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Buick Lucerne: Engine & Performance

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Comments

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    You don't say if the Lucerne is new or used. Is it under the 4-year warranty or 50,000 miles, which I think is the warranty now?

    Is it oil? Or coolant, which is orange and can feel oily to the touch.

    It could be an oil filter seeping slightly or a drain plug on the oil pan seeping.

    I'd check with the dealer.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • mhanksmhanks Member Posts: 6
    I am pretty sure it is oil. They are just two or three so0 it might not be
    serous. The car has 20,000 miles on it.
    Have owned two parl avenues in the past and loved them.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    Also might be power steering fluid which is clear and a mineral oil if I recall. It has no smell.

    I'd put a newspaper or white paper under the car where the drip occurs to see the color of the drip and the consistency. Also look at directly above the drip on the motor to see what parts are in the area so you can tell the dealer under which part of the motor the drip "appears" to be falling--sometimes the drip travels from where it starts before it falls off to the ground!

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • mhanksmhanks Member Posts: 6
    I took it to the dealer and found out it was the right drive seal.
    They are going to fix it under the warranty so it turned out fine.
    Mike.
  • mhanksmhanks Member Posts: 6
    I took my Lucrene to the dealer and they fixed the leak. It still has some warranty left. We took a short highway trip yesterday and I
    love the way it drives on the highway just smoth as silk. Sometime
    will have to take a longer trip and see what kind of milage we get.
    The onlu compalints I have is I'm 6'4'' tall so I can't see all the rear
    view mirror and the headrests are righ aganist my head. It's not bad
    so I can live with it. The color is dark crimson mettalic and am in the
    process of waxing it. Is'nt pretty the way water beads on it. Never
    thought I would have so much fun waxing a car.
  • mhanksmhanks Member Posts: 6
  • imdisappointedimdisappointed Member Posts: 3
    In November I bought a new 2009 Buick Lucerne because I had such good service out of my 1997 Buick Riviera. I am now thinking I might have made a mistake. The Lucerne apparently has an oil leak. The dealer put a dye in it the other day and is going to check it out Tuesday. When standing under the car looking up, the oil is in the corner of a square area beside the oil pan. He said the gasket may have had a nick in it when it was installed. I am worried that this will be an ongoing problem with this car. Does anyone know what the chances are that this can be corrected and not happen again for many, many years or is it most likely going to be a problem always? The car has 1300 miles on it. I am so disappointed because I really like this car.
  • rysterryster Member Posts: 571
    If the issue is a simple gasket, and the dealer properly repairs it, the problem should not recur for several years (if at all.) Now if your leak is massive, and is resulting in quarts of oil being lost in a short amount of time, that would be very concerning and may indicate other issues.

