1998 Riviera Nightmare

I have been very happy with a 1998 Buick Riviera until recently, all because of my own stupidity. The car has 130,000 miles and ran perfect, until I was on a trip, checked the Synthetic oil level, and found it a 1/2 quart low. Grabbing a gallon out of the trunk, I poured in about 1-2 oz of anti freeze before I could stop myself. Thinking such a small amount would not hurt anything, I topped off with oil, and drove on, about 300 miles, when the engine seized up. At big expense I got the car back home. After a friend called saying he found a rebuilt (under 10,000 miles) engine and would install it for xx amount, I thought all my problems were solved and my great car would be driving again, and at a reasonable cost. The engine was purchased and after a short time was running, but had some error codes and check engine lights on. That is when the sensors were one after another replaced, with different errors after each one. Then the main computer was replaced, following with various wiring problems. Then the transmission would not shift properly, and the head lights would not come on. The engine runs stellar, most of the time. Come to find out, the engine was a 1995-6 instead of a 1998. It has been said that there was a difference in these engines, and the computers and the sensors, causing all of these problems. After spending over $4000 since the seizure, on this once great car it now sits with only 40 new miles, as I have lost all hope in getting it back to a reliable, driver for my lady friend. I need to do something with this car. If anyone has any suggestions or knowledge regarding what I can do to save this car from being destroyed I would certainly appreciate it. I live in an isolated area in northern California 95501. HELP!

I have been very happy with a 1998 Buick Riviera until recently, all because of my own stupidity. The car has 130,000 miles and ran perfect, until I was on a trip, checked the Synthetic oil level, and found it a 1/2 quart low. Grabbing a gallon out of the trunk, I poured in about 1-2 oz of anti freeze before I could stop myself. Thinking such a small amount would not hurt anything, I topped off with oil, and drove on, about 300 miles, when the engine seized up. At big expense I got the car back home. After a friend called saying he found a rebuilt (under 10,000 miles) engine and would install it for xx amount, I thought all my problems were solved and my great car would be driving again, and at a reasonable cost. The engine was purchased and after a short time was running, but had some error codes and check engine lights on. That is when the sensors were one after another replaced, with different errors after each one. Then the main computer was replaced, following with various wiring problems. Then the transmission would not shift properly, and the head lights would not come on. The engine runs stellar, most of the time. Come to find out, the engine was a 1995-6 instead of a 1998. It has been said that there was a difference in these engines, and the computers and the sensors, causing all of these problems. After spending over $4000 since the seizure, on this once great car it now sits with only 40 new miles, as I have lost all hope in getting it back to a reliable, driver for my lady friend. I need to do something with this car. If anyone has any suggestions or knowledge regarding what I can do to save this car from being destroyed I would certainly appreciate it. I live in an isolated area in northern California 95501. HELP!

Wow, what a post! You are joking right? I say this since you signed up to the forum four years

ago on April Fools day and this is your first post, plus your name has Ha Ha in it, plus how could you pour

antifreeze into the crankcase by accident when you know it requires motor oil! Am I on Candid Camera? Is your real last name perhaps Funt? OK, just for laughs I'll play along like this is a legitimate post......Hello McFly!......your friend owes you another Riviera like the one he ruined

with his total incompetence. It is not your problem.....it is your friend's. Get a lawyer and sue his pants off....he doesn't have a leg to stand on. After you receive your legal settlement including extra

money for mental anguish, go out and buy a 98 Riviera that runs.....and let a MECHANIC check your

oil in the future!

Thank You for the reply. Although you may not believe someone could mistakenly grab a gallon container out of the trunk, not realizing it is anti freeze instead of oil, I am here to tell you it can and did happen. I may have signed up four years ago, but I never had a need to post to this forum, although I have monitored it regularly, until now. So that you can understand my name, it is Harlan A Hansen. I do not sue my friends, or anyone who tries to help me and inadvertently causes me damage. Now is there another option available?

