Daewoo Maintenance and Repair

kubus_gt · February 2002

Just want to know if anyone else has problems with soft brakes.
I have so far 15K on it and since the beginning the only complain I had about the are the soft brakes. They literally go all the way to the floor and are not grabbing till the pedal is about half way in. Also I'm unable to lock up the brakes.

carlrjr · February 2002

What you describe is not normal for the Nubira.

Drive (carefully) to your dealer and get this resolved under warranty. It's likely that the only problem is air in the brake lines, and all the mechanic needs to do to solve the problem is to "bleed" the air out of the lines to give you a firm pedal.

kubus_gt · February 2002

I had the car serviced on Friday and I asked to check the brakes. Supposedly they cleaned and adjusted the rear and parking brakes. When I asked about the soft pedal, they said it's normal on 4 wheel disk brakes. Yeah right...
I'm taking it to a different dealer on Monday.

kubus_gt · February 2002

Master Cylinder had to be replaced, had a internal leak, done under warranty but took 3 days. Fog light's bulbs burnt out and were replaced free as well.

earl2 · February 2002

I had the same problem, complicated by the fact that I had an after-market cruise control. I discovered what my problem was when I was approaching a red light and hit the brakes to break the cruise signal and to stop. The car kept accelerating against me while downshifting. I was in first gear holding the brakes hard before the speed dropped below the zone where the cruise control dropped off. Scary! I replaced the brake light switch myself (it is a push in and turn installation). Took about two minutes. Can't imagine how a dealer found $70 worth of labor.

peterblaise · March 2002

Has anyone else noticed that the front seats slowly adjust themselves back while bouncing down the road?

I look over and saw the empty passenger's seat seem lower and lower as the day wore on - and yes, if I adjust it upright, then shake it back and forth by hand, it slowly winds it's knob backwards and lowers the seatback!

Any solutions?

I may try to tighten something when I get a chance to look inside.

Otherwise, I have to readjust the seatback every time I get in the car!!!

Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/daewoolanos to share if you'd like.

carlrjr · April 2002

carlrjr · April 2002

I had mine replaced under warranty, but it looks like the new ones are doing the same thing.

This is the closest thing to a problem I've had with my Nubira, too bad they aren't metal or even black plastic; at least they wouldn't peel.

jennifermb · April 2002

My color matched door handles have also begun to peel (from the top). My car ('99 5 door hatch Nubira) is currently at the dealership's bodyshop. Daewoo is repainting them under warranty. As for the re-peeling issue---I hope I don't have that problem, but I already purchased some touch-up paint.

jkobty · May 2002

The chrome handles are just colored plastic glued
to the handle, and appears on Nubiras with an exterior silver or black or dark blue colors. The rest of the Nubiras do not get that at all, and their plastic door handles are not covered with anything. The way they did this on the 2000 model was an obvious cost cutting. I did not bother taking my wife's Nubira to the dealer when it happened(1 door only), instead I fixed it myself using super glue and a coat of silver nail polish to smooth the edges. I applied a coat of silver nail polish to the remaining door handles edges, and this seems to have done it.
I would not want someone replacing a door handle because of a cosmetic issue. I would be more worried they would cause more problems than they fix, especially if they have to take something apart to do it.

xb2261 · May 2002

1999 Daewoo Lanos
They tell you the soft brakes are normal, but upon further insistence, they will replace your master cylinder...Much better!
BUT..............
After 1/2 year:
4 faulty(new)stereos
1 broken light
2 bad tires
1 rear seat that came loose
2 faulty speedometers
1 faulty turn signal switch
2 previously damaged spare tire covers
1 faulty window motor
1 faulty master cylinder
2 key fobs that deprogrammed themselves
1 non-functioning horn
$300 worth of body damage while in service
Rear Passenger Door Stopped opening (Bent rod)

chiarello · June 2002

Hi Carl,
I use Castrol 5w30 in my Nubira and I'm really happy with it! I doubt if i'd want to try 5w50. I know a person who tried that weight oil in his Mitsubishi Spyder convertable and damaged the oil pump.

