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#713 of 1497 Engine Knocks and only travel 15-20 mph by rawdog_3 Feb 09, 2003 (9:27 pm)
I was driving on to work at 45 mph, when at a steady speed, my car started slowing down and I pulled over to see what it was. I got out and I heard instantly my engine knocking loudly (while still running), so I drove (slowly) on to a parking lot but will driving, I was trying to go a little faster then 15-20 mph and I couldn't, all you heard and felt was a grinding sound from the engine. So I had it towed to a shop and they said that my car can NOT go in reverse, I had gasoline ALL over my spark plugs and the sound is internal within the engine. Now I wanted to know if it was sugar in my tank, how could it affect my engine so fast but if not then what could be the problem because my car was running FINE until that night.
#714 of 1497 Custom Best Seller Package by oregonaj Feb 18, 2003 (11:08 am)
We are considering the purchase of a new LeSabre. We'll get the "Custom" trim level since we're not fans of leather seats. We had some questions about the "Best Seller Package" ($1365) and hoped we could get some help from the forum.      1. How well does the Traction Control feature work?      2. Is the "Driver Information System" very useful? (And how does the "Tire Inflation Monitor" work?)      3. How good is the "Concert Sound II" speaker system? (It seems I remember some negative posts about it a while ago.)      4. Any other comments about the LeSabre?   Thanks for any help, Jim
#715 of 1497 oregonAJ by imidazol97 Feb 18, 2003 (12:24 pm)
The tire pressure is based on tire rotation rate -- same info used for the ABS and the traction control. If a tire gets low, it rotates more than it had been relative to the others due to the smaller effective radius.   The traction control clamps the brakes on the spinning tire like ABS in reverse. It gives a more solid feel in the snow here in Ohio this weekend. But I've not tried it on ice. I'm pretty smooth in snow having grown up in Indiana, so the Traction Control hasn't come on much. I have wanted to try to do something to get the StabiliTrac to work, but I'm afraid to do that with my New Toy. The radio I have is a Limited with 8 speakers. I think it's a different model than the 6 speaker or 4 speaker that's base. It sounds great. I don't expect my car to have AR2a-like speakers for quality like my home. The older Limited I have with 6 speakers is very good. And the 93 that had the base 4 speaker system served me fine, but could have been better.   I'd suggest taking an actual car on a test drive if you're looking on a dealer's lot. They should be willing trade below invoice by now. You should be able look on a lot and say I'll give you this much for _that_ one bottom line, and if they don't want to trade, try the next dealer. Things are slowing down in the economy.   If ordering, I'd suggest the open web wheels with 16 inch radius and larger cross-section tires. I'd consider side airbags too. They're in the SE package and Limited.   Driver information center is neat to playwith while driving because it shows mpg instant and average over a trip since you reset it. The voltage is given exactly to tenths, so you can check on battery charge and degradation with age. The water temp is given, along with the computer's estiamte of how much damage has been done to oil quality by cold running, frequent starts, etc. , but I don't trust that computer for oil changes. I change my oil (myself) at 3000, or 2500 in winter, and maybe 4000 insummer if longer highway trips had been taken. My 93 engine had 155000 on it and didn't smoke, and didn't use oil beyond a half quart in 2500 miles..., even when I drove it 140 miles on interstate round trip.
#716 of 1497 oregonaj by mlm4 Feb 19, 2003 (11:37 am)
I own a Bonneville, which is essentially the same platform as the LeSabre (although with a firmer, more sporty suspension). The LeSabre is a great all-around car, nothing terribly exciting but better than "basic transportation." The 3800 engine is reliable and proven, and gets decent gas mileage for a car this size.   The Driver Information Center is a gadget that is useful but not as sophisticated as some other cars'. Basic info like mileage, distance to empty and the Oil Life System. The Oil Life System only guesses as when the oil needs to be changed based on a number of factors like how long the engine is run between starts, temperature, speed, etc. It doesn't hurt to change the oil every 3000 miles, but a lot of research has shown that it is ususally not necessary to change the oil that often, depending on how the car is driven. The Tire Pressure Monitor can only detect if one tire is 10 lbs. or more lower than the others by comparing rotation speed. If all the tires are equally low, it won't know the difference. Some owners who have had slow leaks were pleased that the system alerted them to a problem before they noticed it, so it does work.   The traction control on my Bonneville seems to work on slick roads but is slow to kick in. Better than nothing, or you can turn it off.   My experience and those of some other owners is that the Concert Sound II system is substandard, even for the muted interiors of a Buick. I find that it is flat and has a limited range.   Rent one for the weekend and try it out. Good luck!
