1997 BUICK LESABRE Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THE CONTACT SMELLED A VERY STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HALF OF THE RADIATOR FLUID WAS MISSING. HE ADDED MORE RADIATOR FLUID AND NOTICED THAT FLUID CONTINUE TO DISAPPEAR IN THE VEHICLE EVERY FOUR DAYS. AFTER NUMEROUS REFILLS OF RADIATOR FLUID, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE MAIN GAS LINE WAS LEAKING, WHICH CAUSED THE STRONG ODOR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM). THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AND...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. WHEN THE CONTACT PLACED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE EXPLODED WITH A VERY LOUD NOISE. HE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND CHECKED THE ENGINE. WHEN HE OPENED THE HOOD, HE NOTICED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE ENGINE COVER WERE SHATTERED INTO MANY PIECES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE NEVER SAW A VEHICLE WITH THIS TYPE OF DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM). THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SINCE THE FAILURES ARE IDENTICAL. THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE SHOP AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 13,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 BUICK LESABRE. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMED WITH FIRE AND WAS TOTALED. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE ABOUT 95,000.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD ON TWO OCCASIONS ON THE SAME DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF TO COOL DOWN, WHILE WATER AND ANTI-FREEZE WAS ADDED TO THE RADIATOR. AFTER THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE PLENUM.

DT: WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME AND THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE. THE CONTACT OWNS A BUICK LESABRE THAT HAS A PLASTIC INTAKE CALLED A PLENUM. THIS DEVICE CRACKED AND ALLOWED ENGINE COOLANT TO BE MIXED WITH THE OIL. THIS CAUSED A VAPOR LOCK. NOW, TWO OF THE CYLINDERS SHOW ZERO COMPRESSION, AND A THIRD SHOWS A PRESSURE OF 60 POUNDS. THE ENGINE WAS TOTALED AND MUST BE REPLACED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SHOP, AND THE MECHANIC MADE THESE TERMINATIONS. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO A BUICK DEALER, WHO SAID THEY DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AT THIS TIME, NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

1997 BUICK LESABRE BACKFIRES AT STARTUP, ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATES, AND THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. *MR THERE WAS A WHINING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND REAR BRAKE NOISE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFO IN REFERENCE TO WARRANTIES RELATED TO HIS MAKE/MODEL. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

MECHANIC FOUND ENGINE COOLENT LEAKING FROM THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH IS *PLASTIC*. THE COOLENT WAS ALSO LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE OIL. I STATED THAT SUCH A MAJOR DETERIORTION OR FAILURE AFTER ONLY 44,800 MILES IS ABSURD AND LUDICROUS.

THE MECHANIC NOTICED A LEAK IN THE UPPER PLENUM MANIFOLD. UPON PERFORMING A ROUTINE SERVICE, THE UPPER PLENUM MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO THE ENGINE. THE ANTIFREEZE WAS MIXING WITH THE ENGINE OIL. THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ENGINE SEIZING UP IF THE LEAKED HAD GONE UNNOTICED. THE DEALERSHIP IS GOING TO REPLACE THE PLENUM MANIFOLD WITH A NEWER DESIGNED MANIFOLD. THE ENGINE IS A 3800 SERIES. *JB

COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET. AN INDEPENDENT DEALER REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

VEHICLE EXPLODED AND BURNED AT START UP. *MR PH

AT START UP, THE VEHICLE ENGINE EXPLODED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. *MR WHEN THE HOOD WAS OPENED, RED FLAMES WERE SHOOTING FROM A HOLE THAT BURNED ON A GRAY COVER IN THE ENGINE. *SCC

ENGINE COOLANT DESTROYED ENGINE DUE TO THE DEGRADATION OF UPPER INTAKE MAINIFOLD MATERIALS AROUND THE EGR STOVE PIPE. WITHOUT WARNING(NO WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON) WHILE ON THE ROAD COOLANT ENTERED THE PISTONS THROUGH THE DEGRADATED UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT AS POWER WAS LOST AND SPEED DRAMATICALLY DROPPED. SEEMS TO BE OBVIOUS ENGINE DESIGN FLAW IN 3800 V-6 ENGINES PRODUCED BY GM IN BUICK LASABRES, RIVERAS, REGALS, OLDSMOBILE 98S, 88S. INTRIGUE, PONTIAC BONNEVILLES, GRAND PRIX, & CHEVROLET LUMINAS, MONTE CARLOS OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS DATING FROM 1995-1998 WHEN THEY CHANGED THE MANIFOLD DESIGN. A SERVICE BULLETIN BY GM #01-06-01-007A IN JULY 18, 2001 INDICATED THE GM IS AWARE OF DEFECT AND HAS SINCE PRODUCED A DIFFERENT MANIFOLD TO REPLACE AND REPAIR PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THESE ENGINES WHEN THEY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. GM HAS BEEN UNCOOPERATIVE IN THIS...

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL STAY ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

CONSUMER STATES, SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE, IT HAS SPORADICALLY STALLED OUT 10 TIMES. 2 DEALERSHIPS DIAGNOSED VIA COMPUTER BUT ADVISED THAT THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A REAR-END COLLISION. *TT *SCC

ENGINE PLENUM FAILED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. *MJS