chiarello · June 2002

I have found a parts source for Daewoos that might satisfy Daewoo owners in the event of not being able to find parts at the dealers during the GM re-organization. The name of the place is called Korean Parts Unlimited, and they are located in Florida, website: www.koreanpartsunlimited.com. I was looking for a tail lamp for my 2000Nubira and they had one in stock. They are direct importers of parts for Daewoo, Kia and Hyundai.

iluvmysephia1 · June 2002

I'll keep that one in mind if my 2001 Kia Sportage 4x4 should need a part aftermarket or something. The same problem doesn't apply as Daewoo's but it's good to have as many sources as you can for car parts, eh?

carlrjr · June 2002

I've tried 5W-30 synthetic and regular oil, and during the summer months, I can't tell much of a difference, my Nubira seems happy with either one.

I'm surprised that the oil would be the cause of an oil pump failure; who made that diagnosis, and is Castol paying for a failure they caused?

cabanas · June 2002

Two days ago I called the nearest Service Center (1 hours drive away), to have my Leganza's 12,000 mile service. They informed me that Daewoo is no longer honoring their service agreements. I was told they filed Chapter 11 about two weeks ago. The dealership suggested I call Daewoo directly. I did call the number I have called in the past. I was told this is no longer a working # and given another. When calling that # I got an automated system. It said due to recent developments, the calls were back-logged and they would call me back. That was two days ago and still no call back. I took my car to a local establishment for service and they suggested I might want to sell my car. That getting parts down the road will probably be a problem.
Any similar problems, comments, suggestions? Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Lee

jodif · July 2002

Okay, so I'm parked in the car wash, look down & the Power idiot light is on. It was odd because, like I said, I was parked in the car wash. I read in the manual 'not to drive it!' It now goes on & off "whenever" and I can't get it to the shop until Wednesday. Talking to one of the dealer mechanics, it seemed to be no big deal to him... Any one else have this problem? I have noticed a difference in the cars performance as far as speed, handling & brakes. I think I probably owe too much to trade it in.......BTW... Can you take your car to any dealer or just the one you bought it at??? And, can you finally buy oil filters, etc. at normal stores yet, since I'll now be doing my own "scheduled maintenance" ? Thanks.

cabanas · July 2002

I had a similar situation. Took it in for service. Then I felt like the idiot. Seems the wire on the gas cap can get twisted when tightning it back up. If this happens, the "Idiot Light" may come on.

Hope this helps and saves you a service call. Lee

jodif · July 2002

I pulled into the garage & refused to get out of the car until a mechanic came over to "see" the power light was on...

From the service invoice: Verified. Power light intensity changes with button activation but light stays on. Checked on scan tool - button/solenoid operation good. Checked bulb circuit - light would flash when ECM harness moved. checked connector/pins - ok. Taped up wires to prevent grounding. Cleaned connectors - light works as designed.

Although it took them an hour to finally just tape up the wires, it has not been back on since. Car feels back to normal & so is my mileage... I went through a lot of gas with that power button activated....

In response to cabanas...
mine was the power light, not the check engine light, which seems to be fixed by tightening the gas cap. I've never had that problem & never tighten my cap til it clicks...knock on wood! Thanks for trying though!!

jodif · July 2002

Are these covered under warranty? I have one that fell off due to whatever holds it on being broken. The only time they have been off is during scheduled maint...which means, the (dealer)garage broke it....

jodif · July 2002

Can anyone tell me how/where to check the tranny fluid on the Nubira? I looked in the book & it says there is no stick & they recommend taking it to the dealer, of course.... I found oil filters at Walmart, but not the air filter that isn't included in any scheduled maint., which we don't get anyway....(sorry, sore spot). Any help would be great...thanks in advance.

cptsesso · July 2002

I have seen the air and oil filters at Pep Boys. I just bought the air filter for my 2000 Leganza. I believe it cost $7.95. Hope this helps.

