Chevrolet Lumina

pluto5 · February 2002

Yes, change the "extended life" coolant if it hasn't been changed already because this product can plug your radiator when it breaks down and you don't want to overheat this engine since it has an aluminum head.

rjones2001 · February 2002

pluto5, do u mean flush and refill it completely or add some more. i have already added some because the engine coolant reservior appeared somewhat low.

pluto5 · February 2002

Suggest draining it completely to remove the old coolant, since it is probably not humanly possible to remove the thermostat to back flush the radiator. (GM must have specially trained chimpanzees who can get to the thermostat cover bolts to remove it but I could not remove the thermostat.)

Best suggestion I have is to remove the lower radiator hose and drain as much coolant as you can. Then refill will water, bring the engine up to operating temperature, and drain again after engine cools. You should get most of the old coolant out that way but beware of air pockets in the cooling system. There is an air bleed valve on the engine and you may have to bleed some air out when the engine warms to avoid overheating. (Good time to replace the upper and lower radiator hoses when they cool.) Then drain again and refill with all new coolant, 1 and 1/2 gallons should do it.

Notice that owner's manual says to drain and flush cooling system at 150,000 miles or 60 months. For most of us that would be every five years but I would not take the chance of letting it break down and would do it in 3-4 years. The coolant is cheap at Wal-Mart. Worth taking it to a shop if you don't want to be bothered, but to me 150,000 mile coolant is just a fairy tale.

garsarno · February 2002

Have had the Lumina since 5/98. Always use Mobil 1 synthetic in the crankcase and transmission. Oil change rates of 4,000 miles / 4 months and transmission fluid / filter changes at 30,000 miles. Only $$ spent was on new battery / alternator and normal maintenance. Upgraded the car with a K&N air filter and Splitfire plugs.
Goodyear Aquatread 111 tires. Great car.

pluto5 · March 2002

What's the advantage of synthetic oil if your ownly keeping it for 4K?? Dino oil lasts much longer and is much cheaper.

nogm4me · March 2002

To the fella that was questioning problems with an off-lease Lumina
with cooling problems. I know on the former generation Luminas,
during emissions testing they would all blow over on I believe, Oxides
of Nitrogen. Why,...combustion temperatures become excessive.
How,... the lock up torque converter engages shall we say " aggressively"
to improve fuel economy. This fact loads the engine considerably and
if the fuel mixture goes lean cylinder temps go sky high. ( no fuel to
quench the mixure ) Hence the " hot running " situation. I had to
disconnect my lock up function and the engine " free wheels " a little
more but now the coolant temperature stays too low. Somewhere in
between is the resolution. I simply baffle the rad to increase operating
temps. My fuel mileage has not taken that much of a hit. My next shot
is finding a " warmer " thermostat.

rjones2001 · March 2002

I bought a 1997 Chevy Lumina used and just bought some keyless remote off of ebay. The car came in one keyless remote. Does anyone know how to program them? (I would rather not give the dealer $40 bucks for 5 mins. worth of work)

teo · March 2002

Perhaps the dealer has to program them. Unless you have the capability to program the keyfobs "On the fly" (From the stereo interface) like in the current Impala models equipped with keyless entry, then I am afraid that you will have to pay your dealer $40 for 5 minutes of work to match the codes on those keyfobs to your existing control module receiver. Maybe they need a GM Tech II tool to do so.

garsarno · March 2002

I have always changed the Mobil 1 after 4,000 miles. The Lumina now has 121,000 miles and shows no smoke / leaks / lifter noise etc. Figured it was good insurance to change it. Not looking for miles per oil change, only making sure that lubrication is always clean / efficient so I can run the car 150,000+ miles w/o a problem.

matluoma · April 2002

Looks like it's time to replace the tires on my 95 Lumina (83,000) - Don't want to spend a fortune on new tires.

