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2001 Buck Century-Just wierd or a junker?

It's got 43,000, mostly city driving with some brief freeway runs. Two probs. First, it's using about a quart of oil every two or three months. Not leaking on driveway and the car's not smoking. Inside of the exhaust pipe isn't light grey but it's not sooty black either. Is it leaking elsewhere or am I headed for a ring job?

Secondly, the Low Coolant light stays on long after other dash lights have checked and gone out. After five or six miles of driving the Low Coolant light goes out. There's plenty of coolant in resevoir and the radiator. On secondary startings during the day, Low Coolant light performs like other dash lights; unless over a long stop, then Low Coolant light stays on for five or six miles. This is not an intermittent occurence.

Anybody experience these symptoms? I suspect it might take a legit mechanic days to diagnose?

Reply to
starkraven
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How many miles are you racking up over those two to three months? If you're putting 2-3K on it in that time, which is probably about average use, there is absolutely no problem, that is acceptable oil usage.

Sounds to me like whatever sensor is in the coolant reservoir is sticky; I would be willing to bet that cleaning or replacing it would solve your problem. I have had this same issue on various BMWs and VWs and it's always the sensor.

nate

Reply to
N8N

Maybe. Is there any blue smoke? If so, when is it? Could be it is using oil when the engine is started for a couple seconds... could be it's during acceleration. You might have a seal leak somewhere which takes ten minutes to fix, or a cracked block. Could be anything from your description.

If you disconnect the wire from the low coolant sensor, does the problem persist? if so, you have a wiring issue. Otherwise (and what is most likely) the coolant level sensor is sticking and ought to be replaced. Easy job and not much money. You can do it, or you can leave the wire disconnected and check the coolant level by eye occasionally.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Thanks, Nate. Probably half that mileage, all easy miles driven by a mature driver. If this is acceptable oil usage, it is a surprise to me. I've driven a half dozen GM cars, a Ford, a Chrysler(?),an over-used CJ-7 and a couple of Opals. None used any oil, except once when moving tons of books in the trunk of an Opal. The books were so heavy and the car so underpowered that on three or four trips the car used more oil than gasoline. Once the move was completed the Opal returned to normal oil consumption which was almost nil.

I'll give it a shot. Thanks again.

Reply to
starkraven

Yo Scott. No smoke, blue or otherwise. "Could be anything" is what scares me. So many of my "problems" don't show up on diagnostic; then legit mechanics will start repairing things until they find the one that works.

Hmmmmm. I'm afraid I'd have trouble finding the wire from the low coolant sensor. But the wire or the sensor is probably the problem. And a mechanic ought to be able to check that easily. Thanks.

Reply to
starkraven

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