    I wouldn't allow this seemingly minor issue to ruin your enjoyment of the car. It sounds like the dealer is working with you, which is a good thing. Your car is only 3 months old. Make sure you document all visits related to this issue. In the event the dealer cannot completely fix the problem in 3 or 4 visits, you could always look into the Lemon Law in your state.
  • imdisappointedimdisappointed Member Posts: 3
    Ryster, thank you for the encouraging words. The dealer is a very reputable dealer and I had no doubts they would fix the car, if possible. It did put a little scare in me since the car was so new. The oil pan gasket was replaced on 1-22-2010 and I have not seen any more oil, yet anyway. I hope that was just a fluke that is now fixed for many, many years. I still really like this car a lot.
  • jetboat2jetboat2 Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had experience with coolant loss? Had this problem on 97 park and of course it was the plastic plenum. My Lucerne has 61,000 mile and seems to have lost about 2to 3 quarts of water from resivor in last 1000 miles. My engine has an aluminum plenum. Dealer has not seen this problem in these cars. Any help would be appreciated.
  • smitty52smitty52 Member Posts: 6
  • nace818nace818 Member Posts: 140
    The 06 Lucerne I just bought has the rear end bobbing slightly up and down on the highway. It only has 10000 miles on it so I don't see how any shocks can be worn? Does anyone else feel this in theirs? It does have a trailer hitch on it, but I have no idea what the previous owner pulled with it. Anyway, with such low mileage it shouldn't matter.
  • mike391mike391 Member Posts: 5
    My other problem that I had concerning the knock or click in the steering wheel when I made a slow turn was fixed. The mechanic knew exactly what it was, the intermediate steering shaft. He told me they had been putting cheap shafts in them since 1999, hence the trouble with my Intrigue and now my 2009 Lucerne. They replaced the shaft and as far as I know that fixed the problem. Now I have a different problem. Situation: I am stopped at a traffic light or stopped any place such as this(foot on brake and car in Drive). I can feel a strong vibration with my hands on the steering wheel. Took it to the dealer. Went for a test drive. Couldn't get it to do it. After a few days went back to the dealer. Stopped in front of the service entrance. The steering wheel was vibrating. Called the service desk. Asked someone to come out and verify steering wheel was vibrating. It was verified. Made an appointment. Took it in to be fixed. They adjusted the cradle forward. They said it was better. Service person said he would call in couple days to see how it was doing. I drove it about a half mile. Stopped at restaurant. Vibration was as strong as it was when I took it in. Went on home. Waited several days for the service person to call to see how the car was doing. Never did call, so I had to call him. Told him there was no improvement. Made another appointment. This time they adjusted the shaft, changed the harmonic balancer, and changed the drive belt. I also had a small oil leak, so they had to replace the timing cover oil seal.Service person called and said car was ready. Said they thought it was better. I live about 12-13 miles from the dealership, the two times I had to stop, I hadn't gone very far and the car hadn't warmed up it. I didn't feel any vibration. I thought, yeah, maybe they have fixed it. I didn't have to stop again until I pulled into my garage. What a downer, the vibration was just as bad again as the other times. Being as the 2009 model has a new engine in it, 3.9 instead of the trusty ole 3.8, there is not much feedback yet and they were having problems getting information on what the solution to the problem was. I was wondering if anyone on this forum has any information or ideas what is wrong. I would really appreciate it. Thanks
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Mike391,
    I am from GM Customer Service. Can you please email me more information about your situation so I can look into it further? You can get my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • loncliplonclip Member Posts: 13
    This is just an amateurish guess, but based on a similar experience I had with a 2007 Ford Taurus, check to see if the electric fans that cool the radiator are kicked on when you feel the vibration. When the fans are not on, the vibration should be gone. Perhaps one of those fans is out of balance in some way. Hope the idea helps.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    Lonclip has a good point. I had a Buick which had a rougher idle when those two cooling fans kicked on--under some conditions.

    It may be so many things in a new application of a motor. Is it different in reverse than in forward, even with the car stationary? One thing that does happen is power steering tubes or other connectors on an engine transfer vibration to another part which can be felt inside the car. I do not know if your Lucerne has electric steering, but there might be other items that transfer movement.

    And it may be motor mounting which is what they're working at changing.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • mike391mike391 Member Posts: 5
    I got you email. Thanks for responding. You said to click on your name to get your email. The only place I see your name in your message is-Mariah GM Customer Service, it is not highlighted and it does nothing when I click on it. Your email is a no reply, so I can't reply that way. Am I missing something. Please let me know. I appreciate your concern for my problem. Thanks Mike
  • mike391mike391 Member Posts: 5
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Mike,
    If you click on the gmcustsvc highlighted in green it shows my email. It is socialmedia@gm.com. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • staff48staff48 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2010
    My Lucerne started to have a small leak at about 13,000 miles.Been to dealer three times and the leak is still there.They replaced the harmonic balancer and seal on the first two trips to the dealer.The last time they resealed the seal that did not fix it.I have the 3.9 V-6. I'm open to any help on what to do next.
  • imdisappointedimdisappointed Member Posts: 3
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Staff48,
    I apologize that you have had a concern on your vehicle. Because you have been to the dealership 3 times and the concern isn't fixed, I would like to have an agent look at the concern further for you. In order to do that I will need your VIN, current mileage, contact information, dealership and best time to contact you. The agent will require that you take the vehicle in to be diagnosed. You can get my email by clicking on gmcustsvc. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
    My dealer (and GM Customer Service) say that unless the car throws an eror code that they cannot restore the performance of the car. I used to get 29-30 MPG with the cruise on set at 70 MPH and the tachometer showed 1700-1800 RPMS. Now if I set the cruise as above, the tach shows 2600 RPMs and I'm getting 22-24 MPG. No one shows any imagination or troubleshooting skills and in fact I'm fairly sure they think I'm crazy. But I seem to have lost overdrive. Why should I keep a car that can't be repaired ? Going to take the loss and buy a Subaru.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    It sounds like you would rather sell the car and buy a different one. But I'll suggest a couple of checks that the service manager should have done or had a tech do.

    Drive the car at 70 mph. Set the cruise. check rpms. If they are 2600 like you found before, move the shifter to 3 instead of OD or 4 whichever it shows. See if there's a change in the rpms after the torque converter lockup clutch varies its settings and then settles back during the shifting.

    If you get 2600 in 3rd, then you know you're not getting overdrive. If it's lower than 2600, try putting your foot on the accelerator to hold the speed and touch the brake pedal lightly to disengage the torque converter lockup in 3rd. IF the speed goes up to 2600, then you know you're not getting any lockup percentage in the 4th gear OD that you were trying to tell the dealer about.

