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free miles will be needing some expensive
strut (AIR-ELECT.?) and brakes. She
don't like the new Devilles either and no
dealer around has a new CTS to look over.
Our last couple of vacations we have rented
a Lesabre. She has checked them out and
likes the SEATS ! (no leather). With our
GM employee discounts, rebates, aarp, etc.
A new Lesabre custom is about 17k cheaper
than a new Deville.....Any comments etc.
welcome......Thanks....Geo
front end bottoms out easily on speed bumps
or rough road etc. So its gonna need
some attention soon. My mechanic buddy
sez the Caddy struts are now aval. at the
parts house cheaper than GM orig. equip.
And its gonna need brakes too.
Syracuse NY winters are not kind to cars!
I only keep em' about 5 years or 100k miles.
Thanks..........geo
BTW: My aunts 90 Skylark ?troublefree 120K miles.
She just took advantage of 0% interest, rebate
Gm employee discount on a new Prism!
Art
Thanks
Rick
and I will have to ask if its aarp or
aaa. She got it in the mail last Oct?
But it has been discontinued but
the rebate is still good till June 02.
The coupon can be used by family member
also at a reduced value 500 bucks i think !
I also have a GM family saving 1000 rebate
because of mom is retired from the General ~!
Thats why we are replacing the 96 caddy
with a Lesabre ! 17K cheaper..........
Will post about that coupon deal when woman
comes home today. Prob. with a New BUICK !
I WANT a new 03 Caddy CTS.........
Shes the one who has to drive it....
So you know how it goes .....LOL.......Geo
My family owns one with 165 000kms on it. We don't hammer the car and regular maintenace is perform when needed. There is a annoying problem with the car. When the weather is cold, there is a grinding/sqeaking noise (like when you jump up and down on a old sofa or bed) emulating from the front passenger side of the vehicle (loudest when driven in the morning). It happens when I turn the steering wheel (both direction) and when travelling over bumps/potholes. I replaced the upper suspension mount a year ago (it was fine then) but the noise is reaccuring. I looked at the shocks and there was no leak. Any ideas?
My mechanic also told me that the seal around the engine oil pan is leaking and the seal around steering shaft is also leaking. The A/C compressor have signs of hitting the hay (There would be a 'derderder' sound when it is switched on, louder at higher rpm range). A few days ago , I had to replace the intake manafold gasket because it was split (MEGA $$$$ for labour). I've also noticed that the coolant level is dropping steadly on every oil change. The car was warmed up (driven more than 15kms) and it would be at the 'COLD' level instead of the 'HOT level. No signs of coolant leak on the ground.
Please help!
Thanks.
1000 on 02......2000 on 01
Lesabre. They came in a GM family
Savings promotion last year not direct
mail from AARP. plus 2002 GM rebate !
Woman still not decided!
I can wait a bit..but I do want a new CTS !
I have a GM Caddy Repeat Buyer cert. also !
Good luck with your new Buick !.....Geo
The dealer said this is a design flaw with GM vehicles, and claimed to have seen the same problem on an Impala. This does not sound very likely to me, but unless there is a mechanical blockage or break somewhere in the vent tubing, I can't think of a way to fix it.
Has anyone else encountered this, and if so how did you resolve it?
Thanks In advance
I never cranked the engine for more than 15 seconds (at the very longest), and never tried more than three time in a row to start it (i.e., I didn't sit there cranking it for long periods of time).
What should I try next? The guy at Autozone said I should get a new rotor, spark plug cables and spark plugs, the painter guys (who work on their own cars) say that's ridiculous. Still though my car doesn't start.
One last thing: when the car first died, I checked the engine coolant. It was empty (there is a really slow leak in the system somewhere). I refilled the coolant tank, but am wondering if I might have fried something in *that* system that's causing the engine not to spark?
Any suggestions anyone has would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/57199/article.html
Cant wait to drive it cross country.
My parents were happy to get it fixed, but is this something common or just a freak thing? They have 16K on their car. Thanks.
True Cost to Own (TCO): Revealing the Hidden Costs of Car Ownership
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/59897/article.html
kirstie_h
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My 35 y/o brother drove it wheil visiting and thought it was "cool".
I really enjoy pulling up to the regular pump and getting 30+ MPG from a full size road warrior. Last weekend I was filling up next to a Camry owner who asked how I liked the car and what mileage I got. When I told him he would not believe me until I showed him the trip computer.
What are the future plans for the 3.8? I read many auto mags and they all are saying what a good power plant it is, but all of them recommend updating it to a more modern Aluminum engine. I hope GM isn't listening.
tlindeman - I am also 46 years old and I find the car very comfortable.
Feel free to email me if you have any question's.