Original Michelin's did well - new one's would be nice, but price for Michelin was a bit higher than I was hoping. Since I have a base '95 I won't need the performance tires that the LTZ folks are useing.

Does anyone have any experience with Yokohama's? Looking at Yoko Avid Touring or Avid T4. Seemed to get good marks on tirerack and price was reasonable. (without being the most 'ultra-cheap' tire on the list.)

Thanks
Mat

pluto5 · April 2002

Haven't had Yokos but I understand they are good tires. I buy BFGoodrich and Uniroyal which are made by Michelin. The former two brands are much cheaper than Michelin brand but highly satisfactory IMO.

seattlenative · April 2002

I have discovered the Lumina and found it is an appealing design. What are some buying tips to look for in buying a 2000-2001 used Lumina - i.e. what are the things I need to look out for?

Overall, what's your experiences with this car's reliability and long-term driving durability?

pluto5 · April 2002

You should be aware that all the 01's are former fleet/rental cars. But many of the 00's probably are,too.

yurakm · April 2002

2000 Lumina, if I remember right, also was available for fleets only. 2000 Impala for general public.

However, there is a substantial difference between rental and fleet. I believe that the majority of fleet cars had only one driver. Probably a salesman or repairman, who put a lot of highway miles, and cared. The car was his tool of trade, after all.

If it have 50k miles or more, probably it was a fleet car. Less than 30k - probably rental.

Any case, used cars in general, the rental especially, require extended warranty. Aftermarket waranties are less expensive.

How dependable must be the car? This is very personal.

For example, I am a computer programmer in academia. Complicated programs, developed for months and years, not days. I often came late to work: there is less distractions when working late in evenings. Can even skip a day, and nobody would notice. Drive only 7 miles to work. There is a bus line in 2 miles: in the worst case I can walk and take a bus.

My friend, also a computer programmer, works in industry. His programs are somewhat smaller and definitely simplier, but he always changes something, on short notice. Communicates a lot with his users, and must be always available during business hours. Commutes 40 miles one direction.

So the reliability of my car does not matter much. Reliability of his car is paramount.

pluto5 · April 2002

No difference between a rental and a fleet; a distinction without a difference, IMO. Example, our high school got a new Lumina for drivers ed recently--they say it's an 02 but it's most likely an 01. As part of the drivers ed fleet it will be driven/abused by hundreds of new drivers and will most likely get minimal/factory maintenance. I've looked at numerous used cars but always end up buying new cause drivers who know that they will only have their cars for a few years have no incentive to take good care of them. In the case of fleet and rental cars, the driver(s) are not even the owners so they could give a FF.

yurakm · April 2002

Yes, the ex-school cars must be really bad!

mlfranz · April 2002

I've had the same experience. I had the rear struts replaced on my 94 Lumina two years ago at 138,151 miles. I felt every bump in the road for the longest time. I now have 169,800 miles on the car and it's finally driving like a sedan again.
It's been worth the wait.

mlfranz · April 2002

Does anyone know if it's possible to replace the standard cluster in a 94 Lumina LS with one from a 94 Lumina Euro? Are any modifications to the wiring necessary?

I'm not a big fan of idiot lights.....

Thanks,
Mark

yurakm · April 2002

I remember well my driving lessons.

Stomped on gas, because did not know yet to do it right. Panic braking. Stop and go. A lot of shifting - when learning parking and 3-point turns...

Yes, it was ultra slow, with almost zero driving on highway. However, the exercises must eat the car fast, especially transmission.

pluto5 · May 2002

And exactly what other purposes are paramount, e.g. status symbol, sink hole for money, helping the keep the US balance of payments negative??

yurakm · May 2002

Reliability, economy, safety, durability, comfort, size, and many other parameters. Including enjoyment of driving.

Not paramount, of course, but valuable.

