2000 Buick Century from North America - Comments

Well, I see I'm not alone with the Buick 2000 transmission problem. I bought my Buick in the summer of 2003 with 30k on it. At 50k I started experiencing a hard transmission shift with a whining sound.

Initially, I was very concerned, as I thought I was losing my transmission. However, like everyone else, shutting off the engine and letting it sit for a short time will temporarily fix the problem. I normally experience the problem when driving the car 40 minutes or so. It normally flares up when I'm in stop and go traffic. I notice it usually happens when climbing or descending hills.

Anyway, 90k miles latter, and I never had the problem fixed. Yes, it's annoying as all get out, but I'm dealing with it.

I'm going to run the car into the ground. I do love the ride, and comfort, but I'm leaning toward a foreign make next time around.

It sad, I really want to buy domestic, but what a hassle. GM seems to continually shoot themselves in the foot by not taking care of their customers. No repeat sale here.

What is sad is that so many people believe that if they buy a Honda or Toyota they will be magically free of car trouble. Every make has problems bar none, I don't care what you hear. GM is just everybodys favorite car company to pick on. The auto industry is really going in a very sad direction, even worse so than in the early-mid 1980's. The "good old days" are definitely gone.

Here is another notch in Buick's gun! I have a 2001 Le Sabre - 43,000 miles and the transmission problem is as described in this string of complaints. At just over 38,000 miles it started the intermittent hard shifting. My mechanic replaced a loose front motor mount and changed trany fluid and filter. This made no difference. The hard shift problem does not start right away; but after everything warms up, then it happens. Turn the car off and let it set 3 to 5 minutes and the problem is gone for a little while. Glad to hear that this is an annoyance. I'm surprised that GM has not done something about this issue.

I bought my fathers 2000 Buick Century 4 years ago with 19k miles on it and immediately started having troubles with it.

First the intake manifold gasket went out at a cost of about $1,100

Next thing the blower fan motor will only work on high or not at all, and the knob to turn it off and on broke off.

I am also getting a very weird response when opening and closing the back windows, kind of works when it wants to, and from what I am reading it sounds like the power window motor is going?

Now at 80k I am too getting the hard shift and whinny sound from the transmission, and almost to the T on what every other post is saying it only happens when the motor warms up, I too just shut the car off for a few seconds and restart and all works well for a while.

I did talk to a transmission mechanic and he to said that it is a solenoid that was bad and suggested getting it replaced at a cost of about $700.00. He recomended getting it fixed as the whinning sound is the transmission working way to hard and eventually will cause damage?

Have not had the other electrical problems that some posters have had, but do not think I am going to hang on to the car too much longer to find out.

Good luck to all! I too will "never buy another GM product"

12:59, if your intake manifold went out before 3 yrs/36,000 miles, then why did you not claim this under the warranty?

December 11 2007

I too have a Buick century 2000 with the same problems It was good till about 80000 km when my solenoid went. I had it repaired at a qualified tranny shop for a fee of 600.00 cdn. A year later it started to shift hard if I would step on it a little especially on a little incline (The hard shift would shake the whole car). I took it back to the same tranny shop who then put it on his computor and gave me a quote of 2000 to 2500.00 to fix it. I have a personal friend in Edmonton who has a 30 year tranny experience. In my frustration I hadn't observed the code which he requested. Now what he told me might help some of you. Without knowing the code or spending 2500.00 try this.He explained (unquote) your tranny is somewhat computor controlled and your pumps pressure runs between 60 to 80 pounds. If your oil is a little low the computor will program it to around 140 pounds thus the hard shift. He suggested add 2 litres of oil to your tranny (He said it won't hurt it even if it shows overful, I only did 1) and disconnect the positive battery cable for about 2-5 min. That will program your computor back to zero and should fix your problem. I did what he told me to do and I've drove about 5000 km. now and no trouble.

December 11 2007

I too have a Buick century 2000 with the same problems It was good till about 80000 km when my solenoid went. I had it repaired at a qualified Tran shop for a fee of 600.00 Cd. A year later it started to shift hard if I would step on it a little especially on a little incline (The hard shift would shake the whole car). I took it back to the same Tran shop who then put it on his computer and gave me a quote of 2000 to 2500.00 to fix it. I have a personal friend in Edmonton who has a 30 year Tran experience. In my frustration I hadn't observed the code which he requested. Now what he told me might help some of you. Without knowing the code or spending 2500.00 try this.He explained (unquote) your Tran is somewhat computer controlled and your pumps pressure runs between 60 to 80 pounds. If your oil is a little low the computer will program it to around 140 pounds thus the hard shift. He suggested add 2 litres of oil to your transmission (He said it won't hurt it even if it shows overfull, I only did 1) and disconnect the positive battery cable for about 2-5 min. That will program your computer back to zero and should fix your problem. I did what he told me to do and I've drove about 5000 km. now and no trouble.

