Time for the Graveyard? (97)

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by Lumina97MD

True, I'm gonna reply to your last 2 posts..

-The A/C has been blowing fine, but it blows hot air, never cold.

-I feel you on the motor mount thing, I'll PM that guy but..Can you give me a quick estimate on how much combined all these services you said cost...(sorry to be such a bother man..)

How much for all this?

-A/C
-Timing Chain/Tensioner Replacement
-Alternator Belt
-All around brakes (minus the rotors/brakepads that I'll buy myself)
-Steering Alignment

I dont need an exact amount or anything, but somewhere in the ballpark you know? I paid 1100 for the Lumina and put about 25k on it so far..

Just as a very shot in the dark estimate, I'd say you could be into it for around another $750- $1000 if you did all of it at once...that's about as close as I could guess without knowing a few specifics...but if that makes it easier to make a go/no go decision....I'm thinking that could include the mount also, but that would definately put you in the high end or more...

[jeffcoslacker]

Wish you lived around here...I could use the money and you could save a nice chunk also...

[Lumina97MD]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

Wish you lived around here...I could use the money and you could save a nice chunk also...

lol you and me both man..this sucks i love my lumina, maybe buy another but ill take it to the mech and see what kind of estimate he'll give me..ill hit you back to see if thats about right..one err make that 2 last question(s)..

besides the alternator belt, what else should be on my "high priority" list?

(another issue maybe?) when i start my car I hear this rattling noise..if my foot is on the brake when i start the engine, it doesnt rattle until i take my foot off the brake..i was told its just my brake gears and its nothing to worry about, my brakes have always worked great (just needed replacement from time 2 time this'll be my second time) any major issue there? the sound is hard to describe..like bones rattleing i guess lmao

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by Lumina97MD

lol you and me both man..this sucks i love my lumina, maybe buy another but ill take it to the mech and see what kind of estimate he'll give me..ill hit you back to see if thats about right..one err make that 2 last question(s)..

besides the alternator belt, what else should be on my "high priority" list?

(another issue maybe?) when i start my car I hear this rattling noise..if my foot is on the brake when i start the engine, it doesnt rattle until i take my foot off the brake..i was told its just my brake gears and its nothing to worry about, my brakes have always worked great (just needed replacement from time 2 time this'll be my second time) any major issue there? the sound is hard to describe..like bones rattleing i guess lmao

My ABS actuator makes the same rattle/crunchy noise that it makes during ABS actuaction when I start the car...kinda hear it as if it was in the steering column because it comes from just the other side of the firewall from the driver...is that what you hear? Try to lock up your brakes on some wet pavement and see if the sound is the same as when the ABS kick on....I'm told the ABS self-tests and cycles the acuators when you start the motor, to move the fluid in the ABS valving system, which would otherwise sit and get stagnant and might might cause the ABS system to not work when needed...since the fluid in the ABS actuation system is held seperate from the service braking portion of the hydraulic circuit until it actually activates. It seems to be more noticeable in some cars than others.

Besides the belt and whatever (if anything) else happened related to it, I think that mount problem should really be corrected, that sounds like it's probably putting the driveline in a weird angle and is probably allowing the engine more movement than normal, which is hard on everything from hoses and lines to CV axles...plus it'll ride smoother and accelerate better, broken mounts like that will generally cause shuddering and vibration on the highway, plus the motor is expending torque that should have gone to the wheels when it's rolling around under there, so you loose some of the snap when you step on the gas, and probably some fuel mileage in a small way...

I mentioned the timing components because I was thinking, if they already have the motor jacked up while doing the mount, and the belt and whatever else they might have to fix is outta the way, it's that much easier to deal with the timing case at the same time, so it might be an opportunity to blend some labor and get a break vs. having to remove the serp belt and accesories and possibly lift the motor for access when replacing it sometime in the future...It's not a given that the parts are ready to go, but I'm sure they are quite worn by now, and it seems to me that every 3.1 I remember coming in with a slipped chain and/or wrecked tensioner assembly was between 175,000-200,000 miles, so you are right there...the more precise camshaft control from the new parts will bring back some lost vitality to that motor also...I'm always surprised when I do a chainset to a motor I've been driving forever how much more responsive they seem after the work's done...

It's hard for me to say exactly if you are just throwing money down a hole with this car...without knowing it's "soul", and depending how attached you are to it...My '97 has been such a good car I feel like it's a friend or something, since new I've replaced the water pump and serp belt (and that was just because we were taking a trip, and it seemed like cheap insurance, that pump is easy to do and with 70,000 miles at the time, it was getting near time...), 1 battery, a set of spark plugs, 1 set of front brakes (I've got 125,000 miles, rear brakes are still in great shape) and a Throttle Position Sensor, and that's IT....amazing for 125K and nearly ten tears....so I can justify fixing ANYTHING that might go bad on it, considering how much it has NOT cost me all these years, you know?