Neil
I have used 89 octane Shell gasoline to get the good highway mileage. Premium gasoline does not make sense when the owners manual says regular will do. I also change the oil every 3000 miles religiously and rotate the tires every 7500 miles. I use Castrol Oil and have not added any products to the gasoline. My highway mileage has improved as the car is used more and more. You are right about cruising America's highways. I take a trip to New Hampshire every August and the 200 miles just fly by at 65 mph.
Thx for the tip. I had the first oil change at 1200 miles - i know this sounds crazy but i've done it with all my new cars. Then every 3000 miles. Rotate tires every 6000. I was thinking of going to CA from Boston - 3300 miles. That should be enough time to test out a great American road car.
Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.
And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.
Pat
Sedans Host
Oh, watch for speed traps between Canyon TX and Clovis NM. Texas troopers watching for out of state cars (easy prey, Texas has front license plate out of states don't) Didn't get us but they were looking hard.
in short supply. Dealer won't do GMO/
GMS on CTS ! My 96 caddy 87K trouble
free miles needs thos $2400 dealer only
front struts and the dealers are only
offering 5k trade in ! Had a couple of
Lesabre rentals. Need full size 4 door
car ! Been shopping and have a 1k buick
Gm family savings cert. and a 2K Caddy
cert. too. Heck plus GM rebate, employee
discount too ! After pricing them out..
Buick is a great deal !
Deville 35k otd
Lesabre 17k otd
About the same car except for the V-8 !
will keep ya posted........geo
BTW: Local dealer has a BLACK one
with Free LEATHER ! prem. wheels and
CD ...Only 26 sticker....17k otd too
One more thing, how much oil does the 3800 series II take? About 6 litres? ( I've misplaced my owners manual )
Thanks.
First some more general stuff. Thanks to y'all for many useful and interesting messages on this board. Owned a used '90 Limited from early '92 to late '93--drove it from 44K to 90K, loved it, especially the great interior look, the overall feel of the car, and the 3800 engine. Was away from GM until I bought a '98 Bonneville SE as a program car in late '98. Drove it from 12K to 89K. Traded it in yesterday on a 2000 Limited--*hated* to see the Bonnie go (great seats, great looker in and out, great engine, great trunk space, very good sound)--even if there were major problems in the cooling system.
Decided on the LeSabre over the 00-01-02 Bville primarily because the seats on the Buick came highly touted by edmunds.com, whereas the edmunds.com reviewer specifically yelled at Pontiac for downgrading the comfort of the seats. Sure enough--test-drove an 02 Bonnie 150 miles and felt like I'd been spending way too much time in the ring with Lennox Lewis (not that I think of myself exactly as Mr. M. Tyson, although my wife might disagree). Drove the Limited that same 150 miles and felt great.
And I'm still a big fan of the 3800. My son recently bought a '97 Camry. Wonderful car. But with others here, I still prefer the size, ride, and power of the LeSabre. (BTW, mine's silver, with a grey cloth interior. Previous owner had whitewalls on the car. Not a fan of whitewalls at all, but they look terrific on this car. And I'm glad to have the passenger power seat and the driver-info goodies.)
Now for Concert II sound. Wheeee-ew. It's terrible, just as edmunds.com's reviewer said it would be. I frequently rent Tauruses and Sables, and the sound in them blows Concert II completely out of the water. What the *heck* is Buick thinking of, putting together a great (and fairly expensive) car and then giving it terrible speakers? Could it have been the same person who put those crummy seats in the new Bonneville? Reminds me of what Honda used to do--maybe still does--in the Accord, which had wretched sound back in the late '80s. And why not a good equalizer in the supposedly premium Concert II package? The Bonneville has a standard EQ. If I sound a little grumpy here, I am.
So immediately last night I was thinking of upgrading the sound system but didn't know whether it would be worth the money or how it would be best to go about it. Thought of calling Crutchfield and asking them some model-specific questions, especially since their web site says people can install new speakers themselves. Then a little voice said, "Check Edmund's Town Hall." Within minutes I found posts 580 and 582. Thanks hugely to you both. I'm going to do exactly what you suggest, kcwolfpack. I'm going to get the Kenwoods or something similar, let a pro put them in, and will uncover the rear speakers.
Thanks again to the LeSabre board for the posts. Looking forward to hearing more.
giants515
Also any comments you might have on the Custom vs Limited models would be appreciated.
Thanks, Jim
Ive had my 02 Custom for about a month and half - I've had about 3 days of 85+ weather in that time. No problem cooling the car. In fact, with fan on high, and setting on "max" or "norm" (with recirc button on), the airflow was almost too much. I didnt notice any meaningful reduction in engine power either (as I used to with foreign cars). Hope this helps!