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What prompted me to take my Nubira in for inspection was a lose chain noise coming from the timing belt area at slow speed in the morning. It was pretty loud. you could hear it from outside the car if you are standing by as well. When taking off a lose chain sound would come out from the wheel wells, and you can hear it from the inside of the car as well. They replaced the belt, tensioner, and water pump under warranty. They did not say the pump leaked but that it will not make it till the next timing belt change, and since its seal was starting to break, they changed it.
BTW, my wife drives the car and she told me the noise had been there for about 2 months. It is a good thing I drove it that morning or otherwise she wouldn't have said anything.
about 1/3 of the way down looking from the front of the engine. Use a flashlight and you can detect how uniform the belt is and if it is wobbling etc..
Also mark the coolant level in the reservoir when the car is cold, so you can tell before a water pump seal leak causes any major problems.
Just to let you know that Rick Case Daewoo is still servicing cars, BUUUUT the wait time is normally 6 months for parts IF they can get them at all!! I have a 1999 Nubria CDX wagon and need the Calipers re built and the Rear Stabilizer pins replaced. This being said, the front end is all out of alignment and it's running rather rough.
All this and only 54000 Miles on it!
At this point I am looking to sell it for parts, I mean sure it still runs but if anything else goes wrong..THEN WHAT! I think it's a CRIME that the Government has not stepped in and done something, or GM should stand up and at least give a list of cross reference parts for the darned cars!
I have a '99 Leganza with a little over 50k..
So far the fuel injectors have been replaced twice, the A/C components have failed countless times, along with power window regulators, also suspension has caused numerous problems. Worst, the engine needed replaced at 30k, because pistons that were too small were installed, and now the vehicle is going to be in the shop for a month, because it needs a new manual transmission!
Daewoo North America gave me the top end extended warranty, however, I'm out of luck when it comes to a rental, because they only pay for rentals per 8hrs worked, and since this car will be doing a lot of sitting, I'll be doing a lot of walking (well there is a spare car in the family.. yay!)
As for North East Ohioans, wondering about who will service their Daewoo, I purchased mine at Andy in Willoughby, and while I live 45 mins away, they will still service my car atleast.. I also just moved back from Los Angeles, and most dealers there were willing to service my vehicle, even though I did not purchase it from them. I do beleive mine has been the worst case, reliability wise (per people at Daewoo NA), and of course I owe FAR more than it's worth.
Fun.
Chris
http://www.discounttire.com/dtc/findTireRegions.do?step=regions
Thanks.
It was under warranty. The reason for the failure was the tensioner went bad, so they replaced the tensioner as well, and said the water pump would not make it till the next belt change so they changed that too. All under warranty. Make sure
when they do the timing belt job that they replace the reason for the early failure which is in most cases the tensioner. If they do not, you could have a real failure shortly afterwards.
Quieter, less brake dust, etc.
This was from the dealer who tried both aftermarket pads this summer when Daewoo pads were in short supply.
I ordered the pads from NAPA, had them the next day, took the car into Midas, $97 later they had the new pads installed and a very very small amount of metal off the rotors to make them 100% true again. Total $150 and I did not have to do it myself.
you might have picked up some bad gas on the way.
When you start the Nubira it has a system in the rear that sucks the evaporated fuel from the filler tube neck and purges it into a canister under the car from the rear also. You hear a few clicking sounds as that process happens. But I assume that you have heard that before and the 'gurgle' you describe is a different sound and might be related to fuel contaminants blocking your fuel lines.
You can also try a fuel injector type additive
just to make sure.
Several thousand miles ago (odometer about 55k) I had the car looked at for a strange noise coming from the engine. The dealership replaced the timing belt tensioner, saying it had bad bearings. They also replaced the water pump under warranty citing "impending failure". They did charge me for the timing belt... $60, but not the labor to put it on since they were in the area anyway.
