What is the Ballast Resistor all about?

Modern ignition systems use electronic circuitry to control voltage during engine starting and operation, but it wasn’t always this way. Older vehicles with points and coils did not have the benefit of circuit boards and computers, so another way to control voltage was needed. The ballast resistor coil was the solution. Think of it as a giant fuse in a way, although it serves a much greater purpose.

The ballast resistor coil plays several roles in your engine and charging system. In terms of position, it’s located between the ignition switch and the positive battery cable. During engine operation, the ballast resistor is responsible for lowering voltage applied to the coil to ensure that it doesn’t overheat and burn out, or damage the battery. During cranking, the ballast resistor allows normal battery voltage into the coil to ensure a good, strong spark for starting the engine.

The ballast resistor is subjected to significant amounts of heat during operation (the resistor’s resistance level increases or decreases with the application of heat and voltage). Over time, it will eventually wear out and need to be replaced.

Keep in mind:

  • The ballast resistor is not inspected during normal maintenance.
  • The ballast resistor is subject to significant amounts of wear and tear.
  • Ballast resistors are not generally found on fuel-injected engines.

How it's done:

  • The Ballast Resistor is verified that it needs to be replaced. The battery and battery tray are removed.
  • The defective Ballast Resistor disconnected and removed.
  • The new Ballast Resistor is installed, secured, and connected.
  • The battery tray and battery are reinstalled. The Ballast Resistor is tested for operation.
  • The vehicle is tested to ensure proper operation of the Ballast Resistor and road tested to ensure fan operation.

Our recommendation:

Over time and through normal use, the ballast resistor is subject to a great deal of wear and tear, and heat. This can cause it to fail unexpectedly. When this happens, your vehicle will experience unwanted, and perhaps dangerous, operation. It may crank but then stop running immediately after. Have any starting problems immediately diagnosed by one of our expert mechanics.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Ballast Resistor?

  • Engine cranks, but dies immediately when the key is moved back to the run position from the start position

How important is this service?

Without a ballast resistor, your engine will not operate unless you jump the resistor, which is dangerous, as it will eventually burn out the points, and is not recommended. If your engine dies immediately after turning the key back to run from start, likely the ballast resistor needs to be replaced. If the engine runs with the key in the run position, you may have another issue. Have it properly diagnosed by one of our expert mechanics immediately.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Buick mechanics

Real customer reviews from Buick owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(17)

Rating Summary
17
0
0
0
0
17
0
0
0
0

Lee

34 years of experience
66 reviews
Lee
34 years of experience
Buick Electra V8-6.6L - Wheel Bearings Replacement (Driver Side Front, Passenger Side Front) - Smyrna, Georgia
Excellent work performed under unusual circumstances.

Jeffrey

27 years of experience
870 reviews
Jeffrey
27 years of experience
Buick Electra V8-5.0L - Valve Cover Gasket - Indian Trail, North Carolina
Dude showed up early, quickly diagnosed my issue, alleviating the fears that come with a mystery coolant leak. Had him replace the valve cover gaskets on my engine to save me the headache. Awesome guy, great mechanic. Highly recommend him to anyone in the area.

Quentin

14 years of experience
9 reviews
Quentin
14 years of experience
Buick Electra V8-5.0L - Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement - Clayton, Ohio
Quentin’s was professional &quickd during his job thanks for your service .

David

25 years of experience
180 reviews
David
25 years of experience
Buick Electra V6-3.8L - Drive Belt Tensioner - Ocala, Florida
This is the second time I have had David come out to work on my car. Work was completed in a timely manner and what was done was described in detail to my satisfaction. I would recommend David to anyone who needs and honest evaluation of the work that will be needed to make any fix necessary to their car.

Excellent Rating

(17)

Rating Summary
17
0
0
0
0
17
0
0
0
0
Number of Buick Electra services completed
187+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Buick MECHANICS
800+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

P2311 OBD-II Trouble Code: Ignition Coil D Secondary Circuit
P2311 P2311 code definition Ignition Coil D Secondary Circuit What the P2311 code means P2311 is an OBD-II generic code for the engine control module (ECM) (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/what-is-a-vehicle-s-electrical-control-unit) detecting ignition that coil D or the cylinder 4 secondary circuit has low...
P2789 OBD-II Trouble Code: Clutch Adaptive Learning at Limit
P2789 means that the clutch's learning system is not performing normally because the desired adaptive response exceeds the predetermined limit.
What is Engine Coolant or Antifreeze?
A A combustion engine works by burning a mixture of fuel and oxygen at temperatures over 200 degrees. Complete this process more than 2,000 times per minute, and you’ll understand how an engine can develop a lot of heat, and...

1985 Buick Riviera doesn't start

Watch my video, "fixing the car that cranks and doesn't start up (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=064Ilsz8Fzg)," and it will give you all the steps to go through. But basically, what you want to do is see if you have fuel going into the...

The engine is noisy

Hello. A noisy engine can be caused by many things. The first thing I would do is check the engine oil to make sure that it is not low. Low oil (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/oil-level-is-low-inspection) can cause engine noise, and even damage to...

Is it possible to fix a clogged catalytic converter without replacing it?

Hi there. In general, there is not an effective way to clean a clogged catalytic converter. There are several aftermarket products that claim to do so, but they typically cause more issues with fuel system components that I would never...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com