Additionally, there is transportation and transportation. Compare a salesman who makes 60k miles per year - and an old lady, why drives two times a week a couple miles to a local supermarket.

jpstax · May 2002

I think I posted the following link in this forum before, but here goes:

http://www.gmme.com/chevrolet_cars/lumina/lumina_ss.htm

I can't understand why GM of Arabia can't import this great car for sale in the USA. After all, when Chevy kills off the Camaro later this year, what high performance car will they have left to sell? Only a chosen few can afford a Corvette.

caesarslegion · May 2002

hey thats an awesome car.its too bad gm thinks us simple minded americans dont want and need something like this.they want to cram malibus and and sun fires down our throats.i guess big brother thinks he knows what is best.

unclearnie · May 2002

I recently purchased a 1995 Chevrolet Lumina LS with the optional 3.4 liter engine. It was previously owned by a retired couple living down the block from my retired in-laws. It has less than 43,000 miles and looks showroom fresh. It's fine in town, but is an absolute dog on the freeways. Is this typical of this vehicle/engine combination or has slow driving turned this into a dog? What can I do to give it some pep?

brentc1 · May 2002

Just wondering if anyone knows what could cause the low coolant light to flash. The radiator and overflow resevoir are both full. Thanks

lizleigh · May 2002

Last fall I purchased a white 1997 Lumina.

The first time I washed it, the paint started to peel off of the rear drivers side door panel. The paint appears to peel all the way down to the metal. I can tell where the previous owner tried to touch up a spot, but the spot seems to be getting bigger.

Since then, I have noticed several white Luminas driving around with the same body style also peeling paint in much the same manner.

Does anyone know what is up with this, or if there are any recalls or deals to get the cars repainted?

Also, since purchasing this car it seems like I get pretty poor gas mileage compared to my previous v6- a dodge intrepid. What is the typical gas mileage for these cars??

Thanks.

dshepherd3 · May 2002

I have the same year/ model since new, now has 150k gets 25 avg and 29 on a trip, a little less than new. Piston slap has been the biggest headache. Take a piece of masking tape and see if the paint lift off using this, if so have a body shop check it out, sounds like the door was redone, I can't see the paint delaminating on one panel only.

nafrong00 · May 2002

I also have a 1995 Lumina with the 3.4 DOHC engine. I have 152,000 miles on it and I can say with confidence the the car is NOT a dog on the highway. Infact I feel that this particular engine with it's 7000 rpm redline is particularly good for highway passing and driving. Not sure what the problem might be with the one you bought. Maybe try a fuel system/ injector cleaner like Chevron Techron or something. I've used one about every 20,000 miles and it does seem to make a difference. I recently replaced the car as my daily driver but still drive it every couple of days. It is definitly quicker than the V-6 in the new car I bought.

On a side note...I too have seen several luminas with the delaminating paint issue. Oddly, ALL of them seem to have been white. Must be something about that paint...

And to the guy with the low coolant light flashing, just a thought, but check your engine oil and dip stick for sticky residue. I had an olds cutlass that would flash it's low coolant light every time it blew a headgasket, which was often. The light came on even if the coolant levels appeared fine. Coolant mixes with oil creating a sticky mess if the leak is bad enough.

masonmi · May 2002

I'm looking at a 2001 Chevy Lumina it has about 30,000 miles on it in very good condition, has anyone had any problems with the years of 2000-2001 Lumina's from fleets or rentals?

dshepherd3 · May 2002

Great car all around, but be very cautious with these fleet cars, there are notoriously poorly maintained, check inside the oil filler cap you can see into the valve train, see if there is even slight amount of oil gelling or sliminess, pass on any one you are uncomfortable about, there are plenty around, of course insist on staring them up cold to check for piston slap.

ricks2 · May 2002

I want to replace the split bench in my 94 with leather or buckets. (After 184,000 miles the interior needs a face-lift). Any year/models that I can simply swap from a junkyard?

