Good to know , thanks ... You only need that if you have a leak right ? or do they put it in whether you do or not ? Now that I replaced the waterpump , there are no leaks ..... for now!. The car started at work twice without incident , and got me home . The security light was on the whole way home , and it started again right away when I got home .

To add to my misery , It looks like a CV joint is going on the 01 Cavalier . To be sure , i'll have to inspect. The car has been making a knocking sound that you now feel at your feet more or less . It usually happens when i'm coming to a gradual stop , or turning at slow speeds . It's kind of strange that this car was making that knocking noise like that 4yrs ago , but lighter , and then went away till now . The ball joint needs to be replaced too ( ripped boot ) . I've done plenty of bearings and CV's on these kind of cars , so that part will be a breeze .

 

You put the pellets in if you need them or not to prevent leaks that they probably know you will get over time...

Better than a new one for a 2001 mitsu-bitchy. 150 for key and reprogramming from the stealer. Still 65 from a local locksmith.
Stupid new cars...

 

01 Crapoleer? I think GM called them 'disposable' cars. Cheaply built, not worth the money to fix. But, good to know you're good with fixing it. I've never done any. Does it involve taking the axle out of the trans and spilling fluid all over the place? If it's gone on one side, chances are the other's not far behind.... Bad luck seems to run in cycles..

 

Well , the first Cavalier I owned (bought new in 92) I sold after 12yrs and had 200,000 on the ticker ( no major repairs the whole time ) and the 01 has 85,000 and no problems except the crappy suspension parts i've been slowly replacing . Go to the online complaint sites , and you'll really see what cars are crappy . ( you would be surprised I thought mopar would be real bad , but it's not) I would never buy a Cavalier Z24 sub-sportscar again ( or I should say my wife bought it ) it feels like you're riding on a road full of potholes all the time ! The buick is wayyy better of a ride . In conclusion I have NEVER had any issues with Cavalier motors or transmissions , so i'll take the small suspension repairs any day .

The axles are quite easy , and I never had fluid run out that I can remember . Once you've had to replace a couple of bearings on those cars , you already know how to replace the CV axle , because after you remove the CV from the bearing , the CV just pulls out of the tranny with a little nudge from a small pry bar behind the 1st joint and the tranny .

 

Some guy at the locksmith place was showing me the goofy keys the new cars have .... No Thanks !

 

so Allen , what kind of crappy cars do YOU own???

 

As of now, I don't own any crappy cars. My list goes like this:
1972 Cutlass
1996 Saturn SL1
2007 Sonata Limited
X-wing or Ty fighter pending.....depends on which side of the force I get swayed to..

I do all the mtce on my cars that I can. As you know, last year I rebuild the front end on my 72 and found all kinds of issues that were hidden to the naked eye.

 

I'm glad you have a fit fleet . I'm hoping some year I can tear my 72 down and start the restore before it turns to dust . I'm going to get back to the fender repair as soon as I can get my other cars fixed

 

I once got a ride in a Ty Fighter ... If you look closely , you can see me in the front window

 

I can't remember where I read this , but it said that the doors and the trunk have security sensors on them also . It said to snip the wires going to the trunk latch or sensor ? I wonder if that could be the problem since I was having trouble with that .... A funny thing happened the other day . The car would not start again , so I turned the radio on & off , making the antenna go up & down , and then it started ! I'm hoping it was a coincidence , because I did not read anything about a sensor being on the radio .

 

Bryan, never heard about the security features you described. But I do remember reading about 92/93 Buicks and their electrical gremlins in Consumer Reports magazine. I had a chance to buy a 93 Buick Park Avenue for cheap, but when I keyed it up, all the red indicator lights that showed electrical problems came on and stayed on. Soooo, I hopped out of it really fast. It was a great looking car with low miles, but not willing to take that risk.

