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

Chevrolet Lumina

11113151617

Comments

  • ladyberardladyberard Member Posts: 2
    Hi. I have a 96 lumina with the 3.1. My hot light came on a couple days ago. I drove it to nearest station, and they said I had no water/antifreeze in overfill. So, I temporarily filled it with water. This morning, took it for oil change/antifreeze, and mechanic said oil looked nasty. Had sludge in it. Showed me where stuff was leaking out and said antifreeze getting in radiator, mixing with oil. Said probably need head gasket, ecause other gasket/manifold (sorry I forgot exactly) wouldn't get antifreeze into oil. Car has about 85000 on it. Said price should be about $900. Can someone give me any suggestions? What type of mechanic should I bring it to for second opinion/pricing? I was at local Midas shop.
  • copenhagencopenhagen Member Posts: 9
    Supposedly that is a problem with the 96 3.1ltr. Any good general mechanic should be able to take care of this. Although, from what I know that sounds a little high. I asked a couple local mechanics what they would charge and they said just around the 500 dollar mark. But, your area may run high on auto repair. Let me ask you this, did he point out the spot where it was leaking into or shown signs of where it was? Mine was just (as facing the car from the front) towards the cab of the thermostat. Or, just under parts of the throttle body area. If not, when you take it to the second mechanic ask him to point it out to you. If they point it out then you know you got a problem. There should be some color change or even a clean spot on where it wore through your gasket. Hope this helps.
  • 95chevychic95chevychic Member Posts: 1
    Hello! I have been reading through these posts and have not seen, if any posts about the Luminas coming with a 3.4 V6. I could have over looked it. Is the 3.4 a rare motor for these cars or do they only come in the LS model?

    I have a 95 Lumina LS which recently started having transmission issues. It occasionally slipsat random times for no apparent reason. Is this common? I am looking at possibly purchasing a trannie out of a 2000 Impala which has a 3.4 in it. Does anyone know if the trannie will fit?

    Thanks in Advance,

    Krys
  • ssmontemanssmonteman Member Posts: 15
    If its anything like my 95 Monte I had, which Im sure it is since the Lumina and Monte were essentially the same car, the air bag module should be under the drivers seat. If you feel under the seat you cant miss it. Its a pretty big box.
  • rockdogrockdog Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 1995 Lumina about 18 months ago and it has run great. A few days ago, out of the blue, the clock stays on when the car is shut off. I have been told by a couple of people (non-mechanics) who said it's no big deal and there will be no drain on the battery. Are they correct, or should I be more concerned?
  • bseamanbseaman Member Posts: 2
    I understand that the 1990 Lumina APV has a timing chain rather than a belt. Does anyone know if this needs to be replaced at a given mileage interval?
  • dshepherd3dshepherd3 Member Posts: 194
    Chain, no maintenance required.
  • bikerrevbikerrev Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem too. Just changed the oil and filter, the light is still on along with the check engine light. I bought the 1996 Lumina 4dr on E-bay last week, it's an old Police car. It has 118K on the Odometer. But a used engine was put in it (3.1) 2 years ago and now has 50k on that. Someone please respond to this problem. Thanks! :confuse:
  • unwritten7unwritten7 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 Chevy Lumina and the temp is reading half way between the half mark and red zone while im in motion and almost at the mark before red when I stop at a light or in a drive through.

    I have replaced the thermostat, radiator cap and passenger side fan motor. The radiator has also been flushed since it hadnt been in a while and the car has 110k miles.

    The driver side fan comes on but the passenger side fan still doesnt come on even though I replaced it with a brand new one. Could the fan not coming on be the problem? Are both fans even suppost to be running at the same time? I have checked all fuses both inside the car and near the engine and all seem to be ok.

    What else can I check.
  • trapozatrapoza Member Posts: 1
    recently i have been having this problem where my hazzard lights will not stop blinking.I had this problem before when my car sat for 2 weeks and recently it has been sitting for 2 weeks.before my blinkers,and brake lights did not work until i hit my hazzards and then everything was fine.so I tried the samething again but know it is a ordeal to get the hazzards to stop but still no blinkers or brake lights.I've checked all the fuses and they seem to be fine.If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.thanks
  • bseamanbseaman Member Posts: 2
    Thanks - I appreciate the help.
  • noticnotic Member Posts: 1
    I've had a problem very similar to trapoza has with my 95 lumina. My brake lights, turn signals, and wipers all stopped working. also no longer working is the hazard lights. I suspected the turn signal relay might be to blame, but couldn't find it anywhere! I've checked the cabin fuse box on the passenger side, and both fuse boxes under the hood, but I can't find the relay or a single blown fuse for that matter.

