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Buick LeSabre

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Comments

  • herselhersel Member Posts: 6
    I am considering purchasing a new Buick LeSabre and took a test drive today in a Limited Model. I liked the Car except I thought that I heard a lot of road or wind noise from the driver's side. When I mentioned it to the Salesman he did not seem to want to talk about the subject and ignored it except to say that it may be because one of the back windows may not be totally closed. I checked and the windows would not close any tighter. Also, the ride seemed to be a bit more harsh than I had anticipated. I'd sure appreciate any input from recent buyers and I'm open to suggestions as to whether I should go ahead with the purchase or not.
  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    Try another car, and it sounds like you may need to try a dealer who is willing to listen. I think these cars are extremely quiet. I have recommended these cars to neighbors and friends. Two have bought them (they are both delighted with their purchases and have had no trouble)and I have driven them and not noticed any additional noise. I think your test driver must have had a bad seal. You may have driven the sport suspension model. It does handle better at the price of the ride. Mine has the 16"wheel option and the standard suspension. I am happy with the ride and handling on this car. It is much less squishy than the pre-2000 models. My relatives who bought Town Cars say the Lesabre is nicer to drive.
  • tigercat21tigercat21 Member Posts: 28
    Run don't walk away from that dealership! If they're treating you like that now, before the sale, imagine what they'll treat you like after the sale. Even if you decide to get a Lesabre I'd go to someone else.
  • herselhersel Member Posts: 6
    Thanks a million for your input on the LeSabre and I will certainly follow your suggestions. We do have another Buick Dealer here in Colorado Springs and I will pay them a visit. Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving.
  • hagrawalhagrawal Member Posts: 20
    We bought a LeSabre Limited in mid-October and soon realized that the car had very discoforting wind noise as it accelerated from 60/70 to 80/90. It seems Hersel (#663) noted this problem while he was test driving the same car. Are there other who have encountered this problem?? We will appreciate your help so that we can persuade GM to ractify the problem.
  • macarthur2macarthur2 Member Posts: 135
    This problem occured in some of the 2000 models (not mine however) and the folks were complaining about it. I don't know if Buick ever put out a TSB on it or not. I think most of them were fixed by resealing the windshield. Most Buick dealers should be aware of the problem----now getting them to admit it..........
  • bricklayertxbricklayertx Member Posts: 20
    I think you are describing what was called the 'kazoo' sound when it first popped up. I own a 2000 Limited that had the noise when I first had it above 60. The cause is the trim around the windshield. I took mine in to the dealer and he handed me off to a windshield replacement shop. I didn't want to risk a new w/s with 500 miles on the car, so I persuaded them to neatly run a bead of black caulk under and along the trim piece. My noise came from the drivers side post (it could have also come from the pass. side). This fixed the noise for about a year.
    The next time is showed up I bought a tube of w/s caulk and did the job myself. Problem gone now for almost 2 years. Good luck.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Drive another car at another dealer. We had a 2002 LeSabre Custom rental for a month exactly one year ago, and loved every minute of it. To date, it is still the smoothest, quietest, and well-built vehicle I've been in. Rides like crushed velvet and purrs quietly like a Lexus. We had every intention of buying one, but ended up buying a new Avalanche instead.

    What suspension/wheels were on the car? I know our rental with the 15" wheels (too small) and standard suspension (a little too soft) had no hint of harshness anywhere. If to buy, we would have gotten one with the Gran Touring suspension.

    Good luck, and happy motoring with the Buick!
  • macarthur2macarthur2 Member Posts: 135
    Yet another option to consider comes in between the standard tire, standard suspension and the Gran Touring Package. It is the 16" alloy wheels and tire option for the standard suspension. My 2000 LeSabre has this option and I think it kicks the handling up a notch but leaves a nice ride. And those 16" mag wheels are much better looking than the standard mags. I pump my tires to 32psi (standard recommendation is 30psi) and it makes a big difference. Buick has a pretty low tire pressure recommended and a couple of pounds of air pressure can make a noticeable difference in ride/handling. All raidials today can carry up to 35psi---it says so right on the sidewall. It's a cheap way to sharper handling and probably increased tread life. Worth a try at least, air is cheap and if you don't like it reduce the pressure to 30psi.
  • indrekindrek Member Posts: 6
    My 2001 Le Sabre Limited has developed some rattles in the dash area.

    Unfortunately the rattles are inconsistent, and did not occur on the day the dealer looked at it.