jsies · August 2002

Jodi,
The tranny doesn't have a dipstick. It's more or less a closed system, but it can be opened to check fluid level and condition. I can't tell you how to open it, but if you suspect a problem, the dealer can do it. I've had my 2000 Nubira for about a week now and remembered reading about the transmission in the manual.
Jeff

miasma · August 2002

Has anyone had a problem with their timing belt breaking? I just passed the 60,000 mile mark and my timing belt broke. Now I've been told that it destroyed the cylinder head. A service manager / friend tells me that it is very unusual for this to happen at 60,000 miles although it is recommended that it be replaced at that mileage. He said there's usually some leeway and that he would not expect the timing belt to break until 70,000 miles or 4 years. My car seemed to lose power when this happened but I did not feel any unusual vibration or noises. Sees like tearing up the valves and cylinder head would have cause a little more commotion than I experienced. Afterwards the engine whined when I tried to re-start it but did not have a high pitched sound. Any comments? I'm looking at a $2,800 repair bill.

carguy60 · August 2002

A Daewoo mechanic on another post said the timing belts on all models should be changed at 50,000 miles.Very few make it to 60,000.Another mechanic said they should be changed at 30,000 miles.I would go with the 50,000.

shana4 · August 2002

Hello fellow Daewoo owners,
I am a potential 2001 Lanos Sport owner. The owner must sell this car immediatly (by 9/4/02)before it gets repossessed by the Bank. It appears to be in excellent condition; everything looks brand new and it only has 28k miles. However when I turned on the ignition the Air Bag light swithced on??? Does it mean that the car was in an accident and the air bags did not deploy? I read (on Edmunds) that there were a number of Lanos being recalled due to Passive Restraint Air bag. If the owner sell the car to me will the car be covered under the Manufacture's Warranty? Also If I purchase an extended warranty will it cover normal scheduled toon-ups and maintenance?

daewooboy · September 2002

I own a 2001 Lanos Sport and love it. I have had no problems with my sport. There is a recall on the "Passenger" side airbag. I think it has to do with the airbag mounts, and not the actual operation (or lack there of) of the airbag. I have not had any problems getting service up to this point. You will want to find out the address of the original selling dealer. The factory warranty should be transferable, but an extended might not be advisable. Normal maintenance items are NOT included. Kepp in mind, Daewoo in USA is bankrupt. GM is going to be taking over things soon like warranty work. No system is set up yet, but should be shortly. Again, I love my Lanos Sport, and will have keep it for years to come. The airbag light is some issue with the airbag. There is a problem with one of the airbags. Was it in an accident? maybe. A dealer should be able to tell you what would cause the light to come on. The recall would be covered under warranty. Good luck.

jsies · September 2002

I have a 2000 Nubira CDX with these items bugging me right now:

1. Passenger headlamp is fogging up. Appears to be
double wall glass enclosure. How to fix?

2. Gas gauge not working now. Appears as a Tech Serv Bulletin inAllData.com Any one have this yet and is it expensive or hard to get parts for a
repair?

Thanks,
Jeff

jkobty · September 2002

I hope I am not too late, but it looks like the ex-Daewoo dealers service shops are trying to swindle you miasma. FYI, The Daewoo engines, 1.6, 2.0L. 2.2L which are manufactured by Holden of Australia are FREE REVVING, FREE RUNNING, NON-INTERFERENCE Engines. Meaning if the timing belt breaks, it is a non event like you noticed. It will not cause a damage to the engine. you just replace the timing belt and everything is back to normal. Here is the internet link if you do not believe me. Interference engines are denote by an asterisk.

http://www.lambsauto.com/belts.htm

So it looks like since the dealers are owed money by Daewoo, they are trying to squeeze it from the customers. Be very careful. Looks like American dealers have no conscience.

jsies · September 2002

Here's a HEADS UP...
I went to the link and on a little further to:
www.dreamscape.com/rovatune
and found some very disturbing facts... the data you all are referring to is from 1970 thru 1997. When you follow the link above to the acrobat reader file, Daewoo products from 1999 to 2001 are, unfortunately, INTERFERENCE ENGINES !!!!!!!
Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

dkuhajda · September 2002

On top of that, about 3% of the timing belts are failing EARLY, before 60,000 miles causing extensive valve damage. Making a big recommendation to have it replaced early to prevent the costly damage and vehicle down time. I plan on making an appointment when my Nubira hits 53,000 miles and taking it in by 55,000 miles.