Hey Me TOO!!!

I have a "99" Buick Lesabre same transmission trouble as every

one!!! Runs fine then 30min when warm it shifts very hard Bangs into gear. The car has 79,000 miles. Oh yea the wining to... Shut the car off, restart after 2min then its OK... Looks like no more long trips to Vegas!!!

I had the intermittent transmission problem with my 2000 Century starting at about 80,000 miles or so. Same symptoms, drive the car for a while and starts to hard shift. If I shut it off for a few it stops the problem for a bit. I went to have it looked at back in April 2007 at Amoco (I will never go back there) - they didn't even really do any in depth diagnostics, just said I needed a new tranny or a rebuild. I took it to a local place that specializes in transmissions and they knew all about the PCS valve problem, ran a bunch of tests and determined that was the problem. They told me they had an upgrade kit for the PCS Valve assembly so once they fixed it (900.00 later) it shouldn't be an issue... Fast forward to a couple of days ago and lo and behold SAME issue again! I called the place I had it fixed and they need to look it over again... The guy did tell me that the computer will try to compensate for the tranny when it senses trouble, but at some point the computer 'can't keep up anymore' which is why the problem happens after a long period of driving and then goes away after re-starting the car.

I'll re-post after I've had it looked at and let you know what they came up with. More than 1k and I'm ditching the car.

I too have a 2000 Buick century - bought it two days ago with full knowledge of the shifting problem... this is what I've found-out so far...

PCS = pressure control solenoid. It is the part that controls the line pressure in the transmission. The original equipment design from Delphi has a soft steel armature rubbing against a hardened steel bearing, so the armature gets a groove worn in it quite quickly. The groove catches on the bearing and keeps the part from regulating pressure correctly.

The part retails for about $40.00.

There is a link from the gmpartsdirect website that goes to a separate catalog site... this site has exploded views of systems and will allow you to find part numbers.

I will keep you all updated. Past Centuries I've bought have performed extremely well. The car I have now has very low miles, and was serviced well.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=398499

I've added this link to give everyone an idea what a GMC certified mechanic is looking at when he replaces a bad PCV solenoid. These pictures and the accompanying text show clearly the problem and why it occurs. If you go for the fix please ask them to replace the solenoid with a non-Delphi compatible solenoid. All delphi PCV solenoids #10478146 are considered defective, and the supply chain is full of this part for various cars and years.

This is the technical memo distributed to all GMC transmission shops. It's a bit heady, but you all get the picture:

