I wanna buy this beater, but...

[Cool_Steve]

I think the motor is toast.

I've been offered a 1993 Buick Regal Custom (base model), 3800 series motor (the good oldschool V6) with 332,000kms. Its been sitting for at least two years in the bodyshop compound at my work. $75, farm car, etc. Was a daily driver up until it was parked.

After ***king around trying to get a damn battery connection with the booster, I finally got it started (with throttle). BUT, it will not idle without holding throttle, even after running for 15-20 seconds. It let out a HUGE cloud of white smoke when started (and still while it ran but not as much), and the oil pressure is sky ***king high (has full instermentation). And the motor started to smoke (lots of tree debris on it) and when I checked the dipstick (there is oil) there was smoke coming out of the dipstick hole. I could smell burnt oil.

So, toast? It wont idle without gas at all, its got high oil pressure, and something inside the motor is smoking. Also has no gas cap. If this car is done I don't care, I have another Regal I may get with alot less k.

[Keegz]

Nah dude she prolly just needs a good run. Give it some fresh oil and check the plugs and wires. Maybe seafoam too.

[00bluees]

why? you have two beaters that as far as i'm concerned you don't even beat on. after watching the davefarm videos i concluded you drove far too slow and listened to some creepy pedophile looking dude telling you what to do.

i guess my farmside definition of a beater is different. its called get your hands on a car for free or at least less than $100, make it run, rip around in a field, build jumps, hit jumps, crash into tractor, drive tractor on top of car THEN switch drivers and do it all again. :p mind you doing it our way only results in a beater car for about 2 hours if you are lucky. but damn son, you have good memories.

[Cool_Steve]

Nah dude she prolly just needs a good run. Give it some fresh oil and check the plugs and wires. Maybe seafoam too.

Since its a farm car, the most I will do is try to weasel a free oil change from the express lube at my work. Isn't it bad to run a motor at high oil pressure? And why won't it idle?

I keep thinking its gonna catch fire, too. With that bit of smoke coming up from the dipstick hole.

why? you have two beaters that as far as i'm concerned you don't even beat on. after watching the davefarm videos i concluded you drove far too slow and listened to some creepy pedophile looking dude telling you what to do.

i guess my farmside definition of a beater is different. its called get your hands on a car for free or at least less than $100, make it run, rip around in a field, build jumps, hit jumps, crash into tractor, drive tractor on top of car THEN switch drivers and do it all again. :p mind you doing it our way only results in a beater car for about 2 hours if you are lucky. but damn son, you have good memories.

Hey, I'll be beating on those Corolla's more this year :P. I didn't even have time with the '90 yet, I kinda just dropped it off. Also, yes, I needed to drive faster too. Do some real damage. Maybe I can talk down this current Buick to $50.

[Keegz]

Clean any debris off the actual motor itself so you can get a better look at everything. When I got my truck last year the motor smoked really badly. Turned out there was just some oil leaking out from a valve cover gasket.

Zero oil pressure is bad. High oil pressure... just means youre getting more oil to the top of the motor... probably a bad sender unit.

Remove the air filter and check all the plugs and wires. If if hasn't run in 2 years the bad gas wont help it idle smoothly. My friend had a truck that he dumped 5 gallons of "chunky" varnished gas into, and the truck damn near stopped running lol. It had a full tank of fresh gas before the old stuff was added too.

[kevcol74]

Smoke out the dipstick can be a sign of blow by, or just the fact it has high oil pressure. Its been sitting for a long time, as mentioned, a good drive may help it out.

[Cool_Steve]

Clean any debris off the actual motor itself so you can get a better look at everything. When I got my truck last year the motor smoked really badly. Turned out there was just some oil leaking out from a valve cover gasket.

Zero oil pressure is bad. High oil pressure... just means youre getting more oil to the top of the motor... probably a bad sender unit.

Remove the air filter and check all the plugs and wires. If if hasn't run in 2 years the bad gas wont help it idle smoothly. My friend had a truck that he dumped 5 gallons of "chunky" varnished gas into, and the truck damn near stopped running lol. It had a full tank of fresh gas before the old stuff was added too.