    Does anyone have any experience with rattles, what caused them and how they were resolved.

    Cheers,

    Indrek Aavisto
    Sudbury, Ontario
  • cdpotterscdpotters Member Posts: 1
    I had a Buick Lesabre years ago. It too was losing coolant and drove me nuts tryign to find the leak. Luckily before I tore off the heads, I checked all the hoses. It turned out that there is a small 3/8 inch diameter coolant hose, about an inch long, buried around the plenum and intake manifold. It had a small enough leak to simply burn off on the exhaust pipes. I think this has something to do with the fuel injection staying cool??
    I was shocked to find the part cost less than $10.
    I wonder if this happens often?
  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    I fixed the dash rattle in the 2000 Limited by inserting cut off pieces of a rubber windshield wiper insert into the gap between the A pillar and the dash. The a pillar rattles against the windshield. Experiment around some by tapping your fist in that area. You will quickly see what I mean. I also found a rattle in the ashtray in the middle of the dash. I got a small stick on rubber disc from a hardware store to silence it. That wasnt as annoying as the A pillar rattle, though
  • 442455442455 Member Posts: 64
    I just purchased a 2000 LeSabre and love the car. I traded in a 93 LeSabre, and I can not believe the difference between the two! The 2000 is a Custom model, but loaded with leather, 16" cross lace wheels, driver info center, sunroof, and what I think is the best feature, the Universal garage opener. It took about 45 minutes trying to get the opener to store my codes because I followed the directions and held the openers several inches away. I finally got frustrated and held it right against the overhead opener, and it instantly grabbed and stored the codes.(So much for following directions.) Every GM 3800 engine I've had in other cars would idle around 900 RPM and would cruise at 65 MPH around 2000 RPM. This LeSabre idles around 600 RPM and cruises at 65 MPH between 1500 and 1600 RPM. I don't have the Sport Suspension package which I know uses a different final axle ratio, so I don't know if the tach is recording properly, or if there is that much difference between my 1999 Olds 88 readings. Just as a side note, I have always driven Oldsmobiles except for the 93 LeSabre, which was from my mother in laws estate. Love those big GM "cruisers" and am 50 years old.
  • jloudenjlouden Member Posts: 1
    I just read a disturbing article about 44 engine fires in Buick LeSabres. Does anyone know if GM has addressed this problem? The government is investigating.
  • indrekindrek Member Posts: 6
    Just got my 2001 Le Sabre back from the dealer.

    The rattle turned out to be some loose air bag fasteners in the steering column. Fixed under warranty.

    At the same time they fixed the driver's heated seat. It took about a month to get the part that was back ordered. Makes you wonder about the durability of the heated seat element.

    I am beginning to think that I will have to carefully consider the merits of the GM extended protection plan given the large number of electrical gizmos on this car.

    Cheers,
    Indrek Aavisto
    Sudbury, Ontario
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Just took delivery or my 3rd LeSabre.
    After reading comments about ride and wheels _here_ I chose the 16 inch wheels with Michelin Symmetry tires.
    The ride is more controlled than '98 Limited I have. It's perfect.

    Tires and wheels are quiet.

    Just wish I could have avoided paying for OnStar as a required part of every option combination that I wanted -- no way to avoid it and get the individual options I wanted. OnStar must be the new profit center -- dealers use "packs", GM uses OnStar, grin...

    Any comments from other owners or recent LeSabres?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Nice choice. We had a 2002 LeSabre Custom rental for a month when our 300M was being re-built after a wreck, and fell so in love with the car, we planned on buying one once we got the car back. Didn't end up with one, but I still think it's one of the nicest cars on the road for a great price.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Some post in the past said that the Park Avenue an LeSabre
    were assembled on the same line as a 'Cadillac Model. What
    one was that? _-- or am I remembering wrong?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Like several large GM cars, the LeSabre rides on the G-Platform. Because of this, the LeSabre comes off the same plant line as the Buick Park Avenue, Cadillac Deville and Seville, Pontiac Bonneville, and the dying Oldsmobile Aurora. Hope this helps!
  • buick92buick92 Member Posts: 1
    There is a vibration, when at idle that disappears when car is put in neutral..Old buick, that I love, has 120,000 miles without any problems to date, except an alternator, two water pumps, and a coil. great car.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Have you replaced plugs and wires? I did that at 90K.
    My great service manager at small town dealer told me
    to do that on both 93 and 98.

