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You are the first person I know who want to have OnStar. May I ask you, please, what do you like in it?
I've got an 01 GS which has been lotsa fun. The Onstar package came with it and I could have cared less (and still do to some extend). However, when the capabilities of the system were shown to me I was imopressed enough to think that I may possibly renew it at the end of the year. If we used the car for long trips or if it was on the road all the time, I'd definitely consider Onstar. You just press a button and they know who you are and where you're at! If the air bags deploy, they call for help automatically.
As for the Sun roof, I am 6' 2' and my son is 6' 5' neither of us had trouble with the sun roof. Good luck!
I like that idea! If fact, I could do the "animal of the week" which would give us a little variety. Would I have to clean the doors more frequently, though?
> Nail a soft furry animal, a dead cat perhaps, to the wall where the door would normally come in contact with the inside of the garage. Possums, small woodchucks, and medium size birds work pretty well also.
On another note, I had a bad experience that turned out well... three days after I bought the Regal I discovered a nasty scrape on the rear bumper courtesy of someone in my apartment complex. ARGH!!! At least the tail light was not broken, or the fender dented. Took it to the dealer (Lou Fusz Buick, St. Louis, MO) body shop for repair.
They did a FANTASTIC job! Not a speck of overspray anywhere, fit and finish was absolutely perfect! Turns out they took the bumper cover off the car to do the work.
This is the second car from I've purchased from Lou Fusz, and have always had good luck with them, from sales to service, to body shop. I think picking the dealership is every bit as important as picking the car!
John...aka jdinstl
Wait a minute, the 99 Regal AS is short for
99 Regal AS IS
Well, since the GS stands for "Gran Sport," maybe the AS stands for "All Sport."
This is a 87-89 Buick LeSabre T-Type page with a Buick Performance Discussion section that has tons of posts on most anything Buick related including all years of Regals,3.8,3800,SC3800 engines,etc.Also there are GM FWD Performance sites that are interesting.
The second is www.pce-online.com/buick/index2.html
This is Gino's World and he has for sale
New SC3800 Superchargers For $500 Each
Complete New SC3800 Engines For $2400 Each
GM gets $2700 for a complete new SC3800 supercharger and I'm willing to bet a complete new SC3800 engine could run $10,000 or more.
I have an excellent 82 Buick Regal body and would love to build a drag car using one of these SC3800 engines but these engines are set up for FWD mounts and only FWD trannys can bolt to them from what I've heard.Its too bad the Camaro never got this engine.
The third is www.scperformance.com
They sell SC3800 high performance parts and lots of other stuff.They can rebuild the nose piece on a SC3800 supercharger for $199.99 so dont buy a new SC if only the nose piece goes bad.
I love reading about Buicks so if you guys run across any other places post them here.Thanks
The Fusz brothers were all over St. Louis one time....I think they're all under the " Lou Fusz Automotive Network" name now. Matter of fact, my first new vehicle ever, an '85 Nissan truck was purchased from Gene Fusz Nissan! They sell just about everything, including Rolls and Bentley!!!! The current reigning monarch is Phiilip Fusz, haven taken the reins of the business from Lou Fusz Jr.
jdinstl
Zathrus
1. Mass Air Flow Censor replaced $350
2. Ignition cylinder replaced $360
3. ABS quit working $???
4. Power antenae quit working $???
5. Waterpump went out $180
6. Pads and rotors $300
7. Two tires (broken belt so
replaced both $220
8. Chrome rims are beginning to
peel badly $???
I still love the car very much despite these problems. However, the car only has 43K and is beginning to nickel and dime me to death. Besides the above problems, the car still feels solid with no squeaks or rattles and the engine still is a jewel. I just don't know how much longer I'm going to put up with it.
BTW- Unfortunately I have no extended warranty. Won't make that mistake again!
The ABS going out might possibly be a electrical system problem, actually. On my '93 Pontiac, if the ABS light came on while driving, and stayed on...invariably I would need a new alternator within 1,000 miles. I don't know what the connection is, but I had to replace the alternator 3 times on my minivan (word to the wise...you do NOT save money buying reconditioned alternators from Auto Zone)...and each time an alternator went out, it was preceded by the ABS going out to lunch.
jdinstl
Anyway, thanks guys for the comments and sympathy. I really do love the car very much and I'm sure I will keep it. Was just a little down about it I guess when I posted earlier.
etharmon- Yes the antenna is mounted in the rear so it should be easy to repair/replace.
regalluvr1- I really don't know what I'd get if I sold the GS. There are so many great choices to choose from. I would most definitely consider another GS. I really like the looks of the new bodystyle. I think the Intrigue and the Regal share the best sedan styling in the whole GM line with maybe the exception of the STS. I still haven't got around to ordering the sales lit yet. BTW, do you have any pics of your '91 Regal you can post?