I'm surprised I actually had spark, because these motors use coil packs and when sitting they can corrode. Also surprised the fuel pump wasn't seized. I thought that perhaps the higher oil pressure was causing it not to idle. When I checked the oil right after it conked, the oil was like all the way up the stick. After i let it sit it showed about half way from full. I know the gas is bad (came with just over half a tank), but this bitch wont idle at all. You need to keep your foot lighty on the gas.

Smoke out the dipstick can be a sign of blow by, or just the fact it has high oil pressure. Its been sitting for a long time, as mentioned, a good drive may help it out.

blow by, which means this motor could be f'ed. Hey, maybe you should check this ride out when you come to look at my 929 floor! :P ps I sent you an e-mail.

[Keegz]

Ever think about the 'ol EGR valve :p. Those things dont take too well to sitting.

[Cool_Steve]

Ever think about the 'ol EGR valve :p. Those things dont take too well to sitting.

Guess I'm gonna have to do some research on these motors now and get to know them a bit better. I wouldn't know where that is on that car.

Doesn't seem to leak anything. It has oil, ps fuild, coolant, tranny fuild, etc. Also, it may have been sitting for even longer than two years. It could be three...maybe even four.

[-Jayzer-]

1993 Buick Regal Custom :puke: Defiantly one of the ugliest cars ever made..

(looked kinda hot in the early 80's thou)

http://images.dieselpowermag.com/features/0711dp_18_z+1982_buick_regal+left_front_view.jpg
1982. This car looks really nice thou.. prolly not your style. (although it is super clean) lol

[SKY]

^

That reminds me of Pimp your ride. lol

[tiwing]

why? you have two beaters that as far as i'm concerned you don't even beat on. after watching the davefarm videos i concluded you drove far too slow and listened to some creepy pedophile looking dude telling you what to do.

i guess my farmside definition of a beater is different. its called get your hands on a car for free or at least less than $100, make it run, rip around in a field, build jumps, hit jumps, crash into tractor, drive tractor on top of car THEN switch drivers and do it all again. :p mind you doing it our way only results in a beater car for about 2 hours if you are lucky. but damn son, you have good memories.that makes me laugh because it brings back so many memories.... we played smash up derby in an old gravel pit near my house when I was young with a 73 corolla and an old Civic CVCC... and yeah we got about 2 hours out of them :) One is still at the bottom of the quarry after flying off a 70 foot cliff (brick on gas, put in gear, dump the clutch, and hope your shirt doesn't get caught on something on the way out the door.... )

[Cool_Steve]

update!

Fired it up on lunch (via booster, battery is toast), held the gas for about 5 minutes while idling and surprisingly enough it idled on its own after that. I guess it just needed a real kick in the ass. Smoke started coming up from the back of the motor, and it smelled like oil. So I tried to move it in reverse, would not move. Slowly kept hitting the gas and the brakes slowly unsized with a sickening "nails on a chalkboard" sound. It does have decent brakes, at least.

This is what made me lol. The tires were not low on air afterall. I checked the spot where it was sitting to find four ruts. This car sat so long it sunk into the pavement. It had to be sitting at least three years for that to happen, imo. But hey, at least it started.

Took it for a rip around the dealership. Steering works great, radio works but display is burnt out, and it still makes heat with the blowers, but it won't blow through "vent". Took it up to my buddy mechanic, it was still smoking at the back, oil smell. Its maybe leaking at the back onto the exhuast. He revved the piss out of it for a bit, and suddenly, no more smoke from the motor. Its also not smoking much out of the exhuast anymore.

Its got some shitty gas. I floored it and it chugs like its not firing on all its cylinders. It idles...almost too quietly now. Not even a sqeak. Wipers don't work. And after running it for a bit the oil pressure dropped a bit, but who knows the guages could be f'ed.

I don't wanna pay more than $50, its a real heap compared to the two perfectly running Corolla's I paid $100 for.

[991.8l]

What happens to the car after Dave's Farm? Are they sent to a scrap yard to be recycled?

[Cool_Steve]

^He crushes them with his dozer and scraps them.

update 2 - just had it running again. No wipers because there is no fuse. I got the vents working now and it makes real hot heat. I was looking for some documentation to see when it as last driven but everything was left out and faded in the sun. However I did find a oil sticker - it was due at 335,000kms in May 2006. So it sat at least three years.