    Do you feel the vibration the same in reverse and drive?
    I assume you've looked for hoses or wiring bundles
    that might be transmitting vibration
    when engine is twisting again transmission load?

    Have you checked the PCV valve? It may be not sealing
    closed at high vacuum at idle if it's dirty and gunked up
    if the oil ahs not been changed regularly and often?

    If engine oil's been changed regularly and you don't think
    the roughness might be something major in engine, you
    might try some Techron engine cleaner in gasoline (available
    at most mass parts stores and some others now line Meijers
    in Midwest). Try one in tank when low with fillup of GOOD
    brand gasoline (I use Plus or Premium). Then do it again
    within a half of a tank after the first gas is run through.
    It's got one of the best cleaners in gasoline (Exxon's brand
    of cleaner for their gasoline).

    These are things I found from my 93 LeSabre. Too there was
    a prom update for roughness at load at lockup on the torque
    converter under light throttle at 50 or so. I thought it was wires
    and plugs, but BUICK had a mixture change and a change in
    the lockup speed for torque converter -- it won't lock in until
    50 mph. It used to lock in at 45. That way you don't notice the
    roughness under load since the converter is not locked up.

    Good luck.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Thanks Beach15!
    That's what I wanted to know.
    Is there a webpage that explains the differences between
    the various models by platform? Or explains the differences
    between the Seville, Deville, Park, and LeSabre that
    come down the same line?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Not sure of any specific website that describes the real differences between cars, but I can look. Also, from experience, the only main differences in the G-Platform among the cars it is used are slight variations in wheelbase, and really diverse suspension tuning. The LeSabre, for example, is tuned the softest of all its "relatives", while the Pontiac Bonneville SSEI is tuned the firmest, with the stiffest shocks, springs, and roll bars. In between those two are the other Bonneville models, the Aurora tuned for sport/luxury, and the Deville and Seville, both of which come in a few specific flavors of their own. In addition, most offer variations in stability control systems, but are all very similar as far as overall width.

    It is also common that the many suspension pieces, for instance, are interchangeable between the various cars. One of the most significant differences are engine choices and differences.

    Overall, every model is quite closely related. Hope this helps, and I'll try to answer any other question you may have, if possible.
  • jimsxnjimsxn Member Posts: 108
    That's a very good post.... I own a 94 LeSabre and it's fast even without a supercharger but a little wallowy. So what you are saying is that SSEI's suspension components will make it firmer around corners? What particular components would make the most difference?
    Thanks.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    My dealer was replacing rear struts on LeSabres back in
    92 93 to satisfy some customers, using Pontiac SSE or something
    like that struts. They were the last ones without air leveling in the
    rear. The dealer put those Pontiac struts on to stop the front-back
    wallow the soft LeSabres had. In my 98 with air leveling on
    rear is much stiffer than 93 Custom was. I replaced 93 struts at
    35 K because I couldn't stand the soft wallow it had. Replacements
    fixed the problem. (Monroe struts.)Replacements were same for
    Pontiac, Olds and Buick cars...
    It did not have air leveling on rear.
    Just traded it for 03 Limited. New one is almost too stiff. But only
    has a few miles on it. What an evolution in ride.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • laverne23laverne23 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 LaSabre and the AM Radio reception is awful, static and noise. I have had the radio replaced once and now the dealer says it is due to the poor reception in the Poughkeepsie area--funny my wife has no problem with her 1989 Olds. Has anyone else been experiencing this problem? I would like to know how to get in touch with Buick to seek their help.
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    You may wish to have the dealer check for breaks in the circuitry of your rear window defroster. It definitely affects radio reception and in my case I got a brand new rear window for my '00 Bonneville under warranty because of that problem. When I turned on the rear window defroster the AM reception was complete static. FM was unaffected. Good luck

    Ken
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Well, yes I would say so. One must remember that the pre-2000 LeSabre & Bonneville are completely different cars than the '99 and older models. As such, you may be able to tighten your '94 LeSabre up with Bonneville parts from the same or a close model year.

    imidazol97- Too stiff? I've ridden in a 2002 LeSabre with the standard suspension, and another with the GT suspension and I can't imagine how you could even remotely use the word "stiff" in describing either. Boy, you really must be used to a floaty, sailboat ride!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    "even remotely use the word "stiff" in describing either. Boy, you really must be used to a floaty, sailboat ride!"

