Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46
I have a 1999 Lasabre with 186K. I noticed I was not putting out any heat and the engine overheating light came on. I thought it was a stuck thermostat, but now I wonder if it could be more. Is there a sure way to know if it is a manifold gasket?
VJ
VJ.
Yes it's probably your intake. GO NOW and get it fixed! Then sell it like yesterday.
I just put mine in today. To late for me.
Lewis.
I have a 1998 LaSabre with the same intake manifold problems as the rest of you. I am taking Rhonda's advice and calling them. This is the most ridiculous waste of money ever. I have always been a GM person and loved the product, but this time after this happening twice within a year I am not going to buy GM when I buy my next car. This problem is too much to deal with and I have lost my faith in GM in general. Lorraine
Same plenum problem as everyone else. I replaced the engine at 38,000 miles because of the water leaking into the cylinders and overheating and hydro lock caused by the hole in the plenum. Now the car is smelling of burnt plastic, which is my tap on the shoulder to let me know the plenum's destroying itself again. This time I'll try the Ken-co kit, although my mechanic said he read something about a replacement metal plenum. Anyone know about this?
Neal in Atlanta.
PS I called Buick C/S and had received the same poor service. They admit nothing, but will give me a coupon for a thousand dollars off my next Buick purchase. With the problems that I've had, the coupon would go unused.
This is a sad time for past Buick customers. I have been a service manager at Buick, Chevy, and
Pontiac and GMC. What in the world is GM doing?
I in the past have seen and worked with quality that GM has always had. They at GM need to own up and take care of their customers. This plastic upper so called plenium intake problem and EGR tube needs to be corrected.
Please take the necessary steps as an owner of a Buick Park Avenue.
Well, I too am another victim of the cursed plenum. I'm losing coolant and can only assume this is my problem. I will be tearing into my car this weekend hoping it will not be too late. This is a real shame. My car is a '95 Park Ave. with 96k and I really love the car. I guess I don't really mind fixing this if it cures the prob. I will continue to drive this car since I do like it so much. Wish me luck.
I just bought a 97 Olds with the 3.8 v6 and 72,000 original miles. I read these posts... wish I had read them two days ago...
Anyway, I ordered a replacement upper plenum and intend to replace it immediately... what about the lower plenum? I have read about the KEN-CO repair kit, but I can't seem to find it anywhere... any ideas? Can I use it with the new upper plenum???
Thanks
Dave.
I just dodged a bullet, about to buy this time bomb.. too bad, it looked like a great car.. GM needs to own up to its mistakes.
The same thing happen to me with my 98 Buick Regal LS. It only has 98k. Now my motor is blown!!! It will cost me $2700 for a remanufactured motor with 3 year warranty parts and labor. I wouldn't have never bought this car if I would have seen this site!!!
I have a 1993 Park Avenue and I am having the same problem, so I don't think it began in 1995. I have no water in my oil yet, but it is leaking on the outside and smoking badly. I have also smelled the burnt plastic smell in my car for some time now and could never figure it out till now. I do all my repairs myself and I have not tore into it yet. Thank God I have a Nissan I can rely on to get me around. When I get into it, I may have to make my own metal sleeve like that repair kit has. Hopefully the plenum is not completely damaged. I did see you can buy a new one on rockauto. com for 132 bucks.
In 1993 GM was still using the series II 3.8 which had the aluminum intake manifold. 1995 was the first year for the series III which used plastic. It is highly unlikely your problem is a leaky manifold. And the melting plastic smell is definitely not your intake manifold.
The series I 3800 was out until 1995. The series II 3800 came out in 95 also but was only on the Park Avenue and Bonneville, but the LeSabre still had the series I 3800 engine.
The plastic intake manifold was on the series II 3800 engine and is what gives everyone fits. But when I do go to the junkyard I do see plastic intake manifolds on the series I 3800 93 & 94 year engine models. But the don't seem to be very problematic, since you rarely hear about intake leaks on them. Also the series III 3800 came out in 2003 and it has the metal intake manifold.
Amazing. I am now headed to Virginia to pick up my mothers '98 LeSabre, 70K, after she had loaned it to my cousin visiting from Germany. The car had been 100% for ten years, minus, brakes, starter, tires, and service. Now I am learning about the problems that are occurring with the coolant and manifold and gaskets. Guess what? He and his family of four are now making their way with a Ford rental because the car overheated and stopped outside of Washington D.C. No Dexcool leaks, but no Dexcool either.
I have been a mechanic for thirty years and have eight vehicles of different brands. I just wonder why this was not brought up as a recall defect. This is outrageous. I have always recommended GM products and used them myself for the reliability and low maintenance costs, however, this is something that General Motors should remediate NOW! If any info about GM making amends, please email tasserv@juno.com
In the process of maybe (big maybe) buying a 95 Trans Am with series 2 3.8.
Funny thing it has oil in coolant. Intake gaskets suspect since besides EGR water issues, it seems GM's choice of coolant also causes problems with gaskets.
GM, GM, GM won't you ever learn. Remember your lack of owning up for the Fiero fiasco (fires that injured people, bad connecting rods, bad hose clamps etc). It was in the beginning a car ahead of its time and decent looking too. But you were silent when they were bursting into flames, running burned up cars as a simple warranty issue instead of immediately recalling all of them. Only to see Fiero initial record sales drop to nearly nothing because of your self-induced bad reputation.
I remember a GM exec's reason for its discontinuance: there just wasn't enough of a market for 2 seat sports car. Coincidentally Mazda, Nissan and Toyota went on to sell billions of them. Why not step up here, since there are undeniable issues that will undoubtedly cost you big time sales in the future? Fix the problem with a redesigned retrofit (metal please, this time) intake manifold, apologize to your customers, then use these obvious numerous ignorant blunders as a way not to handle design and engineering mistakes to train your execs. Stop running from problems hoping to outlast your customers' will. I may be wasting oxygen here, but isn't it about time to begin to rebuild confidence in your customer base? But again, still another shame is befalling you; poor poor GM.
A Trans Am doesn't have a series 2 3800. You are incorrectly identifying your potential purchase as a Trans Am. It's a Firebird with a V6 engine.