You begin to think that it's time to revisit spelling excercises when in fact it's the screwy software that messes up the posting.
Question on the OnStar - is it std for both GS and LS models? The Impala LS I hope for has it and the base model offers the option. I'm not enamored with this feature and wish it wasn't being foisted on everyone. Having that noticable antenna sticking out of the rear window doesn't do anything to improve the looks of any of these cars and if you decide not to renew when the free year is up - what do you do? Remove the antenna?
Ken
All of this is as well as I remember. Did not verify today. You may check the data with the GM sites, either www.buick.com, or even better with www.gmbuypower.com (they often have more up to date information).
96gs. Your next thing to go may be the alternator. On the 3800, it is a breeze to replace and a rebuilt one with a lifetime warranty from Advance Auto parts or Pep Boys should run about $100 or less. Just thought I'd give you a heads up. Then again, maybe yours will go longer before needing one as my 89 Toronado had over 100K before the alternator went.
The car had three nuisance problems:
1. Dash rattle.
Not permanent, never on highways, mostly on bad roads at 25-40 mph. But rather strong, like an infant toy.
I believe, it come from the left side cover of the dash: it is rather loose and flaps on the dash proper.
2. The fan is somewhat noisy. Not exceptionally noisy, but on higher side, especially for a new car. More loud, than engine, at least before the SC starts.
I believe, this could be a result of sitting idle at dealer lot. Probably, the fan needs lubrication.
3. The cruise control disengaged by itself every time I switched high beams on/off or blinked them, and sometimes when I switched on/off the turn signals.
The first two problems appear from the day one. The cruise control problem appear from the first day I started using it after engine break-in, two weeks (and about 1200 miles) after delivery.
I reported the problem to dealership, and they suggested to wait till the first maintenance.
Now, three months later, I brought the car to dealership for warranty. Received it back today.
1. Concerning the rattle the dealer's adviser told me it is incurable with plastic (this sounded like "the cheap car"). That the side cover is probably hold by clips behind the dash, and they will not attempt to fix it.
When I told him that, according to the board, other dealerships put some foam between the cover and the dash, he suggested me to try it myself if I want.
2. He consider the fan noise to be normal. According to him, the fan bearing is sealed and cannot be lubricated.
3. They fixed the cruise control problem. For this, they replaced a complicated electrical switch hidden under the steering wheel. After removing it, they definitely saw the broken part.
I did not test-drove the car yet on highway, and cannot confirm the results myself. The road conditions are bad today, and also had not time.
The general impression of the Buick service, or rather from the specific dealership, Mauro Motors, Hamden, CT, is so-so to very bad. The strong words from a person accustomed to the Soviet service.
Had to deal with two advisers, Lenny and Paul. Paul was polite and friendly, and I like him, even while he refused to fix the rattle.
But concerning Lenny... well, I could say what I think about him, but only in Russian, and only in a pure male company. I was not taught the words in English.
Probably, the right wording would be I feel humiliated, and humiliated without any reason I can see.
dealer.
I still have not addressed my dash rattle, though I did have my free oil change at
2k miles (had to, it expired 12/31).
If there are other Buick dealers around you, it
sounds like its time to give them a try.
When I had my 98 Intrigue the dealer was willing to attempt to fix it as many times as I asked them to.
It had many, many problems, one of which was a dash rattle.
At least they tried and kept trying.
They never did resolve it, so
maybe they weren't really trying to fix it, but just
telling me they were. In any case, it was my
impression that they tried.
It is my opinion that the answer the dealer gave you is not acceptable.
If you are able to "replicate the problem" for them, there is no reason for them not to attempt a fix.
Perhaps a call to Buick customer service could be helpful??
Keep us posted.
Regalluvr1, is your 91 a coupe or sedan? Also, does it have the digital instruments or analog?
On the other hand, an owner of one of the sister cars (Impala?) wrote on one of Edmunds boards how he fixed the fan noise. He removed the fan motor, put it upside down, and soaked (the bearing?) by WD-40 for several hours.
