I have a 2002 LeSabre with 123,000 miles on it and I am noticing that my coolant level has been going low so now I know what the problem is. Thanks for the info.
Hands down the best engine to have in a car 3800 engines are a beast. I drive mine like a grandma I take it easy on her. All these people out here be pounding there cars driving them like a bat out of hell and they don't last long. Most people on US roads don't drive their cars correctly all gas hate to hit the brakes.
Very informative. I have an 03 3.8l Impala, I swear, if I would have known all the issues this car had before I bought it, I probably wouldn't have. But I feel like I'm on a mission now, haha. Im so close to having it all figured out, I can't stop now. The fault codes on this car just went on and on. Now I only have this P0171, I can hear the air leak while it's running, the one area you mentioned by the throttle body is exactly where it's coming from. I just ordered the updated intake manifold and gasket kit, so hopefully this will fix it. I love this car, I refuse to sell it. I know it'll be a good car, it just never had anyone who took care of it.
this is exactly me w my car. dropped over 2200 on a heater core, rack n pinion, bearings, alternator etc and now i’m trying to figure out why my car is overheating😂you’re not alone tho even w everyone telling me to stop putting so much money in my car lmaoo i can only fix so much then it will be done!!
@@nolimitsaraxx6129 I'm glad I'm not the only one haha. I finally got it registered, I've been driving it to work for about 3 weeks now. So it's been doing good. But it's been a very frustrating journey haha.
My thoughts exactly, it has it's issues but this is a great engine, I live in a town with lots of hills so having the extra power makes for a smooth runabout
I had a 2000 grand prix GTP that had a po171 code for over a year... It started with the car after warm and it was idling in traffic, it would start lurching forward every now an again. I took the maf sensor off and tried cleaning it (didn't work). So I bought a new, expensive one. Went away, but it'd come back over and over again. Found out to buy a SPECIFIC Hitachi sensor. Don't buy one more expensive, don't buy one less expensive. Buy the Hitachi sensor. Make sure it is that exact one. Writing this to hopefully save someone else money. Yes that code can be a vacuum leak, but in my case it was a stupid sensor.
@@zzzhuh after I replaced the intake manifold, it did stop. But then I had the traction control light coming on. If I disconnected it from the module, put dielectric grease on the contact points, it would go away. But if I started the car, and put it in gear too quick, the light would come back on. So finicky! My neighbor was selling their Mustang, so I bought it. I ended up selling my Impala, I know I said I wouldn't, but I was tired of all the issues. And the Mustang is making me regret it at times haha. It has it's issues too.
I just bought a 2003 Buick Park Avenue, 118,000 miles, just replaced the upper and lowers, had a shop do it, no time to do this stuff myself right now. The total cost was right around $600 for that. I had more work done, car is running pretty darn good, but has a very slight miss, and I mean very slight, I can feel it in my foot in the gas pedal, talk about OCD. Going to check the ground at the coil packs, clean it up and see if it goes away. It has new plugs and wires, and I will check the coil packs to make sure they are within spec with an ohm meter. Maybe the crankshaft sensor too...
I had the same problem on my 3.8l 2007 Buick Lucerne. It had a slight misfire only when after it would crest a hill and it would kick out the cruise control. Very annoying. The mechanic replaced all spark plugs, all coil packs and the plate that the coil packs sit on. Didn't fix it. Do you think it could be the intake manifold gasket?
@@MyLifeThai371 If it is the original intake manifold, I would replace just to stay ahead of the coming failure. But, I do not think that is the issue. The mass airflow sensor could cause an issue like you describe, how old is that and has it ever been cleaned? There are also those transmission sensors, I think there are four, that would also be something I would look at. Or, it could be something as simple as the cruise control switch on the dashboard/stalk. I guess I mean to say, it could be a number of issues. I would head over to the Buick Forum, they have a very good website with a lot of info.
If you have a pcv valve, take it out and inspect it, clean it if good. Replace if bad. If parially clogged or clogged can result in oil leaks at the weakest seals 😊
Also I forgot to say that these engines date back to 1988 and these engines were not made to run Dexcool. These were originally designed for Ethylene Glycol Green antifreeze or use the universal green collent
Gm has been making 3800s for a long time, however the series 2 and 3 do run with dexcool, it was the original for the car. You can switch to green, but there is a downside. Running dexcool and NOT replacing it every 5 years or 150,000 miles will start to erode gaskets. However, running with the standard green stuff is known to make water pumps to go out faster if it's not replaced. Basically, you can run either. Just make sure you're changing it.
I would love to hear testimonials of green coolant users. I am going to run what the manual says. Replacing a gasket is better than replacing an engine.
GM hated the fact that these engines will run 300,000 mile easily. Could go on for 500,000 mile with proper care. The engineers at GM must of did something different that the big heads didn't know about these engines so when GM big heads learned of the longevity of the 3800 engine they started putting dexcool in them to kill the gaskets. Sad part is a lot of these cars with 3800 engines in them that are junked can still run if you know what you're doing. My prediction is that this engine is going to be the last one standing on the road and as time go on people are going to seek cars with these engines.
@@zzzhuh hmm. I wonder... if you can run either zerex g05 or even the hon-duhhhh blue coolant instead of dex-cool or green.. and see how long it goes?
