Mudbone Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 You know you have kept your car to long when everything starts going bad at the same time. In the last week on my 99 Park Ave, I have replaced both power steering lines, 22 feet of rear brake lines. (Salt ate them up) The muffler and now the A/C clutch crapped out. Of course we are leaving on a trip in a few days. (Maybe) Mud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 This is one of the things that really irritates me about the current Buicks. I used to spend nearly 1K a year repairing my 95 Riviera. My mechanics thought they had died and gone to heaven when I owned that car. It's like they made it so that this would happen and cause people to buy a new car. What they misjudged is that while people will do that ( buy a new car), chances are it won't be another Buick. Penny wise, pound foolish in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Yup. Tough to argue about quality when a 15 year old car is headed to the Car Cruncher, while a 98 year old car is still road worthy. There has been a few cars in my life that have deserved to be cubed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudbone Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 When you live in the rust belt things go bad that never really should. The power steering line rusted through right where the plastic clamp held the lines on the frame. The brake lines were very rusty at the rear of the car so I replaced them to be safe. The A/C clutch was just worn out. The car has 140,000 on it and I love this car but now I am thinking it is time to start looking for a replacement. Mud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Rust belt, Yup, Things I am all too familiar with... Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Based on your pictures Mud, you should be poking around that subframe in the areas of that rust. Many of these are winding up scrapped because the frame cracks from rusting like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) When they get like this all you can do is drive them for every nickle that they are worth. When you start to hear the unibody creak, scrap it just before it snaps off and leaves you sitting in the middle of the highway. Dandy Dave! Edited March 11, 2013 by Dandy Dave (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob McDonald Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 You know you kept your car to long when... your boss is younger than your car. Which you bought new. Come to think of it, you've been working too long when...ditto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudbone Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) Based on your pictures Mud, you should be poking around that subframe in the areas of that rust. Many of these are winding up scrapped because the frame cracks from rusting like that.Actually the sub frame looks ok. I beat around on it with a hammer and there is just surface rust so far. And then I thought it would be a good time to change the belt. Did you know that the belt goes through the engine mount? Two hours later I have a new belt installed. What’s next? Mud Edited March 12, 2013 by Mudbone (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Yup. Belt though the engine mount = Fun in the Sun on a good day. Cuss and kick on a bad day in the cold and snow. Driving my 96 around yesterday I heard it squealling like a nervous pig at low speed. Popped the hood and poking around it was the alternator. Had one in stock on a parts car. Upon removing the defective unit I could see that the rear bearing was missing a few balls, and the seal had come apart. Caught it in time as it was still charging when I removed it. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Interesting thing can happen when an alternator goes bad like that. You can come out in the morning and try to start the car and it will not turn over. Acts like the engine locked up when it is really just the alternator frozen. Been there, done that. I have actually heard of people replacing the engine because of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 i have a 2000 buick park ave ultra, that i bought used five or six years ago, it had 174,000 miles on it, i just recently replace the fuel filter, spark plugs and plug wires, all three ignition coil packs, and fuel injectors, the mileage was 289,000 and the plugs wires were the original wires, i think the plugs were either the original or second set of plugs. the fuel injectors were found on ebay, used ones that had been cleaned and tested, i knew that at least one of the original injector had gone bad due to the very bad fuel mileage, the car was averaging 13 to 14 mpg, when normal mpg would be 24 to 25. the car now runs like new, i will never let the biggest retail store again sell my wife on giving the car a fuel system flush, the car was running perfect before they touch the car. a couple of years ago, one of the plastic idler pulleys for the serpentine belt, it;s bearing seized up, so i replace all the plastic pulleys with better made steel pulleys with new bearings. i still have to replace one motor/trans mount and get another rear sway bar. it has been the best used car that i have ever bought. when this really wears out, i'll find another one. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Interesting thing can happen when an alternator goes bad like that. You can come out in the morning and try to start the car and it will not turn over. Acts like the engine locked up when it is really just the alternator frozen. Been there, done that. I have actually heard of people replacing the engine because of that.When something seizes, I learned a long time ago to pull off the belt and see what does not turn first. My Alt. still turned but with a slight drag that years of experience told me was not normal. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 i have a 2000 buick park ave ultra, that i bought used five or six years ago, it had 174,000 miles on it, i just recently replace the fuel filter, spark plugs and plug wires, all three ignition coil packs, and fuel injectors, the mileage was 289,000 and the plugs wires were the original wires, i think the plugs were either the original or second set of plugs. the fuel injectors were found on ebay, used ones that had been cleaned and tested, i knew that at least one of the original injector had gone bad due to the very bad fuel mileage, the car was averaging 13 to 14 mpg, when normal mpg would be 24 to 25. the car now runs like new, i will never let the biggest retail store again sell my wife on giving the car a fuel system flush, the car was running perfect before they touch the car. a couple of years ago, one of the plastic idler pulleys for the serpentine belt, it;s bearing seized up, so i replace all the plastic pulleys with better made steel pulleys with new bearings. i still have to replace one motor/trans mount and get another rear sway bar. it has been the best used car that i have ever bought. when this really wears out, i'll find another one. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.Yup, They sure are tested tough. I've had Problems with those plastic pulleys also. I always check them anytime I replace a belt. If they feel loose, or have any drag, they get replaced. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudbone Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 We made the trip with out any more problems. About 850 miles round trip. I guess I will keep her around a little longer. Mud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Glad to hear the trip went fine!Just remember . . . if you had chosen to get rid of it, with all of those new parts on it, then you'd have had to do it all over again with the different car, later on. Better to "stay where you're at", and KNOW what's been done and such.DON'T forget to check those sub-frame mount BOLTS!!! Even in more temperate climates, they can rust and "hour glass" on you. Replace with some Grade 8 bolts and appropriate flat washers. Otherwise . . . You know you've owned a car "too long" when you have to replace some of the same things for the third time . . . due to miles and age. For heater cores, with good anti-freeze coolant being used, it can be "two times".In ANY event, there will be some "spikes" when more things seem to kerplunk "in unison". But, as frustrating as it might be, it's still cheaper than a car payment every month . . . provided you started with a good car and know its history.Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 But, as frustrating as it might be, it's still cheaper than a car payment every month . . . provided you started with a good car and know its history.Enjoy!NTX5467Yep. Sure nuff is! A new off of the shelf car does not guarantee it will be trouble free either. Lousy Lemons they can be sometimes. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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