So I took it for another rip, hit the gas and it really got going after 4000. Left it idling by the shop for about 10 mins and then the check engine light comes on, and its running worse after running fine. Its really misfiring now. Maybe that shitty has has really made its way through and maybe there is some shit at the bottom of the tank.

anything I can put in the tank with the shitty gas for now? Like a water remover or fuel cleaner? I'd use Lucas but want to wait until I have fresh fuel.

[Keegz]

methyl alcohol or whatever that stuff is. They sell it at auto parts stores for $5/L or something like that.

Told ya it just needed a good run :yes:

[Cool_Steve]

^Well, after running fine the CEL came on and now its running worse suddenly . Is methyl alcohol a cleaner, i guess?

[00granpagreen]

AFAIK only 2 things will cause high oil presure on an engine (that has the proper oil pump). 1. main bearing tolerance too tight (obviously not the case on a motor with over 300k) 2. ceased oil pressure relief valve located on the side of the pump, gear pump i believe it has in the pan. i find it weird tho that your making a big deal of a 75$ car trying to talk it down to 50$ when your willing to spend money on gas and fuel treatments? either way a scrapped car on weight alone is worth more than 75$ at least they are around here.

[Keegz]

Yeah I think it cleans and dries out your tank. Even if you put a few liters of fresh gas in it should help.

[Cool_Steve]

AFAIK only 2 things will cause high oil presure on an engine (that has the proper oil pump). 1. main bearing tolerance too tight (obviously not the case on a motor with over 300k) 2. ceased oil pressure relief valve located on the side of the pump, gear pump i believe it has in the pan. i find it weird tho that your making a big deal of a 75$ car trying to talk it down to 50$ when your willing to spend money on gas and fuel treatments? either way a scrapped car on weight alone is worth more than 75$ at least they are around here.

Fuel treatments aren't too pricy. Maybe $11-12 bucks? Put in $20 of fresh gas, pay $50 for the car, and I still haven't spent much. At the very least, I need it running better than it is now.

[kevcol74]

Methyl Alcohol = Gas Line Antifreeze (ie water remover)

GMs are notorious for sticking EGR valves, especially in the late 80s/early 90s....
Try some fuel stabalizer too, may help the "old gas"

[Cool_Steve]

Well, I did eventually get the car for $75, $25 for a junkyard battery, $10 worth of fresh gas. It was actually a 1994, first year it came with a drivers side airbag. It was towed up to the farm this past Friday. Dave already put in a new alternator and fixed a small elctrical issue and it runs great. Sure, I could have flipped it but no one is going to buy a 15 year old GM that has over 332k as "dependable a-b transportation", weather its a dependable 3.8 or not. Plus, I have no ownership. The highest I've seen a 3.8 was back when I was in highschool auto class, an old Transport had 411,000kms on it.

This Buick is one odd car for being so high k and yet drives so nice and perfect. Never smoked in, no rips in the drivers seat, radio antenna still works, drivers pwr window still works, makes heat, idles quiet, no squeals, clunks or rattles, perfect exhuast, it doesnt smoke anymore, no other smells, glass is relativly free of ice chipper marks, decent brakes and tires for sitting three years, the interior dome light started to work after a while, all outside bulbs function fine, etc. The rockers are really rusty but the underbody and fuel/brakes lines are clean as ***k! I don't understand it, its an old Canadian car, and it was never rustproofed with black stuff underneath. And its not rotten. Only in corner areas and places like that have rust. Heh, maybe that black rustproofing keeps moisture over time.

I just realized I can't attach photos I took of it (I hope that feature comes back), but here's a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyw1-OG6Guw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBrAMJc6Xb8
^Seen at 1:07. When he gets fresh cars they get used as drivers all around the farm until the battries go or they run out of gas. My red Corolla was used alot after I originally trashed it. Now its sat for a while, f'ed struts, runs perfect, will probably kill it with a few more jumps this summer.

[991.8l]

A clone of your car is available for sale!!!

http://www.toprotege.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50306

[Cool_Steve]

^Yeah I saw that. Super high k though, and only a base DX.