29th Aug 2003, 17:43
My 1991 Lumina 4-door Sedan with 3.1 Liter engine was bought new and although reliable in most respects, it burns a hole in my wallet whenever the brakes have to be replaced. The rotors always have to be replaced because they cannot be machined. They are too thin to begin with and eventually become warped from the heat generated by braking. Three years after buying the car in July of 1991, I started to read about problems with the rear disc brake assembly rusting and eventually seizing. This was caused by the fact that when applying the parking brake it would not always fully release. The sliders would not return to their normal position. I have kept a detail log of all the repairs done and it runs to over 125 times I've had this car in for servicing. I currently have 205,000 Kms (127,000 miles) on the car. Repairs and regular maintenance have run to about $17,000 Canadian ($12,000 US). Aside from the annoying and costly brake repairs, it's hard to give up on this car. The body is in good shape, not many rust spots, and the engine and transmission have not been a problem (touch wood) to now. It still provides good gas mileage on the highway when running a steady 100 KmPH (62 MPH) ; in past highway trips I've gotten around 35 miles per UK gallon (29 miles per US gallon). I'm going to try to run this car into the ground before getting a new one.
19th May 2003, 17:31
Hi, I recently bought a 1992 Lumina and it did have a few problems. Notably the tie rod ends and transmission filter. I replaced all 4 tires, spark plug wires, plugs, O2 sensor, front valve cover gasket, and had the transmission fluid filtered. This particular vehicle does have a noticeable kick to the motor mounts and after 2 hours of steady diving the car will stall at red lights and stop signs. Also the power seems to have improved after I replaced the transmission filter, gasket and fluid. It is a V6. Next on my list of to-do's is to replace the torque converter solenoid as I was advised by a local GE dealership. Also the motor mount that seems to turn the engine sideways when placed in forward or reverse. Thanks for the info. Louis.