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http://redpowermagazine.com/uploads/upload.cgi/Buicklineup0004.jp- g
Left to right 85 T-Type,86 T-Type,91 Limited,98 GS,and 00 LS.We live in the country so they werent too clean when I took the picture.We stil own all of them except for the 98 GS which was traded for the 02 Rendezvous CXL AWD pictured below.
http://redpowermagazine.com/uploads/upload.cgi/Rendezvous1.jpg
We are very dissapointed with the 02 Rendezvous.It has the underpowered intake gasket leaking 3400 V-6 in it plus in the last month we have gone thru(2)BCM's on it.Some RDV owners are already on their 6th BCM.Ours is out of factory warranty on 3-23-04 and it may be going down the road.
We starting running Buick Regals in 1984 and they were always very dependable.The worst thing we ever had happen was a power window motor.
By the way if you own a 3.1 or 3.4 GM V-6 powered vehicle please read this to save your self some problems.
http://www.gm-v6lemons.com/
I was recently on a Venture owners website that has nearly 300 owners with intake gasket problems.I was on another website that had tons of complaints of leaking 3.1-3.4 intakes.The poor Venture owners seem to take the worst of it.
All 2000-2003 3800 GM owners had a recall for potential leaky intake gasket problems and you dont see much problems with them on the internet.We just had our 2000 LS Regal in the shop for this recall.
We have driven 3.8-3800 V-6 Buicks for years with very few problems.One of the greatest engines ever built.
Thanks
My son just bought an '03 Century with the 3.1L V6 (Hertz rental return). 23k miles. The first day he had it I took it in to have the Dex-cool changed out (still under warranty, so didn't convert to green stuff). There was some yellowish crud at the top of the radiator filler neck, but overflow tank was clean, as was the original coolant. An optimist on the Century Townhall guessed the crud was probably stop-leak that GM put in.
Anyway, I'm curious; is there any chance GM has improved on their notorious plastic intake manifold gaskets installed at the factory since '01 on the 3.1L and 3.4L engines?
Curious to know if anyone has experienced a dash rattle (over bumps/uneven payment) that seems to be coming from the top of the dashboard on the passenger side. It's driving me nuts and if someone has already bagged a fix for it, I'd like to know. Many thanks,
-jbm
What GM will do is replace the engine throttle body fasteners with redesigned fasteners and add cooling system sealent to the radiator tank at no charge thru July 31,2005.If you have already paid to have this corrected before 8-8-03 then they will reinburse you for parts,labor,fees,and taxes.
The 2004's must be OK from the factory?
I find it strange that GM recall's the 3800's for potential intake leaks when the 3.1's and 3.4's are having far-far more problems.I can literally find thousands of them on the internet.For ever one thats mentioned on the internet there 100's,maybe 1000's that arent.
Heres a service bulletin dated March 2003 about the 3.1-3.4 intake gasket problem.It tells about the new improved gasket which they say still has the same part # as the old one.I have heard that most every 3.1-3.4 GM V-6 built from 1995 to Oct 2003 has the potential for a leaking intake gasket.Some will leak while others never will.
http://www.gm-v6lemons.com/gmservbull.pdf
Our 2000 LS Regal has the famous dash rattle too.It comes and goes.It drives my wife crazy.
The tablets are about the size of a quarter and 1/2 inch thick. Somewhere I had read what they contained to act as a sealant.
I have changed the coolant in my 98 two times and I wondered if some of the sealer may have been flushed out. Plus the intake manifold and gasket had been replaced. I bought the tablets and put 2 into the tank while the car was hot.
I feel it will seal a minor seep somewhere.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
--------------------------------------------------------------
I have researched this matter for you and I do not have information on any planned changes to the intake manifold gasket.
Parts can not be replaced under the 36,000-mile/36 month warranty unless there is a manufacturers defect on that part.
In regards to changing the engine coolant, I have found the following in the owner's manual under section 5-23 and 5-24.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled with DEX-COOL® engine coolant. This coolant is designed to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles (240 000 km), whichever occurs first, if you add only DEX-COOL® extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how to add coolant when it is low. A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL coolant will:
o Give freezing protection down to -34 F (-37 C).
o Give boiling protection up to 265 F (129 C).
o Protect against rust and corrosion.
o Help keep the proper engine temperature.
o Let the warning lights and gages work as they should.
Notice: When adding coolant, it is important that you use only DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to the system, premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the engine coolant will require change sooner - at 30,000 miles (50,000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the use of coolant other than DEX-COOL is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean, drinkable water and one-half DEX-COOL coolant which won't damage aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture, you don't need to add anything else.
CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the proper coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant warning system is set for the proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot but you wouldn't get the overheat warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or others could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Notice: If you use an improper coolant mixture, your engine could overheat and be badly damaged. The repair cost wouldn't be covered by your warranty. To much water in the mixture can freeze and crack the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year, have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice: If you use the proper coolant, you don't have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to improve the system. These can be harmful.
I hope that this is of assistance to you. I have created a file to document your inquiry, please refer to file 1-''''''''' when corresponding about this matter.
