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Tom
I've not been by in a while, but read all the threads arguing about Buick quality, etc. I have a 98 GS and it's not quite the lemon but it has "issues". The aforementioned window motors need to be replaced, the rack & pinion steering had to be replaced at 60k, it suffers from something called 'radial force variation' and is almost impossible to fit tires upon and will wiggle like Britney Spears on stage if you're not careful, the climate control display has failed twice, the oil pan gasket has had to be replaced, the valve covers are leaking oil (relatively small leak now but have to keep my eye on it) and the tranny is flaring as it is shifting into 3rd and 4th gear.
And, before anyone jumps on me for wondering if I lack in the "due diligence" dept, yes, I check the items I should check regularly and have it checked by a mechanic on a reg basis so I can take advantage of his eye for problems, in addition to what is/isn't done at the dealership where I bought the car.
The car represents qualities that I like...the size, built-in performance, the Buick name and ride, but even though CR gives it a much better than average to excellent rating, I cannot deny that the current and future liabilities side of things is fast overtaking the assets side. As a kid in my teens and 20's, I drove a 1984 LeSabre (not exactly your babe-mobile) and got 261,000 miles out of it before I got rid of it.
I really doubt that will be an issue with my Regal...unfortunately. It is a beautiful car with a ton of potential. There are those of you out there with great experiences to report and I am envious of you, trust me. It's not that all Regals are junk, but just that there isn't an overall guiding principle at work at companies like GM to assure build quality. No car is perfect but one can read the various threads on Edmunds and if your only yardsticks are # of complaints and their cost, US badged companies tend to lead the pack, unfortunately.
I had the three power window motors that went on my 98 GS and the three that went out on my MOm's 98 GS done at the dealership under the extended warranty. If I remember right they were about $500 each on the bill but some of that could have been because they were getting to charge it off to the extended warranty. In case you didn't see my earlier post, I finally traded my GS for an 03 Accord EX-V6 leather and I really like it so far.
pinetta,
I had two pan gaskets and finally a new pan put on mine. I don't remember the cost exactly but it was pretty substantial. I think I shredded most of the bills when I traded the car but I'll check and see. If I don't have it my Mom still has her 98 GS and she has had two pan gaskets put on it so I can check with her on the cost. It was also done at the dealership on extended warranty so it might be a little higher than what you would pay.
kdawg
I got that replaced on my car when it was purchased. It was leaking when it had all of 19,000 miles on it (nice huh?). I don't know cost, but it took about 40 dollars worth of parts and 5 hours of shop labor, in the words of the service dept manager when he told me what they had to do. It's not as simple as just replacing the gasket. Since this is a "modern car", you have to remove a bunch of other stuff (including having the front end realigned) in order to do the job.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Anyway, I have a '98 GS with 79K miles and no problems whatsoever. The car has just been incredible. Would I buy another one? If I had the cash, I would buy five.
there are motor mounts in the way... you have to lift the engine some 8 inches... then there is an oil pick up and other clearance issues...
it pays a mechanic 5 hours...
I had one done in under 3 in my garage...
well... here is how to do it...
jack the car up... yes... it’s against auto 101... but use only 1 jack... you need the room to move around... remove the passenger front wheel... remove belts... pull off ac compressor... drain oil... an replace oil pan plug... CAREFULLY... pull the oil level sensor out... straight and GENTALLY!!!! This is a $50 sensor... Then, there are some plastic panels that need to come off to get to all the oil pan bolts... The oil pan bolts are 10mm... but a 3/8 seems to grip better... pull off as many oil pan screws as possible... you should be able to get them all ... air tools are your friend here... now... to get clearance to move the pan out.. remove all the dog bones... place the jack under the pan with a piece of wood between the jack and the pan... and lift the engine... lift the engine high enough to get the lower motor mount out... this is held in with 4 bolts two on top 2 on bottom 15mm bolts IIRC then.. put about 6-8 inches of wood between the frame and balance pulley...(the big bottom one) this is to hold up the engine... now lower the jack... grab a 15mm ratchet wrench... and take off the motor mount bolts on either side of the block... there are 5... (small hands required) now work the pan out... careful of the oil pick up...
