Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Buick Regal Problem

bazza99_99bazza99_99 Member Posts: 3
edited April 2014 in Buick
I own a 1993 Buick Regal which has approximately
70,000 on the clock. Recently we started having a
problem whereby the car would stop without any
warning. The engine would just 'die'. The engine
could be cranked but would not fire until the car
had been standing for about 5-10 minutes. It
appeared to be a fuel starvation problem that only
occured every 2-3 weeks.
The car has been serviced regularly and I was
initially told that the fuel pump was suspect. I
replaced both the fuel pump and the filter, and the
fuelline filter. At the same time I also made sure
that the tank was clean before reinstalling. It
ran fine for 2 weeks and then stopped again without
warning.
Has anybody else experienced a similar problem
with this make/model ? My gut feeling is a fuel
'chip' problem......but would like a second (or
third) opinion before proceeding. Any advice would
be greatly appreciated. Thanks
«13

Comments

  • mfrancis3mfrancis3 Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem with a 1990 buick regal.....I had several fuel filters put on before I finally put a new fuel pump on.............that did the trick.....no more problems........Before I replaced the pump it would run great....then shut down for no reason....then 5 or 10 min later it was ready to run again....maybe 1 week at a time.....Mechanic thought it was fuel filter until He had to come and tow me one day and he finally changed the pump.....still running after 34,000 more miles.
  • bazza99_99bazza99_99 Member Posts: 3
    Mike, thanks for the response but I have already changed the fuel pump.....and the problem still persists..........of cousre the new fuel pump could also be suspect !! Thanks
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    I had a similar problem with an 88 Dodge Ram Charger. While driving the engine would just die and I would have to pull off the side of the road and wait 5 minutes - would crank but would not start. After 5 minutes I could start it and no problem, could continue on. However, my problem was happening more than just every week. Did not have a problem in the morning when it was cooler but in the afternoon coming home the problem occurred frequently. Problem ended up being the electronic pickup sensor in the distributor. When it got hot it would quit working - 5 minutes later it would be cooled down enough to restart.

    Many years ago also had a similar problem with a 75 Mustang - but only in the summer on a real hot day when the engine compartment would get real hot which caused the computer to overheat and quit working. Let it sit around for about 10-15 minutes and it would restart.