You say the sensors that were wrong have been changed......you say it runs great most of the time....specifically

what type of problem are you having now.....give me a symptom. Oh wait...... I just got off the phone with the wrecking yard that I use and he said that you can't use an older than 98 engine in a 98....they are not

compatible with other components in the car. The solution is to get a correct used engine from a wrecking yard or a rebuilt engine from Jasper and do the whole job over, putting the original parts back on that were removed. As I said, your friend owes you a lot of money for what he did to your car. If

he doesn't pay you to get you back where you were when he entered the picture, he is not your friend,

he is your enemy. If he won't pay, you would only be suing your enemy, which is OK in my book. If

you insist on giving your friend a free ride to screw you over, then you will need to spend another 4K

or call Cars for Kids and have them tow it off. I'm in the car repair business, and if I screwed somebody over like that, I would gladly pay whatever it cost to rectify the situation...your friend should do the same. I don't know you and I am not your friend but I wouldn't treat you like that....I would take responsibility and man up and do the right thing. Wow, do I sound like Dr Phil?

To get this can of worms corrected, I have a hunch it is going to cost you more than $4,000.00. Perhaps much more. I think you need to seriously consider how much you're willing to spend to put this 1998 right. Some of the electronic parts you need may no longer be available.

To get this can of worms corrected, I have a hunch it is going to cost you more than $4,000.00. Perhaps much more. I think you need to seriously consider how much you're willing to spend to put this 1998 right. Some of the electronic parts you need may no longer be available.

Please don't tell me your friend threw away all the parts he took off the car trying to rig it up to get it out of his hair!

If he is your friend like you claim, he will pull that wrong motor back out, sell it to someone else to recoop what he sold it to you for, then reinstall the correct parts that he removed like the sensors and computer. If he threw them away, he needs to go to a wrecking yard and purchase what he lost off of your car. At that point you are back where you were before he got involved. Until

he does these things he is NOT your friend but instead an unfortunate acquaintance at best and a criminal at the worst. And oh by the way, if he does those things he still owes you the labor he charged you for installation of the wrong engine. For less than 4K you could have had a professional shop install a rebuilt Jasper engine with a three year nationwide warranty. You have my condolences.

Time to move on. If you are fairly young and in the car hobby you will make up for it in the long run. If you are fairly old you should be ahead of the game by now. I have given away more cars than many people have owned.

Right now there are chemicals in your brain that are flowing out and can do more damage to you than has been done to the car. You have two choices:

1. Move on.

2. Strip out the mechanicals, install a mid-80's and up Camaro front subframe, install a Jaguar rear subframe and rear end, fabricate a driveshaft tunnel, and go with a longitudinal 455.

Things happen for a reason. Sometimes it is not obvious. Ask my friend, Mike. Every time I put a car up for sale he says "Why don't you want THAT car anymore? I know something is wrong with it."

Bernie

Yeah, I agree. Cut your losses. Donate the car to the kidney foundation and take the tax deduction for the value of a healthy Riv. Then go find something else to love.

Yeah, I agree. Cut your losses. Donate the car to the kidney foundation and take the tax deduction for the value of a healthy Riv. Then go find something else to love.

Thank You all for be so brutally honest. I knew getting rid of the car was the best thing to do, but my partner and myself really loved the car, and did what we could to save it. I live in a senior community and do not have a garage or anyplace to work on the car, even if I had the knowledge. I am making a craigslist listing, explaining (hopefully) my stupid mistakes and the ordeal that transpired. Maybe there is a mechanic somewhere who wants to tackle this car, or someone who wants parts for there car. Everything is new under the hood, including the supercharger, the motor, all the sensors, the belts and pulleys, they just don't play well together at the moment. Thanks again everybody who responded. Harlan

I know some guys who can make it disappear, rather large fellows with thick necks named Vito and Vito. How far are you from Jersey City?

Thanks for the offer, but I am in Humboldt County California, and all of our thick necks are out in the woods growing pot.

Sorry to hear about your problem. Hope you can get rid of it and get something for it.