1999 buick century

[duaneb9729]

i am considering buying a '99 buick century for my father it has 34,000 miles and a 3.1 v-6 anything i should be wary of?

anything i should look for in particular ?

i can pick it up for aprox $3400.00 which seems like a pretty good deal.

 

[pbm]

The 3.1 is known for leaky intake manifold gaskets. Other than that the Century is a pretty good car.

 

[duaneb9729]

i just changed the ones on my dads 85 cady with a 4.1, turns out the gaskets werent bad just a loose intake bolt.

but i had it so far apart by then it wasnt hard to replace them at that point

 

[Paul2007]

From personal experience, the 3.1 is a good engine. Not meant to be raced or severly put upon, just used. With the low mileage, I'd look for a sludged engine. Change the oil, filter, and have the transmission oil changed. Do an oil change at 1,000mi/2months to flush the [censored] out. OCI depends on usage. For a non-commuter person, I recommend changing by time not mileage. I advise people I know that are retired and not doing much driving to change the oil every 4 months.

 

[duaneb9729]

thats typically what i do now for him Paul change his oil three times a year, he prefers to drive a cargo van most of the time

i could use it for work for a couple of weeks and put a thousand miles on it.

and i suppose i could arx it. although i am not sure it would need it.

ty guys for all your input!!

 

[StevieC]

Hey Everyone: I had a friend who had problems with the intake gaskets on this engine, and found that using a bit of Lucas Fuel System cleaner/lubrication oil in the gas every now and again seems to keep these gaskets in good condition... Don't know if this works, but he swears by it... His van has 300,000KM on it and only had the gaskets changed once...

Just thought I would share.

 

[duaneb9729]

ty stevie!

 

[rjundi]

Don't be glassy eyed due to low miles. It still is nearly a 10 year old vehicle. I think $2500 is more reasonable. Low mileage means very little as most of the car has aged enough to require repairs by age.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I wouldn`t want the 3.1..........I`d only get one that has the 3.8.

 

[StevieC]

I hope it works... My friend swears by it, and I trust him.

You're welcome! Happy Holidays eh...

 

[duaneb9729]

the low miles to me are both a plus and minus, the low miles can mean it wasnt beat on much but it can also mean it was neglected

i will give it a good looking over and talk it over with dad, see what he thinks

 

[lght1]

Hi

I would do a UOA and if positive for leaks, use Fel Pro's "Problem Solver" LIM gaskets with new GM bolts. Follow the correct torque sequence and values along with G-05 coolant and all will be well.

 

[duaneb9729]

thank you lgt1, you know i come here almost everyday and it never crossed my mind to do a uoa. man oh man have i learned nothing here? smiles

i can get them done over at the cat dealer for $15.00

 

[sciphi]

10 years old and low mileage means a lot of stuff is rotted or degraded. I'm running into that problem with my 1999 LeSabre. Lots of little things that could be done over or replaced. And a few major things like the intake gaskets, fuel and brake lines (very rusty), and struts, springs, and suspension bushings.

 

[StevieC]

Thats a good point... Especially if the car has been sitting more than it has been driven.

FWIW... I remember a saying that goes like this "In order to keep a car running forever, you have to keep it running forever".

 

[Chris142]

Pull the radiator cap off and see if it's a Dexcool disaster.

 

[duaneb9729]

i am going to lay under it and really look over those items sciphi!

 

[JTK]

$3400 is a tad on the high end for a 10yr/old Buick Century regardless of mileage as said. It is however a decent vehicle and a very tried and true drivetrain, aside from that 3.1L's intake manifold gasket. You can almost guarantee you'll need to replace the IMGs. It may never have been done. I forget if that chassis has the 4T60E or 4T40 transaxle, but either way they are some of the best FWD transaxles available. FWIW, a coworker of mine just sold his dad's 1998 Century with 39Kmi for $1500. It was scratched and dented, but the body was solid and interior like new.

Joel

 

[kingrob]

The Century, 95-2001, was a great car aside from the intake gaskets. Other problem spots you should look for is the power windows all stop working around the eight year mark. Hood shocks all wear out around that time. Front brakes are eaten like candy. Otherwise, it's a solid car.

 

[kingrob]

Just noticed the price, 3400.00 is waaaay to high for the century. That's what you'd expect to see from a used car lot. I wouldn't pay over two grand for the car.