2001 Buck Century-Just wierd or a junker?

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starkraven@bellsouth.net - 18 Aug 2006 12:54 GMT

It's got 43,000, mostly city driving with some brief freeway runs. Two
probs. First, it's using about a quart of oil every two or three
months. Not leaking on driveway and the car's not smoking. Inside of
the exhaust pipe isn't light grey but it's not sooty black either. Is
it leaking elsewhere or am I headed for a ring job?

Secondly, the Low Coolant light stays on long after other dash lights
have checked and gone out. After five or six miles of driving the Low
Coolant light goes out. There's plenty of coolant in resevoir and the
radiator. On secondary startings during the day, Low Coolant light
performs like other dash lights; unless over a long stop, then Low
Coolant light stays on for five or six miles. This is not an
intermittent occurence.

Anybody experience these symptoms? I suspect it might take a legit
mechanic days to diagnose?

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N8N - 18 Aug 2006 14:03 GMT

> It's got 43,000, mostly city driving with some brief freeway runs. Two
> probs. First, it's using about a quart of oil every two or three
> months. Not leaking on driveway and the car's not smoking. Inside of
> the exhaust pipe isn't light grey but it's not sooty black either. Is
> it leaking elsewhere or am I headed for a ring job?

How many miles are you racking up over those two to three months? If
you're putting 2-3K on it in that time, which is probably about average
use, there is absolutely no problem, that is acceptable oil usage.

> Secondly, the Low Coolant light stays on long after other dash lights
> have checked and gone out. After five or six miles of driving the Low
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Anybody experience these symptoms? I suspect it might take a legit
> mechanic days to diagnose?

Sounds to me like whatever sensor is in the coolant reservoir is
sticky; I would be willing to bet that cleaning or replacing it would
solve your problem. I have had this same issue on various BMWs and VWs
and it's always the sensor.

nate

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starkraven@bellsouth.net - 19 Aug 2006 12:40 GMT

> > It's got 43,000, mostly city driving with some brief freeway runs. Two
> > probs. First, it's using about a quart of oil every two or three
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> you're putting 2-3K on it in that time, which is probably about average
> use, there is absolutely no problem, that is acceptable oil usage.

Thanks, Nate. Probably half that mileage, all easy miles driven by a
mature driver. If this is acceptable oil usage, it is a surprise to me.
I've driven a half dozen GM cars, a Ford, a Chrysler(?),an over-used
CJ-7 and a couple of Opals. None used any oil, except once when moving
tons of books in the trunk of an Opal. The books were so heavy and the
car so underpowered that on three or four trips the car used more oil
than gasoline. Once the move was completed the Opal returned to normal
oil consumption which was almost nil.

> > Secondly, the Low Coolant light stays on long after other dash lights
> > have checked and gone out.

> Sounds to me like whatever sensor is in the coolant reservoir is
> sticky; I would be willing to bet that cleaning or replacing it would
> solve your problem. I have had this same issue on various BMWs and VWs
> and it's always the sensor.

I'll give it a shot. Thanks again.

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Scott Dorsey - 18 Aug 2006 15:36 GMT

>It's got 43,000, mostly city driving with some brief freeway runs. Two
>probs. First, it's using about a quart of oil every two or three
>months. Not leaking on driveway and the car's not smoking. Inside of
>the exhaust pipe isn't light grey but it's not sooty black either. Is
>it leaking elsewhere or am I headed for a ring job?

Maybe. Is there any blue smoke? If so, when is it? Could be it is
using oil when the engine is started for a couple seconds... could be
it's during acceleration. You might have a seal leak somewhere which
takes ten minutes to fix, or a cracked block. Could be anything from
your description.

>Secondly, the Low Coolant light stays on long after other dash lights
>have checked and gone out. After five or six miles of driving the Low
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>Coolant light stays on for five or six miles. This is not an
>intermittent occurence.

If you disconnect the wire from the low coolant sensor, does the problem
persist? if so, you have a wiring issue. Otherwise (and what is most
likely) the coolant level sensor is sticking and ought to be replaced.
Easy job and not much money. You can do it, or you can leave the wire
disconnected and check the coolant level by eye occasionally.
--scott

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"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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starkraven@bellsouth.net - 19 Aug 2006 12:46 GMT

> >It's got 43,000, mostly city driving with some brief freeway runs. Two
> >probs. First, it's using about a quart of oil every two or three
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> takes ten minutes to fix, or a cracked block. Could be anything from
> your description.

Yo Scott. No smoke, blue or otherwise. "Could be anything" is what
scares me. So many of my "problems" don't show up on diagnostic; then
legit mechanics will start repairing things until they find the one
that works.

> >Secondly, the Low Coolant light stays on long after other dash lights
> >have checked and gone out. After five or six miles of driving the Low
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> disconnected and check the coolant level by eye occasionally.
> --scott

Hmmmmm. I'm afraid I'd have trouble finding the wire from the low
coolant sensor. But the wire or the sensor is probably the problem. And
a mechanic ought to be able to check that easily. Thanks.

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