Any engine upgrades available for the Buick Enclave?

[ATex7239]

Not the platform to soup up. Just accept it for what it is or get something with a V8 or turbo V6. Ours was OK on reliability and that’s being kinda generous. 200K miles before we got rid of it but not without issues. Replaced the tranny and AC condenser under warranty. Replaced a couple sensors and relays; don’t remember which ones. Needed an intake manifold gasket and high pressure fuel pump. Replaced the steering intermediate shaft. Maybe twice; don’t remember. Did a few suspension things over time. And those are just repairs I remember off the top of my head with only one cup of coffee. There may have been more.

Save your money for the repairs cause it will have a few. Guaranteed.

 

[97prizm]

This vehicle has so many other problems the abover money would not be well spent. Even the salvage yard is going to simply crush them. I got factory OE 19" rims for $47 to $65 each shipped, there are so many out there. They're almost $600 each from the dealer. The exhaust is one piece from the cat back, to the two resonators, and there is no aftermarket exhaust that I know of for performance. Save up for the CATS as they are $2,100 each. Just search P0420, P0430, and Traverse/Enclave/Acadia.

What is interesting is it's only $990 list OE for the 2 CATS on a GM 6.2, so why $4200 for an Enclave? $1900 for the GM 5.3.

One issue that isn't talked about is the power steering failure, and it's known. I lost my link to it, GM offered a 10 year/120k extended on it, BUT cleverly excluded coverage if the dealer could cause I mean find a leak. That's over $3k to fix.

If my rant causes just 1-10 people to avoid this car, that's great, we all win!

Sounds like my 2005 Dodge neon. Parts are either randomly out of production or a kidney donation to replace. The interior is cheap hard plastic but Dodge decided that the paint needed to be a special metallic thats $400 per quart not including primer or clear coat.

 

[factorytuned2012]

if you must.. maybe a pedal commander and drop in filter but no real world gains maybe snappier on ramp/passing feel. put a nice set of radials and semi metallic pads call it done.

 

[John105]

if you must.. maybe a pedal commander and drop in filter but no real world gains maybe snappier on ramp/passing feel. put a nice set of radials and semi metallic pads call it done.

Obviously I could go on like I'm Key and Peele. The only pedal work one should be worried about is when the brake pedal position sensor fails, and the dash says, "Service Stabilitrak." An ABS capable OBDII is needed to reset it, and the sensor will need to be replaced. If you've ever seen a Traverse/Acadia/Enclave going down the road with full brake lights on while they're driving, this failure is why

The hvac actuators for ours failed under warranty thank goodness, that's a thousand right there. You can't defrost your windshield when this happens.

 

[John105]

Sounds like my 2005 Dodge neon. Parts are either randomly out of production or a kidney donation to replace. The interior is cheap hard plastic but Dodge decided that the paint needed to be a special metallic thats $400 per quart not including primer or clear coat.

It was such a nice car when we rolled off the dealer lot. But it would take less than 100 miles before we were back. I may be a fool sticking with GM, but I kinda think I'm not. I'm a GM fanboy through and through, so for me to expose this car it isn't out of spite towards GM. We're getting another GM. It's just to save someone else the problems. Life is already just too expensive to add unexpected car problems at BMW prices. GMC is no joke. Starter $800, I didn't DIY because bank 2's CAT has to be removed to get to it. Alternator, I didn't do myself either it was warranty. I did the water pump myself as warranty was expired and I wasn't paying $900 to the dealer. These are all pre 100k mile failures. We ultimately got to 134 I think.

One thing I did love about the car, it has a transmission fluid dipstick. I understand our new car does not. I was able to do drain/fills myself, and it really only took 2 to get the fluid nice and pink (just remember to use thread sealant on the plug, I didn't know my first time). And although it took a bunch of tries to get it right, the dipstick allowed for a proper fill level. And the 115 cu. ft even beats the 2016-2020 Tahoe. Oh yeah, I did LOVE the xenon headlamps. We were on a run where all 3 cars had them. Way better than LED.

 

[edyvw]

I maintain my friend’s Buick Enclave.
Overall quality is big problem. Things inside are falling apart, buttons are long pealed off, some are missing. Leather looks like it has 500,000mls not 150,000. There is always some leak. If it is not transmission cooler line, it is some other gasket.
It can barely support that power. Brakes are way undersized, it floats. And you want to add, I guess supercharger? For your kid?
If you are set on Enclave make sure car has brand new brakes, really good tires. Spend money on active safety features (tires etc.). Kids need to know how to drive underpowered cars. Moving to lots of power with experience is always better.

 

[Slick3914]

I'ma gonna let my inner crumugen out and say, "What the heck, son?" Kids in the car, why are you even contemplating high rev, pedal to the floor driving? Time to embrace responsibility including driving habits, Dad. Right or center lane, speed limits observed, and little to no passing gets kids there in one piece.

Spend that money on starting a college fund instead of soupping up your car. That's for kids and retired people.

Sage advice. It’s a family school bus, not a performance vehicle.

 

[02SE]

If you want an SUV type vehicle which goes, stops, and handles amazingly well, especially for that type of vehicle, I can recommend the BMW X6 M Competition.

 

[edyvw]

If you want an SUV type vehicle which goes, stops, and handles amazingly well, especially for that type of vehicle, I can recommend the BMW X6 M Competition.

I see what you did

 

[Blinker]

The I think around 2013-2014 is when the Buick Enclave and its corporate cousins got the LFX 3.6 V6.