    All of these problems occurred at exactly the same time so I'm fairly convinced they're related. I checked my bulbs but all the the filliments looked ok.

    A few things I'd like to clarify : The back lights come ON, they just don't brighten when I press the brake. Also the turn signal lights turn on (Part of the parking lights) but do not "Blink" when I press the lever on the stearing wheel. Also the middle brake light above my trunk still works normally which only further confuses me.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!
  • ldkmwsldkmws Member Posts: 1
    a couple of months ago my anti-lock warning light would come on,but would go off if i turned the car off and started it back it would go out,so the other day i started the car and realized that i had a hard time trying to turn the steering wheel,when I did it would squeal there is fluid that is consistently dripping out,it has about 86,000 miles, fluids are filled,when i reverse the car it squeaks really bad and pulling forward lots of noise as if the brakes are bad...
  • ntrinscentropyntrinscentropy Member Posts: 1
    I've got a nice little 95 Lumina LS. Had it 6 months, it's been a great car, and I love the 3.1 V6 (wish it was the 3.4).

    However, there are a few thing that bother me, the biggest of which is the front bench seats. I freaking hate the combination armrest/console which all to often gets in the way and doesn't fold up flush with the seats.

    I know that bucket seats were available on the later LTZ models and the Monte Carlo's, but I dont know if they were available on the same year.

    What I am really to do is swap out the seats for buckets and the console, if I can. Anybody have any ideas on the feasibility of doing this?