Go to www.gates.com and they have a good guide showing which engines are and are not interference designs all the way through 2001 model year. Plus they do make ones for the Daewoo cars should the dealer not be able to get one from Daewoo directly.

jsies · September 2002

This discussion got me to thinking about replacing the timing belt early also. I have over 48,000 miles on my 2000 Nubira. I called a well established dealer in Monroeville, PA (just east of Pittsburgh), who also handles (or handled) the Daewoo franchise. They quoted a price of $315.00
material and labor for the replacement. Not bad considering the alternative. Probably a good local mechanic shop with less overhead could even do it cheaper.

nancysantic · September 2002

I broke down on the hwy, the car lost power and stalled. I had the timing belt replaced for good measure ( I have 67k on the engine), the fuel filter replaced and a tune up. Check engine light kept comming on after the engine seems to bog down.
Two weeks later broke down again with the same problem.
I had the fuel pump replaced. Received the car back and the next day i was having the same problem with the check engine light repeatedly comming on. Light goes off after restart of car only to come on again. This most often is happening at high speeds. I had the car back to the dealer who said there was a bad wire which was replaced. I left the dealers only to be on the NYS Thruway and have the problem all over again.

Any suggestions as to what the problem really is?

jsies · September 2002

I'm far from being a mechanic, but from what you're describing, (replacing hardware items), I think the next move might be to have your
"computer/sensor related diagnostics" checked out. Good Luck!

nancysantic · September 2002

Let's see. They replaced my Oxygen sensor.
The service manager took my car home, the next day (yesterday Sept 24) they replaced my coil pack.
I'll ask about the computer. Thanks!!

jsies · September 2002

I think I would phrase it as "other electronic sensor parts", as there may not be any single component type "computer". I'm not all that comfortable when it comes to electronic problems.
Hopefully someone with more experience chimes in before you go back to the dealer.

abtx · September 2002

I read in Autoweek that Daewoo is Chpt.11
General Motors bought all their assets(manufacturing plants, etc) but EXCLUDING the USA dealership network. This means that the owners of the dealerships have been put out of business, they lost all the money they invested in that particular dealership and they no longer provide any warranty service

nancysantic · September 2002

I finally got my car back again this past Saturday(28th) I drove it the 75 miles to work and HOORAY!!! No check engine light. The dealer said that my battery grounding strap was corroded. So, they cleaned it up. I hope that this is truly the end of the blinking light.

It would really stink if I put $800 into the car and that's all that was wrong with it.

But at this point how could I prove it? They said that they were getting codes.

I'm just glad that I did not have to call them again this morning.

kubus_gt · September 2002

Hey,
I know exactly which dealer you are talking about. I live in Irwin, there is another Woo dealer there that you might try to shop. Let me know if you do change it - where and how much.

Thanks.

carlrjr · September 2002

A few years ago I had a shop replace a $280 alternator on my truck to solve a low-voltage problem -- That was money wasted, because I had the problem until I fixed a bad ground myself.

These techs are doing the same thing everyone else is starting to do: They believe "what the computer says" without understanding or even examining the basics first.

jsies · September 2002

Where else can I go in the Monroeville area besides the No.1 C? I haven't checked anywhere else yet, but I'm going to inquire around the South Hills area, where I live. I'll keep you in the loop when I get some more info or quotes.

jkobty · October 2002

Thanks for the tip guys. My wife's Nubira has around 55K miles on it, so I took it in today for a timing belt inspection. I did notice recently a sound coming from the timing belt area when the car was cold, sounds like a loose chain, the sound went away after driving for a couple of minutes. Anyways they inspected it and changed the following under warranty
1. Timing belt
2. Tensioner
3. Water pump.
They are attributing the early failures to the water pump which is GM's newly designed aluminum water pump which seems to fail early. So when you
do a timing belt change make sure they check the water pump as well. I was surprised when they did all the work under warranty. I did not pay a cent.
So it looks like a good idea to have the timing belt changed or inspected early on, around 50K mile mark.
BTW a timing belt change in Toronto would cost you $390 cdn at the Daewoo dealer, that is around
$245 USD. What I forgot to ask is whether they changed the water pump with the same type of aluminum water pump or they used an earlier more reliable model. I will just make sure to get it inspected again at 100K mile mark, or if I hear the belt sound again.