The LLT had some issues in the first few years, namely the timing chain recall for not using properly hardened metal. But if maintained well, the LLT can be reliable but who knows how well the previous owners have maintained it.

Personally, I would look for one with the LFX. The LFX was a night and day difference in reliability and performance. The LFX can take abuse and neglect and still fair ok. The only ones I see with issues are the ones that are neglected. They sometimes will crack the exhaust manifolds but it’s an easy fix.

LFX > LLT all day long. It’s a mistake that GM is winding down production of the LFX, LGX, LGZ in favor of turbo 4’s. All three of those engines deliver good performance, good fuel economy considering the large vehicles they were often placed in, reliability, smoothness, and easy to work on.

 

[Greyroom]

I'ma gonna let my inner crumugen out and say, "What the heck, son?" Kids in the car, why are you even contemplating high rev, pedal to the floor driving? Time to embrace responsibility including driving habits, Dad. Right or center lane, speed limits observed, and little to no passing gets kids there in one piece.

Spend that money on starting a college fund instead of soupping up your car. That's for kids and retired people.

Sir I recommend that you and the thumbs up you received please go back and read post #3. It is indeed desirable to have good power solely for passing, especially when the vehicle in question may be suspected of lacking in this regard.

I would of course take the advice of other members and test this first on the Enclave if I were to buy one, before attempting to raise it's power.

Obviously I could go on like I'm Key and Peele. The only pedal work one should be worried about is when the brake pedal position sensor fails, and the dash says, "Service Stabilitrak." An ABS capable OBDII is needed to reset it, and the sensor will need to be replaced. If you've ever seen a Traverse/Acadia/Enclave going down the road with full brake lights on while they're driving, this failure is why

The hvac actuators for ours failed under warranty thank goodness, that's a thousand right there. You can't defrost your windshield when this happens.

Please do go on, I would like to hear everything if you don't mind. You might be talking me out of the Enclave... it sounds like a nightmare. What all else went wrong on yours?

 

[ripcord]

Sir I recommend that you and the thumbs up you received please go back and read post #3. It is indeed desirable to have good power solely for passing, especially when the vehicle in question may be suspected of lacking in this regard.

If a lot of power makes a car safer, insurance companies would give a sports car discount.

 

[GR_CoB]

I maintained a 3.6L Buick Enclave for my cousin. Everything @John105 and others have shared matches my experience with it. I was extremely happy when that thing got totaled and replaced by a 2009 GMC Yukon XL 6.2L, last model year without cylinder deactivation.

I'd definitely buy something else. Even this Veracruz is a better option than the Enclave.

 

[Greyroom]

If a lot of power makes a car safer, insurance companies would give a sports car discount.

Try getting around an 18 wheeler in a 1996 ford ranger 4 cylinder. I'd wager the insurance companies would advise against it.

 

[ripcord]

Try getting around an 18 wheeler in a 1996 ford ranger 4 cylinder. I'd wager the insurance companies would advise against it.

Having kids is the time in life when you generally stop trying to pass big rigs on two lane roads. There are more important things than getting somewhere a couple of minutes sooner.

 

[Greyroom]

Having kids is the time in life when you generally stop trying to pass big rigs on two lane roads. There are more important things than getting somewhere a couple of minutes sooner.

Not when you need the power to get out of the way of something, or you're changing lanes and something unexpected happens, and you need to move. There's times in life when the extra power is very handy, and if you don't understand the utility then I don't have any business arguing with you.

If you were correct they wouldn't make those bmw SUV's others mentioned with any more power than the Enclave. Why bother, you don't need it, it's only an SUV, drive it like one. But they do.

 

[body surfing child]

nobody asked me, but since a performance air filter was mentioned, with respect, I would never trade filtration for air flow .

If you want me to belabor the point, I'm you man, just keep reading


I think the decision point on this is the qualifier ,"Performance". performance relegates longevity out of being an equal design concern. For street use, why fix something that is not broken. I really don't think assuming a modern OEM system is defective, without proof that the as designed airflow is indeed inadequate for the design , is the best decision.

one might also consider that none of the oiled filter technologies are top secret. If they offered any advantage over the filter medium all manufactures select, the air intake system would incorporate that design.

Of course, I want my car to be special and unique , like everyone else, but I lack the expertise to monkey around with modern computer designed systems. professional engineers with multi million dollar budgets and extensive testing well beyond the what any aftermarket company could invest, plus a tremendous financial exposure with the warrantee to honor if things go badly, I can't beat that.

 

[Texchappy]

I suspect the OP is not going to be dissuaded from this purchase. His choice, his money.

 

[Greyroom]

I suspect the OP is not going to be dissuaded from this purchase. His choice, his money.

Read post 31

 

[JimPghPA]

There's several yt videos about how gm CHEAPED out on transmission build quality.

I would be thinking of trany fluid and filter changes, maybe even add a cooler with cold bypass.

I would never want to burden a gm trany with addititional hp & or torque. Dang thing is fragile even when only having to handle stock hp.

There's companies that upgrade gm tranys, such as next gen transmissions. People who know about gm cutting corners to save cost upgrade their gm transmissions because they want them to be reliable, even if it has a stock motor.

-----------------

Over the years I've seen it many times, people modify engines to make more hp, and don't upgrade everything else such as cooling system, trany, fuel system, trany, suspension, tires, brakes, and any thing else normally include with vehicles that come factory with more hp.

Adding hp cheaply sabatoges reliabality.

Fun to drive, reliable, low cost, ya gets to pick 2 out of 3.