If you should need to contact us in the future, simply reply to this message or call our Buick Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-521-7300. Customer Relationship Managers are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Again, thank you for contacting Buick.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Bastian
Customer Relationship Manager
Buick Customer Assistance Center
Anyway, the conclusion of the study was that dex-cool does what it was designed to do. The problem seems to be that when it gets contaminated it gels and becomes toxic to the gaskets, heater core, ect. I'm sorry that I can't remember more about the specifics (I read it about 3 years ago) but it seems that when it goes bad something grows (organic?) in it. The main cause of this contamination was traced to a few things. Air getting into the system (as stated above), topping your radiator with reg. antifreeze, and RUST.
It seems they found that the underside of the radiator caps were the major cause of this. The advice was to replace the caps when even a slight amount of discoloration was found. I think they even had a recall on some early GMs that first used the stuff. I'm not sure what kind of caps the newer Regals have (I'm a '00 Intrigue owner thinking of getting an LS). I know that the Intrigue has a plastic cap and I've got 80,000mi. on it with no problems with the antifreeze or cooling system. I'd say that you should check the level of the dex-cool every time you check your oil and keep it full at all times. I also wouldn't mix dex-cool with "drinking" water and instead use a 50/50 pre mixed dex-cool. Just my $.02.
Guess this isn't much help without the artical, as I'm not that good at explaining things. I'll give it a good look tomorrow and post the link if I can find it.
As long as I'm here, I'm thinking of buying a used LS Regal and wondered if you good folks have any advice? They have some '03 in the paper out here for about $13,000 with 25 - 30Kmi on them. Its between a LS and another Intrigue but I'm not having much luck locating the Olds. Am I right to assume that if an LS has alloy wheels that it comes with the touring package? I've looked at tons of LS listings and they never list the GT package as an option, but some have wheel covers and some have alloy wheels. Also, if it's two tone paint does it have the Abboud(sp) package. I won't get one unless it has the stiffer suspension. Thanks for any advice. Hope to be a regular if I can find the right LS.
There there is the infamous Toyota red coolant. Love it, can't tell the diff between the coolant and the PS fluid or tranny fluid if a leak develops.
Ah, brilliant minds!!!!
The key is don't leave the stuff in there for a long time. Change it two years or 24000 miles. The stuff is relatively cheap.
Be sure the radiator is filled completely at the cap, not just the reservoir. There's something about air present that had caused breakdown of the coolant. Imagine coolant blasting past an air entrapment and mixing with it all the time the engine is running and hot.
I'd recheck for the full level after a few days of driving to be sure any trapped air from the heat core isn't still in the radiator cap area.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Also Bob de-contented the 2003 as he did throughout GM.
Thanks for the advice. Sorry I haven't been able to find the link about Dex Cool but I'll check with my brother to see if he still has it. Thanks again.
...And you can always install your own Gran Touring Supension after you buy...New sway bars, strut tower braces, and traction control arms...You get all the parts at WWW.gmpartsdirect.com
Very inexpensive upgrade...
As for doing it my self, not my thing. I'll change my own oil, filters, and brakes, but that's about it. I'll start a new search for a '02 LS tomorrow and keep my hopes up that I might find a nice '02 Intrigue or Aurora.
coonhound: Thanks again for the info on the '02 vs the '03. I guess Bob can be pretty sneaky. Later.
By the way, the switch is made in Mexico, the headlight assemblies are made in England, and the car was built in Canada. Is there anything on this U.S. car made in the U.S.? No wonder there is so much unemployment in this country!
My opinion is that I feel better with The old tough 3.8 push rod engine. The 3.5 is great but I have concerns that if it ever has a problem I'll have to mortgage the house to pay for the repair. The 3.8 made Wards ten best two years in a row, and the 3.5 only made it once. The 3.5 is smoother and quieter and has the higher rpm torque curve that most people like. But the 3.8 has a better low end torque. I was surprised to find that the 3.8 spec is for 10/30 oil. I didn't know that GM recommended anything other than 5/30. As a result the Buick gets about 1 to 2 mpg less than the Intrigue with 5/30 Mobil 1. Also the Regal was rated #1 in mid sized sedan reliability by Consumers Bible, surpassing the camcords and Maxima.
My vote by a small margin is for the Regal.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As for the searching, not much luck so far. A ton of '03 LS rentals that don't look to bad. None have the GT suspension. Many don't have ABS or traction control. That's a must for my neck of the woods (central NY). The thing I find very odd is that there are very very few '02 Regals or Intrigues to be found. Took a test drive in an Aurora on Sunday. Nice riding car but was surprised at how small the trunk was compared to the Intrigue. No fold down rear seats either. I have to admit if I could find a 4.0 with low mi. in good shape, I would be tempted. What ever I end up with, it will have to be soon. Want to take it to NC for vacation in early April. Hope I don't have to compromise too much. I'll keep you posted.
