No good deed goes unpunished - 95 Buick rant

biosurfer1 · 10-02-2014, 10:25 AM

My wife's g-ma has moved into a retirement home and doesn't need/want her car anymore. It's a 1995 Buick Century with 85,000 miles and damn near showroom clean. She was going to take it to Carmax who offered her $200 for it but I told her I would sell it, as I figure I could probably get 10x that.

Couple minor issues to fix that weren't a lot of $$ and easy (hood strut, cable release) but of course, on the drive home the Service Engine Soon light comes on for the first time. No big deal, I have ODB 1 and 2 readers at home, plus the car is running fine so probably just an O2 sensor.

Apparently 1995 was a transitional year for GM and in their typical "screw the customer" mentality, they choose to put a proprietary 12 pin ODB 1.5 connector that is damn near impossible to read without an advanced code reader. So now I get to have a mechanic read the code which will cost at least $90 just to find out what the issue is.

Its not about the money other than the fact that it would be nice for her g-ma to have a little extra, just annoying this happens to be one of two model years that GM did this and its going to cost her extra money because they had their heads up their asses those two years

911SauCy · 911SauCy's Garage

Carmax should be punched in the throat for a $200 offer on any car.

You can't get a romantic dinner for $200...

Re the CEL, you're better off changing a few easy sensors, (Intake Air Temp, o2, Mass Air) which are nominal, the car will run better and you'd have a piece of mind.

Even if you need an injector or intake manifold gasket, those cars are a breeze to work on an parts are dirt cheap

biosurfer1 · 10-02-2014, 10:46 AM

If I were keeping the car, that's what I would do but I'd be more pissed if I changed those parts and it was still on. It's annoying to pay to read a code but at least I'll fix it, get the damn light off and be done with the car.

"Dirt cheap" doesn't begin to describe these cars and their parts...I've seen multiple running parts car for $750 on CL. Someone is going to get a great car, that gets good MPG's and is beyond cheap to maintain/fix.

I'm hoping its not an intake gasket because that is the one item I've read could be "costly" (not by Porsche standards) but I doubt it's that.

McLovin · 10-02-2014, 10:47 AM

Take it to Pep Boys, etc.

They'll let you use their advanced code readers in the parking lot, for free.

biosurfer1 · 10-02-2014, 10:51 AM

So I went to Autozone and besides the fact they don't have the right code reader, they said in California they changed the laws and only repair shops can let customers use code readers, which they won't do for free of course.

biosurfer1 · 10-02-2014, 10:52 AM

hm...actually some Pep Boys are repair shops, if I remember correctly. Thanks...that might work.

speeder · 10-02-2014, 10:52 AM

Plus one on the Pep Boys idea. You don't want to throw parts at it, that can get frustrating.

Steve Carlton · 10-02-2014, 11:17 AM

Ask for Manny. Moe's a jerk and Jack is dead.

911SauCy · 911SauCy's Garage

I wish you were East Coast, I would buy the car from you tomorrow.

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

If you just jumper the two upper left terminals together and it will flash the codes via the CEL. That's if iirc.

bleucamaro · 10-02-2014, 11:58 AM

Since they changed the "borrow" law, they now let you purchase a used one and return it. Same as with spring-compressors and other specialty tools that auto parts stores used to loan.

EarlyPorsche · 10-02-2014, 11:59 AM

Disconnect battery and reconnect after 20 minutes. Should clear the code. May never come back again. Likely just dirty throttle body, MAF, both of which can be cleaned so the o2 doesn't get skunky air.

wayner · 12:27 PM

95 Buick?

Is it a v-6?

Screw the customer?

Isn't it at just about the right mileage for the liquid cooled intake manifold gasket to let go, filling the cylinders with coolant so that the pistons will hydro lock and drop the crank shaft out on the ground the first time you start it?

I'd replace the gasket very soon if I were keeping it.

P.S.
I have a 2002 Honda accord with 27,000kms on it.
Engine light came on after picking it up from the estate. Unplugged the battery and plugged it back in and it reset. It did that twice more (anytime we revved it over 3 grand. I figure it was 27k worth of carbon build up letting go. I doubt this car every saw over 1.5k RPM while my aunt had it. One thousand kms later the problem is gone for good

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

what v6 is in it? might be interested. PM me.

biosurfer1 · 10-02-2014, 12:39 PM

Tried pulling the battery, no dice. Came right back on.

paper clip jumper won't work, that's only for ODB 1, this is some ODB 1/2 hybrid usually called ODB 1.5

I wouldn't have a problem buying a code reader IF they had the correct one (they all exclude 94-95 Buick)

wayner, that concerned me too but the Buick forums say you'll have leaking and very rough running before that failure. More of a progressive failure...so I can't rule it out, but it's doubtful. My guess is still O2 sensor.

It's the 3.1 V6

DanielDudley · 10-02-2014, 12:56 PM

85 bucks would have this all behind you. Old cars often have failing coils and plug wires.

911SauCy · 911SauCy's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

wayner, that concerned me too but the Buick forums say you'll have leaking and very rough running before that failure. More of a progressive failure...so I can't rule it out, but it's doubtful. My guess is still O2 sensor.

It's the 3.1 V6

On my 3.8 Series 2, the UIM and LIM gaskets were getting boost blow by for 6 months before I changed it (would have done it sooner if i knew extent of issue) but the car still ran like a beast. It has to be really gone to make a running issue.

I'd make 2 purchases equal to the cost of and say screw the diagnosis:

-Can of CRC MAF Cleaner, followed by liberal dousing.

-1 Oxy Sensor.

If that doesn't do the trick EFF IT.

If you're bent about the diagnosis charge and get a PO171 (system lean on Bank 1 (or 2 for that matter)) code, your first place to start is MAF, o2 and then chasing vac leaks...never mind getting the IM gaskets changed. No way.

Schiut man it's a '95 BUI, the CEL is part of the allure...

911SauCy · 911SauCy's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

85 bucks would have this all behind you. Old cars often have failing coils and plug wires.

So many great places to burn the dough...

Another great starting point

nightheart · nightheart's Garage

3.1 GM, probably the EGR valve. Actron makes a scanner that can read the obd 1.5 codes. you use their scanner with interchangeable ends. FAQ is here

Actron®

Any garage you take it too, make sure they understand the obd1.5 thing. Its was a very stupid idea that lasted 2 years and didn't even effect all the models in 94-95.

Good luck.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

I had your same luck when I was volunteered by the family to sell my grandmothers car. She had driven it very little in the year before we took her keys away. It was a 20 year old car with 29,000 miles of mostly sitting.

I drove it from her place over to my house and I heard a funny noise just a few block from home. The water pump just let go.

It was a early 1970s Impala so it was not a major task to change the water pump. The bottom hose was about to blow so I had to replace that and all of the fan belts were just cracked and crumbly so those were replaced. The oil had not been changed a long time so that got changed.

The radiator had a decent leak once the new water pump could pressurize the system so I had to pull the radiator and have it re-cored.

It needed new tires as well but I was not going there. I did have to change the read brake cylinders on the drum brakes as well.

In the end a running car sold for more money. I still spent an entire weekend working on it. Granny gave me a hug which totally paid for the work. I wish I could get another hug from her.