Help with 96 Lumina please?

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Just unscrew them all the way out. I would just do it on the last cycle, after you've refilled with coolant. Sometimes I open them again after a few days to make sure all is well, but it's not really necessary.
 
You may have some time before your repair.

I made it 109,000 miles with my 2001 3.1 Lumina before the dreaded intake gasket failure.

It just hit this week.

$600 with a good local shop.

Guess I'm going to bite the bullet and get it done.

Does GM have any extended warranty provisions or special dealer service programs for this design flaw?
 
$600 is a pretty good deal. Most shops charge more.

There was a class action lawsuit that might've paid you some money, but you were required to file for payment back in October. I think you're S.O.L.

Personally, I always recommend that people take care of this intake gasket issue BEFORE it becomes a problem. You may have got lucky, and caught the problem before the coolant in the oil did any damage. But lots of people go at least a week (some much longer) between checking oil and coolant. Running an engine for a week with coolant in the oil will ruin it.

My brother bought a '97 Olds Cutlass Supreme a year or two back- had 30,000 miles on it. Little-old-lady-car. I convinced him to go ahead and update the LIM gaskets to the new Felpro design. When he took it apart, he could see that the original LIM gaskets were already split and starting to leak... even though there had been no VISIBLE sign of coolant in the oil.
 
Originally Posted By: onion
$600 is a pretty good deal. Most shops charge more.

There was a class action lawsuit that might've paid you some money, but you were required to file for payment back in October. I think you're S.O.L.


Don't want to steal the OP's thread...

That's par for the course for me regarding luck.

Just changed the oil a couple of weekend's ago.

No real sign at that time.

Looks like the the oil up top is showing a little anti-freeze around the filler neck. The dipstick looks like pure unaffected Pennzoil.

It's parked until I can get it two miles back to the shop.
 
Got the intake gasket repair done on my 2001.

Saved big $$ due to a "Black Friday" sale at another local shop.

They did a nice job but the EGR valve is acting up now. Don't know if it's a gasket leak or the EGR just failed.

Did a bunch of other maintenance work on the Lumina with the sale prices - plugs and wires, four wheel brakes with front rotors and rear brake cylinders, transmission flush, and new serpentine belt.

$1000 price tag for everything.

With a new EGR valve, I'll be ready for another 109,000 miles.

Refilled with Peak Global coolant. I'll flush and refill again in 12 months and get any Dex-cool remnants out of the system.

Good luck with your '96.
 
It may just be the EGR passage to the manifold. I had to clean mine out this last time of replacing the LIM gasket. The valve is probably pretty hardy & may just need cleaning. I would certainly try that 1st. The EGR valve is probably pretty expensive.
 
tighten the intake manifold bolts to proper spec. do this once a year and keep an eye on it 2 gm pellets added to coolant is also a good idea
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
It may just be the EGR passage to the manifold. I had to clean mine out this last time of replacing the LIM gasket. The valve is probably pretty hardy & may just need cleaning. I would certainly try that 1st. The EGR valve is probably pretty expensive.


When I replaced the intake gaskets on my sis-in-laws 96 Monte Carlo, the EGR passage was clogged with gunk. I roto-rooted the passage out with a straightened coat hanger, cleaned the egr, and used a fresh gasket, all was well....

Car is still running 4 years later with 180k, so I think I did it right!!!
thumbsup2.gif
 
Thanks for the tip.

I've got to get it back to the shop.

Drivability is starting to suffer.

I don't want to walk away from an otherwise great car.
 
Yeah, once you replace the LIM gaskets, then you get to live with the clatter of piston slap that all those 3.1/3.4 engines have. Every one I've owned has sounded like a diesel when you start them up. Fortunately the sound goes away when they warm up and doesn't really affect longevity of the engine -- too bad!
 
Shop took care of my last little problem with my '01 Lumina.

It was a plug wire that got too close to the exhaust manifold.

Was the engine missing or what?

No check engine lights, no piston slap, no Dex-cool, and now I'm ready for another 100,000 reliable Lumina miles.
 
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