    A last test would be to return to OD, and let the car stablize. Then hold the accelerator and touch the brake to see what rpms you get in OD with the torque converter lockup not operating.

    I don't know how many dealers are close to you, but I would go to another dealership. Speak to the service tech but ask politely if he/she thinks you should speak to the customer service manager or his designee about a problem that another dealership hasn't checked into the way you would like to have seen. Tell the rep the problem and any results from my little tests, but indicate your concern.

    The service writer may know exactly what to do. You're under warranty, I hope. Keep all documentation from the previous dealer. If they didn't print on with your concern about the high rpms and low gas mileage on the page, ask them to print out a copy from the archive. That will let the previous dealer know you are serious about keeping after the fix.

    I'm going to test rpms in my leSabre which is geared differently than you Lucerne later today.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
    Thanks very much for the quick, and informative reply. I did as you suggested and there is literally no change in the RPMs when I put the selector in 3rd when the cruise control is set @ 70. In addition, the car responds somewhat 'jerkily' when I accelerate (mildly) in 4th.
    I do not really want to sell the car, I just want the performance back where it was. I was most frustrated by the lack of troubleshooting by both the dealer and the CSR rep I spoke to. What would happen if the component that generates the error messages was defective ? No one seemed to care. I will definitely try another dealer but I feel the selling dealer should be responsible for the warranty work.
    Thanks again for your help.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    That suggests your trans is not shifting into overdrive.

    It could be computer control, a sensor that's got a bad reading that keeps it from shifting into overdrive (I think a cold motor or overheated motor or trans fluid keeps them from shifting into 4th which is a higher load and lower motor speed), a defective solenoid in the trans (I think each solenoid control more than one speed so there should be another area of problem).

    In years past the stovepipe that handles the torque for 4th gear would strip on cars with turbo chargers and abusive, hard accelerations. I don't sense either case applies to you nor to me! The stovepipes were hardened in 2002 or 2003 on the THM65E, which I believe is your transmission.

    I think any service manager driving it or having his trans guy drive it will know what's the problem immediately.

    The other dealer would probably be happy to be paid at the lower warranty rate by GM for the diagnosis and repair. I believe the Buick dealers have much less to do these days: fewer cars needing repairs, people keeping them longer, people buying fewer new cars.

    I hope you find a service manager that cares and will do you right.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • nace818nace818 Member Posts: 140
    I have an 06 Lucerne with Northstar V8. I just happened to check mine this morning. With the cruise set at exactly 70 mph, my tach was showing 1800 rpm. The instantn mpg readout was between 28-30 mpg depending on the road surface. I think this is pretty good foe a V8. I just wish they would have put in a couple of mor gears. Four speeds are way behind the times.
  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
    Just to close the loop, It took some time but the dealer was convinced there was a problem. The transmission was repaired under warranty. The car runs well but I am now a little bit wary.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    What did the dealer decide was the problem?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
    Well, I took a service writer for a ride, moved the shifter from 4th to 3rd and there was no change in the RPMs. I left the car and the next day they called and told me the trans would be repaired. Don't know what the deciding factor was since I provided the same information each time I left the car for service.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,147
    >moved the shifter from 4th to 3rd and there was no change in the RPMs. I left the car and the next day they called and told me the trans would be repaired.

    I'm glad that the diagnosis I tried to take you through found something to get the dealer off center and get it repaired.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
    Well, the transmission was replaced at 28K miles. Last month at 49K miles the exact same problem occured. This time the dealer replaced the transmission with no question. Yesterday at 49600 miles, the car just died. no errors, no 'stumbling'. Just died. Towed to the dealer and so far I have a bad fuel pump, burnt fuel pump fuse box. Very disappointed in this car. iI had my Park Ave back....
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    soon2bxgmowner,
    Have you spoke with Customer Assistance? I apologize for your frustrations. If you haven't I would definitely recommend doing so. Feel free to email me with your VIN and any questions comments or concerns. If you would like I can set up a case with GM Customer Assistance for you. I look forward to your response.
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
  • soon2bxgmownersoon2bxgmowner Member Posts: 7
    Yes I have spoken to Customer Assistance. There is a case #. On Saturday I traded the car so my worries are temporarily over. To use marketing trrms, the dealers brand did not suffer as they did everything right. The GM brand however was most definitely tarnished. Once you lose trust in a car no amount of reassurance can restore that trust. The bumper to bumper warranty runs out @ 50K so the next unknown issue could be out of my pocket.
    Thanks for your note.
This discussion has been closed.

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