Since I've been away, I've had one accident that put a $1,800 crease down the passenger side rear fender and I rock chip-turned-crack in the windsheild. A new set up tires at 45k miles (stuck with Hankook... great tires!). The car itself is still running great and were it not for the financial situation of Daewoo America I'd eagerly buy another one!
Dave
In those other areas where the Dealer is still in business and performing warranty repairs and doing every thing they can to keep a customer, the new discounts are much less and the used retail is a bit higher.
Here locally a 2001 SE sold for $9995 with 18K on it about two months ago uses. So if the dealer you purchased it from will do all repairs and maintenance, you did not get taken to the cleaners. You also did not steal the car from the dealer either.
Yes, you did pay full retail used price if you just bought the car. On its own merits the car is not a bad car. They do have some special maintenance issues that you want to keep on top of to prevent more expensive failures. i.e. Timing belt replacement earlier than recommended, yearly 4 wheel alignment. But check all the groups on the web for maintenance suggestions.
The other question is, was your trade in really worth $500 to the dealer? In other words what would the dealer actually get at auction for the car.
Finally, if you were able to get financing on the balance amount, obviously the lender seemed to think the car was worth lending you the money based on your credit.
In other areas where you may not have a dealer to do any kind of service, $6000 is more the normal price.
Look at it more this way:
What other car can you get for around $7000?
What kind of service after you buy the car can you expect and what kind of service level are you willing to live with should things go sour in your area?
If you plan on traveling with the car, make sure you plan the possible repair depots along the way before you start the trip. AAA is always a good help when traveling by car.
Recently I got a check engine light, I ran a code extracted a EVAP malfuntion code. So far I noticed the pressure line to the ODBII solenoid came unhooked (the wire tie broke and it vibrated out). I hooked it back up, but the light is still one. Does anybody know how to reset the computer?
Besides this, still running great, even with the bluff at the wheel!
In addition he recommended checking the bottom of the timing belt cover for signs of any coolant from the water pump every time the car would come in for an oil change and be lifted up. (simple free check)
The EVAP code is usually due to a loose gas cap. It should go off after four times of restarting up the car. If not there may be another problem and needs checked out.
When doing a timing belt service it is best to replace all the components that will fail eventually in that area due to wear and tear and these are
1. timing belt
2. belt tensioner, as this is a common failure and the belt gets loose and starts making noise at slow speed and will cause belt damage.
3. water pump. If this fails, then it will damage the belt as well, it is better to replace it with the timing belt than taking the chance it will last till the next belt change.
If you are not hearing any noises from the timing belt, especially at slow speed, then it is probably still ok. It is still a good idea to inspect it just to make sure and also check for any coolant leak from the water pump.
BTW, 99 Leganza is 3.5 years old with zero problems to date. Not even a light bulb has went out. I think the 99 Leganzas are the best since they were built before Daewoo was forced by the banks to cut parts cost to secure additional funding.
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We are pleased to announce that Daewoo Motor America has entered into a parts distribution agreement with General Motors Daewoo Auto & Technology Company, the new company, which has acquired certain assets of DMA. As a result, DMA will continue to be the exclusive distributor of parts for Daewoo vehicles in the US, subject to the limitations provided in the agreement. Under the terms of this agreement, our dealers and customers will be able to obtain a supply of Daewoo parts long-term. The agreement further represents a commitment by the parties to help ensure that a sufficient supply of Daewoo parts is available to support the existing Daewoo vehicle population in the US market.
Also DMA has entered into a separate agreement with a third party administrator who has been appointed by GMDAT to administer a global warranty service program for Daewoo vehicles. The warranty administrtion agreement that DMA has signed will allow DMA and its delaers to continuously provide basic manufacturers warranty service to Daewoo customers in the US without any interruption as funding has been arranged in the asset purchase transaction between GMDAT and DWMC.
These agreements will become effective upon our obtaining a court order, which is projected to occur early next year. Until court approval is obtained, DMA will continue to provide the manufacturer's warranty services and parts supply under the existing arrangment.
