95 Buick 3800 engine

[keval85]

Hello guy,s ,just picked up a 95 Buick Lesaber with a 3800 v6 engine for a winter beater.What I would like to know is if these engines were prone to sludge,I already ordered two bottles of AUTO-RX and was wondering if the I should do the 2 once deal,also can someone tell me where the heck the PCV valve is located on this engine can,t find it anywhere

THANKS

 

[m2200b]

Welcome to oil testing and watching coolant levels for danger signs of antifreeze leaking through your plastic intake manifold. 3/4 of them fail and some more than once. Great car and motor other than that. I don't oil test my other cars but I oil test my GM V6s.

 

[T-Keith]

Absolutely not. The 3800 may be the most non-sludging engine made. Here is my 3800 with ~210k miles. Use the Auto-RX on the transmission. Your engine should be a non-series II engine. I don't believe they had any intake problems. Some of the series II do, but only IMO if they are run low on coolant or it is changed incorrectly.

-T

 

[keval85]

Hey T-Keith thanks for the info,would you recommed flushing the transmission on a car with 200,000 miles,I have heard this can cause more problems than cures.By the way the manifold on my car looks like aluminum ,the plenium is plastic THANKS

 

[T-Keith]

Yes 94+ models have a plastic upper intake, some 95 models and all 96's are series II. I can't recomend "flushing" because they usually don't change the transmission filter. I do recomend two changes in short succession if it hasn't been changed in a while. My car had 210k when I bought it and the fluid was black, after a few changes and auto-RX it still works great and the fluid is clean.

 

[Mud]

3800 is a good engine.

DON'T flush, you don't need a bunch of solvent being forced through the transmission at that mileage. "Gently" change fluid and filter a couple of times as mentioned above to ensure that fluid in the torque converter eventually gets changed out as well.

 

[keval85]

Hey thanks guy,s I will take your advice and drain and refill trans a couple of times and go from there.Really appreciate your advice..