Buick LeSabre

idntnvu · August 2004

This Buick has a set of Mastercrafts on it with the white walls turned to the inside. They are not factory tires, and are relatively new. I doubt they've been on the car even 1k miles. The car sat a lot, so we're hoping it's just flat spots on the tires. After riding in the Buick, and then driving my Explorer, which does have a tire out of balance (both at highway speeds) I can tell a big difference.
I've heard that some people have had a lot of trouble keeping the tires balanced and their front ends aligned on LeSabres. Anybody else?
The window started working again this morning when we got in the car to go to church, only to dissappoint us later on by not working when we actually needed to roll the damn thing down. "Typical GM" has been uttered many times in the past few days. My mom's '93 SSEi had window problems as well. Both rear windows would go out intermittantly and only work when they wanted to, and the passenger window wouldn't work with the passenger door switch most of the time, but the switch on the driver's door worked every time. The switch was replaced, but didn't make a difference. Only window she never had trouble with was the driver one. Appears the Buick is going to make up for that.
Heading out to West Virginia this morning for the Fair. Going to take the Explorer up there, then leave Tuesday morning for Pigeon Forge TN in the Buick.
So far around town the gas mileage (according to the DIC) has been pretty poor, less than 17mpg. Dad replaced the air filter today, so that may make a small difference.
Speaking of air filters, this car does have the filtered passenger air, and the filter needs to be replaced badly. I'm guessing you can only get those at the dealer? Or can you get them at an auto parts store?

imidazol97 · August 2004

I got a Purolator at Pep Boys recently for the cabin at about $17 -- more or less, I didn't pay attention, just throught it was like a ripoff price for gas these days. Dealer was more in the $20s when I put the original filter in (not a standard item in 03).

Alignment problems haven't been something I've heard about. Tires and wheels on 16 inch setups have on most variations of that platform. I'm guessing it's stiffer than others and the lower sidewalls on the 60 tires and wider treads are more likely to send rhythmic vibrations through the chassis if the tires are as good as they should be made.

Tire manufacturers haven't kept up in quality of product as far as rolling round.

On your Mastercraft tires, I'd find a tire store or dealer that has a Hunter 9700 and pay them to check the tires and wheels out for you. I'd worry that the tires will never roll round, especially if they did sit a long time and aren't higher quality tires.

suydam · August 2004

My son recently bought a 1998 LeSabre and really likes it. His first car was a 1988 LeSabre that's still going strong (he only sold it because he had a 6 month deployment in the Persian Gulf). It did need some repairs along the way, but hey, it's 15 years old now! I'm not big on GM cars generally but the LeSabre seems to be a pretty decent car. It gets better gas mileage than my Maxima too. I would like to hear other people's experiences with them. My son likes it because he's 6'3".

idntnvu · August 2004

While we were on our vacation, we stopped at a Pontiac dealership (Larry Hill Pontiac, Sevierville TN) and got a price for a cabin air filter. $61.00. What happened to $20 something?? For that price, we'll just do without it!

imidazol97 · August 2004

IF the car already has the air filter in place on the passenger side under the hood, the REPLACEMENT filter is what I said earlier. You pull on the filter element and it comes out of the plastic holder frame.

When I bought the holder frame and a new element at the dealer, that price was about $60. The filter had been standard on LeSabre in 02 but now in 03. I decided to pay to put it in.

They told me at the dealer the replacement filter was twenty something out of the total price for the adapter plus element of $60.

As I said, the filter at Pep Boys, a Purolater brand, was in the high teens.

idntnvu · August 2004

Well that makes sense. I didn't really pay attention to the way the filter and frame were made. Do you have to buy a replacement filter first or can you just replace the insert in the original?

imidazol97 · August 2004

and element already in place, you are buying only the paper filter. The plastic frame came with the car originally, or in my case I had to buy it and a filter element as the adapter kit to put in what Buick left out to save a few dollars thinking most people won't miss it now.