I wouldn't snip any wires to the doors or trunk, specially if that car has PW,PDL and PT with trunk light. I'd find someone with a complete working knowledge of the security system and describe what's happening. To me it sounds a lot like the electrical problem is all tied to the ignition circuit. Did this car have a remote start installed at any time? That usually buggers up the security system really bad if it was installed poorly.

 

Sounds like you need to make good friends with a wiring diagram!

Good luck!

 

Ok, I think I know what you were reading. The windows have etched ID that matches the car. Doesn't stop them from being stolen, just gives the police a check point at chop shop repairs. The trunk and door security is based on coding your 'passkey' system to the car. Easy process if you ever need to replace the passkey fob.

The radio actually does have a security system called Theftlock - it can be locked using a 4 digit code that only you know. Smart owners copy that into their owners manual - check there for a code. Sometimes the radio will lock if you disconnect the battery - I didn't have that problem. Your radio also has the automatic power antenna - keep an eye on that, they freeze up and the cable can break in the winter - ask me how I know. I replaced 3 of em....

 

cool , thanks for the info ... I'll eventually get to the bottom of this . The noise on the 01 Cavalier was the 6 month old wheel bearing I put in I could wiggle the wheel a little from side to side a little , so I took the wheel off and could actually tighten the axle nut a little which got rid of the noise but can only mean one thing .... The bearing is going . I remember tightening it when I installed the bearing , and i've done this a dozen times through the years ( not on the same car mind you ). The nut is crimped so it can't loosen up by itself , and I added the oring and seal correctly so ? The car drives great now , but I know that bearing is going to start making noise soon .... so back to the buick . I did not try to start it all weekend , so I will see what it does tomorrow and go from there .

 

and a bottle of whiskey !

 

I have heard somewhere that many front wheel bearings are sensitive to proper torque specs when installing. If not enough they loosen, which in turns causes them to fail. So my question is was it torqued to spec when installed?

 

Well , in a way I have a built in torque wrench in my head . I wondered about that myself , but never had THAT problem before , unless I forgot to tighten it all the way when I installed it. The bearing definitely has a little play in it now with the nut tight , so it's a matter of time . I'm not sure how they would loosen though .... Like I said , the nut is crimped , so it can't loosen on it's own .

 

Ok , I got the car started twice , but not without horsing around so off to Radio Shack for the cheap " resistor on the wire under the dash trick " and if that don't work , then it should be the module ..... hopefully not .

 

I'm pretty sure those modules are coded to the car. So if you get another one, it has to be programmed to your VIN. Sorry to tell you that. It's the same with ECMs if they go bad.

 

Yea that figures on the VIN programing garbage , but I have to run my VIN through to see if there are any recalls on this car yet. I may get it done for free , or fixed for that matter . I was reading that it does not matter if your not the original owner of the car , if it was under recall and never fixed I could get it fixed for free , but I don't think the security issue was one of the recalls though unfortunately .

well , I noticed another thing today . I turn the key and the security light is flashing , if I wait a few seconds or so it turns from flashing to steady , and then you turn the key again , and the car starts right up , and the security light goes out . I spent about $7 for some shrink tube and some resistors at radio shack . I'm hoping the ones I bought would be ok . The value of my key ( checked by two places ) is 11 , which is 4750 or 4.750 . I've looked at two charts and one says this and one says that .... anyways the resistors I picked up say 4.7K , so i'm thinking 4700 which should be well within range . I also know where the wires are that I have to snip to attach this resistor . I take some pics of this , and a picture of a rig I found online to show you what it looks like .

oh yea , another startling discovery .... There is a fairly big wire harness unplugged under the dash with about 7 wires going to the plug . It looks like it's a aftermarket stereo wiring kit of some sort , which makes me wonder what wires they are using for the crappy stereo that is in there . I'll take a picture of that tomorrow too . Everything works on the car for the most part , so I don't think it is anything vital .