    Beach15: criticism accepted! You're right on.
    I'm used to soft 98 LeSabre Limited. Great interstates, controlled, but smooth. Hit a wavy road and it's not controlled at all. 93 was even softer.

    But 2003 has less than 1000 miles on it. It's taut! Michelin tires and 16 in. wheels. It's like a friend's Jetta felt driving on interstate highways. I haven't had it on Ohio sideroads with waves and hills in them yet. I like the feel of the 2003.

    I'd like suggestions on what struts to put on the '98. I put Monroe road sensing struts on the 93 and they were tight for 40K -- got a little soft after they were on for 100K. Does anyone have suggestions of good riding but controlled struts to use?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • barkhouse1barkhouse1 Member Posts: 2
    I just noticed my 93 lesabre rev to 3.5 rpm while doing 80 kms. It stayed that way until I pulled over to check the tran oil. Oil was fine and the rev went back to norm.
    Took it to my tran mech. and under a quick scope said it could be a faulty torque converter or electrical.
    He also said if it was a torque converter I was looking at a 1000 dollar bill. Wont know until a full scope determines.
    My question is , is this a common occurence for a 93 at 177,000kms or am I being scamed? What can I do to make sure?
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Barkhouse1
    At 3500 rpm at (52 mph) 80 kph, that sounds like
    it dropped into 2nd gear. Were you accelerating and it stayed in 2nd gear? Could just be a one-time quirk. I'd be tempted to drive it and just be alert to strangeness in characteristics.

    You might ask at a dealership where the service manager knows and shares info about others of year and age and mileage they are seeing -- if they have any problems or not. My service manager told me about a Century trans that was rough, drive it and if it goes out completely it costs the same to replace as if you try to troubleshoot it early.

    You might clear the computer by taking out the fuse for a few minutes. Disconnecting battery loses radio settings and might lose remote opener settings.

    My 93 with 150K miles had no trans signs like that. IT was a solid piece -- better than 98 LeSabre trans feels in the other car.

    Good luck.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • randpall3863randpall3863 Member Posts: 28
    The first LeSabres I checked on were the 1984 and 1985 Limited sedans. I admit. They were built more solid than the 2003 Limited I just recently checked. And the older ones were longer and had more passenger room. But they were not as fuel economical as the 2003.

      It is equipped with a 3800 Series II V6. However, after checking under the hood, I found there is plenty of room for a bigger V6 or a V8.

      I did suggest this to GM for 2004. They got back to me. And they told me they are seriously considering it. There is more.

      The one I checked was equipped with all the standard and optional features available for the 2003 LeSabres. But due to its smaller engine, it was overpriced. I hope a bigger engine is added.
  • jimsxnjimsxn Member Posts: 108
    ....do not go together well. This is a serious chassis design issue. GM would be loathe to introduce waywardness in this best-selling quiet luxury rig. That said, I hope they come up with a way to make LeSabre more powerful and more responsive.
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    Agreed that front-wheel-drive is not the best for high horsepower setups, but the Bonneville (same platform as the LeSabre) offers a supercharged 3800 Series II, and next year a 300 HP V-8 will be offered. Also, the Aurora (also same platform) offers a V-8. We're not talking about smoking power here, but people have modified their supercharged Bonnevilles and Grand Prixs (for example) and been able to get good performance without any handling sacrifice (or so they say; I haven't done it myself).
  • macarthur2macarthur2 Member Posts: 135
    I think Buick is blowing soot up your tailpipe and here is why. Buick puts a supercharged V6 in the car series just below the LeSabre (Buick Regal) and in the one just above the LeSabre (Park Avenue). Now the Regal's engine bay is smaller than the LeSabre and the supercharged engine fits in just fine. The LeSabre and the Park Avenue have the same dimensions underhood so the supercharged engine will fit the LeSabre just as it does the Park Avenue. My thought is that the LeSabre is the best selling full sized car in America for like 9 years running and they don't want a performance image ruining that. (Don't rock the boat-we have a good thing going) The Regal is a big engined Century and the Park Ave needs the power to handle it's weight and be competitive against those in its price range. Based on this I don't think you will see Buick adding a V8 or supercharger to LeSabre (but maybe a Park Avenue V8). Just my two cents worth
  • danieltigerdanieltiger Member Posts: 7
    I heard on the radio that you should remove the new pink Dexcool antifreeze from your car or truck and replace it with the old green glycol stuff. Failure to switch will supposedly ruin the cooling system of the car after a few years. Is this true? Also, will the warranty be invalid if the green coolant is used?
  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    I am tempted to switch. I replaced the water pump in my car because of a gasket leak which I suspect was caused by the dexcool. I flushed the system and put in new dexcool at 3 years but the leak happend after that. The cooling system looks clean. I have read in some Edmund's forums about dexcool starting to solidify. Try doing a search here in maintenace and repair for archived discussions or topics related to head gasket failure.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    The DexCool in my 98 is orange. Is this the same as the pink? or did they
    change the color???