now... that the pan is out... clean the pan, and the engine’s gasket seat... use a drying agent like brake cleaner, carb cleaner, or paint thinner to clean the gasket seat... put the new gasket in... But, prep the gasket first... There are 4 sides to the gasket... long and short... (front and back) on the 2 short sides and about 2 inches into the long sides going around the bends... apply RTV sealant... use a blue RTV sealant so you can see what you are doing... don’t be stingy... then put the gasket up... then the metal motor mount then the pan... then put the pan up... then put RTV on every bolt and put them in... torque the bolts to ~120in lbs starting front the center bolt alternating sides with each torque in a circular alternating pattern... put everything else back... replace motor mount side bolts... lower the engine the same way you raised it... then lower bolts... put the oil level sensor back... CAREFULLY to 9-11FTlbs... Replace harness... then dog bones... then replace your oil filter... then make sure you didn’t leave anything off... like plastic panels... replace belts... and add 4 and a half quarts of oil... replace the wheel... lower the car and try her out!
1. The front windshied fogs up when starting the car. Whether the engine is cold or hot, that darn foggy film will appear. Sure, I can hit a switch and it goes away in a couple minutes. But I shouldn't have to do that again and again and again and... This is the third time this requires attention.
2. The outside temperature gauge gives false information. It could be 95 degrees outside but it will read 70 degrees. Doesn't effect the HVAC system, but it is an annoyance. This will be the fourth time I 'll have this attended to.
I'll be taking the car in this week for its final warranty period check-up and I'll have these problems corrected. I'd like to get one more year out of this car. Come next year, I'll be looking at a higher end SUV or along the lines of an M45. Overall, I'm pleased with the cars performance and general comfort level. But fit an finish are still a distant second to the Japanese cars (yes, even those made in America).
Drain completely the radiator coolant and replace with new coolant.
Drain the auto transmission fluid and replace the filter and add new auto trans fluid
Drain completely and replace new brake fluid.
Thoughts about these items and things that I should be aware of.
Thanks
The rear points are the same design but don't seem to collapse, probably due to the lower weight of that end of the vehicle.
Thanks...
If you go to Iridium plugs, the ones I took out of my 2002GS are [ ITR4A 15 ]...ACDelco Part# 12568387...Gap at [.060]
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav
Geez, I always thought that Lacrosse was Canada's national sport. Maybe the Regal name will live on in Canada? Or do they have to come up with some other name after spending a few million?
I happened to see new white Regal parked in the street and another almond color on the highway and really caught my eye. What good looking car this is!
What is the going price for LS and GS with rebates now a days? Any of
you guys bought one lately??
I've been thinking of trading my 2000 Sable S.W. for a sedan. I also researched the Hyundai Sonata but I'm unsure really.
Also, it's great to see CU giving Regal it's top reliability rating after giving it a low road test rating years ago.
But, if you want a real performance car that is fun to drive fast, keep considering the RegalGS...I stress the GS...And there are a lot of things you can do to the car that will make it even faster and quicker...
I just visited the GM's Buick web site and took a good look at the models, features, specs, price and rebates by region.
According to my calculations, I could get an '04 LS for $22.5 after rebates. I might get between $8000 and $9000 for my Merc Sable on trade. The difference is too big.
You said Regal sales are down over 50%. I'm just curious where you got your data from. Not just in here but in other rooms people cite figures like this and I was wondering where yours might be coming from. I'm not arguing with you at all, mind you, as with even the Buick dealer where I purchased mine (used) 2.5 years ago they do not currently have a new GS on the lot, nor have they had a used one in 9 months - so I was told. As I've said in posts before, I think the potential of the car is great, but apparently the population of this chat room is the extent of those who think so and are willing to buy one.
Ironic to read that the Regal is now the #1 car in the reliability department whereas mine has had more problems than Trident gum has had getting that fifth dentist to go along with the other four. The Camry is/was supposed to be #1 for the past 57 years and I've had more than one friend complain about the engine oil gelling issue that you can read a volume or two about online.
Thanks
P.S. - To "digmyregal"...when I bought my 98 Regal, the climate control module had to be replaced by the dealer. I had the same issue you did with it blowing two different temps of air from pass/driver sides no matter the setting on the display screen. Maybe you can luck out and find an intermediate repair step that saves you having to get the whole shooting match done, but that was my experience with it. Don't quote me on this, but back in 2001 I was told it was "about" $500 to change it out. Maybe others can back this price up or shoot it down, but that's all I know. Luckily, it has performed well since the repair. A pity it can't be as simple as a few circular control knobs versus the complicated effort it is now. But that's just the rambling of a 30-something who believes in using the "KISS" philosophy whenever possible :-)
Under News..Production Data
Does car just shut off or what happens...Is it at Wide open Throttle???...