 

Here is one that turned out the best . The solder cooperated and I didn't have to even touch the wire itself with the soldering iron ( minimal heat , and i'm a noob with soldering too ) I wasn't sure how much heat or how long you could touch the wire before it would mess up the resistor before I even got to use it . The other two I made , the soldering iron and solder were not cooperating ( was not sure if I needed flux , or a iron newer then 1970 ? ) and the resistor got a little hot , because I had to touch the wire more then once.

The kicker is ....... I'm not going to use the resistors anyways ! The car has been starting like clockwork , and has not given me any problems since I unplugged what I think is security wiring to the trunk latch . There is a plug for the trunk release , and the light is seperate from the latch area so the extra wire plug is not for that , so what else could it be ? or it's just because i'm starting the car differently now . Either way I'm going to have these in the glove box if I go anywhere far .






and nevermind the numbers at the top of this post ... I forgot to erase them before I hit post .

 

Sounds like you scared the darn thing into working.

That big connector under the dash - does it have about 30 or so little pins? If it does, that's the original wiring for the Theftlock radio.

 

Well , it's possible that it had more wires in the socket at one time , because some of the slots are empty , but there is like 7 in there .... 4 that look like speaker wires , and then a few thicker wires ( purple , green , black ) . Here's a few pics of the trunk wire , the abandoned mystery wire harness , and the wire that would get snipped if I add the resistor ...

 

and here's what appears to be the original stereo , that works too ( sounds like crap ) The mystery harness like I said looks somewhat like a stereo hook up .... The only thing that throws me off is the thicker wire in the pic looks purple ( i'm use to the purple wire being the remote wire or LED wire , and it usually is not very thick .) and a red wire for the power , black is a ground of course , green for memory , and 2 - 4 wires for the speakers ...



lol , I had someone break into a 92 Cavalier I use to own to steal one of these stereos back in the day .

 

Well the factory stereo isn't Theftlock or it would actually say that on the front. In the second pic, that's your OBD connector right? The yellow wire - DON'T mess with it. I think that's the wire that goes up to the clock spring and air bag module in the steering wheel.

Wondering about the connection in the trunk. Maybe someone had a CB or something hooked up back there. Any signs of a mount on the side wall of the trunk opening one side or the other?

 

ahhhh , that's what it is , OBD connector , didn't think of that .... Thanks .

as far as the connection in the trunk , it goes right to the latch and looks to be original ..... I'll have to look into it .

Maybe time to put an end to this thread for the most part . The only thing I have left on the Buick is the jumpy motor ( I think the throttle is real dirty ) and the rotors are pretty warped . Then I can get back to the fender on the 72 .

 

Rotors on that car are super easy. I'd just buy a new set (maybe new pads and brake hoses too) and throw them in there. Prolly faster and more convenient than getting them turned. If you keep the old pads, be sure to service them before installing the new rotors. Check those hoses for cracks or really brittle. The ones on my car were dangerously close to catastrophic failure when I first noticed the problem. I had brake fluid dripping onto the wheel.

Did that car ever have a power pull down on the trunk?

 

I'm pretty sure that year/model did not get that power pull down trunk. I think the more expensive models got that . The rotors have to be replaced anyways , they are to thin to turn , and are about $25 each on average

 

Wow, Great Price. Mine were about 80.00 each up here! May as well do the pads and hoses too if things are that cheap.

 

The rotors I have are just the discs themselves that fit over the lugs , not part of the hub like the old cars . I think all cars in the last 20 some yrs have them for the most part ... or parts are a lot more in Canada

 

Yeah, same parts as I buy up here. Not at all like the rotors for your 72. And yeah, we get raped royally up here on car parts. Stuff in the USA is less than 1/2 the cost of up here. Don't know why. You want a good laugh?? I just checked the Canadian Rockauto *Autopartsway.ca* for your 93 Buick Lesabre?? The rotors for them up here cost 273.00 EACH! and that's with a 25.00 discount.....Then for ***** and giggles, I went to Rock Auto 25-81 depending on what brand. That's why sometimes you might hear me bitching about the cost of some stuff including shipping. They charge 60 for the parts and 80 for shipping to my address, plus I have to pay fedex fees and brokerage which means by the time they arrive at my door I'm looking at a box that costs 185.00, whereas you would get the same parts for around 75.00

So buying at either location I get screwed, just depends on how hard they wanna go. So you should take advantage of those lower costs while you can my friend. Wish they were like that up here.

 

X2, I agree 100% with everything above.

Parts prices in Canada?? RIDICULOUS, so much for "free trade"

I think there's just a huge markup because there are less car-guys up here in comparison.

I just bought struts and installed them in the states on the side of the road.

Rockauto for front strut? 40 dollars. Canadian tire hardware store. TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY DOLLARS. for the same god-foresaken strut. Makes me wanna be sick to my stomach.

 

Yup, I bought Monroe 'Quick Struts' for the wife's car. CT had a buy 1 get 1 at half price. So (duh) I did. Then I checked Rockauto and found the exact same struts for less than half what I paid. BUT, add shipping, Fedex fees, brokerage, customs and the usual gang rape fees and it was almost exactly the same to buy them here and get them the same day instead of waiting for a week. 318.00 shipped from RA to me including all rape fees, 342.00 at CT picked up the same day. Almost got a good deal didn't I?

 

Holy Crap !! I never knew that it was that expensive up there . I could be wrong about the price , but I know i'm not off by much .

I just checked , $26.99 ea at Oreily's down the road from me .... Yea , that brokerage crap and paperwork must be a PITA for a non commercial seller/buyer there ... at my work , if we send something to Canada , all we need is a signed Commercial invoice . If we ship anywhere else and it's over $2500.00 , then we need an EEI. Which we fill out the commodity info and the trucking firm will file with the Gov for $10 . I can't beleive how expensive it is for you . Maybe I could smuggle some goods to you . Which path should I take through the woods to cross the border ?

ORRRRR , I could buy parts for you & ship it to you from my work and pay for it on my CC & you just have to send me the money via paypall I have a blank commercial invoice form on my computer at work that I could fill out with your info I get a feeling it may not be that easy though.

 

that is crazy ! I think that is awesome that you went to the states and fixed your car , and then came back maybe you should restore it on the side of the road too man , if there was a way I could ship it from work like I said , but they won't let me do that anymore I spent like 3 hrs one day trying to pack all the stuff up from my 68 Toro I use to have that I sold to someone online here . I really didn't think it was going to take that long , and my boss was looking at me funny , sooo I don't think that would work . I basically shipped an entire dash , door panels , back shelf , and all the interior goodies inside except for the seats to AL . It wasn't through a work order so I did not get as good of discount , and I can't remember how much it all cost ... I know it was over a $100

 

I was wondering what these marks are on the steering wheel .... at one time there was something bolted there . ( hard to see in photo ) I never seen a suicide **** bolted at the bottom of the wheel before , so what could it have been ? There are two distictive grooves worm in the steering wheel , like something was bolted there , any ideas ?



Perhaps brake and gas hand controls for a disabled person ?

 

No idea...BTW if your car was equipped for disabled driver, it would be a lot more altered than that.

 

I knew someone who was a quad R.I.P. and his van had a control bolted there that went to the brake and gas ( pretty simple set-up ) There should be some marks on the brake and gas pedal where it would of been bolted there , so not sure .

lol I take that back ... how would they get inside . if it was someone who needed hand controls , they would not be able to get in a passenger vehicle anyways. Usually they use vans with a ramp at the side door.... so nvm

 

Well one of the tell tales for me was looking at your brake pedal. It shows a lot of wear on the right side. If it had been modified for a para, the pedal would prolly look new. Anyway, sounds like it's all good, you can get some Eastwood spray if you want to touch up that wheel. Just degrease it first and use some adhesion promoter.

 

Good thinking on the worn brake pedal pad . I didn't think of that , and i'm not to worried about the looks part of the steering wheel . I was just wondering what could of been bolted there .