The filter element looks like an engine air filter for the 3800. But it folds near one end and you insert it into the frame and dthe folded end sort of snaps downward to lock in place and form a seal for the incoming air. About $17???

ryanfiala81 · August 2004

I've posted on here before, but I'm now curious to know if my car has an air filter. I bought it off of what appeared to be a heavy smoker, and figure that if an air filter is present in this model (a Custom), I should change it. Also, on the comment of poor fuel economy around town, I'll serve as a data point of agreement. I get maybe 15 driving local (highway is incredible at up to 30 mpg, though). If anyone has any interesting ideas or experiences that have improved their LeSabre's (or any other 3800, for that matter) local mileage, I'd love to hear it.

imidazol97 · August 2004

In 97 the LeSabre's did not have an air filter on the heater air intake.

The mpg's around town. I guess if you're in block to block stop and go and you accelerate briskly away from the stop signs, you could be getting as low as 15. I'd guess my 98's at 20 and up, even when my wife drives it on short trips which pretty much 1 or two stops per mile and she tends to accelerate.

You might try disconnecting the fuse for the computer to make it forget the stored learning related to how it perceives your driving patterns of acceleration and speeds. The other way is to just disconnect the battery for many minutes... do the ground side cable of course. How many miles are on the engine? Plugs? Spark plug wires?

ryanfiala81 · August 2004

I finally had the transmission serviced, so my 3-4 hitch has softened. This has little to nothing to do with my local mileage, though. I've picked up some platinum (manufacturer recommended) Bosch plugs (why are A/C Delco three times more expensive?), and will be changing them when I get the chance. It probably would be wise to swap out wires, too, while I'm at it. Has anyone bothered with Platinum X 2 or 4 plugs? Are they worth the substantial additional cost? The engine has 85,000 miles on it, and I changed the air filter last fall when I purchased the car. I'll take your advice on clearing the computer. Thanks for the suggestions!

joe3891 · August 2004

plugs have not been a good replacement for AC Platinum, but I guess you can always go back to AC.The new ignition systems need a specific resistance in the secondary To operate properly.

jpeters · September 2004

Eureka ! Finally someone with the same problem that I have with my 2003 Limited LeSabre. Three visits to the dealer has not solved the problem.
Battery under the left rear seat. They haven't checked that one out as yet.
The problem - - - intermittent noise behind the driver when making left or right turns.

imidazol97 · September 2004

Can you describe the noise?

kcwolfpack59 · September 2004

My seat belts rattle somewhat if they are left in unusual positions. Also, you pull straight up on the rear seat cushion to get at the battery. I think it is a good design.

robert3 · September 2004

When bringing car home from dealer i noticed vibration in steering wheel and seat starting at 64mph and thru 70mph. Most noticeable at 68mph. Took back to dealer. Service manager rode with me (I had him drive) and he noticed vibration also. He said he would call Buick engineers re solution. I came to this site,copied numerous posts on this issue. I met with him the next day. He had just learned of the Hunter road force balance and Michelin Symmetry tires. Car came with Michelin Symmetry tires. Anyway,after the road force balance (final numbers 6,8,11,12)the car is smooth as glass. Tested on new asphalt pavement. Road force balance is apparently the way to go. This site was extremely helpful to me and the service manager found a solution he was unaware of previously.

fredvh · September 2004

I have heard about a number of vibration problems with the LeSabre's front tires. Do you have the 15" or 16" tires?

imidazol97 · September 2004

If your dealer had just learned of the Hunter 9700 balancer necessity for good wheel balancing these days, you need a different dealer. For years The Aurora (deceased), Park Avenue, Cadillacs, and LeSabres have all had a sensitivity to tires that don't roll round due to different crush at different parts of the sidewalls . Your dealership should have caught the problem during their test drive for predelivery. Obviously they didn't do one!!!!