Now obviously there has to be a point where everything starts to go in rapid succession, used to be a good car would hit that point at around 90-100K, then after you got through the 100,000 miles "jitters", they'd become reliable once again and go for several years without a makor failure...that seems to have been pushed back now with better quality of components and such, now it seems around 150K is where they start having their episodes and needing a lot of work...But you just never know when they get that high...at 200,000 you might go to drive off one day and the tranny just disintegrate and need a rebuild, it happens sometimes...I had a Buick LeSabre in the shop getting emissions tested once that was a great car, a good customer that took meticulous care of this car, and at 187,000 it still looked and ran like new...while running it up in preparation for a re-test it decided to break a rod bearing cap and self destructed on the spot...just one of the cruel jokes that age and metal fatigue can play on you...

[Blue Bowtie]

this sucks i love my lumina...

Don't take this as an insult, but perhaps you don't "love" your Lumina quite as much as you imply. Driving it down the freeway with the temperature gauge pegged is a fast track to the scrap heap. With aluminum heads bolted to an iron block, there are already enough challenges keeping the deck area sealed. Overheating it is just asking for head warpage and subsequent leaks.

Further, operating at eleveted temperatures for more than a couple minutes has probably started to cook the polymers out of your oil and create sludge. As soon as you get the belt situation repaired, you need to change the oil ASAP. If you are using a PAO synthetic, you might get by with continuing to use the oil, but a plain mineral oil or semi-synthetic is ruined at higher temperatures and will be all but useless as a lubricant. If you ignore this, your engine mount and any potential timing chain problems will be solved when you bolt the new engine in place.

Driving around (for an undertermined time) on noisy brakes is only going to increase the cost of repairs. A set of pads is about $40 for really good ones, $25 for OEM type replacements. New rotors (after chewing up the old ones from worn pads) will add another $160.

A new accessory belt is about $22. A ratchet to install the new belt is about $10. There is even a diagram label under the hood showing the belt routing. If you get really lost, a repair manual can be had for about $20 (Haynes) and that's usually just good enough to guide you through these smaller repair projects. A 15mm socket (which fits your new ratchet) is about $7, and that will replace the $25 tensioner if it needs a new one. The hand cleaner you might need afterward is about $4. Need any more estiamtes?

Again, this isn't meant as an insult, but taking care of the small issues as they arise ususally helps prevent larger ones. Ignoring the "little" problems generally only gets deeper into your wallet. Consider yourself fortunate if you don't have coolant seepage/head leakage problems in the near future.

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

Don't take this as an insult, but perhepas you don't "love" your Lumina quite as much as you imply. Driving it down the freeway with the temperature gauge pegged is a fast track to the scrap heap. With aluminum heads bolted to an iron block, there are already enough challenges keeping the deck area sealed. Overheating it is just asking for head warpage and subsequent leaks.

Further, operating at eleveted temperatures for more than a couple minutes has probably started to cook the polymers out of your oil and create sludge. As soon as you get the belt situation repaired, you need to change the oil ASAP. If you are using a PAO synthetic, you might get by with continuing to use the oil, but a plain mineral oil or semi-synthetic is ruined at higher temperatures and will be all but useless as a lubricant. If you ignore this, your engine mount and any potential timing chain problems will be solved when you bolt the new engine in place.

Driving around (for an undertermined time) on noisy brakes is only going to increase the cost of repairs. A set of pads is about $40 for really good ones, $25 for OEM type replacements. New rotors (after chewing up the old ones from worn pads) will add anouther $160.

A new accessory belt is about $22. A ratchet to install the new belt is about $10. There is even a diagram label under the hood showing the belt routing. A 15mm socket (which fits your new ratchet) is about $7, and that will replace the $25 tensioner if it needs a new one. The hand cleaner you might need afterward is about $4. Need any more estiamtes?

Pretty sure they were looking for general shop price estimates...we're not all master mechanics here...

PS I don't use a tool on the tensioner, just push them by hand usually....

[Blue Bowtie]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

...we're not all master mechanics here...

...Including me (or, especially me).

I just can't see paying someone for a job so simple unless physical limitations or time coinstraints are an issue. There's some value in being somewhat independent.

[MARTINOS1]

Originally Posted by MARTINOS1

i have a 98 ltz with 43,000 original miles..ive had my brakes done twice because luminas have the worst rotors available..they rust to where the shoes grind the rotors..then ive had my a/c fixed from a leak. now my blower motor just expired on 8/09/06.. no other problems though, its a great running car and no flacking of paint..just new tires from dry rotting cracks.. my advice put 400-500 into it and injoy for some more years to come.. p.s. have u seen the price of used and new cars now, not to mention gas!!!lol

[richtazz]

If your compressor locked up, the A/C repair will be expensive. If you can live without A/C, a company called Dorman makes a bypass pulley that bolts where the compressor was. The way the belt is routed on a 3.1, you cannot simply eliminate the compressor and run a shorter belt. This would cause the water pump to run backwards and overheat the engine. Labor for a 4 wheel brake job should be less than $150, and an alignment (your car requires a 4-wheel alignment) should be $60-$100 depending on where you live. Labor for installing a belt tensioner and belt should be less than $60. Why are you asking about a timing chain/tensioner, do you have some rattling at idle?