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Sedans Buick Park Avenue Buick Park Avenue Maintenance & Repair
300 messages, Last post on Dec 06, 2009 at 6:50 PM
You are in the Buick Park Avenue Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: glibritz (Apr 28, 2009 8:44 am) Try looking on car-parts.com which searches recycling yards everywhere--the whole country or more. I see quotes from $250 down to $50 and less for a column WITH key, so you don't have to redo the lock cylinder in the column. I got 12 pages of listed columns for your 1998 Park Avenue. They can be sorted by distance from your zip code or sorted by price. You can call many of the yards or just go stop in. Maybe they have a lower price if one is close and you're there rather than an internet customer. Ask your mechanic how much labor to replace the column. www.car-parts.com
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Replying to: imidazol97 (May 13, 2009 12:55 pm) |
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Replying to: jakej_mn (Oct 09, 2008 5:37 pm) Just thought some might be interested. Jake
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Replying to: jakej_mn (May 19, 2009 9:43 am) |
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Replying to: bowfan (Dec 09, 2007 6:06 pm) My car: 1998 BPA, 270,000 miles, gran touring susp. My window returned to it's former behavior of rolling down extremely slow during wet weather, and after a while it quit working completely - although you could hear the motor turning and making a grinding noise. Obviously some sort of nylon gear probably wore out. I looked up the details on the window motor and turns out the left side power window motors (front & rear) are identical and the right side motors match too. (*footnote Rockauto lists the front/left and rear/right as the same units, and vice versa but I have not found that to be the case) With this info I went to a local "pull it yourself" junk yard and found a similar car (these motors are used in more than one model - Caddy, Chevy..etc ) and picked up one out of a rear left door which I felt would normally be unused in a southern luxury car... compared it to mine to match it. *The r/r did not match my f/l. The replacement procedure is as simple as any window motor I've replaced. You don't have to tape or prop up the window, you pretty much remove the interior door panel, unplug the electrical connectors, remove the weather seal, remove the (3) 10mm bolts, pull the motor - the window stays in place. While you have it open spray lube on the hinge or pivot point of the power window regulator as well as the nylon wheel tracks. I feel the hinge is actually the point that is causing the slow rolldown, as after it was sprayed with lube I could move the window up and down while the motor was out. Before spraying it, it was very difficult to move the window up or down by hand at all. Next replace with the new motor, reassemble the seal, electrical connectors, and door panel, and you should be good to go. As my father's 2001 was behaving the same (slow on rainy days), we simply swapped his rear motor with the front motor and lubed the hinge and it is moving strong again. Again, in hindsight, I really feel the dry hinge is the problem part. It seems to build up corrosion or crud. After lubing, the window regulator swivels easier. I suspect this procedure would be the same for '97 thru '05 models. |
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Replying to: jakej_mn (Aug 01, 2008 5:04 pm) update 1 update 2 end of story |
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I change the oil every 3-4000 miles and rotate the tires every 6-8000 miles. Firestone is recommending that I replace upper & lower radiator hoses ($257), Transmission Fluid Flush ($170), Tuneup 6 Cyl ($124), Replace Fuel filter ($92) and do fuel system tun up - Ever-Wear Fuel system cleaner ($90). The manual that I have doesn't give much detail about normal maintenance other than oil change and tire rotation. Does anyone have more detail? I love this car and want to keep it as long as I can. |
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Replying to: ginny55 (Jul 14, 2009 2:56 pm) I just changed the top radiator hose on my 1998 (built in Dec 97). It has started to slightly swell near the thermostat. That's the hottest end and it deteriorates the most. It cost under $20 for a Dayco brand at PepBoys. I installed it myself. The lower hose is colder and I'm watching it because it's hardened some. This car is 11 years old. Yours is 4. Think you need hoses? I doubt it. Transmission fluid should have been drained and refilled every 36000 miles in my opinion. Manual says 100,000 or never. I do not recommend flushing. Have an independent shop drain, replace filter with Purolator $20, and refill with Dexron VI fluid. It also can use Dexron III which it came with. The Dexron VI is more like synthetic. Supertech brand at Walmart is what I used in my 03 and it was $2.79 quart. It takes 7 quarts. Tuneup may be anything. There is no tuneup any more. Replace plugs and wires at 100,000 or earlier. I'd do them about 80K. Fuel filter is most likely under the passenger side rear area inside the frame rail. It screws on at one end and has a snap on plastic fitting at the other. Cost $15? labor time about 15 minutes for a skilled mechanic. Wearever Fuel cleaner? Go buy a bottle of Techron by Chevron at Walmart, $5.95 12 oz., or Advance Auto parts, Autozone, or PepBoys. One may have a buy 1 get one free. There's a 12 ox for up to 12 gallons and a 20 oz for up to 20 gallons. Add to an almost empty tank and fill with premium. Then 2 or 3 tanks later repeat. your tank holds 18 gallons when filled. Find a new service place. Also drain your antifreeze, which is DexCool, and replace with fresh. That's the most critical on the list and they didn't even mention it. Maybe because it's work. Replace DexCool every 2 - 2.5 years just like the old style antifreezes. |
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Replying to: ginny55 (Jul 14, 2009 2:56 pm) Also check the cabin air filter which is likely on top of the cowl when the hood is open, in front of the windshield wipes. I'm not sure of the physical layout of your specific car but it usually is an 8 by 12 rectangle with two little snaps that hold it down. Under it is a slide in and out air filter for the air entering the heater blower. Pull the old one out and look at it. If it's dust covered and smells moldy... I replaced with Purolator for about $16. I have tried washing and bleaching and replacing, but it just doesn't freshen up. The Purolator filter for the cabin says "Made in USA" in case you wonder why I usually buy that brand--PepBoys has them in my area. |
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