Problems With First Car
SarcasticE
12-30-2004, 12:14 AM
I picked up a 1990 Buick Lesabre Custom with 132k miles on it. It runs smooth and start up real good. I have a few "minor" problems like:
1. It does not blow out hot air and being in chicago the windy city, I need it. Now the themostat and stuff been changed, but the problem remained. Firestone ( a RIP OFF PLACE) said its the heater core but searchin on the internet, I havent had any symptoms of a busted heater core. Could it be the Radator?
2. The steering wheel is quite Loose. I mean you can just move it up and down and sideways and with the club im trying to get ( u put it on the brake n steering wheel, I cant with this. Is it something I can do or would I have to take it to the shop and how much might that be?
3. The interior light wont come on with the driver side door opening but all the other doors it work great. How do I change that "button" in the crack of the door to make it work?
4. Driver Window refuse to go up or down and the passenger window moves very very VERY slow. Are these easy problems to fix?
Any sugg. or advice would help me out alot. I really dont want to put a great amount of money into this car, just enough till im able to get another one.
1. It does not blow out hot air and being in chicago the windy city, I need it. Now the themostat and stuff been changed, but the problem remained. Firestone ( a RIP OFF PLACE) said its the heater core but searchin on the internet, I havent had any symptoms of a busted heater core. Could it be the Radator?
2. The steering wheel is quite Loose. I mean you can just move it up and down and sideways and with the club im trying to get ( u put it on the brake n steering wheel, I cant with this. Is it something I can do or would I have to take it to the shop and how much might that be?
3. The interior light wont come on with the driver side door opening but all the other doors it work great. How do I change that "button" in the crack of the door to make it work?
4. Driver Window refuse to go up or down and the passenger window moves very very VERY slow. Are these easy problems to fix?
Any sugg. or advice would help me out alot. I really dont want to put a great amount of money into this car, just enough till im able to get another one.
yogi_123rd
12-30-2004, 01:32 PM
Your problems:
1. Door light switch: It's a $2.00 part available at most parts stores. To remove: Use a wrench and unscrew it, pull out. Lighting wires just clip on.
2. Door window slowness: This model has motors that move the windows slow. If it is excessively slow (like it is jammed) the problem is crud has gotten in the window guides. Because an oil based product will stain, I use a bottle of RAINX. It is a glass wax product in an alcohol solution. Use it in the window guides.
The window that is not working sounds like the driver side switch. The problem could be either a burnt off wire or bad contacts in the switch. The manual states that this switch just pries up out of the arm rest.
3. No heat: Your problem is most likely not with the radiator, it would be with the thermostat or the heater core. As you changed the Tstat, the heater core may need to be back flushed.
As a sanity check, always measure the heat coming out via the DEFROSTER (not thru the air vents). If there is heat to the defroster (the heater is working), but not out the air vents, look for an engine vacuum hose going to the firewall at the left of the master cylinder being rotted off. The heater's air vents system is actuated by the vacuum.
I have also found I get substantially more heat out the defroster or heater than with thru the air vents even when it's working properly. If there's low heat, you may want to check if the cooling fan is running constantly. My 90 LeSabre has this quirk. The ECM thinks the AC is on and continuously runs the low speed fan circuit. I haven't found that short yet (suspect a wire in the heater control unit) - it just takes a bit longer to get heat out so I live with it.
Hope this helps.
1. Door light switch: It's a $2.00 part available at most parts stores. To remove: Use a wrench and unscrew it, pull out. Lighting wires just clip on.
2. Door window slowness: This model has motors that move the windows slow. If it is excessively slow (like it is jammed) the problem is crud has gotten in the window guides. Because an oil based product will stain, I use a bottle of RAINX. It is a glass wax product in an alcohol solution. Use it in the window guides.
The window that is not working sounds like the driver side switch. The problem could be either a burnt off wire or bad contacts in the switch. The manual states that this switch just pries up out of the arm rest.
3. No heat: Your problem is most likely not with the radiator, it would be with the thermostat or the heater core. As you changed the Tstat, the heater core may need to be back flushed.
As a sanity check, always measure the heat coming out via the DEFROSTER (not thru the air vents). If there is heat to the defroster (the heater is working), but not out the air vents, look for an engine vacuum hose going to the firewall at the left of the master cylinder being rotted off. The heater's air vents system is actuated by the vacuum.
I have also found I get substantially more heat out the defroster or heater than with thru the air vents even when it's working properly. If there's low heat, you may want to check if the cooling fan is running constantly. My 90 LeSabre has this quirk. The ECM thinks the AC is on and continuously runs the low speed fan circuit. I haven't found that short yet (suspect a wire in the heater control unit) - it just takes a bit longer to get heat out so I live with it.
Hope this helps.
SarcasticE
12-30-2004, 09:10 PM
Thanks for the help! Imma look at all of the things tomorrow and let you know how it goes
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