1999 Buick Century My '99 Buick has 87,000 miles. Dealership quoted me $1700 in repairs for intake.
My '99 Buick has 87,000 miles. Dealership quoted me $1700 in repairs for intake.
What is your question?
...due to what they say is a coolant leak. Low coolant light came on about a year ago, but my low tire light has been on for years. Another mechanic told me my sensors are just messed up because my radiator needs to be flushed and the gunk is making them come on or something. So I didn't pay much attention. Besides the intake, the repair cost would include a windshield wiper arm replacement and wiring for a running light that doesn't work. I'm told that without repairs, the leak will eventually cause my motor to blow. They said it could happen in a week or in 2 years. Does any of this make sense? I do not have the knowledge to question any of this or verify it. And for the record, my car has never broken down on me and runs fine.
RepairPal Certified shops can diagnose and repair your 1999 Buick Century. They provide transparent pricing with a minimum 12-month or 12,000-mile warranty on repairs and services.
Are you constantly adding coolant to keep the system full?
Does it ever run hotter than normal at times?
The LOW COOLANT SENSOR may be gummed up for real.
The low tire pressure light is a seperate problem and not related to the low coolant light at all.
Have another shop check it out and write down what it needs, then post those results,we will try to help! At least maybe shed some light on the problem for you.
Thanks so much for your response. I have never added coolant myself. The Buick dealership said they added a mixture of coolant and water. I have never had trouble with my car overheating either and it doesn't seem to even run too hot. I haven't seen it goes past the halfway mark. If I have another shop check it out, I will post those results. In the meantime, I am going to keep driving what has been a reliable car for me since I inherited it from my grandparents in 2009. Thanks!
Oh, my. Since my first question on September 2, 2013, my car has run fine despite the recent report that it is leaking coolant, needs an intake and could show problems in a week or 2 years (it was anyone's guess, according to the serviceman at the Buick dealership). Yesterday, my car overheated for the first time ever. It burned so hot that the red wavy light came on and as I was panicking and trying to figure out how to get safely off the busy highway, the temperature gauge suddenly started dropping back down to below the halfway mark. It did this about three more times as I drove to work that morning (though it never ran totally hot again). I noticed that my heat stopped working about a week ago. Yesterday I had it running anyway, hoping it was just slow to kick in. That's when I noticed my car overheating. Is there any connection and what in the heck is going on? My boyfriend added antifreeze and filled up what he said was very low water/coolant. This was not a problem a week ago! Was the dealership right and the worst is happening sooner than later? I don't know if I should attempt to fix the car or just get a new one. Any help out there would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your response. I have never added coolant myself. The Buick dealership said they added a mixture of coolant and water. I have never had trouble with my car overheating either and it doesn't seem to even run too hot. I haven't seen it goes past the halfway mark. If I have another shop check it out, I will post those results. In the meantime, I am going to keep driving what has been a reliable car for me since I inherited it from my grandparents in 2009. Thanks!
You are welcom, glad to help!
Oh, my. Since my first question on September 2, 2013, my car has run fine despite the recent report that it is leaking coolant, needs an intake and could show problems in a week or 2 years (it was anyone's guess, according to the serviceman at the Buick dealership). Yesterday, my car overheated for the first time ever. It burned so hot that the red wavy light came on and as I was panicking and trying to figure out how to get safely off the busy highway, the temperature gauge suddenly started dropping back down to below the halfway mark. It did this about three more times as I drove to work that morning (though it never ran totally hot again). I noticed that my heat stopped working about a week ago. Yesterday I had it running anyway, hoping it was just slow to kick in. That's when I noticed my car overheating. Is there any connection and what in the heck is going on? My boyfriend added antifreeze and filled up what he said was very low water/coolant. This was not a problem a week ago! Was the dealership right and the worst is happening sooner than later? I don't know if I should attempt to fix the car or just get a new one. Any help out there would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!