    Go to the parts store or talk to your mechanic. See if there is something expensive inyou could put on a spark plug wire to see if it is firing. The next time the problem occurs have someone crank the engine while you check to see if you are getting fire (spark) to the plugs. If you are it is not an ignition electrical problem. If it does not fire you have an ignition problem and not a fuel problem. HAPPY HUNTING AND GOOD LUCK.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    Sorry - I meant see if they had something inexpensive to check firing of the ignition system.
  • bobs5bobs5 Member Posts: 557
    On one of the tv car programs, they showed a device which is installed between the spark plug and the spark plug wire to show if a spark is present when the engine is cranked over.
    Looked like a safe way to check for spark without getting zapped.
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    I thought they had something like this. This should be inexpensive and could be used to confirm if the ignition system is powered up or if there is a fuel problem. Don't fool around and get shocked by these electronic ignition systems. I was hit by one many years ago. Went in my hand and out my shoulder into the hood. Man - My Shoulder Hurt - Was like getting hit by a hammer.
  • bobs5bobs5 Member Posts: 557
    Talk about getting zapped. Years ago my cousin got zapped by an oil furnace transformer. It threw him back about 15 feet. Yikes!
  • andyzandyz Member Posts: 1
    In response to bazza99 re: Buick engine stall.
    I had the exact same problem on my '91 Regal. After a lot of effort I found the vacuum hose to the fuel pressure regulator to be porous. That's why it stalls when hot and is erratic. Change it! It's simple, cheap, and you'll solve your problem!
  • 1616440716164407 Member Posts: 1
    I had a similar problem with my '94 Dodge Dakota stalling on deceleration and idling. I found a Technical Service Bulletin, #181694, dated Aug. 94
    covering the problem and took it down to the dealer for repair. They dug up the bulletin, replaced the defective part, #53030657AC Motor, and I've had no problem since.
    Check the Recall bulletins on the Regal.
  • mac57mac57 Member Posts: 1
    The mechanic thought I was crazy when I keep complaining that my 1990 Buick Regal would die (without reason) in the middle of traffic. He could not find anything wrong with the car so it became a case of trial and error. Over the next two months, he replaced the starter, fuel filter/pump, alternator and then finally the computer. The last step (computer) fixed the problem. Luckly I was still cover under the car dealership 12 month warranty so I did not have to foot the bill for all those repairs. Good luck, I know how frustrating this can be.
  • bkoutbkout Member Posts: 4
    I bought a 2000 Regal GS. I love the power and all the options I received for $27500 out the door. However, the dash board has a rattle that gets louder when three or more people are in the car and especially when I am accelerating. I also have a power front seat that shifts a 1/4 inch. Has anyone else had similar experiences and what did your dealer do?
  • lkohnlkohn Member Posts: 13
    The dash rattle seems to be a problem for almost everyone with a Regal, my '99 rattles too. If you go to the regular Buick Regal board you'll see a lot of posts about rattling dashes. As far as the loose front seat, haven't heard or experienced any problems with the seats. Have your dealer investigate the problem, your seats should not be loose.
  • ben49ben49 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a '00 GS with everything but the chrome wheels. Awesome car, very fast, handles well and a lot of features for the money. However, after 3k miles the "service engine soon" warning light showed up. Dealer upgraded ELM module and problem solved. Has anyone else had this occur? I traded my '96 Camry v6 for this Regal GS will I be happy 3 years from now or what??
  • i30owneri30owner Member Posts: 17
    No you won't be happy. I had a 95 Park avenue for 4 years and it was a typical GM experience, brake cylinders, brake master cylinder, window motor, electrical problems, battery all in 56,000 miles. The constant velocity joints were also in the process of failing and would have cost another $400 to fix. I was a religions buyer of only american cars and only bought GM, Ford or Chrysler for over 30 years - would not even walk onto the foreign lots. Finally got fed up with the games they played and went onto a foreign lot and bought a foreign car. There is no comparison in quality, etc. I did not know what a good car was. You should through your toyota experience.
  • gnagelgnagel Member Posts: 3
    I'm currently having a similiar problem with a "92 Bonneville. Most of the time, the problem is not stalling, but not starting. It will fire but not start. Doesn't seem to be an electrical problem. If I let it sit for 15 minutes, then it will usually start. Am considering going the route of replacing the fuel pump. Any other ideas?
  • stepankstepank Member Posts: 2
    1. Try to make tune up
    2. or it can be ignition module.
  • bkoutbkout Member Posts: 4
    I'm sorry for repeating myself but my dash is driving me nuts. The dealer says they can not reproduce the rattle sound. It seems to occur when I have the heat on, when it is cooler outside, and when I have a couple people in the car. Has anyone had this problem fixed and what is the exact source of the noise? What should I tell the dealer to listen for and how should I describe the rattle noise? Also, I'm beginning to think that the dealer does not want to take the dash apart to do warranty work. I base this on work I had done on a loose front seat. The first time I brought it into the dealer, they said that the seats are supposed to shift a little. The second time they replaced the the loose tracks.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    I had the same problem with my Regal. When I took it into the dealer, the tech claimed it was the loose change in the ashtray! that answer sent me over the edge...so I emptied the ashtray and took tech for a test drive. The rattle came and went and he coudn't find the source...so they sprayed some foam from the bottom into the general area of the rattle. After the odor subsided, there was no rattle. BTW it seems that this is a common problem with the Regal GS since its inception in mid '97. You would think that they would have fixed it by now.
  • cgs500cgs500 Member Posts: 1
    I had the problem with my regal stalling. I took it to the dealership and they ran a diagnostic. It turned out the injectors were the problem. They had high restistance and would cause the computer to heat up and it would shut down. I replaced the injectors and haven't had a problem since.
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    Hi everyone. Let me tell you about some of my problems.I own a 99 Regal
    GSE.I have some minor dash rattles but only when it is warm outside.My passenger side window motor burned out,but was replaced under
    warranty.Recently my automatic climate control
    display is hard to read when I first start the car
    but after the car warms up a little the display is normal.Has anyone else experienced this problem?
  • bkoutbkout Member Posts: 4
    The dealer seems to have solved my dash rattle problem. His exact words on the service report were " Poor line routing. Locate and rerout a/c evap line." I hope this helps others with rattle problem.
  • johncmtjohncmt Member Posts: 1
    Hm, I had the exact same problem with the digital display for the climate control. Eventually, it got worse and worse to the point that I could not read it at ALL for up to 20 minutes after starting the car. The dealer replaced the whole display unit under warranty. I've had no more problems since.
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    Thanks for the info on the climate control display.
    I will have my dealer look at it when I go in for my oil change.
  • mkdixonmkdixon Member Posts: 1
    I also bought a Regal GS...new in 1995 loaded with everything except chrome wheels.