    I'd like to hear from a person working at a GM service shop about this idea of
    putting in ordinary antifreeze. I'm willing to change each year if it ads to the
    longevity of the plastic parts etc.

    The sludging from the orange DexCool occured from running hot in some vehicles
    (Fords), I believe I read or heard that on a radio auto talk show. But mine began to
    show scum in the overflow at 3 yrs. I replaced it with lots of flushing...

    Is there a particular flush chemical to use to clear the DexCool for replacement with
    DexCool or with regular antifreeze?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    If you do a google search for "dexcool problems" you will come up with a good snowy afternoon's reading. After looking at everything, I am still not sure what to do. I think I will just change the dexcool every 2 years and keep an eye on it.
  • rawdog_3rawdog_3 Member Posts: 1
    I was driving on to work at 45 mph, when at a steady speed, my car started slowing down and I pulled over to see what it was. I got out and I heard instantly my engine knocking loudly (while still running), so I drove (slowly) on to a parking lot but will driving, I was trying to go a little faster then 15-20 mph and I couldn't, all you heard and felt was a grinding sound from the engine. So I had it towed to a shop and they said that my car can NOT go in reverse, I had gasoline ALL over my spark plugs and the sound is internal within the engine. Now I wanted to know if it was sugar in my tank, how could it affect my engine so fast but if not then what could be the problem because my car was running FINE until that night.
  • oregonajoregonaj Member Posts: 21
    We are considering the purchase of a new LeSabre. We'll get the "Custom" trim level since we're not fans of leather seats. We had some questions about the "Best Seller Package" ($1365) and hoped we could get some help from the forum.

       1. How well does the Traction Control feature work?

       2. Is the "Driver Information System" very useful? (And how does the "Tire Inflation Monitor" work?)

       3. How good is the "Concert Sound II" speaker system? (It seems I remember some negative posts about it a while ago.)

       4. Any other comments about the LeSabre?

    Thanks for any help, Jim
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    The tire pressure is based on tire rotation rate -- same info used for the ABS and the traction control. If a tire gets low, it rotates more than it had been relative to the others due to the smaller effective radius.

    The traction control clamps the brakes on the spinning tire like ABS in reverse. It gives a more solid feel in the snow here in Ohio this weekend. But I've not tried it on ice. I'm pretty smooth in snow having grown up in Indiana, so the Traction Control hasn't come on much. I have wanted to try to do something to get the StabiliTrac to work, but I'm afraid to do that with my New Toy.
    The radio I have is a Limited with 8 speakers. I think it's a different model than the 6 speaker or 4 speaker that's base. It sounds great. I don't expect my car to have AR2a-like speakers for quality like my home. The older Limited I have with 6 speakers is very good. And the 93 that had the base 4 speaker system served me fine, but could have been better.

    I'd suggest taking an actual car on a test drive if you're looking on a dealer's lot. They should be willing trade below invoice by now. You should be able look on a lot and say I'll give you this much for _that_ one bottom line, and if they don't want to trade, try the next dealer. Things are slowing down in the economy.

    If ordering, I'd suggest the open web wheels with 16 inch radius and larger cross-section tires. I'd consider side airbags too. They're in the SE package and Limited.

    Driver information center is neat to playwith while driving because it shows mpg instant and average over a trip since you reset it. The voltage is given exactly to tenths, so you can check on battery charge and degradation with age. The water temp is given, along with the computer's estiamte of how much damage has been done to oil quality by cold running, frequent starts, etc. , but I don't trust that computer for oil changes. I change my oil (myself) at 3000, or 2500 in winter, and maybe 4000 insummer if longer highway trips had been taken. My 93 engine had 155000 on it and didn't smoke, and didn't use oil beyond a half quart in 2500 miles..., even when I drove it 140 miles on interstate round trip.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    I own a Bonneville, which is essentially the same platform as the LeSabre (although with a firmer, more sporty suspension). The LeSabre is a great all-around car, nothing terribly exciting but better than "basic transportation." The 3800 engine is reliable and proven, and gets decent gas mileage for a car this size.