    I have already pulled open the dash and installed reverse-glow gauges and threw some EL wire behind the controls for the AC on the dash (looks much better in blue then that horrible pale green!)
  • claielclaiel Member Posts: 2
    I have a Chevrolet Lumina. About 8 days ago, the "Security" indicator light came on.
    I look up in the manual and ask a mechanics. But I did not get any answer.
    Somebody can help me?
    Thank you very much!
  • claielclaiel Member Posts: 2
    My Lumina is1995 without any security system except a remote keyless board.
  • boltguy2boltguy2 Member Posts: 1
    Where is the camshaft position sensor located on my '97 Lumina 3100 engine?
    I am getting code #PO341
  • pdanapdana Member Posts: 19
    My 1992 lumina did the same thing. The passenger side fan I believe is the primary cooling fan, and according to the manual it should come on at 230 degrees. The driver's side fan is the a/c cooling fan and should be on any time the a/c is on. I would check the temperature sending unit. The car may not be running as hot as you think it is. There is also a coolant temperatue fan switch that may be bad
  • mconnermconner Member Posts: 2
    I own a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina sedan, it has intermittent starting problems, I have had it in the shop several times and it seems to be the passive security system that is failing. The ignition key has a bit in it that has a resistance value, when the ignition system fails to read this value correctly the car won’t start. The module that performs this check has been changed as well as the ignition/key cylinder, I would like to know if this a common problem with the Lumina and if it is possible to bypass this check that it does with the bit in the key.
  • mconnermconner Member Posts: 2
    Yes I also have this problem - I own a 1996 Chevrolet Lumina, it has intermittent starting problems, I have had it in the shop several times and it seems to be the passive security system that is failing. The ignition key has a bit in it that has a resistance value, when the ignition system fails to read this value correctly the car won’t start. The module that performs this check has been changed as well as the ignition/key cylinder, I would like to know if this a common problem with the Lumina and if it is possible to bypass this check that it does with the bit in the key.
  • sierraskysierrasky Member Posts: 4
    I have a 1999 Lumina and it was running absoultely fantastic. I had to evacuate from Marrero, LA due to hurricane Katrina to Mooresburg, TN and now my wonderful car's gages are a wreck. The car is running great but the gas gage started to show signs of dysfunction in MS and now when full shows it's almost empty. The temperature gage is now stuck on 260 even before I turn on the motor. There is ample water and antifreeze so I don't understand what is happening. I am homeless and without a job and I have been told you are on your own to find a decent mechanic here. If anyone can enlighten me I would appreciate it. I love my car it has been a very dependable machine.
  • tfortwotfortwo Member Posts: 1
    I've had the same problem with my 96 Lumina driving me nuts for years, and no one has been able to fix it. Strange thing is if I turn the key and nothing happens, then wait a few minutes, it will suddenly start, but the length of time I have to wait is inconsistent, sometimes a minute, sometimes half an hour! At first I thought it was my Audiovox Pursuit alarm system, but the alarm guys can't figure it out either. Sounds like you're on the right track though about the passive system, but I can't afford a new ignition switch (or is it the key?). I'd sure like to find someone who's been able to fix this, but I'm glad to find out I'm not the only one who has this problem. It's been a great ride since I bought it in 96, but it doesn't make a very good getaway car...
  • sierraskysierrasky Member Posts: 4
    I have a 1999 Lumina and it was running absoultely fantastic. I had to evacuate from Marrero, LA due to hurricane Katrina to Mooresburg, TN and now my wonderful car's gauges are a wreck. The car is running great but the gas gauge started to show signs of malfunction in MS and now when full shows it's almost empty. The temperature gauge is now stuck on 260 degrees even before I turn on the motor. There is ample water and antifreeze. I have also checked to see if the water pump is working so I don't understand what is happening. If anyone can enlighten me I would appreciate it. I love my car it has been very dependable.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You could try posting in Got a Quick, Technical Question? since no one seems to have a suggestion here. Hope your home is okay.
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    Could be a sign of alternator malfunction. The alternators on the Lumina are a weak point. Mine was replaced when the vehicle was about five years old but with very low mileage and the symptoms included gauge malfunctions. Get a good rebuilt one with a 2-3 yr. parts warranty since a new one is likely to be no better than the original.
  • dave76dave76 Member Posts: 1
    ok went to get my car inspected and the check engine light won't come off even with the computer being reset. any suggestions plz!!!
  • aluminitealuminite Member Posts: 4
    Had to install new brake pads,rotors last year.After this the orange ABS warning light would not go off--brakes felt fine,I didn;t worry about it.Last month the battery went and after installing the new battery the red brake light will not go off--still have good brakes.Unhooked the negative battery cable for 10 min.hooked it back,no difference---warning lights still on ???
  • mitzijmitzij Member Posts: 613
    The light is on because the computer got a funky reading from one of the sensors it checks when you turn the car on. You have an emissions problem that will need corrected before the light will stay out. Find a good mechanic with a scanner.
  • mitzijmitzij Member Posts: 613
    Something is screwy in your antilock brake system. I would guess a speed sensor got knocked loose (or broken) when the brake job was done. You should get your ABS checked out. Your regular brakes will work ok, but if you're in a situation when the ABS should kick in (slippin' and slidin'), the system might not kick in at all or be irratic. Find a good mechanic.
  • wattsne1999wattsne1999 Member Posts: 2
    Hi
    Glad to know I am not the only one with this problem with the 96 Lumina. It has driven me nuts. But if it happens I wait about 5 minutes and it would start. Replaced the Ignition switch 3 years ago and same problem still happens.
    It has been a strange glitch.
    Now the ignition switch has gone bad at a cost of about 240 to replace again ouch.
  • wattsne1999wattsne1999 Member Posts: 2
    Hi
    Turns out the Ignition switch is good. Time to lose the car.
    Ouch
  • sierraskysierrasky Member Posts: 4
    Well I am pleased to say I got help from my brothers who found out my thermostat sensor was bad. I now have my dependable Lumina back. My family home was seriously damaged. We plan on staying here in TN to start all over again. Thanks so much for your information with regards to my gauges. Have a great day.
  • itsameitsame Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 Lumina tried to become the first GM submarine a few days ago and got caught in a flood. The start sounds like it's turning but I don't hear the egine actually trying to start. Where is the computer on this car? I pulled the kick panel beside the passenger door but evidently the sahpe may have changed because I didn't see anything that looked like a control computer. Has it moved? I replaced the oil, tranny fluid and both filters. What can I do to check out the computer and get this mule to start?
  • sierraskysierrasky Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the information on my gauge problem. I replaced the alternator @ 38,420 a couple years back with a new alternator. I only have 46,000 miles on it now. I will keep an eye on the alternator since you have shared your experience with me. I think I got the gauge situation under control by replacing the thermostat sensor everything seems to be just fine now. Good luck with your Lumina and thanks again for your info.
  • bbargbbarg Member Posts: 1
    I am having the hardest time getting my original battery out of my 97 chevy lumina. I have unbolted everything and the thing will not budge. Any help would be appreciated!