Verdi942; that reminds me of when I used to go down to Verdi Valley from Flagstaff on the weekends just to warm up. But moving along, The GT package is standard on the GS, and is in fact a little more beefed up than the LS Gran Touring package. The gran touring package has larger rotors but are not ventilated as you report the GS are. We got to stop that turbo power once we get it goin. As I see it the gran touring suspension is just about like the Intrigue standard suspension. GM supposedly purchased Carbon shock Mfg. in France for the Intrigue's shocks and struts. The French have the ride and control down as evidenced by the rid of the Renault, Peugeot, and Citron. The rest of the car ?????????.
Up until then I wasn't much of a fan of extd warranties, but with the cost of auto repairs going the way of medical bills, it's almost as if you have to have some sort of coverage in the same way you have to have medical insurance.
Sometimes they have promotions at warrantydirect.com. There's a link from the Edmunds home page ("Get a free extended warranty quote"). When we signed up they had a $100 discount, but that was a few years ago. I'd be curious if there are any better deals out there with different companies these days. Be careful, though. You need to be comfortable that the company you pick will still be there for the entire term of your agreement.
The big surprise is that I hit pay dirt today. I was out working at Syracuse University (about an hour away from home) and when I left I took a wrong turn and got lost. When I found the right road I noticed a small Chevy dealership and pulled in to see if they had any Intrigues or Regals. A salesman was on me before I had my car in park. Asked him if he had an '01 or '02 Regal. He had one that had just come in yesterday. An '01 LS. It had 16" alloy wheels and when I checked the options sticker it listed the GT package. It also had every other option you could get including the monsoon stereo, on star, and heated leather seats. It's a two tone paint (sliver/gray) and when I asked him how many miles it had I couldn't believe my ears. Just 10,700. Ran a carfax on it. One owner lease. Clean. Took it out for a drive. What a great car. Needless to say I took the wife back after work so she could test drive it. She LOVED it. Crunched the numbers and traded in my 95 Mazda with 144Kmi on it. I'm picking it up tomorrow night after work. I can't believe that after a month of looking all over I stumbled on this car by mistake and in less that 2 days the whole deal is done. Guess its better to be lucky than good sometimes. Hope it turns out to be a good car. They're trying to sell me an extended warranty with it from a company called Heritage Plus Warranty Insurance. About $1300 for 75,000mi bumper to bumper (0 deduct). They didn't have a copy of the contract and I never heard of this company before. Says I have to buy it when I take delivery of the car. Anyone ever heard of them? The cost seem to be about the same as Warranty Direct or 1Source. Can't find out much about them on the web or BBB. If the dealer gives me some time to think it over I might go with them, but not tomorrow.
Well thanks again everyone. The advice has been priceless. Sorry the link for the dex cool has to be typed. For some reason I couldn't paste it as a highlighted link. Hope it helps. Later
I'm glad you found a fine Buick LS with all the whistles. The wife,s does not have heated seats and on star but has all the frivolous stuff, dimming heated mirrors, lighted vanity mirrors, driver side airbag, traction control, tire pressure monitor, auto temp control dual, and the mileage monitor. And probably some more stuff I haven't found yet.
Thinking of an extended warranty for the new (to me) Regal. 1Source looks like the best all around deal. Anyone have any experience with them or other companies? Talked to a few macanichs who said they haven't had much luck dealing with 3rd party warranties. I'm a little gun shy to spend $1,200 just to buy a headache. Any thoughts?
Heh, yeah, I guess it was under repair ... under repair from a host who clicked a few things too quickly, but said host would be happy if we would not go there.
Except my problem was just the idle pulley seizing and hence shredding the belt (nothing wrong with the supercharger and pulley).
My car is still under warranty so it was fixed without charge, but I was disappointed because the Regals (specifically the 2002 and 03) have been getting very good reliability reviews.
The mechanic said he believed it was "an assembly error" and "someone [in the manufacturing plant] probably didn't tighten a bolt well enough." Gasp, that's encouraging.
I encourage all Regal owners (on their next maintenance visit) have the mechanic inspect all the pullies and belts. Luckily this mishap didn't happen on (say) a highway.
Other than that I've had very good luck with my Regal. I love my car but I still have 3 years left on the loan and I WANT THAT CHRYSLER 300C!!!!
Let me see, different suspension, different body, different sound control different steering, different fit-n-finish... sounds like a new design to me.
You're trying to say the 1999 LeSabre (I have a 98) is the same as 2003 LeSabre (I have an 03) because they have the same name and 3800 engine it therefore cannot be a new car. My 03 drives completely differently from the 98.
Is the LaCrosse design a new design or reworked? Someone can give us a definitive answer. I'd expect the LaCrosse to use the technology of the current LeSabre just as the LeSabre adopted and improved the Park Avenue from 1998 redesign.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The LaCrosse is a new design. Different from the 02. It looks like a Park Avenue graceful design crossed with some of the Volvelike boxiness of the LeSabre. (Any 3800 enginewith the strength it has in a boxy look that can give 33 mpg at 72 mph with three passengers and luggage on a trip to Nashville has my support.)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Have a 120k miles (yes miles) on the car & the struts are original.
Has anybody changed these... what did you use as replacments? GM, Monroe,Koni etc?
Ed