luminated · May 2002

I am the proud owner of a '99 Lumina LTZ...
Quite simply the best North American auto I've owned!
I'm pushing 110K miles,nearly have it paid off and am itching for an Impala.
The 3.8 is a killer power plant and the car hasn't given any disappointment mechanically except for an alternator that failed after hitting a nasty Baltimore pot hole.
Nearly perfect, the car has endured a hit and run sideswipe and a rear ender on I-70...
Here's my dilemma: I know the car WILL last at least 200 K without much problem...do I run her til she dies or do I trade her in for the Impala?
Decisions, Decisions ;-)
We also own a 95 LeSabre with 130K we use for family vacations.Another fine vehicle...

caesarslegion · May 2002

keep her and use her as a work car and use the new car for week ends and going out with the family. Dealers will give you nothing for trade any ways. Thats what I would do imho.

emmanuelchoke · May 2002

Anybody have problems with the plastic upper intake manifold in Luminas with the 3.8 liter engine. It can deteriorate and allow coolant into the engine causing damage upon startup due to hydrolock. My 98 LTZ has 50,000 miles and no problems so far. The Bonneville maintenance and repair site is loaded with horror stories about this. It too uses the 3.8 with plastic manifold. Repairs run from 300 to 1500 depending on the state of the engine when the problem is noticed.

pluto5 · May 2002

Are you sure it's the manifold and not the gasket? Understand the Dexcool turns acidic so best to change it at 3/30 or less.

emmanuelchoke · May 2002

TSB# 01-06-01-007A covers this. The EGR gas is ported into the manifold through a metal pipe. The exhaust gas heat causes the plastic to degrade where the hot metal meets the plastic. There is a coolant passage just a few millimeters away from the EGR port and if the manifold loses its integrity, it allows coolant in the lower intake manifold. If you shut the engine off, the residual pressure in the cooling system can force coolant into the engine block, which causes the potential for damage upon startup. The Lumina with the 3.8 liter was one of the cars listed along with the Bonneville, Regal, Olds 88 and 98's, Riviera and Park Avenue, all with the 3.8 liter engine. The Bonneville seems to be the hardest hit. Re reading the old posts on this site, I haven't seen it mentioned. This guy talks about it. www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/automan_plastic.html

smahmood · May 2002

Hey guys, thought I'd put this up here to see if anyone else had this problem and maybe has a fix.

Basically I have a 95 Lumina with 75k miles on it. Basically around speeds of 60-70 mph it seems as if the engine is skipping or something. I thought maybe it needed a tuneup, and I changed the spark plugs and wires but to no avail. It drives fine aside for this, but at around 60-70 you feel a very wierd vibration. Also this is something very recent because about a week ago, I went on a 800 mile drive on this car with no problems.

Also recently (before my 800 mile drive) I had to get my timing belt and intake gaskets replaced by the dealer and ever since the engine has become really Loud. Sounds like your driving a truck or something. Any ideas what could cause that?

Aside for my recent probs though this car is great (Definaly far from being a "dog"). I've had some problems with the paint on the hood (wierd little places where its chiped off), but its been driving great.

Anyway if anyone has had these probs, or knows what might be causing them, let me know. Also, I found another person with this problem at the following url: http://forums.vmag.com/pm-0601/messages/3039.html . This guy thinks its the transmission, which I find really hard to believe.

I'd appreciate any ideas

-Mahmood

luminated · June 2002

Thanks for the opinion,caesarlegion.
The last payment went tonite. I do use her for work, driving 30 -40 k annually.
I just read about the '04 Imp Super Sport and am stoked for that machine! Think I'll wait...
I would by a new car, but the wife loves that LeSabre and doesn't really appreciate the 'sport tuned suspension' of the LTZ. I swear by it, especially within urban terrain my work takes me. I also thought about having a GM dealer where my dad is employed search for a 9C3 used by GM personnel...a long shot for a 'program' vehicle.

kw_carman · June 2002

My mom had a black 1995 Lumina for a company car, and when she changed jobs recently, she got to turn it in. I pity the older man that the company is letting use the car since he took over her job.