    Thanks,

    Brad
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    I have the '97 but don't recall problem in getting the battery out except that I had to remove a bunch of stuff, e.g., lateral support bar over battery, washer fluid resevoir, and part of the the air intake assembly. Don't recall any clamps near the base of the battery, though.
  • jr223jr223 Member Posts: 1
    Help. Earlier today I was having trouble with one of the door locks not opening..then this evening my battery is dead. I was reading thru some of the other posts and it seems they might be connected somehow. I (my cousin and I) tried to get the battery out but it is buried under all that stuff.. lateral bar, washer fluid, some electrical doodah and the air intake deal. He gave up and I dont know anything about cars.. I will have to have her towed tomorrow but me being female, I dont want whomever gets her to try to railroad me.. what should I say in man to man car terms? :sick: :blush:
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    How about, "please check my charging system and if OK replace my battery"?Sears may do this for nothing if you buy their battery.
  • pdanapdana Member Posts: 19
    I have a 1992 lumina eurosport and for awhile it has been making a thumping noise in the rear passenger area any time I drive over any bumps. Has anybody else had this problem? I can actually hear it by just pushing down on the back of end of the car.
  • kickasskirbykickasskirby Member Posts: 1
    hi, i bought a 1996 chevy lumina about 7 months ago, it only has the 3 standard gauges, i was wondering if i put the IP cluster of a 96 chev lumi LS in it with the tachometer, if it would work, my car is alo canadian built, the vin number starts of like 2G1 so if anyone can tell me if the car is max wire for this it would be greatly helpful thnx :confuse:
  • mike0166mike0166 Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a decent 97' Lumina with only 48,000 miles. The Coolant was in neeed of a flush where I found out someone had added the wrong coolant to the factory DexCoolant? I had the system flushed and filled with the RIGHT coolant. Now the "low coolant light" comes on at start up and stays on for a while before shutting off at approx. 195 degrees. The temp gauge stays pretty consistant except in extremely hot days and stop & go traffic where it goes to about midway - 200 -220 degrees or so. The coolant level is full; the radiator cap was replaced and there are no observed leaks. Any help would be appreciated!!
  • rwaltonrwalton Member Posts: 1
    I, too, bought a 1999 Lumina back in 2000 when it had only 22,000 miles. It now has 194,000 and counting (fingers crossed, fingers crossed). My only problems were an ignition switch wire (fixed once), an alternator, water pump, batteries and other typical work like brakes (done twice).
    For the money it's been a fantastic car, no matter what happens. I just hope I can keep it going a while.
    rwalton
  • tgeorge2tgeorge2 Member Posts: 10
    The "low coolant" light came on in my Z-34. In checking the fluid level I found a "plug" had popped out of the radiator on the passenger side of the car... NOW WHAT? I tried to reinsert the plug but feel it isn't in well enough. Is there a trick to putting this thing back in? Why did it "pop" out?
  • tgeorge2tgeorge2 Member Posts: 10
    The bulbs are not burnt out but some of the left rear tail lights are not working, but the left turn signal works fine. However, with the right turn signal, I have to put upward pressure and hold it "up" in order for the right signal to flash. Can any of you give me some direction on either of these items? (no pun intended!) HELP!
  • michellelpmichellelp Member Posts: 2
    Overnight my Lumina has developed some serious mechanical issues. Literally, I parked in my driveway after an uneventful ride home, and the next morning it had major mechanical issues when I started it. It was the first freezing night of the winter year. It shudder and shakes, the engine is vibrating ALOT more than it should. It has no acceleration, 30 mph is the top speed it will hit. It acts starved for gas. After taking it to a shop, I was told that two of the cylinders have very little compression. So they cleaned the carbon out of them and said it was fixed. It's not. In fact it got worse. They even checked fuel injectors, which are fine. It is eating ALOT of gas, and really working the tranny to shift into higher gears. Has anyone out there seen something like this before? Since the mechanics can't tell me what is wrong, I'm really getting desperate here. This car has 190,000 miles on it but has run like a champ from day 1, until now. Anyone got an idea?
  • michellelpmichellelp Member Posts: 2
    Mine came down with the same problem. Broken struts.
  • futureautofutureauto Member Posts: 2
    I have same problem with my 1995 Lumina LS and still monitor oil constantly but havent had time to do a wire trace on it and help would be welcome
  • hrhhrh Member Posts: 1
    I can never tell when the driver's side is going to lock behind me, or not. Anyone have this problem, or knows how to fix it?
  • pluto5pluto5 Member Posts: 618
    When I got my Lumina I read that some people brush against the switch when they exit thus locking the doors unintentionally.

    I always carry an extra door key on a different ring than the ignition key just to be safe.
  • mailman2mailman2 Member Posts: 15
    Which are the best hoses to use, Gates, Goodyear, or whatever? I have a 1998 Lumina 3.1, how hard is it to change the hoses?
Sign In or Register to comment.