    The Driver Information Center is a gadget that is useful but not as sophisticated as some other cars'. Basic info like mileage, distance to empty and the Oil Life System. The Oil Life System only guesses as when the oil needs to be changed based on a number of factors like how long the engine is run between starts, temperature, speed, etc. It doesn't hurt to change the oil every 3000 miles, but a lot of research has shown that it is ususally not necessary to change the oil that often, depending on how the car is driven. The Tire Pressure Monitor can only detect if one tire is 10 lbs. or more lower than the others by comparing rotation speed. If all the tires are equally low, it won't know the difference. Some owners who have had slow leaks were pleased that the system alerted them to a problem before they noticed it, so it does work.

    The traction control on my Bonneville seems to work on slick roads but is slow to kick in. Better than nothing, or you can turn it off.

    My experience and those of some other owners is that the Concert Sound II system is substandard, even for the muted interiors of a Buick. I find that it is flat and has a limited range.

    Rent one for the weekend and try it out. Good luck!
  • jacobpzjacobpz Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,
    Could you all let me know , how many trouble free mileage I can expect on a 97 LeSabre.

    Or in Other words, what are the major maintenance history for your Le Sabre so , far.

    Thanks in advance for all your responses.
    Regards,
    Jacob
  • danieltigerdanieltiger Member Posts: 7
    We have a 2002 Le Sabre with 9000 miles on it and we really like it. I strongly suggest getting one with the Stabilitrak & eye-cue head up display as well as the Gran Touring package with 3.05 axle ratio & gran touring suspension. We test drove lots of Le Sabres and found that both of those features seemed to make the car handle better than the others. (love that display in the windshield) Our new one turns around in smaller spaces like parking lots very well compared to our 93 Le Sabre. We get 21.9 miles per gallon in the city; my commute is stop and go. I use mid-grade or high test gas.
  • macarthur2macarthur2 Member Posts: 135
    Your new LeSabre DOES NOT require mid range or high test gasoline. You are wasting your money by paying 7-18 cents more per gallon than you need to. Read your owners manual, regular unleaded works just fine. I get 22 city and 31 straight highway on regular. Believe me if the car required anything other than regular it would be in the owners manual. Many people believe the old mechanics tale that premium gets better mileage, but it is not true. Fact is unless the engine is designed for premium it does not burn properly in it. Others will argue the point but Buick tells you what to put in the tank and they are the ones that issue the warranty on the engine. So fill up for two or three bucks less and don't worry about it.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    93 LeSabre 150K going strong. New struts at 40K (couldn't stand the soft wallow of the Custom). New alternator at 70k. New metal replacement for the plastic tube (3 inch) that
    connected into the intake manifold to the waterpump at 100K. The old ones cracked from expansion/contraction. Replacement was metal. New brake pads front 3 times. Did them myself with Raybestos. Rear brakes -- original.
    Transmission shifted great. Fluid changed 4 times by self and filter changed 2 times by self. (Replacement gaskets are reusable.)
    Engine oil changed at 2500 to 3000 miles. When color looked darker and drops on paper towel left nearly a dime size blacker spot in middle, I changed it. In summer with longer trips (100mi) and less short driving, might have hit 3500 or 4000.
    Engine did not smoke at anytime. I wanted to keep car, wife wanted to trade. Wife/rebates won.
    Body has some minor dings (golf ball, road trash, etc.) Rust starting through in rocker panels in two places -- salt on roads in north.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I tested traction control on my 2003 since snow was still in a parking lot. It kicks in quickly I could't tell the wheel was slipping. The brake made the same ratchet-like sound the antilocks make. it sound more like the wheel getting traction making the clicking sound.
    I turned up the sound system. It's the CD player model with 8 speakers. I think it's more
    than adequate. The equalizer setup allowed reducing base or raising treble as much as I wanted. I don't see anything dull about this.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • sincerosincero Member Posts: 5
    I have a '94 Buick LeSabre (87,000 miles)that I have been reasonably happy with until an experience suffered during highway driving late yesterday evening. All the warning lights came on and the engine basically shut down. I fortunately was able to coast the car to the outer right lane. The car would rev but would not start. Has anyone else faced a similar problem...any ideas before I take it to the dealer?
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