My service manager troubleshot my 2003 in 2002 December... Rotated one tire on wheel, and rebalanced. Got numbers like yours with one wheel at 12, others lower. Improved greatly. I bought the car BECAUSE it had Michelins. Other tire brands have worse problems.

The low mass of A-arms and other parts the move with the tires has allowed them to react more to slight upward forces due to out-of-round or out-of-balance assemblies. Those parts underneat at aluminum alloys now. Take a look underneath. They are lightweight. Most tire makes have not kept pace with need for better tires; they are doing what they did in trying to have to retool for radial tire building in the 70s.

Also I'm finding the longer my tires have run, less stiffness uneveness there is in the one pair that is 12 and 9 on the scale. I have almost 18000 on them. I assume they break in and flex easier than when new.

My wheels are 16 inch. I don't know if anyone has complained with 15 in wheels. Those had Generals which I found on previous two LeSabres were extra soft and smooth, rolled easily for good gas economy and tended to go out-of-round as they aged due to poor belt construction. I believe a Firestone tire was used on some touring models with 16 in wheels, at least in 2002/early 2003.

idntnvu · September 2004

My parent's got their '00 LeSabre Limited a month ago yesterday, and it has had a vibration "out of balance" feeling since they got it. The dealer (a local used car dealer, and long time acquaintance of my father) said because the car had been sitting for a while it may be that the hard compound tires (Mastercrafts) just have flat spots on them from sitting, and after running them a while it may even out. We took it on a trip after they'd had it a couple of weeks, and it still shimmied a little around 65-70. As far as I know, it still does it. They balanced the tires on a regular machine after we'd gotten it, and according to it, the tires were balanced. I have no idea if anyone close to this area has a Hunter balancer. I may have to check around.
On another note, the window motor was also replaced last week, and now works like a charm.

imidazol97 · September 2004

http://128.242.141.111/pub/search/FindGSP9700.cfm

I'd recommend going to one of the locations I found using the search site above. There are none in Hillsville, but there's Cehvy dealer in Mt. Airy that has one. I suspect your problem may be out of roundness in the tires. I have had problems with tires in the past that weren't a name brand (Dayton) and have always just bought Michelins for decades to replace new car tires when they wore down 70-80% just to get round tires so I could enjoy driving.

I'd recommend a GM dealer if you really want someone who has experience with working out problems. One of the tire stores listed may have a knowledgeable guy who hasn't just read the book.

I was surprised to see Mt. Airy. Isn't that a town from the Andy Griffith shows? Pleasant name.

I'm critical or many standard tires because I had Generals on my 93 Lesabre and all they did was get worse as they wore to 30K. Later my service manager at the Buick dealer said there had been many problems with them just going out of round as the belts aged. I replaced them with Michelin XH4s at 30K and 35K and went happily to 135K when two of those had to b e replaced. I bought Dayton brand (Firestone-bridgestone owned brand). And had problems until my wife made me trade the car.

Sometimes a good set of quality tires can just fix it all. I can't afford to buy cheap -- it's too expensive replacing and fixing the problems, short wear, out-of-round. I buy round ones to begin with.

pat · September 2004

Mount Airy, NC, is where Andy Griffith grew up. They have a great "Mayberry" tourism industry - link - and it is a lovely little town.

I had occasion to pass through there once several years ago. I didn't do any of the "Mayberry" things but I did stop at the famous Snappy Lunch for one of their signature pork chop sandwiches. Anyone who has that opportunity shoud not pass it up. The autographed photos on the wall and the age of the restaurant are as attractive as the food. It is a legitimate step back in time - nothing pretentious about it. It was a wonderful experience. :-)

kcwolfpack59 · September 2004

One of mine went out and caused a misfire code. Onstar captured the code and said it was ok to drive another 4-5 miles to the dealer. They put another set of wires on cleared the code and sent me on the way. Gotta love onstar. They even called the dealer for me.
I have never had a GM spark plug wire go bad. Seems most people who post on specialty forums like OEM GM wires. Needless to say, I replaced them on my other 7 year old GM car the next day.