First off, the A/C spewed some awful sort of MOLD. On a hot day, you could almost loose your lunch if you didn't roll down the windows, turn it on high, and get out of the car. We took it to the dealer to have some "tray" washed out three times, and $80 later it still stank.

Also, the driver's side power door lock just quit. One day it was there, another it was gone. $62 dollars later (just to find out what was wrong), we decided replacing the actuator just wasn't worth it. The company? They could have cared less. Before we got rid of the car with the fading black paint, the passenger side lock would only lock, and not unlock, forcing my small 5'3" mother to stretch across the bench seat just to unlock the door.

And I thought her 1990 Lumina was bad.

pluto5 · June 2002

This car probably had a zillion miles and received no maintenance to speak of--good example of why to get a CarFax report before you buy a used car to make sure it wasn't a company/fleet/leased car.

yurakm · June 2002

1995 fleet Lumina gone recently. Only problems: bad automatic door locks, and mold in A/C. After being used about 7 years.

I would say, it was a rather reliable car. Even before accountig for the "fleet" miles.

BTW, mold grows often when A/C is used much on recirculation mode.

masonmi · June 2002

Well some fleet or rental cars are good cars to purchase you just have to know what you're looking at and have a mechanic check the car over before the purchase, as long as it doesn't have high miles and you have factory warranty or extended warranty left, i think they're worth a look, I saved at least a few thousand when I purchased my Buick Century.

kw_carman · June 2002

Old dad didn't like it, because his 1987 Accord (which I think he worships) never had these problems. Also, both cup holder broke, the cargo net liked getting jammed in the trunk latch (especially on rainy days), and many other nerve banging things. The Service Engine Soon light went through a phase where it liked to some on for some idiotic reason. Did I mention that the faded black paint looked awful? The car had only about 85k miles on it.

Her first Lumina was a 1990 one, which she received at 201,000 miles and turned in at 215,000 miles, and it was used as a sales persons car. The interior was awful, but we never had any quality issues with it like we did on the '95. The black door trim faded off, but the white paint stayed on pretty well. The only problems with it were mechanical ones, such as with hoses, seals, and the BRAKES.

By the way, Luminas have HORRIBLE brakes. Watching my mom getting adjusted from the 95 to my Grandma's Taurus's brakes was hilarious.

hammen2 · June 2002

Early 90's W-bodies (Lumina, Grand Prix, Regal, Cutlass) had 4-wheel disc brakes with chronic rear caliper problems. The calipers would seize open, meaning the front brakes would do all of the stopping. You could chew through front pads and warp rotors every 10k miles or so. Those who used the parking brake didn't have as many problems, since their rear calipers were less likely to freeze. GM eventually came up with a caliper repair kit, but not until after Midas and CarX had cleaned up.

The '95 and later Luminas used a front disk/rear drum system that did not experience this problem. While you didn't get the stopping power of 4 wheel discs, the brakes are very reliable (I had a '96 Lumina that went 57k mi. on the original front brake pads).

A lot of the niggling trim issues you experienced with the '95 are probably characteristic of the "first model year" syndrome. My wife and I both had '96's which were very reliable (batteries, brakes, tires, an alternator in hers, a water pump in mine). Not an exciting car, but OK as basic, safe transportation. The Impala carries that same mission today (though, probably in the minority, I find the Lumina's styling preferable to the Impala)...

--Robert

hookramer · June 2002

i am in the market for a used car ,and i looked at a 96 lumina ls.the car has the 3.4 liter v6 engine option and leather seats. i have never seen a 3.4 with leather? the car drove very well and it moved nicely..does anyone have any feedback on this car and does it usually have leather? the car was bought by a distant friend of mine in 98 and the car already had 90,000 hiway miles ..since 98 she put on another 15k and it now has 105,000 but it seems like it drives ok..is there anyhting i should look at specifically on that model?? any feedback would be appreciated
thanks jeff

hammen2 · June 2002

Late-model '96's offered leather seats (both mine and my wife's had leather). Also, the 3.4L was offered as a "high-end" engine option. I'm not sure if the Dual Twin Cam was also offered in '97 but I know the decent 3.8L eventually made it into the LTZ.

