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$400 seems steep to me. Even if the dealership charges you $80 for the plugs and wires, that still gives you 4 hours of labor at $80/hr. I changed the plugs on my '97 Ultra (same everything as yours) in an hour or two a few weeks ago, and I don't do this for a living. Getting at the rear plugs was a pain in the butt (spark plug boot puller might have helped), but it's not that hard, and the only thing I had to remove to get at the plugs/wires was the plastic engine cover.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That may be a reflection of what tires are fitted. The 2001 and 2005 are the same car. You could get an optional sport suspension on the Ultra, though.
My PA is a '97 Ultra with the standard suspension, and it tracks very well. Tires are 60-series Michelin Harmony radials, I think.
The owner's manual for my '97 Ultra (same car, same engine) says regular can be used in an emergency, but premium is highly recommended. The reason is that the supercharger heats the air 100 degrees or so above ambient when you're on boost, so predetonation (knocking) is a real problem with low-octane gasoline if you floor it. To prevent knocking on boost when low-octane gas, the computer has to cut the spark timing way back when you step on it, so power and fuel efficiency will suffer significantly. AFAIK, the car will run fine on regular as long as you drive sedately and stay off boost, but I always run premium in mine (the price difference is only a few percent these days).
/What kind of tires. Really soft tires might cause more wander.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Micr
The problem is called spark scatter. The motor is under high load and the spark wires break down and let the spark jump to another wire or ground.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Investigation showed a broken tail shaft housing on the starter and coolant in No. 1 cylinder. Removed the throttle body to check upper plenum and found some coolant inside plenum. I know the engine was hydrolocked, but noticed no problems before parking it.
I haven't done a compression check yet but will tonight.
If the compression checks out and doesn't bleed down is it a safe bet that it's the lower intake gasket? How do I check that without removing the intake?
I really need to figure this out and get it done. I work 30 miles from home one direction and the wife works 30 miles the other so we need two vehicles, and this is HER car. Wouldn't she look fine in a new pair of sneakers?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Are there any contortion artists out there looking for work? Maybe you can get at the rear plugs. I think I broke my wrist trying.
Did you discover the cause of your brake noise? I too have a 2000 PA. It is an Ultra. I love the car, but the groaning!!! I have replaced wheel bearrings, brakes and had the codes cleared for the ABS, but the groan persists. I am told the noise is the ABS motor.
I do not have any problems with vibration, but I have a nice set of Michelin HydroEdge tires on it.
Any advice would be much appreciated! :shades:
Is your trans fluid level OK? It could possibly be a solenoid problem (say, the overdrive solenoid is going on the fritz when it gets hot), or it could be something as simple as an engine temperature sensor problem (the computer locks out overdrive until the engine is warmed up), a loose or corroded connection at the transmission electrical connector, or even a balky throttle position sensor.
If you recently had the tranny rebuilt, and the tranny is downshifting to 3rd when it shouldn't, this may be covered under your rebuilder's trans warranty if it hasn't expired yet, if it is indeed a transmission problem.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I was told by the dealer that the window regulator part is not available separately. It only comes as a "package deal" with the entire inner-door assembly ($500). This doesn't sound right to me. It also confused the parts guy, apparently you can get just the window regulatory for some Buicks?
Does anyone have information to help. Thank you.
Try turning the key to the "run" position WITHOUT starting the engine, and see if the display still reads 129 psi. Mine had that problem (read 129psi always, even with the engine off), and I replaced the oil pressure sensor and it now reads normally.
The engine clattering is probably a separate issue, and one that is very worrisome. I would DEFINITELY have that checked out before driving it. It could be anything from low oil level, to a stuck lifter, to low oil pressure (which you can't see since your pressure sensor apparently isn't working). Get that one checked ASAP.
Anyone experience this or have any suggestions?
Alignment second. How recently and by how competent an alignment facility?
Brake rotor warped or caliper dragging. Brakes done when?
Calipers and rotor replaced then with quality brand rotors or just pads replaced?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Tires were rotated at start of year and I think they did an alignment too. I have to go back thru my records, done at a dealer. I proabably am in need of brake pads, was told they would need replacing by end of summer.
Big question here, is it dangerous to keep driving????
How quickly do I need to get in to have it checked?
If they have 30K miles on them and have been rotated every 7000 miles then they're probably evenly worn. They also could have a belt defective in one. The check for that sometimes if when they are on the balancer or just rotated on the car while off the ground a trained eye spots the unevenness in the belt. Other times it's moving the bad tires from the front -to back and having the effect move that tells that there's a tire problem. If the problem stays where you feel it in the steering, it's something mechanical on the front.