    Same thing happened with the Service Engine Soon light...changed the ELM module under warranty and never had another problem

    Mine has 105,000 miles, five years old and it's in pristine condition. Never had any problem with the car except routine maintenance...very happy and will try to keep it another 100,000 miles. I only bought it back then because I drove a Buick Skyhawk for 150,000 with no problems and thought I'd keep the loyality...I'm glad I did.

    You will be happy in three years I'm sure...so don't worry.
  • beckblombeckblom Member Posts: 2
    In regards to the squeaking dash- I had a similar problem with my 1998 GS. The dealer fixed it saying it was some sort of sensor rubbing against the dash applique. Now I only have creaks over jarring bumps that seem to come from the cupholder and the rearview mirror.
  • awu1awu1 Member Posts: 1
    I AM THINKING OF PURCHASING A 92 REGAL LIMITED 4 DR WITH OPTION 3.8L WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON ANNUAL SERVICE AND REPAIR COST. IT HAS GOT 70K MILES ON IT. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TROUBLES AHEAD? ANY DOS AND DON'TS? ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS?

    THANK YOU!
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    awul,

    Have you posted this question in the Sedans conference? There are many Regal owners there who have the info you need and I think you will get more responses there.

    This conference focuses on existing maintenance problems or general maintenance issues.

    Your host, Bruce
  • julieijuliei Member Posts: 5
    We bought a 1993 Regal GS as a demo with 4,500 mile on it. It was great for 70,000 miles. No dash rattles or anything -- great "get-up-and-go".
    After 70,000 the problems started. We've replaced the rack & pinion (don't know how to spell that), power steering pump, alternator, water pump, $500 for a/c, and the steering still hisses at me. The blinkers are on the fritz, and at the bottom of one particular exit ramp the blink sound is very loud - like it is amplified. Doesn't happen anywhere else or all of the time. Now the a/c is cold, but doesn't have a lot of air coming out.

    I still love the pep when you step on the gas, but I'm tired of the problems. We also wouldn't buy a foreign car, but my next purchase (next week) will be a Toyota.

    Does anyone have any idea why my blinkers would sound amplified at the bottom of one exit ramp???
  • twin00citytwin00city Member Posts: 1
    I might as well add my list of woes about my GS..

    Broken gas gauge (ran out of gas once!)

    Broken power window switch on passenger side.

    Dead battery (no lights were left on)

    Intermittent electrical short that causes all gauge lights to flicker or just go out .

    Bad passenger air bag.

    Did I mention that this car just eats tires 2nd set in 45K miles is almost gone (it can't be my lead foot)

    Other than these minor things I still love this car and its power.

    greg
  • cunniffscunniffs Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Regal GS which I love (5000 miles), but which was driving me crazy with a dash sqeak. Every little "eek-eek-eek" over every little bump seemed to be a nasty message from the UAW saying to me, "[non-permissible content removed]! You should have bought an import!" But, GOOD NEWS! I FOUND THE SOURCE AND FIXED IT! Look under the dash where the center console rises to merge with the dash proper (on either side of the flip-up door compartment containing the ashtray. There is a black retaining screw -- one on each side. The driver's side screw was tight, but the passenger side screw was barely set into the socket at all. I tighted it, and VOILA! No sqeak! (At least until something else loosens up!) I'd be delighted in hearing about anyone else's successful "hunts" for the sources of sqeaks and rattles, because they really spoil the enjoyment of what is otherwise a great car.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Did you ever have the FAMOUS a/c start up when turning off engine problem. It will absolutely kill your battery everytime around. Fortunately, there is a TSB for it...
  • edregaledregal Member Posts: 1
    Our 1992 Regal shakes or bucks a bit when it is idling, for example when waiting at a traffic light. It helps if you gun the engine a little bit, to fool it into not thinking it is actually standing still. One enterprising young mechanic decided an engine mount was at fault, which he replaced but this had no effect. Some people have suggested a faulty fuel pump. Any ideas or experience with this? It's been going on for some time with no detectable other effects.
  • jlkiljlkil Member Posts: 18
    ok. my '98 regal drives awful. the steering wheel has a "hard" feel to it when driving straight and a slight vibration when doing short turns, like changing lanes or going around a curve. It has 55K miles on it. I replaced the Eagle LS with regular Eagle tires.. no change... took it into dealer, they could not find anything wrong, shock, sway bars, etc ok. got a new set of Eagle front tires, no change.. surely I don't have to go back with the Eagle LS tires to make this car drive good. anyone else had this problem?
  • babywuzumbabywuzum Member Posts: 2
    I am looking to purchase on of Buick's Regal LS sedans. But I want to know is it even worth it any more? I mean all hear is here complain, complain I HEARD ENOUGH about the squeaky dashboardt but what else is there should I know about?I have $15,000 cash and want to know can I purchase a 99 LS for that type of money. Is it even worth it? Tell me more about the CPU problems also like the climate control and what ever more is out there
  • babywuzumbabywuzum Member Posts: 2
    Which is the better car and why? What exactly are heated seats and how do they work? And is the supercharged even worth it sounds like just more gas to me.
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Please remember that this conference is dedicated to folks having maintenance or repair issues with their vehicles, so it really stands to reason that this topic in this conference would be focused on complaints - that is why we are here!