I've heard 2 different schools of thought regarding the 3.4L Dual Twin Cam (which was also offered as an option on the Grand Prix and the Cutlass Supreme, IIRC):

a) It sucks - stay away from it
b) It's OK

If your relative's put a ton of miles on it, I'd tend to feel that b) would apply - you sometimes can't generalize about these products (if you have success, doesn't mean I will, too). Best suggestion I can offer is to have a mechanic give it a once-over...

--Robert

hookramer · June 2002

thanks for the feedback..
these 3.4 dohc 215hp have a little more horsepower than the newer 3.8 200hp currently in the grand prix gt ...and i looked through the past reviews and most people said its a fast and reliable ride..

achilles · June 2002

Folks,
I have a 1998 Lumina LTZ with the 3.1L V6 engine.
I bought it 2 years ago with 51,000 Kms and put on another 35,000 Kms since. I change oil/filter every 5,000 Kms and have had no problems. Last weekend we took a long highway drive (800 Kms roundtrip)under hot/humid conditions running the A/C almost non-stop. It has been 3,000 Kms since my last oil change. For the last two-three days (after the trip) when I start the engine I see the Change Oil Soon light come on and stay on for at least 30 seconds or more until the car starts moving at which point the light goes off. The manual says something about oil contamination that might cause this light to stay on solid. I checked the oil and it appeared to be up at the right level but the texture of the oil on the stick seemed streaky, not consistent. I do my oil changes at the local Chev dealer and they use 5W-30. Could it be that some other liquid has mixed in with the oil? Any ideas as to what might be causing this? What is the appropriate repair and is it expensive? If I ignore it will it cause serious engine damage? Any suggestions?
I really like this car and hope to keep it for another 4-5 years minimum.
Thank you,
Stelios.

yurakm · June 2002

Personally, I would change the oil without hesitation. Even while I do not believe the is any problem with oil. Just for peace of mind.

When changing oil, insist for technician to reset the oil monitor.

I do not know about Lumina, but the oil monitor of my Regal does not check quality of oil. Absolutely incapable to do it. The car computer knows mileage, engine revs, outside temperature, number of starts, etc. - but know nothing at all about dust or oil contamination. Have no sensors for this.

Additionally, the monitor must be reset at every oil change, to start estimating oil life anew from this point. Otherwise, it will count from the preceding oil change. Again, there is no sensors to tell computer that oil was changed, and you (or techician) must do it manually.

Most probably, the technician who changed oil forgot to reset the monitor the last time. It happens even at dealership.

Oil monitor illuminates the "Change oil soon" when it estimate the oil is 90% spent. 5000+3000 = 8000 km = 5000 miles. 5000 miles looks as very reasonable oil life estimation. With my Regal it would be about 90% of 6,000 miles = 5400 miles, but the mileage depends on driving pattern, car and engine.

Even if the underlying problem is different, oil change would be the first step in diagnostics, and it costs less than any diagnostics. However, I believe that monitor simply was not reset.

emmanuelchoke · June 2002

To extinguish the change oil light yourself, turn the key to run but not start, and fully depress the accelerator pedal 3 times within 5 seconds. If the light flashes twice, it's reset. If not, repeat the procedure. I agree with yurakm. The man knows his cars. The Lumina does not monitor oil quality, only engine conditions that affect oil quality. ONLY because you mentioned a streaked appearance to the oil; I would drain the crankcase and check for coolant contamination. Or check the level of the coolant in the recovery tank to see if it's low. Could be a head gasket or intake gasket. It's expensive, $250 to almost $1000, depending on the part. Hopefully it's neither.

Chevrolet Lumina

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles