My one hundreth post......hurray

[h8z2luze]

I agree I hate getting on forums and everyone telling you your a idiot cause you dont know something or calling you a noob. I think some people are ignorant assholes. But I have yet to find one here. I really like this forum.

[Isphius]

Jfunez...Since your a gm tech...Im thinking of getting a 98-02 LS1 fbody one of these days...Do you know of a lot of service or reliability problems with this car? Or what happens to a lot of them that requires fixing. If youve never worked on one, thats probably a good sign...lol. my dad always tells me its expensive to fix japanese cars, And then I look at this T/A and im like holy crap, these are the most expensive parts ever. Doesnt make any sense!

[jfunez]

hardly ever do we get any broken down F bodys. the only comon thing would be fuel pumps and seldom transmissions, other than that look for leaky engine oil pans and leaky transmission pans, "any car can have this though".
When you get ready to buy,make sure that its shifting firmly and properly.. that would be my greates concern.other than that, camaros and firbirds w/the 5.7 are very reliable and trouble free cars.
here are all the "TSB" technical service bulletins that there are for that vehicle. If you need any help in the future let me know.
#01-07-30-032C Transmission Oil Leaking from Transmission Vent (Replace Transmission Case Cover Gasket/Channel Plate Gasket) - (Jul 26, 2006) #05-06-01-019D Engine Oil Leak at Crankshaft Rear Main Oil Seal (Install Revised Crankshaft Rear Main Oil Seal Using Revised Rear Main Seal Installer) - (May 12, 2006)#04-07-30-028A 4T65-E Automatic Transmission Fluid Leak from Reverse Servo Cover (Replace Reverse Servo Cover Seal) - (Jan 12, 2006) #01-07-30-038C Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0757 Set, Service Engine (SES) Lamp Illuminated, Poor Performance of Transmission, Transmission Slipping (Clean Transmission Valve Body and Case Oil Passages of Debris) - (Oct 12, 2005) #01-07-30-002E Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) On, Transmission Stuck in Second or Third Gear, Instrument Cluster Inoperative (Verify and Repair Source of Voltage Loss in Transmission Solenoid Power Supply Circuit) - (Sep 23, 2005) #02-07-30-013E Incorrect Transmission Shifts, Poor Engine Performance, Harsh 1-2 Upshifts, Slips 1st and Reverse, Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) Stuck Off/On, DTCs P0757, P0741, P0742, P0730, P0756 - (May 20, 2005) #00-07-30-022C No Reverse, Second Gear or Fourth Gear (Replace Reaction Sun Shell with More Robust Heat Treated Parts) - (Dec 10, 2004) #03-06-04-030A Multiple Driveability Symptoms Due to Clogged Fuel Injectors (Clean Injectors) - (Jun 24, 2004) #02-06-01-038 Engine Knock or Lifter Noise (Replace O-Ring) - (Dec 2, 2002) #02-06-01-029 Needle Bearings Found In Oil Pan (Replace Rocker Arms) - (Aug 28, 2002) #01-06-01-023A Higher Than Expected Oil Consumption (Replace Rings and Engine Valley Cover) - (Jun 19, 2002) #02-06-04-023A Audible Spark Knock (Detonation), MIL Illuminated, DTC P0332 Set (Replace Rear Bank Knock Sensor and RTV Area Around Sensor) - (Jun 14, 2002) #02-07-31-001 Clutch Pedal Return Spring Breaks or Scraping Noise When Clutch Pedal Applied (Replace Clutch Pedal Return Spring) - (Feb 19, 2002) #01-08-57-009 Rear Floor or Trunk Wet on Top of Axle (Apply Sealer) - (Dec 17, 2001) #01-05-23-010 Noise/Rattle from Rear of Vehicle While Driving (Replace Rear Backing Plate Bolts) - (Sep 21, 2001) #01-07-30-021 Park/Neutral Position Switch Connector Cannot Be Removed (Replace Switch and Connectors) - (May 2, 2001) #01-08-42-002 Headlamp Door Squeaks When Opening or Closing (Apply Lubricant) - (Feb 28, 2001) #01-02-35-001 Steering Wheel Squeaks When Turning (Install Insulating Material) - (Feb 28, 2001) #01-08-48-001 Windshield Reveal Molding Squeak (Add Anti-Squeak Tape) - (Feb 14, 2001) #00-08-57-004 Water Runs Out of Front Lower Corners of Rear Hatch When Opened (Install Sealer) - (Nov 29, 2000)

[mrnickleye]

When people ask me(down at the shop) what seems to be the least trouble car to buy, I tell them a Buick LeSabre, Park Avenue, or Regal.

We see many for a smog test, but few to do repairs on. And those repairs are small, and inexpensive.

My mom has a 1995 LeSabre, and my dad has a 2002.
1995 ...Oil pan leak, and trans pan leak. Fixed in 2 hrs. Not another problem all these years and miles.

Of course, you'll make everyone assume you're over 50 yrs old if you get one !!!

I'vee seen more fuel pumps bad in Chevy trucks than any other vehicle. And the parts & labor are high, like $300-$900 job, depending on the particular model.

Camaro pumps are high too, and I've seen a bunch.

[jfunez]

THATS RIGHT..ANOTHER THING THAT IS LIKELY TO GO BAD ON BUICKS ARE THE LOWER INTAKE GASKETS....PRETTY EASY TO FIX BUT COSTLY TO THE CUSTOMERS..
jUST ABOUT ALL GM VEHICLES WITH 3.1 , 3.4 , 3.8 , AND ALL V8 ARE VERY RELIABLE ... ITS FUNNY ., i USED TO THINK VERY BAD OF GM PRODUCTS BEFORE I STARTED WORKING FOR THIS DEALERSHIP.

ANYWAYS.....

[supra90turbo]

3.8K's are not as common with intake gaskets as 3.1J/M or 3.4E
I'd say 3.8's and 5.7's are about the same when it comes to intake gaskets, but they're the same engine(minus 2 on the v6 of course), so that's no surprise.

I wouldn't buy an F body for several reasons. The major of them being typical GM fit and finish. The quality is shit. Sure the running gear may be solid, but the rest is junk. The interior is all snap-together plastic, and it'll creak and rattle. Plastic everywhere, fenders, headlight lids, so on...

I wouldn't buy any GM for that matter... maybe trucks, but they've got bigger and badder problems... ick.

[Isphius]

the 3.1, 2.8, 3.4 etc, etc are 60 degree v6s, and have pretty much the same block. Thye are "even fire" meaning the 2 cylinders go off at the same time, so they dont have the loopy idle like a v8. They do run into some problems and whatnot, but are very good motors. My dad and I had a 5 speed 86 s10 with a dohc 3.4 in it (lq1) from a lumina z34. It made about 220 hp, very fast truck lol. It was unfortunatley destroyed by a drunk driver going almost 60, pretty much destroyed every bit of work we did. Anyways, the 3.8, 4.3 v6s are 90 degree v6s, similar to the small block. Basically a 5.0 and a 5.7 - 2 cylinders as supra90turbo said. And that thing is true with gm vehicles. They wont break their motors or tranmissions but everything else will goto shit, especially little stuff inside that is annpying but not important enough to fix. But they are great motors if you dont like to work on your car, There just a little frugal with power. plenty of torque tho! Plus they make that eaton supercharger...