    I suggest you take a look at this topic:

    Buick Regal

    in our Sedans conference. You should find a much more balanced viewpoint, lots more advice on whether the 99 LS can be had for that amount of money and on which model might be considered the "better" car. You can just click on that link to go directly to that topic.

    Good luck.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • baystaterbaystater Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Regal GS with approx. 29500 miles on it. My problem is the driver's side front speaker and the passenger rear speaker do not seem to be functioning (no sound from either). When I turn the engine off, periodically a buzzing sound comes out of the front driver's side speaker, even when in "mute mode". The dealer had the car for 3 days and could not come up with a diagnosis or fix. Has anyone else experience same or similar problem.

    Also, I had the same flickering of the dash problem, one time only, and the dealer could not replicate the problem so no fix....
  • toddexp24toddexp24 Member Posts: 1
    i bought a new regal gs on 11/99. since feb/00, the engine has stalled out 5 seperate times. each time it stalls, the engine loses all power, all the dash lights come on, and the speedometer goes up past 120, then back down. sometime the car will start back up coasting in neutral, and sometimes i have to park it. everytime but 1, the engine has stalled out on acceleration in traffic, twice almost causing an accident. the dealership has had it 5 time, put over 800 miles on it, and kept it for 13 days, and cannot find or duplicate the problem. the car is fine other than that small issue. anyone heard of this?
  • bporter1bporter1 Member Posts: 229
    I own a 99 Regal GSE and just had the oil changed at a regional tire chain.
    They told me that my tie rods are going bad, too much play in them side to side. The car has 14,000 miles on it and they suggested that I take it to my dealer for repair.
    Has anyone else experienced this problem?
  • mimsjw1mimsjw1 Member Posts: 1
    My wife's town and country van has the same problem. Have you been able to get your buick fixed
  • fiftysomethingfiftysomething Member Posts: 1
    Vehicle has approximately 17,000 miles and during road trips the "service vehicle soon", "anti-lock",and "trac-off", lights appear. Dealer to inspect again next week. First response last month was possibly the gasoline cap. Any information would be helpful before I visit the dealership again.
  • tsu670tsu670 Member Posts: 293
    '99 Regal LSE w/Gran Touring Suspension and 16" alloy wheels. Owner's manual says wheel nut torque s/b 100 ft lbs, but assume that is for stock steel wheels, not for softer alloys. Measured torque to be in 50-60 ft lb range (after 10k miles) when removing one of the wheels. Any ideas as to what torque should be on these wheels? Many thanks.
  • rbouchonrbouchon Member Posts: 1
    I'm just about to make a claim under the NC Lemon Law for a 1998 Buick Regal. I bought the car new and have had it in the shop 6 times for the same noise-problem. The "noise" comes only when the car is slowing down, between 17 and 16 mph. It's best described as a 1 second rough scrape-like sound. It goes away after the car has been in use for about 20-30 minutes, but comes back without fail whenever the car sits for 4-6 hours. Here's what the dealer has done so far.:

    1) replaced the cruise control module
    2) found and fixed a short in the ABS module
    3) replaced a solenoid in the transmission
    (they hooked up a bionic ear and heard the noise in the transmission....)
    4) replaced another solenoid..
    (this was a redesigned solenoid model recommended by a Detroit Buick engineer...)
    5) replaced ANOTHER solenoid...
    (who knows...)
    6) put in a new transmission!
    (if all else fails...)

    Guess what, the noise is still there.

    I'm talking with dealer management and Buick management now to see if I can settle without arbitration. I think I have a firm case for a Lemon Law claim in NC. I just wanted to see if anyone out here ever heard of this before. Buick sure doesn't seem to know how to fix it!!
  • peufanpeufan Member Posts: 53
    I know how much fun a Lemon can be.
    Mine was a '98 Intrigue.

    Don't know the lemon laws in NC, but wish
    you well.

    At this point, if the dealer isn't offering it,
    request that they put you in contact with
    the factory rep for Buick. They have some other fancy name for factory rep(which I forgot) but they know who you mean if you say "Lemon Law rep". This person is NOT
    an employee of the dealership.