I feel my 3.8L engine is just not powerful when accelerating, although it runs great when cruising. With average driving/acceleration, the first shift of transmission happens around 17-20 mph and the second comes quickly at around 25-30 mph. After the second shift, it appears to be impossible to make the engine run above 3500rpm even with the accelerator pushed to the floor (the engine sounds pretty harsh at this time but acceleration is just so so). I feel the engine works hard but just cannot speed up the heavy body quickly and easily. What the problem could be? Any suggestions?
Another test I just did was accelerating the car from stop by pushing the accelerator to the floor. The engine reached 4000+ rpm but, again, I felt the acceleration was not as quick and easy as a 3.8L 6-cyl should do.
Would it be necessary to take the car to a Buick dealer for check?
Thanks!
They replaced my ignition switch and it hasn't happened again.
Good luck
Someone mentioned upgrading the ECM chip and the muffler. However he expresses concerns about making those upgrades because my car has over 130,000 miles on it.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I’d like to get up to the 240 hp range.
Also, please settle a debate we’re having: Does greater horsepower increase or decrease fuel mileage (same # of cylinders)?
Thanks for any suggestions.
http://www.holley.com/nosnitrous/index.html
However, this will place greater stress on your engine and driveline components, something not many would recommend at 130,000 miles. Course if you found a somewhat new motor and trans at a junkyard and found someone who would do the swap, that might be the most cost effictive way of reaching that 240HP. Especially if the swap came out of a newer Regal GS.
Does greater HP increase/decrease fuel mileage?
Regal GS 240Hp 18/28 mpg
Regal LS 200Hp 20/30 mpg
If this eventually seems like it might be your problem, you'll have to find a dealer that has one of these high falutin' gizmos to test your car on. Make sure they do it while you're under warranty (noted you have 23k miles) juuuust to make sure it's not something else, like steering components or other front-end components lurking about. In my area, it costs about $40 - 50 to have your tires/rims analyzed.
I'm not trying to jump the gun and give you the $1,000 answer to what may very well be a $50 problem, but if you and your shop follow trial and error and nothing works, keep this in the back of your mind as something to perhaps mention.
My dealer was having this problem with a car with 7k miles on it at the same time I was having my issues, so age/wear isn't necessarily cause #1. If it turns out to be something tire or rim based, you will likely have to have a set of tires/rims "radially forced balanced" to "fit" your car. I know all that sounds like I've put gin on my morning cereal instead of milk, but I got to watch a guy test out 8 tires to find 4 that would work, when they finally figured out why I was vibrating...at speeds above 45 - 50 mph.
I don't wish this upon you buddy, but in case anyone else out there has a car bedeviling you in a similar fashion, grab a pitchfork and head down to your local GM dealership and get them to work on it asap ;-)
The cure on Cadillacs was to install Michelins, which have a better track record for tires that crush the same amount all the way around. The different in the amount of crush with the same weight on the wheel causes the axle to move up and down the same as an unbalanced tire would do.
The Buick dealer did this with my LeSabre, 2 times. He also rechecked the alignment, which had an excessive toe problem. I had commented that the ride was smooth except when accelerating up a long interstate hill in Tennessee after the first force balance at 2500. Then when I rotated the tires at 7000 miles, the feel was back. My worse tire (12) is on the left front. That's well within tolerance. I'm used to the X-Ones on my 98 LeSabre which are "perfect" on that car, smooth and forgiving. I think the symmetrys on the new car aren't as good as the X-Ones.
A good Buick dealer where the service manager will talk to you about problems they have found should be able to help you. Might have to pay for an alignment at 20K but getting the thing smoothed out shouldn't be impossible.
Good luck. BTW you can check to see if your dealer has a Hunter 9700 force balancer at hunter.com. There is a box in the upper right hand corner to click to look up a list of stores/repair shops in your area that have the machine. Even out joint vocational school has one sitting next to a standard balancer.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,