How many miles on the brakes? If the pads were changed once before you might be due after 40-50K miles. But the rotors need replacing if you've got unevenness in the braking. And the calipers need replacing, in my opinion, then you're starting over with a new system. Don't put on cheap brand high mileage pads, or let the shop skimp on the quality of the pad. If you want good, like new, feel to your brakes do what I suggested.
I did it at 45 K on my 98 Le Sabre and used original equipment quality pads--not long life. They have a better friction coefficient. Brakes were like new. I had had trouble with a draggin caliper and one rotor would sometimes run hot and when I'd brake I'd feel the warped rotor. Other times it wasn't noticeable. So the rotors had been damaged. Plus the original GM rotors tend to pit probably from road salts in this area along with normal heat from braking.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Any idea on what rotors and/or calipers should run me? Don't want to put a fortune into an old car, but don't want to be unsafe either.
I guess my fear right now is, am I taking a chance by driving it like it is?
The GROUND has failed at the REAR DEFOG/ANTENNA Module INPUT
Connector.The Connector has PURPLE(hot) and GREEN (ground) leads.The GREEN conductor has no continuity to ground.
I have physically traced the GREEN Wire to under the rear seat in the area of the REAR FUSE PANEL but cannot find where it should be grounded.
A quick fix would be to just ground the green wire and be done with it,but I want to know where it should be grounded and why the ground wire is routed so far from the glass.
I need a schematic.Anybody ?
Thanks, and best regards
Garret near Boston,MA
The door handle itself was broken. A plastic cam breaks off the inside of the handle and fails to activate the pull rod.The only fix is to replace the handle. Its about a $40 part as I recall. That isn't the bad news though. The handle only comes in primer and has to be painted before replacing.
You can buy basecoat paint to match and clearcoat in spray cans online or from some auto paint suppliers. They may cost more than the part. You have to go through some contortions to reach inside the door after removing the inside door panel but is is do-able. If you are not flexible just take it to a bodyshop $$$, Good Luck
Specmo Auto Sound & Speed
www.specmo.com
1-800-545-7910
Repair GM radios, CD's, speedometer clusters, other audio electronics.
"Delphi-Delco Audio Sales and Service"
"Automotive Electronics"
P.s., the power steering fluid is hard to reach and I find that to really reach it, I pull the alternator belt. A lubrication engineer I know says the GM power steering fluid is the best you can buy.
The last of the PA's from 2000 on were great cars IMHO. I run from 75 to high as 90 in burst to clear trucks on the freeway and with 158k miles, maybe use 1/2 quart in 5k miles.
Consider a used PA. Otherwise the Lucerne with 3.8 or if you like speed, the Northstar V8, is a very good car. Rates better than the Toyota Avalon.
I don't agree that a static balance will solve the problem with tires being out of round at all, but a Road Force balance will compensate for the uneven crush that some tires have under the load of the car. As you know we're not talking out ofroundness that shows up on a spin balancer with nothing pushing on the tire. This out of roundness is when the tire is being crushed by the weight of the car and different parts of the tire crush different amounts.
Hence a tire that appears perfectedly round mounted on the rim and spinning on a dynamic balancer may actually not be round when it rolls under the weight of the car.
Indeed, on one wheel on my car under warranty that was highest on road force, they unmounted the tire and put the rim on and checked it for out of roundness. Then they mounted the tire and put them so that ones high spot matched the other's low spot to have the errors balance each other out.
I don't think static balancing like Sears insisted on 40 years ago when I got my first Michelins will work these days. They used a bubble balancer. Sears must have been last to go to dynamic or spin balancing.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Rims are steel, aluminim, and other alloys.
Any wheel can be off from perfectly round for radial and lateral runout. They also can be out of balance even if within tolerance for lateral and radial runout. These runouts are measure in thousandths of an inch. The tolerance for runout is in your service manaul for your particular car model.
A good technician must use weights on both inside and outside of rim to get best balance.
The road force balancing is the best especially for stiffer frames. Perhaps some of the Pilots and Highlander type cars that have problems won't have their problems solved by road force balancing.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I presently have a 1998 Regal GS and thought I'd sound out folks on what they think about the other Super Charged car in Buick's lineup. I am doing the math on whether it is worth doing maintenance upgrades/replacements on my higher mileage car or perhaps making the leap into a newer one.
I prefer FWD, the stability of the base 3.8 with the luxury of the SC attached to it, and the overall comfort of Buicks vis a vis other rides. Even when dealing with the gran touring suspension, you are not necessarily talking something that will rattle your bones. I'm not in Buick's traditional demographic, 39, but appreciate their historical virtues (ride/reliability/balance of old and new technology).
Anyway, if anyone is good enough to respond, I'm not asking you to type a manuscript, just what were/are the highlights or lowlights?
Thanks in advance...