"Tohru" (tohrurokuno)
12/22/2015 at 18:02 • Filed to: None
2
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"Tohru" (tohrurokuno)
12/22/2015 at 18:02 • Filed to: None | 2
| 19 |
So, at my dad’s work they got in another ‘94 Century. This one has 86k miles, the 3100 SFI V6, and no body damage. However, it leaks coolant from the radiator side tank seal, the check engine light is on, and it idles really rough. $750 would take it home.
For reference, here’s mine:
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 18:10 |
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10/10 would take home. The idle is probably something stupid like a bad spark plug wire or connection. Coolant leak doesn’t sound like a problem. Check engine light can be taken care of with electrical tape over the light.
Nerd-Vol
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 18:16 |
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Is it fast?
dogisbadob
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 18:24 |
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timeless style :p
Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 18:39 |
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Did it feel like the steering was connected to anything at all?
Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 19:13 |
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Daily.
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Tohru
> Nerd-Vol
12/22/2015 at 19:13 |
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Not significantly faster than the 2.2L. I’m pretty sure my Bonneville could take it in the 1/4 mile.
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Tohru
> dogisbadob
12/22/2015 at 19:14 |
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Made from 1982 to 1996.
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Tohru
> Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
12/22/2015 at 19:15 |
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As much as I’d like to joke, the steering was actually pretty firm. It felt like it had less power assist than my 4-banger Century. Definitely less assist than the Bonneville. Turning radius isn’t great, though.
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Tohru
> Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
12/22/2015 at 19:17 |
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I’d probably pull the radiator and replace the seals on it. These have plastic tanks clamped onto an aluminum core, and there’s a big gasket between them. The gaskets like to go bad.
I already have one ‘94 Century, so I don’t think I need another.
Birddog
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 20:26 |
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That’s a really good price for a car that might live through the Apocalypse!
Was that a trade in?
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Tohru
> Birddog
12/22/2015 at 20:44 |
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My blue one was $600.
Pretty sure it was. It’s got a dealer badge on the back from Zimbrick Buick in Madison, with the old logo they quit using right around 2000.
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Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 21:17 |
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My in laws had one of those and the steering was so over boosted that the only sensation from turning the wheel was the view out the windshield changed.
AMC/Renauledge
> Tohru
12/22/2015 at 21:53 |
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It looks good. How much money do you have to put it right? How handy are you?
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Tohru
> AMC/Renauledge
12/23/2015 at 00:10 |
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-$400. Fairly handy.
pip bip - choose Corrour
> Tohru
12/23/2015 at 02:42 |
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when do you take delivery?
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AMC/Renauledge
> Tohru
12/23/2015 at 02:51 |
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The “side tank seal” is the coolant recovery bottle, or something else? If so, that should be cheap and fairly easy to replace.
Is there evidence of the vehicle having overheated a lot? Especially since the 3100 has the notorious intake manifold gasket issue.
Also, a rough idle could be throwing the check engine code. Could need anything from a cap and rotor to a good tuneup to an injector cleaning to any number of things. Some cheap and easy, some not so much.
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Tohru
> pip bip - choose Corrour
12/23/2015 at 08:28 |
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I’d have to sell something else first. Plus I don’t know if I really need *two* 1994 Buick Centurys.
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Tohru
> AMC/Renauledge
12/23/2015 at 08:43 |
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Not the coolant bottle (which was empty when I test-drove it...), I mean the actual side tank on the radiator. GM plastic/alloy radiators have an O-ring gasket that likes to leak as they get older. My Bonneville dribbles from this seal depending on the weather.
No evidence that I could see of overheating. The gauge stayed right in the middle of the range during my drive.
Yeah, there’s a lot of things it could be. I didn’t have an OBD-1 scan tool available at the time.
My blue 2.2L Century is running rough intermittently, and we were finally able to figure out that it’s a lean condition caused by one of the quad driver circuits getting tripped (the one that controls Injectors 1 and 4). We’ve tested everything else, so we think one of the injectors has an intermittent fault causing it to spike impedance, because that will trip the quad driver. This is after replacing the computer because it was giving faulty information to the scan tool (it said the PROM ID # was 1, target idle was 0, and incoming air temp was -40, among other fun quirks), plugs, wires, fuel filter (all of which were original), and fuel pump.
I like pre-OBD-II vehicles, but they’re a lot harder to diagnose computer issues on.
You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much
> Tohru
12/23/2015 at 11:48 |
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CEL is easy enough to fix.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
The rough idle and leaky radiator could be more difficult.