32valveuser · September 2004

I am not sure this is the correct place to post this or not. My father in law and wife were driving along the other day when the LeSabre began shaking and making a lot of noise. They stopped at there favorite gas station and checked things out. Nothing! Long story short the tranny is toast $1800.00 repair bill. We took it to two different dealerships and they both said the same thing. The car is just over 3 years old and has 23,000 miles on the clock. Just a heads up if you hear any growling while in park and on a slight incline like we do take it to the shop. Just a heads up.

idntnvu · September 2004

Where are you from Pat? Yes, Mt. Airy is about 30 minutes from me. I used to work down there for a video production company. I was working there when a section of US 52 was dedicated to Andy Griffith, an of course named "Andy Griffith Parkway." Andy came back this year for the annual Mayberry Days celebration, but I haven't heard much about that.
The attractions in downtown Mt. Airy are just what you mentioned, the Snappy Lunch, Floyd's Barber shop, The Andy Griffith Playhouse, Wally's Service Station which is home to "Squad Car Tours," a new attraction just started this year that showcases 2 restored Mayberry squad cars, both driven by genuine Mayberry "Deputies," and they take you on a tour of the town. Also, there is Andy's old homeplace, which is now a bed and breakfast. I filmed a wedding there of a couple from Florida. To the South of Mt. Airy, about 15-20 minutes down the road, is Pilot Mountain, or as Andy used to call it, "Mount Pilot." Theres a lot to see, and if you're an Andy fan, you won't be sorry!
And in the event you make it that far, come on up 52 to Hillsville, which is home of the Carroll County Courthouse, the infamous location of the 1912 Allen Shootout. The "J. Sidna Allen Home" is on your way to Hillsville, in located right on 52 in Fancy Gap.
Now that I've plugged the area, I will reply to your comment.
Twin Co. Tire is in Galax, which is the closest. May try them, because we've dealt with them before, but never with Collins or Patterson. I'd trust any of them though. They all have good reputations in our area. Thanks again for the link! I really appreciate that!

idntnvu · September 2004

Well, I was just reminded that when we did use Twin Co. Tire, every time we had the tires rotated (free lifetime balance and rotating) we had to take it back several times to get the balancing right on my mom's '93 Bonneville. I'd forgotten about that. A different group of people own it now, and that was several years ago, but my dad said he'd probably take it to Patterson Toyota. It's listed as a Toyota dealership, but they have Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, GMC and Toyota all on the same lot. Since they handle Buicks, he said he'd be most comfortable taking it there. I'll let ya'll know if/when we get it done. Thanks again!

pat · September 2004

I live in Norfolk - I'm not familiar with Hillsville specifically, but I do know that's a great area in which to live.

spindel · October 2004

Total messages say 1022, however I don't see message 1022. The last message showing is 1021. Please correct the situation.

Thanks
Jim

pat · October 2004

If a message is deleted, the number of that message is gone also ... it would seem that message #1022 was deleted. The poster might have done it, or it may have been administratively removed. In any case, there is nothing that needs to be corrected.

whzrd · October 2004

just bought a 2000 lesabre with 87K miles.

3 weeks later service engine soon light has appeared this AM.

It is solid and I intend to take it to a loc mechanic or is the dealer the way to go though more expensive?

I though I read it may be 02 sensor related...any ideas or is it too many variables to say what it is w/o a diagnostic check?

imidazol97 · October 2004

check your gas cap. Take it off. Look at the rubber seal to be sure it's not cracked causing an air leak. If it seems hard, rub some vaseline on it.

Then drive the car. The pollution system does a check when the car is restarted "warm" but not hot. It does a vacuum draw and then measures how fast it decays ( I believe I remember this right from my 98 service manual ). If there is no leak the light goes off.

If the cause is another problem than gas cap, it may require more work to track down. I had a hose come off of the cannister where the fumes are drawn through to catch the gas vapors in the charcoal. The box was hard to see under something else in the engine compartment.

whzrd · October 2004

good thought!