nancysantic · October 2002

you'd never believe it the darned thing is still coming on. They cleaned the grounding strap and checked all my sensors. (so they say)Apparently they had no codes. Deep in my gut I feel that it is an electrical problem. They have now asked me to drive the car around for a couple of days logging when the light comes on. I am beyond disgusted.

kubus_gt · October 2002

e-mail me at the e-mail listed in the profile.

jkobty · October 2002

The thing with cars today is that almost everything is connected to the computer, even minor things like gas cap pressure can cause the engine light to come on. Make sure that your gas cap is tight(turn it till it clicks 3 times).
If the car is running fine then it some stupid thing like that. With Daewoo cars when you start the car many checks are performed, and one of them is the gas cap and vapor recovery system. Basically the car reuses the vapors trapped in the fuel tank neck by using a vapor recovery valve and canister. If there is a problem with the gas cap pressure or the vapor recovery that would trigger a check engine light although the problem would not be something wrong with the engine but a problem that could contribute to pollution since the vapors would escape into the atmosphere when you reopen the gas cap. Blame the enviromentalists.
Other sensors that trigger a check engine are
the oxygen sensor and the cam sensor, those also do not affect performance but might affect fuel economy.
If there is a performance problem then there is another sensor that can cause that. it is called the crankshaft sensor. However since your car is running I doubt it to be that.
another check that might help is an emissions check to see if there is a problem with combustion or catalytic converter.
Do print this message and make your Daewoo mechanic read it. It might give them an idea or too. Good luck!

mdaffron · October 2002

http://www.auto.com/industry/iwird3_20021003.htm

thompsnvk · October 2002

Don't wait until 60,000 to check/change the belt! I was prepared to have my timing belt checked at 60, but mine broke at 55,800 and now it's all bad news. I'm not at all a mechanic, but I knew what was coming from the dealership. From their first statement, "Right now, it looks like just the timing belt and $300" to " Well, we got in there and it looks like there is valve damage and maybe some piston damage," I saw it coming. An estimate? Ha, ha! "Could be anywhere from $700 to $1,800 or maybe higher, we just don't know until we tear it down."
What's wrong with these timing belts? Was there a defect? My Nubira is a 2000 and the warranty was over due to mileage.

jsies · October 2002

Doesn't your 5yr/60,000mi. Drivetrain Warranty cover the repair? See below (copied from Edmunds)

Original Manufacturer's Warranty:
Basic: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.
Drivetrain: 5 yr. / 60,000 mi.
Roadside: 3 yr. / 36,000 mi.
Rust: 5 yr. / Unlimited mi.

jkobty · October 2002

If it is at 55,800 then it is covered under
warranty. If that particular dealer is not willing to honor the warranty, try finding one that will.

thompsnvk · October 2002

After talking with several dealerships that still service Daewoos and the NC Attorney General, I have found out that even if a repair is covered by my warranty, because Daewoo Motor America filed Chapter 11, you may have to pay the dealer for the repair. The dealership or you can file a claim with Daewoo, but there is no guarantee if or when it will be paid by Daewoo. No one at the dealership where I'm getting the repair work done offered to tell me from the beginning that the timing belt "should" have been covered by the powertrain warranty, but with the Daewoo bankruptcy that wasn't going to be the way things would work. I would have been much happier if the dealership had explained the Daewoo warranty situation up front. Instead I waste my time researching, calling and emailing looking for hope, help and answers. I have discovered many Daewoos are being repaired for damage caused by the timing belt breaking. One service dept. manager said that the waterpumps are at the root of many problems. If I remeber correctly, he said the waterpumps leak coolant onto the timing belt which causes it to rapidly deteriorate and break. Once the damage is done you have to wait forever on parts!

jkobty · October 2002

Make sure you keep your receipts and make sure
you get a written statement from the dealer that this should've been covered by Daewoo warranty. Currently Daewoo motor and their creditors are setting up a special fund for honoring warranty repairs. So when all the red tape is finished hopefuly soon, you should be able to claim it back. I just cannot understand why US dealerships and Daewoo america are being so bad. Daewoo is bankrupt here in Canada as well, but the dealers are still open, Daewoo Auto canada is still open, they are still honoring their warranties, and no parts shortages. Weird but true.

Daewoo Maintenance and Repair

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