    The dealer I dealt with (and even Olds customer service) were pretty evasive and
    kept trying to fix the car and kept refusing
    to put me in contact with the factory rep.

    I imagine you hate to hear this, but you may
    have to consider/hire a Lemon law attorney; I didn't, but that's just me.

    By the time the Olds factory rep dealt with me,
    he stated "I should have gotten this case
    a long time ago".

    Once I dealt with him, it was a breeze.

    I do know this though. If you are going to persue as a Lemon law issue, do NOT
    let them try and fix your car again.

    Once they fix it, (although, why should we think
    they could now, if they haven't in 6 trys...) they
    will tell you that they have satisfied the terms
    of the warranty and Lemon law no longer applies to this problem. But only if the problem goes away.

    Now your problem is different than mine in that when they fixed my car, the fix lasted about two months, then the problem came back.

    It seems like even if they do fix yours again, the noise probably won't go away.

    Point is, the car has to still be broken to persue Lemon law (at least here in California)
    so be careful what you let them do at this point
    (disclaimer: I am not an attorney, I'm only sharing what Olds told me back when I went
    thru this; use your own judgement...).

    Also, be sure you are still within mileage limits or whatever terms your state dictates as valid to persue the Lemon law (again, don't know
    what that is there).

    If GM does "repurchase" the car from you, they should offer you cash as one of your options. In my case, they paid me, the price
    I paid for the car, plus tax, license and registration. Minus a per mile use charge
    and minus any DEALER installed options.

    In my case I was around 11,000 miles and
    had a $200.00 dealer installed security system (that I could not for the life of me
    get them to take off when I was buying the car)

    So I got back all the money mentioned above
    minus about $800.00 for use (and that stinking add on security system); which I thought was fair.

    If you are not offered something like I mentioned above, it may just be the dealer
    trying to hornswaggle you (like basically
    trade in your car, give you blue book and make
    you buy a new car at retail). Lemon law
    does not work that way. You should get all
    the stuff I mentioned above, unless for some reason, you don't qualify for lemon law.

    If you can't persue Lemon law but are
    still within warranty, then disregard what I
    said about not letting the dealer try to fix it
    again. Obviously, if you have to keep the car
    and someone has to pay for repairs, better
    them than you.

    I wish you sucess.
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    & 3800 engine supplement for the 1990 Buick Regal! sjensen666@hotmail.com
  • whitman3whitman3 Member Posts: 1
    In response to #41 Regal engine stalls by toddexp24, I'd like to explain my experience thus far. I'm leasing my '99 Buick Regal GS, had it for one full year. Has around 14,000 miles. While accelerating into main traffic, the Regal lost all power and stalled. No service lights until after the fact and the wheel was extremely difficult to turn off the road. Tried many times to get the engine to turn over, with no success. The car is currently being serviced by my dealership. So far, they've been able to tell me that it was the fuel gage fuse that blew. Their first guess was pinched wires around the sender opening, but found out that was not the reason. Fortunately, I'm under warranty and have a loaner car. They've fixed the problem (I've since seen the car running), but are still trying to figure out why it happened. Other than that, I love this car, no other problems, supercharged engine is awesome-lots of pep! I'll update this when I find out the final diagnosis.
  • herdmyregalherdmyregal Member Posts: 1
    I think I have heard the same noise in my 98 Regal. Mine started doing it immediatly after a transmission oil+filter change at 60,000 mi. It is intermittent but pretty regular. It does it only when slowing down. I thought it sounded like a dry scrape when the transmission kicks down to first gear while you slow the car down. I have not had it checked out but will and see if I can find an answer.
    If you have had the entire transmission replaced with no improvement, maybe it is something such as a cable attached to the transmission that is activated when slowing vehicle speed.
  • dhay1dhay1 Member Posts: 4
    Any hints on how to replace spark plugs on the dash side bank? Detailed service manual didn't help.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Several newer G.M. ABS system do use integral wheel speed sensors which require hub/bearing assembly replacement. Had to do the right front on my 1996 Riv last week. I wasn't able to find an aftermarket unit.

    Regarding the alternator, ask your Buick dealer for the service bulletin which gives the part number for the larger alternator (and longer serpentine belt) which will eliminate the alternator frying problem.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    I don't have the '99 spec handy, but the torque spec for the factory aluminum wheels on my '96 Riviera is 100 ft/lbs, and for the factory aluminum wheels on my '86 Laser it's 95 ft/lbs.

    If the owner's manual says 100 ft/lbs, it means 100 ft/lbs for the wheels the car came equipped with.
This discussion has been closed.