When doing the job for the LIM gaskets you gonna wanna spring for the metal elbows. The dexcool will surprise you how much it pitted the bottom of the lower intake. I use conventional green in mine. Also the block does have coolant drains to help get every bit of the coolant out. Part of the servicing your doing on this car you should include the oil pan gasket. It is probably leaking by now. Really the hardest part of the job will be cleaning the pan. Also check your harmonic balancer for play they are common for the rubber in them to break down and cause many different problems which include a knock that sounds like rod knock, belt slippage and so forth. If you need a new one get a new crank seal to replace it when you pull it. Your giving this car some love and I wish you all the best man. I got an 04 lesabre with the same engine and they are good engines just a little quirky in some areas. Replace the oring that sits below your PCV valve as well. There is a small black on that doesn't get noticed and can cause a small vacuum leak code. Especially remember this if you get the updated upper intake because a lot of the kits out there leave it out. My biggest complaint with the lesabre is the shitty PCS they put in the transmission and causes it to shift hard. It can be gotten around with a shift kit and filter replacement and even if a person does install the shift kit and then wants to replace the PCS you should still not uninstall the shift kit because it is an upgrade that should have been in it to begin with since the transmission has weak springs in it anyway. Oh and why your in the lower intake you may want to consider taking the heads off and replacing the gaskets and bolts since it is already apart. Always use the metal core lower intake gaskets too. The plastic ones are ass.
Your second last paragraph... I have a 1998 Oldsmobile 88 and just got a 1999 Buick LeSabre. On the olds we replaced the transmission filter, new fluid, and some kind of special fix fluid we were told to use which seems to have stopped it from slamming into gear when the temperature got high. The Buick we just got is slamming into gear now even when not hot. I'll share your comment with my brother (He does my mechanical work), we will still do the filter and new fluid. But is it a really bad thing if it's a common problem (assuming if we do not get it to stop after filter and fluid change)? How soon should we do your suggestions and how easy is it to do or how long does it take to do? He works road construction so doesn't have much time during the summer months to help me with car work so hopefully that can wait till he has time if we can't get it to stop slamming?
Ok, I looked at the replacing the pcs and it's pretty involved. Hopefully we won't have to get that replaced right away. Might pay one of his mechanic friends to do it otherwise. Thanks for posting your info.
i have a 1997 , 190,000 miles. Had to replace a few sensors over the years. I do concur that one should check that throttle body. Mine had a ton of soot and carbon buildup and that can keep the throttle sensor from working right. 6 years ago I had the intake manifold gasket replaced and the engine coolant switched over from that crap orange to regular green. I had a case of hydro lock, degraded gasket etc. all part of a known product recall that unfortunately for me I didn't know about. But 6 years on and going strong. Replaced the coils, plugs and wires and it runs good. Had to replace the crankshaft sensor but that one was obvious to debug. I let the shop do that just because it was convenient.
boy you keep it clean. I had mine 11 years now. I got bit by that orange anti freeze issue. Had the mechanic replace the manifold gaskets and got luck it was almost hydro locking. Those stupid little 90 degree bend coolant elbows down by the idler broke. Looks like the mechanic took a shortcut and put in plastic ones when he did the coolant conversion. I just replaced them with the aluminum ones. Do do do that. Don't use those plastic ones. Now I think I have some antifreeze getting into the engine. Might be from the throttle body side, as you mentioned there is a gasket there, and there is coolant that flows into and out of the throttle body assembly. I think that is a bad design, but I may have to pull that and check on that. Now I am having an idle problem. car starts, then dies in 2 seconds. For about 6 months I would then, first just touch the start for a second, not enough to start it. Then wait 10 seconds, then start it and it worked fine. Lately it won't hold the idle at all, and I have to two foot it. I replaced all the stuff, IAC, cleaned the throttle body, TPS, etc. No engine codes. Car runs good. But when replacing the EGR, I noticed the car WOULD idle, but a bit rough. But the idle speed was good. I also noticed and felt an awful lot of hot exhaust gas coming up into the EGR iron bracket there. That doesn't seem right. reading a few other things, I am thinking my Cat converter is plugged and at low idle there is too much backflow. Car runs ok on the road and even freeway speeds, so a cat converter seems to not quite fit the symptoms, but this weekend I am replacing the upstream O2 sensor and I will see if the car idle speed is better with that.
here to help you out a little. at map seanser you pointed out is the MAF (mass air flow). the map seanser in on the outside of the throttle body on the inteak manifold(which is seen on 7:16 held down by a red wire) which the PCV valve is located right below it. ok so also the upper intake manifold can leak colent into the engine this is due to the colent passage way nbear the throtle body corroding away seance it is plastic. also to check the fuel pressure regulator at 2:18 just run the car or power and take off the vacume hose if you see gas/smell it replace it if the diafram in it breaks it can flood your engine or hydro-lock thats because it goes into the vacuum hose and into the inteak. also at 6:11 you will see a plastic tube on the top left its good to replace that because over time it will start to leak coolent there are two of them. i segue st using metal ones if you plan on having the car a long time.
that looks nice and clean I have a 2003 buick and I'm trying to take out the transmission but we can not get to the last bell housing bolt by the 8:46 part in your video any help would be nice thank you..
Looks pretty clean in there. I'm trying to find out where the fuse is for my cig lighter. I blew the fuse after plugging in a tiny heater to defrost the windshield. Had to get a new battery. I do sometimes have that problem you mentioned about the car just quitting sometimes. Will have to get a mechanic to check that out. But right now I need to find that fuse...haha
Dang! I have the chance to buy one today, but after reading the comments, I think I will stay with my 1990 Ford Festiva. Supposedly, this Buick has 89k miles. AC does not work... don't know what to do? Seems like I would need a mechanic if I bought this 99 Buick.
Most purge canister's are located underneath the front bumper on the passenger side. If so Equipped.. most were assembled in canada ,thus the metric bolt's.. possibly if youre car was assembled in California it should have one.. possibly a canadian doesn't?? not sure on that one..
My 99' Le Sabre power train has been bullet proof!. Am having body vibration at 55mph. Mechanics have never neen able to fix it! Checked bearings, new brakes , rotors, lower control arms, ball joints, tires, wheel balance and still vibrates! Don't feel it in the brake pedal or steering. It's a great car with 93k on it and hate to scrap it but this body shaking sucks. Any ideas?...Thanks for sharing!
I have a 99 Buick LeSabre and it want start at times. I noticed that anytime the instrument panel lights want come on(Check Eng ABS Oil Level ETC) the car WANT start. Can someone here help?
if anyone can offer thier help please do so thank you in advance. I am needing to know where would the fuel pump fuse be located on a 2000 buick lesabre limited?
well that fuse and relays should be located on the firewall area under the hood..should be a rather large plastic box marked fuses.. when u open the box up ther is a label marking the fuses ampre and locations etc..
My car won't start. I just brought a 1999 Buick lesabre with 113,000 miles and a week after I brought it, it wouldn't start. I had the battery checked and it wasn't that. I wonder can it 've the security system?