#717 of 1497 Average Trouble free Mileage expectation by jacobpz Feb 20, 2003 (10:10 am)
Hi All, Could you all let me know , how many trouble free mileage I can expect on a 97 LeSabre.   Or in Other words, what are the major maintenance history for your Le Sabre so , far.   Thanks in advance for all your responses. Regards, Jacob
#718 of 1497 oregonaj by danieltiger Feb 22, 2003 (2:34 pm)
We have a 2002 Le Sabre with 9000 miles on it and we really like it. I strongly suggest getting one with the Stabilitrak & eye-cue head up display as well as the Gran Touring package with 3.05 axle ratio & gran touring suspension. We test drove lots of Le Sabres and found that both of those features seemed to make the car handle better than the others. (love that display in the windshield) Our new one turns around in smaller spaces like parking lots very well compared to our 93 Le Sabre. We get 21.9 miles per gallon in the city; my commute is stop and go. I use mid-grade or high test gas.
#719 of 1497 danieltiger save your money by macarthur2 Feb 22, 2003 (7:27 pm)
Your new LeSabre DOES NOT require mid range or high test gasoline. You are wasting your money by paying 7-18 cents more per gallon than you need to. Read your owners manual, regular unleaded works just fine. I get 22 city and 31 straight highway on regular. Believe me if the car required anything other than regular it would be in the owners manual. Many people believe the old mechanics tale that premium gets better mileage, but it is not true. Fact is unless the engine is designed for premium it does not burn properly in it. Others will argue the point but Buick tells you what to put in the tank and they are the ones that issue the warranty on the engine. So fill up for two or three bucks less and don't worry about it.
#720 of 1497 Jacob--lifetime by imidazol97 Feb 23, 2003 (6:57 am)
93 LeSabre 150K going strong. New struts at 40K (couldn't stand the soft wallow of the Custom). New alternator at 70k. New metal replacement for the plastic tube (3 inch) that connected into the intake manifold to the waterpump at 100K. The old ones cracked from expansion/contraction. Replacement was metal. New brake pads front 3 times. Did them myself with Raybestos. Rear brakes -- original. Transmission shifted great. Fluid changed 4 times by self and filter changed 2 times by self. (Replacement gaskets are reusable.) Engine oil changed at 2500 to 3000 miles. When color looked darker and drops on paper towel left nearly a dime size blacker spot in middle, I changed it. In summer with longer trips (100mi) and less short driving, might have hit 3500 or 4000. Engine did not smoke at anytime. I wanted to keep car, wife wanted to trade. Wife/rebates won. Body has some minor dings (golf ball, road trash, etc.) Rust starting through in rocker panels in two places -- salt on roads in north.
#721 of 1497 oregonaj by imidazol97 Feb 23, 2003 (7:01 am)
I tested traction control on my 2003 since snow was still in a parking lot. It kicks in quickly I could't tell the wheel was slipping. The brake made the same ratchet-like sound the antilocks make. it sound more like the wheel getting traction making the clicking sound. I turned up the sound system. It's the CD player model with 8 speakers. I think it's more than adequate. The equalizer setup allowed reducing base or raising treble as much as I wanted. I don't see anything dull about this.
#722 of 1497 Engine Shut-Down While Driving by sincero Feb 23, 2003 (3:42 pm)
I have a '94 Buick LeSabre (87,000 miles)that I have been reasonably happy with until an experience suffered during highway driving late yesterday evening. All the warning lights came on and the engine basically shut down. I fortunately was able to coast the car to the outer right lane. The car would rev but would not start. Has anyone else faced a similar problem...any ideas before I take it to the dealer?

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