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Also, the following opinion was added by the dealer:
"Bottom Line... In my opinion, in the short term it does not change anything, but in the next couple of months once the court order is obtained you should see an improvement in the availability of parts. Warranties should be paid, roadside assistance though, I highly doubt will ever return. Hope this calms some fears."
Paid $5000.00 drive out at dealer. The car still had the plastic protective covering under the floormats. My question is on the timing belt. The car has 67,000 miles and runs great from the short time I have driven it. Should the timing belt be changed and what other Maintainence issues on the 99 have you experienced that are common. Thanks
has been trouble free.
Regarding timing belt, yes it needs replacement.
Maybe that has been done already since you have 67,000 miles on the vehicle. It does not hurt to check. Make sure you replace the belt, belt tensioner, and water pump at the same time.
The drain plug is also concave on its tip and has a magnet inside it to trap the particles. After you remove the plug make sure you clean it thoroughly from its tip and remove all the particles that have accumulated. Once it is clean you can see the magnet inside it. There you go, I saved you another $100 on a tranny service.
The tranny does have an emission control feature that causes some people who are not familiar with how it works to complain about it. Basically if you drive the car cold, it will not shift into 4th gear until the temp guage reaches near the quarter mark. This was done as a means to keep the revs up so the car warms up quicker and reduces emmisions. I am used to warming up my car for a couple of minutes at least before driving off, so I really do not mind. I guess you will notice it more if you live right next to a freeway on ramp and you are used to starting up the car cold and getting on the freeway right away.
Regarding enhancing performance, these cars can be fitted with Opel Superchargers. The engines are afterall an Opel sourced technology built by Holden of Australia.
I am going to try something else I saw on TV called the Tornado fuel saver which promises to increase HP and save fuel through better air fuel mixture.
Miles: 49,000
Problems:
- A/C stopped working (freon gone), not yet fixed.
- Both the rear muffler and flex pipe burned through. I replaced the muffler for $150, but to replace the flex pipe (attached to catalytic converter) would have been $800, so I went to a local muffler shop and had a new flex pipe welded in place of the old one for $99.
Otherwise the vehicle has been a blast to drive and own. My wife and I really enjoy it.
Just to stay on the safe side, I had the timing belt and tensioner replaced at 48,000 under warranty. I still need to replace the engine drive belt (it's cracked) and do wheel alignment.
Where's a good place to align the wheels? My dealer doesn't do it and my local Sears says I need to go the the deal - vicious circle.
Regarding the supercharger, Anything that fits
a Holden or Opel Vectra will fit a Leganza or Nubira. Here is a link for a Vectra 2.0L which you will notice from the engine photo it is identical to our Daewoo engines except for the color of the cam cover which the owner has painted red. He used an Eaton M45 blower.
From past links I have seen, the Nubira 2.0L DOHC which turns out 129 HP, jumps to 205 HP when it is supercharged. The numbers in this link I just found are in kilowatts.
http://www.fastlane.com.au/Features/HDTVeloce.htm
Since these engines are Aussie built in Melbourne, you could research Australian websites for all kinds of performance mods on the Holden 2.0L and 2.2L engines. and considering the currency exchange rate of about 50 US cents to the Aussie dollar, you will get items at half price.
The plan I bought for my 2000 Nubira with 48,000 miles was $100 deductible, bumper to bumper, and 5 additional years or up to 100,000 miles. It was under a grand, but that's because I got a discount for buying extended warranties for 2 vehicles.
But does it really matter since Daewoo itself didn't survive it's crash with the U.S. marketplace.
Aside from a major engine failure that would still be under warranty if under 60K, no gasket or anything that could leak engine oil can cost $900.
How about a part number and price the dealer has quoted for the repair?
FYI I have had ZERO problems with getting quality dealer service or parts all year on my Nubira.