I remember when filling gas,the gas cap and filler tube looked rusted, maybe? I'll check it out when I clear out of work.

thanks

imidazol97 · October 2004

I had one and called my service manager at the dealer and their first comment was " is it flashing or solid"? Their second comment since it was a steady light is did I recently fill up and did I check the gas cap. I checked but it didn't help. Turned out the hose had rotted off at the canister at the end.

But later had a check engine light come on. Checked gas cap. Loose. But if you know that the system does not do a check every time it's started, you won't panic if the light doesn't go off.

The ideal is drive about two miles, stop at Speedway gas station for coffee, get back in and restart. The temp gauge is up about 2/3 of the way. Then when I restart in about 1 minute the light went off!

Good luck.

whzrd · October 2004

tried reseating the cap yesterday and the light was on this am. I 'll try the drive stop and drive idea and post again.

cha41i · October 2004

94 Lasebre Limited with automatic door lock. All door are become lock when operate to lock it by remote control. But when I un-lock by remote, all door are un-lock BUT front passenger side door does not un-lock. However, it can be un-lock with manual.
What wrong with it?
Thank
Charle Jong

whzrd · October 2004

tried to stop while car was warm and started again no change.

I have some pretty good rust around the gas cap filler tube> I was thinking of sanding it down or wire brushing.
Do you think the rust in the tank will cause any problem or maybe just stuff a rag in there before and vacuum when done.

I also noticed a lot of dust/rust coming off the cap and around the rubber gasket can I replace the cap or the gasket?

imidazol97 · October 2004

I would just use a cloth with motor oil on it to catch the rust and rub to take it off.
Is it rust or just scudacrud that has formed there?

Is the rust in the area where the rubber seal of the cap meets the filler neck?

Is the rubber seal on the cap worn flat on the contact side? Or when you push the cap on do you feel slight resistance as the seal meets the filler tube?

whzrd · October 2004

I think it looks like rust on the filler neck.

It is right on the neck lip and there is rust on the filler cap rubber gasket but just contact from the the filler tube.

The cap still has spring to it but when I do depress and release the gasket fine dust(rust?)comes either off it or from the air holes in the cap itself.

imidazol97 · October 2004

I think I've seen the reddish material. /Are you sure it's not dust with some contaminant in it from the gasoline spash or vapors?

Anybody know what this stuff is?

idntnvu · October 2004

Had this same problem with '93 Bonneville. Most GM vehicles, especially the Bonneville, LeSabre, and Olds 88 used the same parts, and I'm sure there were more. You'll more than likely just have to get used to leaning over to your right and unlocking the door with your fingers, or using the key in the door. My mom is short, so she would always give the passenger the keys so they could unlock the doors and she wouldn't have to lean over the console.
Other problems you will probably have, if you don't already are malfunctioning power windows, (won't go down, or heaven forbid, won't go up), power antenna won't work, and many many more malfunctioning electronics, not to mention replacing your alternator every 40k miles, since the LeSabre uses the same engine as the Pontiac.
Good Luck!

cha41i · November 2004

From research of the web infor. It has an possibility of faulty "door solinoil" ? Need to be replaced. Any ideal, what and where it is?
Thank

stan13 · November 2004

Hey, Giants515.....Believe it or not, I'm still interested in info on the MBQuart speakers. I thought my message had gone into outer space, but I'm glad you replied. Thanks. Looking forward to hearing from you re: those speakers. Do you like them? Are they worth the price? Is there a source you like (with reasonable prices)? Any info would be appreciated. Stan13

jpeters · November 2004

The noise was a dull thud heard either under the driver's seat or behind the driver. It occured intermittently when making moderate left or right turns. After three visits to the dealer I discovered on Edmunds' website that the battery was located behind the driver and under the passenger's seat. Conclusion: loose battery housing.

