88 buick park ave.
bmorebuick88
05-09-2008, 02:32 AM
hey everyone im new to the site, and i hope to gain and share knowledge on here.
first off, i have a 88 buick park ave with about 95k miles on it, it runs like a dream, well its starting to change up a litte bit now.
when i first purchased it with 94k miles on it, it ran smooth and i had no problems. but over the past few weeks the ride has changed a little bit. now when i back out of my alley and reverse onto the adjacent street it feels like the front of my car bubbles up somehow when im turning, and then last week the brakes started getting stiff, and now the brake pedal just feels tougher than when i first purchased it. the service engine light is on, but the person i bought it from said dont worry about it because nothing is wrong with the engine, thats fine and dandy but i have to get an emissions test in a couple weeks and i think its an automatic fail if the engine light is on, so to try and figure whats wrong i called autozone to see if they could do a diagnostic, but they said no because my car was too old :( and something about a obd ?
recently i had to pry the hubcaps off of the car because the owner didnt have the locks to take them off:banghead: and i would have been SOL if i had caught a flat tire lol, so i had that done ASAP. i also think i need an alignment.oh yeah i bought the car in feb, and every morning i would have to turn the ignition like 10 times for it to start, but now since its hot outside it doesnt give me any problems except for every once in a while on a cold morning.
besides the brakes, funny ride, and alignment the car is a dream, and i would buy a new one in an instant if GM somehow went crazy and started producing retro cars. yay for buicks:runaround:
any advice
the owner also included everything i needed to change the spark plugs, but im not how you say car smart, so i havent tried anything on my own yet. im going to change the oil probably tomorrow, and i have to get a conversion for my AC a mechanic told me, and he said its pretty expensive
first off, i have a 88 buick park ave with about 95k miles on it, it runs like a dream, well its starting to change up a litte bit now.
when i first purchased it with 94k miles on it, it ran smooth and i had no problems. but over the past few weeks the ride has changed a little bit. now when i back out of my alley and reverse onto the adjacent street it feels like the front of my car bubbles up somehow when im turning, and then last week the brakes started getting stiff, and now the brake pedal just feels tougher than when i first purchased it. the service engine light is on, but the person i bought it from said dont worry about it because nothing is wrong with the engine, thats fine and dandy but i have to get an emissions test in a couple weeks and i think its an automatic fail if the engine light is on, so to try and figure whats wrong i called autozone to see if they could do a diagnostic, but they said no because my car was too old :( and something about a obd ?
recently i had to pry the hubcaps off of the car because the owner didnt have the locks to take them off:banghead: and i would have been SOL if i had caught a flat tire lol, so i had that done ASAP. i also think i need an alignment.oh yeah i bought the car in feb, and every morning i would have to turn the ignition like 10 times for it to start, but now since its hot outside it doesnt give me any problems except for every once in a while on a cold morning.
besides the brakes, funny ride, and alignment the car is a dream, and i would buy a new one in an instant if GM somehow went crazy and started producing retro cars. yay for buicks:runaround:
any advice
the owner also included everything i needed to change the spark plugs, but im not how you say car smart, so i havent tried anything on my own yet. im going to change the oil probably tomorrow, and i have to get a conversion for my AC a mechanic told me, and he said its pretty expensive
HotZ28
05-09-2008, 11:44 AM
Welcome to AF! Click Here (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=679458) and follow the procedure for checking codes, then let us know what you found. The DTC may not tell exactly what the problem is; however, it will point us in the right direction.
We need a better description of what happens when “the front of my car bubbles up somehow when im turning”. Give as many details as possible to help clarify.
As far as the brakes go, you need to have them checked for pad/rotor wear and caliper binding. The caliper must “float” on the retaining pins. In addition, check the rear drum & shoes for wear and possible wheel cylinder leaks.
The cold start problem could be several things. Change the wires, plugs, air & fuel filter first and see what happens. This could also be due to the coolant temperature sensor (CTS) not reading proper engine temp.
Too late now, but you could have removed the hubcap locks with a large pair of needle nose pliers inserted into the inside of the lock grooves and turning them counterclockwise. I had to do that on one of my LeSabre several years ago. I removed all four with the pliers, then bought a new set of locks with the correct key tool.
We need a better description of what happens when “the front of my car bubbles up somehow when im turning”. Give as many details as possible to help clarify.
As far as the brakes go, you need to have them checked for pad/rotor wear and caliper binding. The caliper must “float” on the retaining pins. In addition, check the rear drum & shoes for wear and possible wheel cylinder leaks.
The cold start problem could be several things. Change the wires, plugs, air & fuel filter first and see what happens. This could also be due to the coolant temperature sensor (CTS) not reading proper engine temp.
Too late now, but you could have removed the hubcap locks with a large pair of needle nose pliers inserted into the inside of the lock grooves and turning them counterclockwise. I had to do that on one of my LeSabre several years ago. I removed all four with the pliers, then bought a new set of locks with the correct key tool.
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