As to the dealer reaction to the rattle, it looks strange to me. Not a high technology, just a loose piece of plastic.
Additionally, this is a wrong attitude: not respecting the very car the dealership is selling.
As far as pictures go, I bought a digital camera last April and had no idea how to post a picture. In fact I think I asked someone on edmunds how to post a picture. I ended up making a whole website mainly about my car. It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. I had no idea how to make a website, I just messed around with stuff and figured it out.
In 100000km (around 63000 miles) the car cost me an arm, a leg and other parts... even if I babied the car.
Repairs done: CD player, Ball joints, Tie rod ends, Heater core (twice), Alternator (twice), Water pump, Crankshaft position sensor, Power steering pump, AND a transmission. (Some of those repairs have been made under an extended warranty but the time this car has spent in the shop is simply horrendous... not to talk about the horrible quality of service in the dealerships...)
No more GM for this guy... EVER_
Good luck and don't give up!
I've seen different color grills, dual exhausts pipes out of the mufflers, chrome wheels and a "supercharged" script on some models. But it seems as if these features vary by year. Can someone summarize the external features by year?
Zathrus
It doesnt sound like jlybny is a very happy Regal owner.Lots of Regals are good and a few are bad.We bought a new 95 Regal Custom and put nearly 50,000 absolutely trouble free miles on it before trading it for our 98 GS.When we traded the 95 off at 50,000 miles the original tires still had 25,000+ miles of wear left on them yet.I have never seen tires wear that good.We always detail out the cars we trade off so the dealer can just put them right out in the used car section.That helps us get an excellent trade in on our old car.
But the noise level of the fan is not constant. It changes up and down periodically, with about one or two second period. Additionally, the fun rattles a bit. The rattle, probably, simply comes from the went grills. But the periodic noise looks somewhat suspicious concerning bearing.
I do not consider the noise to be really important. Just want to show it to a skilled mechanic, not a service adviser.
Would they just found nothing, I would not object. But my complaints are not reflected at all in the papers I received from dealer. I want them at least to document that I had complaints.
Probably, will go to service manager tomorrow. Did not like to "rat", but do not see how to press on his employees directly.
On to another item I've posted about in the past: Should anyone want to add a CD Magazine changer to their AM/FM/Cassette/CD radio (code #UPO) that came with the Monsoon system, only...and I do mean ONLY GM's 12 disc changer will work and be 100% programmable/compatible with the radio. Any other CD changer (Kenwood, Alpine or Pioneer) will require a separate remote and it will be RF (accessible via the FM dial using your atenna - also will not work using steering wheel mounted controls). Here in L.A., such a unit including installation runs $520 (ouch!) vs $350 using an RF unit. The reason only a GM changer will work is because there is only one harness behind the radio unit that is designed only for a GM changer. The OEM radio is not designed to add another harness/adapter for third party changers.
...just in case you were wondering
I found some TSBs that matched some symptoms I was having. The service department promptly went on line and printed the TSBs. One of them didn't apply to my vehicle (wrong serial number); the other one did. The service department promptly ordered me the new part under warranty. It was for a misfitting cargo net.
The only downer was we couldn't hear the rattle coming from the dashboard (we went for a ride together). Of course, just as I left the dealership (after service hours), the rattle reappeared. Oh well, it'll wait for the next service.
But...Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer - the changers will work as long as you don't mind using the changer via your FM dial and havinga separate remote for changing CDs.
UN6: AM/FM Tape without Auto Tone Control
UL0: AM / FM Tape with Auto Tone Control
UP0: AM / FM Tape & CD
UN0: AM / FM CD Only (This one is no longer offered, but was offered 97.5- 99 model year)
96gs: Any of the UL0, UP0, UN0 radios will have that spot for CD Changer whether you have it or not. Easier to just build them all like that
Zathrus: No difference between the Monsoon system and the Non-Monsoon. "Monsoon" has nothing to do with the head unit. Speakers and External Amplifier only. Amplifier is located under the rear decklid just to the left of the third brake light.
I think you (or it could be me) are mistaken about the radio with code ULO. From what I've been told, this radio does not have the 'second source' required to utilize a CD changer (other then an RF). But....to remedu the situation is just a matter of a SOFTWARE upgrade. Supposedly, this radio can be upgrade via software to work with the GM built 6 (not 12) CD changer.
FWIW....