dispencer1 · December 2004

I inherited my mother's 2002 LeSabre Limited with 8k miles. Drove it from NC to NM without any problem and averaged 30 mpg at 70-75. Car has been driven on a couple of 300 miles trips since new but mostly local travel. It is a base LTD with just the Touring Suspension option. I was considering getting a Protection Plan warranty for 6 years 60k miles since the original warranty will expire in Feb, 2005. Should I do so? Has anyone experienced major repairs under 60k? I've owned 2 LeSabre's -a '90 and a '94
and drove both of the to around 110k miles with little problems -as I recall I replaced a couple of alternators -that was about it. I had 100k 6 year warranties on both of them and I doubt that they paid for themselves. Any advice? Thanks!

imidazol97 · January 2005

Has the recall for new bolts at the air intake manifold/throttle body and addition of coolant sealer been done? The likelihood of major repairs needed on a LeSabre is low. I've not seen a pattern of problems. I've checked the list of TSBs here on Edmunds and don't see a pattern.

The cost of GMPP aftermarket looked like $1700 for a long period with high mileage, I think it was 100K/7 years total. I'd take the gamble on frequent oil changes, including transmission, and go without.

I have a 2003 with 24K on it and 2 years old. So I'm not just talking through my hat; I'm making the same decision.

I would recommend changing the trans fluid at 2 years/36 K whichever comes first. It seems the sliding valve that modulates the fluid controlling the lockup percentage on the torque converter clutch is sensitive to aged fluid or fine particles or wear in the bore due to poor design. My 1998 LeSabre was changed at 65K miles and it developed this problem. It developed the problem causing unevenness in the lockup until warm.

I'm changing my 2003 fluid at 24K and 2 years--I do it at home. Drop the pan, catch the fluid, tighten the pan, add fluid. No filter change needed until 60-70K or more, in my opinion.

kcwolfpack59 · February 2005

I ordered some Michelin Harmonys for the 2000 Limited to replace the Avid Tourings which have been on about 40K miles. Was torn between the Goodyear comfortread and these.I will report in about a week and a half.

imidazol97 · February 2005

I just put Harmonys on the 98 LeSabre. They feel really good. They replaced X-Ones. I'll probably put them on the 03 when the Symmetrys wear out. And they seem to be wearing fairly fast.

You made a good choice of tire.

forvie · February 2005

I just purchased a 2000 lesabre with 58400 miles, from buick dealer. They offered a 36/45000 GM PP for $2600. I have been searching and reading information from forums to make my decision about buying this plan. I have until Feb 15th to buy the plan or loose the option offered to me.

Any one who has experience with 2000 models, does it worth it?

kcwolfpack59 · February 2005

This seems pricey. Most of the stuff that has gone wrong with my 2000 happened in the first 36K miles. Just make sure the cooling system is serviced and there are no leaky plenum issues. Try negotiating if you want peace of mind.

tigercat21 · February 2005

Put the $2600 in the bank and insure yourself.

mlm4 · February 2005

I agree, keep your money and insure yourself. Depending on how long you keep the LeSabre, that's probably how much you'll spend over the next five years, although it's hard to say. Maybe nothing will happen, maybe the tranny will explode. You never know.

I purchased the Major Guard for the first time with the lease of a new '04 Avalanche. It covers the lease term and I figured why not, it's built into the monthly payments and it's not my truck anyway, so I don't want any unexpected repair bills. Time will tell if it was worth it.

imidazol97 · February 2005

I'd put the money in the bank. I'd have the transmission fluid changed as soon as possible unless you have documentation that it's been done. I'd have the Dexcool flushed (every two years). Make sure the recall was done for the new bolts on air plenum was done and that pellets of sealer were put in the coolant. I'd put some coolant pellats in again after the flush. Change the oil at 4000 miles or 30% on the oil life indicater.

That should take care of possible trouble points if you're keeping the car a long time. That's what I'm doing with my 03 LeSabre.

Buick LeSabre

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles