1994 Chevy Lumina brake lights

[dawgrulez]

We are looking at purchasing a used 1994 Chevy Lumina for our daughter and when I took it for a test drive the Brake light is on along with the Check ABS light. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when I test drove the car. The owner said the they have been on for a while and that his mother (the previous owner) drove around with them like this. Any added things to check would be appreciated.
Thank you.

[gw84]

welcome to AF!! how many miles and what are they asking? If the price is decent and the miles aren't REALLY high (like 200,000+) I'd say a lumina is a good choice for a car. They get decent gas mileage, drive good, and last a looonnng time if they're taken care of. Check out this link: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=658479 Basically these cars have some issues with the brakes and some other problems, but generally speaking, they're good cars. Which engine does it have? 3.1 or 3.4? There's a lot of negative opinions of the 3.4 engine...specifically that they're hard to work on. There's another thread in the lumina forum titled "how many miles on your lumina" that you could check out...many get well over 200,000...some up to 250,000. ....not bad in my opinion.
I have a '93 lumina (3.1L) that we bought about 5 years ago with 105,000 miles on it. Paid $2100. Well worth it. It now has over 192,000 on it with no real problems. General maintenance, water pump, alternator, tires, belts, heater blower motor, brakes, that's about it. Not bad over 5+ years and almost 90,000 miles.

Liked it so much, when I was looking for a new car, I knew I wanted another lumina....Got the '99 LTZ and kept the '93 as well

[dawgrulez]

Thanks for the information gw84
The car in question has 63000 original miles on it with a 3.1 and they are asking $1375. It was driven by an elderly lady that (I assume) took good care of it. According to the son, the transmission was re-built a few months back, although I did not notice any unusual shifting when I test drove it. The whole underneath is undercoated which I think is pretty good considering not many people have that done to their cars anymore. The only thing that concerns me right now is the warning lights on the instrument panel. I don't want to purchase this and then need to have major repairs done. I am also taking it to a mechanic (hopefully) today to have it put on a lift and checked for any leaks. It also needs new tires for sure, but that is a minor thing to take care of.
I appreciate the information and I will check out the links that you pointed out. Thanks again.

[gw84]

no problem. See if the mechanic has any idea about the warning lights. Other than that, for a car of that year, that mileage is SUPER LOW!! My '99 had a few more miles on it when I got it last year. Their price definately seems reasonable, unless, like you said, there's some costly brake work needing done.
I'm glad to hear it has the 3.1L engine as opposed to the 3.4. Although the 3.4 is faster, its probably not worth the hassle of trying to repair it (from what I've learned on this forum). Like I said earlier, if they're properly maintained, the 3.1 will get relatively high on the odometer. Because the car in question has such low mileage, I would buy it (if I was in the market for a 3rd lumina..hahaha). I imagine someone else would do the same, I imagine that car won't be "for sale" for long.
As far as those links go, I believe there were about 60+% who said they would buy a lumina again...meaning 40 or so % wouldn't ....however, that thread encompasses all luminas (from the 90's until they stopped making them in 2001, it also includes the lumina APV and all the different engines that were availiable including the 3.4 and others) Plus you've got to take into consideration that not everyone treats their cars well. If you take car of it, it will take care of you. but not everyone thinks like that.
Those cars were very popular so parts are relatively easy to find. Most of the parts are reasonably priced, however some can become costly, but you'll have that with almost any make/model. Also forgot to mention that insurance is good on luminas as well and that's a plus with the rising cost of....EVERYTHING these days. Good luck, I hope the brake llights aren't a big deal and that everything works out for you!!!

[richtazz]

The ABS light is most likely a bad wheel speed sensor, but it could be something more sinister and costly like a bad ABS motor/module. An ABS capable scan tool will be able to narrow that down for you.

The brake light may be a bigger concern. Since you say the car stops ok, I'd start by checking the brake fluid level float in the master cylinder reservoir. Many times, they get unplugged or gunked up, causing them to trip the warning light. Low fluid level, and low system pressure are the two reasons the warning lamp will come on. If there is a leak in the system, you could end up with no brakes when you need them the most.