You have a sticking PCS. Below is the bulletin from GM Slips, Harsh Upshift or Garage Shifts, Launch Shudders, Flares, Erratic Shifts and Intermittent Concerns, DTC P1811 or P0748 Set (Replace Pressure Control Solenoid Valve Assembly) #00-07-30-002B - (07/19/2002) Table 1: Line Pressure Specification Table Slips, Harsh Upshift or Garage Shifts, Launch Shudders, Flares, Erratic Shifts and Intermittent Concerns, DTC P1811 or P0748 Set (Replace Pressure Control Solenoid Valve Assembly) 1997-1999 Buick Riviera 1997-2002 Buick Park Avenue 1998-2002 Buick LeSabre 1999-2002 Buick Regal 2000-2002 Buick Century 2002 Buick Rendezvous 1997-2001 Chevrolet Lumina 1997-2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1999-2002 Chevrolet Venture 2000-2002 Chevrolet Impala 1997- 1999 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight 1997-2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue 2001-2002 Oldsmobile Aurora (3.5L) 1997-2002 Pontiac Bonneville, Grand Prix 1999-2002 Pontiac Transport/Montana 2001-2002 Pontiac Aztek with Hydra-Matic 4T65-E (RPOs MN3, MN7, M15, M76) This bulletin is being revised to add additional models and model years. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 00-07-30-002A (Section --Automatic Transmission). Condition Some owners of the above vehicles with a Hydra-Matic 4T65-E transaxle may comment on harsh upshifts or harsh garage shifts, soft shifts, shudders on hard acceleration, or shifts erratic. These conditions may appear intermittently or set a DTC P1811 or P0748. During diagnosis, a low or high line pressure (actual versus desired) may be observed. Cause The above condition may be due to any one of the following which may affect line pressure output: Sediment inside the pressure control (PC) solenoid valve, causing the PC solenoid valve to mechanically bind. Sediment in the valve body, causing the torque signal regulator valve to stick. Incorrect transaxle oil level. Correction Important Any of the above conditions may be intermittent, therefore, this test should be performed at least three times. Refer to the Line Pressure Check Procedure in SI, along with the Line Pressure Specification Table below, to determine if actual versus desired pressures are within the values specified. The Scan Tool is only able to control the PC solenoid valve in PARK and NEUTRAL with the vehicle stopped. This protects the clutches from extremely high or low pressures in DRIVE or REVERSE ranges. If the actual versus desired pressures are not within the values specified, clean the valve body and replace the PC solenoid valve, if necessary. Check the PC solenoid valve actual versus desired pressures to verify the new PC solenoid valve is responding correctly. Refer to the Automatic Transaxle Section of the Service Manual for the proper repair procedure. Line Pressure Check Procedure Tools Required J 21867 Universal Pressure Gauge Set Important Before performing a line pressure check, verify that the pressure control (PC) solenoid valve is receiving the correct electrical signal from the PCM. Install a Scan Tool. Caution Keep the brakes applied at all times in order to prevent unexpected vehicle motion. Personal injury may result if the vehicle moves unexpectedly. Start the engine and set the parking brake. Check for a stored Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). Repair the vehicle, if necessary. Check the fluid level. Refer to the Transmission Fluid Checking Procedure. Check the manual linkage for proper adjustment. Turn the engine OFF. Remove the oil pressure test hole plug and install the J 21867. Put the gear selector in PARK range and set the parking brake. Start the engine and allow the engine to warm up at idle. Notice Total test running time should not be longer than two minutes, or else transmission damage could occur. Access the PC solenoid valve control test on the Scan Tool. Increase the PC solenoid actual current from 0.0 to 1.0 amps in 0.1 amp increments. Allow the pressure to stabilize for five seconds after each pressure change. Read the corresponding line pressure on the J 21867. Refer to the Line Pressure specification table. Compare the data to the table. If pressure readings differ greatly from the table, refer to Incorrect Line Pressure. Remove the J 21867. Apply sealant, P/N 12345382 (in Canada, P/N 10953489), to the oil pressure test hole plug. Notice Refer to Fastener Notice in Cautions and Notices. Install the oil pressure test hole plug. Tighten Tighten the oil pressure test hole plug to 12 N?m (106 lb in). Part Number Description 10478146 Pressure Control Solenoid - Valve Asm. #344 of 433 Intrigue Transmission TSB by jjpowell2 Feb 03, 2004 (11:28 am) Reply | E-mail Msg Thank you for the text. We should get our car back today. #345 of 433 Vibration by wwhite2 Feb 21, 2004 (8:08 pm) Reply | E-mail Msg I.

Same problem here. I have a 2000 Century with about 52,000 miles on it. Car shifts hard after 20-30 minutes of driving. Seems to be better in cold weather. As I recall, the problem started when the car hit about 30,000 miles. I've had two mechanics look at it and both said that nothing appeared to be wrong with the transmission. Neither could figure out what the problem was.

I've resigned myself to just continue driving it until the wheels fall off and then put the thing in a junk yard. No sense spending $2,500 to realize (as many of you have experienced) that the repairs did no good.

Lesson learned. No more Buicks for me.

THERE IS HOPE!!!

Don't fret because this will be the last entry I make regarding the century 4T65-E transmission on this site. I have entered two of the past three comments and I've found the sure fire cure!

As I stated earlier, it doesn't pay to have a faulty part put into your already ailing transmission. There is an alternative:

Http://www.tripleedgeperformance.com/4T65E_Parts.php.

This site lists the Pressure Control Solenoid for the 4T65E, made by a company called Borg Warner (force motor) and is considered worthy of high performance racing. It retails for $47.95, and can be purchased at the above mentioned site. Take it to your mechanic, or if you are mechanically inclined install it yourself, if you are serious about fixing the problem.

Goodluck!

this should conclude this thread for all time.

To all you folks who had the Buick tranny trouble: You all are correct and it does not stop on Buicks, Chevy Corsica, GMC vans, Cavaliers etc.. I was almost killed a few times from the Corsica (92) refusing to stop at unpredictable intervals, thru intersections etc. The automatic lock-up torque converters are involved in this and one of the temp. gauges. Basically, all from the 80's forward.

I used to cobble some up to help, but many had to be junked. I just bought a 2000 LeSabre with 143000 miles on it and it flickers its lights and the air conditioner blows extremely hot air. Considering that I ran an 81 Chev pick-up for 25+ years and over 400,000 miles on it with little repair, I feel raped!

jdk in pa.

April 26, 2008: I'm late in the game. I was looking for something else, when I came across these comments. I told my wife, "look what I found". Same problems with 2000 Buick Century (35k) hard shifting, trouble with electric motor in rear window; plus, my private mechanic was installing new brakes when we discovered one side of the brakes on the right rear wheel was brand new; it had never come into contact with the drum. Also the PRND21 and the mileage are now invisible, so at this point I can't tell how many miles I have on the car. Only because I want to support the American way, I just purchased a 2008 Ford Taurus. Help me keep my fingers crossed.