I never had that problem with my 3800 v6. I service my coolant system from to time. U didn't mention if u been servicing ur car or just driving it. That's servicing ur cooling system from time to time is crucial. Theses service wrighters say oh no u ain't gt to service ur power steering system u might as well nt change ur engine oil
Sometimes you could just tighten the bolts on the upper intake and the lower intake and also the throttle body and there has been times where it stopped the leaks by just tightening up the bolts cuz they do come loose especially on these crappy roads that we have everywhere even in our area the roads suck loosens up everything
I just swapped a junkyard engine into my '05 Grand Prix. My wife was driving and one of those plastic bypass elbows blew, car overheated read bad screwed off the old engine. I may try just tightening the bolts because I want to get the car smogged here in Commiefornia and if there's any sight of smoke from exhaust or engine it fails.
Very good video. I now feel a bit relieved but also scared. I just bought a 2002 Buick Regal LS and I guess I didn't really look close enough, but sure enough when I looked it over closer I found a bunch of oil and coolant in those hidden areas I couldn't see without a flashlight. Hopefully It hasn't done anything too bad yet. Engine still runs like a dream and sounds good, nothing weird. Just hoping it's not too much to have it fixed. Other than that she's a beautiful car and It makes me feel like I have to fix it. Edit: 200k miles. Not sure how long it's been like this.
Mine gave me P0171 before it spit out low cat efficiency code. I put in new cat pipe and rear 02 sensor as it was saturated and dirty. Regal had 110k. The new cat pipe and sensor didn't fix my codes
Both if my p0171 codes on my 3800 series 2 were bad mass air flow sensor. I also threw a p0420 code last week and put on a new cat. The only way to diagnose your P0171 is to read fuel trims live data. Schrodinger box CZcams has a great tutorial on that.
You should pick up zzp plog front and rear maybe a 2.5 downpipe help her breathe a lil better. Im about to do this and probably grab some metal 90s and replace the oem plastic
My 98 leaves in shop right now. I tried doing mine 2017 when I bought it,craigslist.bad shape. Got new lower gaskets,upper and plenum. Tried 5 times ,couldn't get manifold stop leaking through bolts. 2 bottles of bars intake sealer worked. For 5 years. It did block up heater core, months ago had system flushed. I put green coolant in, when I attempted the gaskets. Found out the red coolant eats gaskets. About 6 days ago, over fill resivior got low. Took radiator cap off, it was low.refilled two times,it was taking coolant from radiator too overflow..thier putting new gaskets in,should be ready tomorrow.asked mechanic too use newer metal intake gaskets. Still have the old gaskets intrunk.
One of the thoughts on the LIM gaskets is that if the coolant isn't changed every 3-4 years, it will start eroding the gaskets. There were also some design issues with the aluminum intake manifold, and it getting too hot too easily. I've got one, I love it. But beware lol
@@edubb2491 probably. I think parts are 100 or less. Going labor where I live is 80 to 120 hour depending on the shop. Chilton says it will take 5.8 hours if I remember. Just under ,6. I took mine apart in less than 2 hours. But have electric impact gun and mechanical experience. It's not hard but you have to be careful and pay close attention.
@@edubb2491 my 1995 Oldsmobile 88 3800 Series II was recalled for the intake gaskets and it was done at the GM shop according to Carfax at 87,980 miles.
Will this cause a rough idle? My engine seems to run fine other than at idle. Even like 100 rpm above idle and i do mean 100 its smooth but idle is ruff and low. I have a the 4.3 blazer also that the egr clogs periodically and my 3.8 sounds exactly like that now when its idling. Cant find the problem. thanx for any help.
What about around valve cover gasket leaking coolant I just did the head gaskets but the leak now moved to seemingly just in the front of the engine by the valve cover
i just bought a 2004 buick lesabre custom with 200.000 miles on it runs real good paid 1200.00$ for it but its got a slow oil leak at the lower intake gasket . should i fix it or sale it ???
I have a 99 Lesabre with 55k miles there's oil around the intake and it's been sitting awhile I now notice white smoke from the tail pipe which clears up after it warms up.
White smoke, head gasket. Ouch! If it is a clean car, definitely worth fixing, will run you somewhere around $1200 to $1500 to have a shop do it, and that includes the upper and lower intake. Hopefully the heads are still good, they should be unless you drove it to a point of overheating.
Did you have any coolant smells from the engine. I replaced my upper twice and lower once and I'm still getting a coolant smell but can't see it anywhere and have a inconsistent rough idle. Thank you. I also texted the coolant for head gasket fumes and it came up negative. That as last summer though.
I’m working on a buddies 3800 and his Buick Park Ave it’s burning, coolant and leaking it between the intake and had I believe it’s the intake gaskets that are leaking
Pretty common. I’ve done 4 lower and upper intake gaskets on 4 different 3.8’s. Fel-pro or GM can’t remember who sells a revised metal lower intake gaskets instead of the plastic ones
@@BlazerGuy1983 so it’s more than likely a intake issue it’s burning coolant It has a rough idle and the reservoir is bubbling the second the engine starts up but there’s coolant between the intake and head The only thing I can come up with a Schooling getting past the intake ports and going down in the cylinder unless it has a blown head gasket
@@thecustomevobagger8083 I would do a combustion gas test on the coolant. If it is bubbling it sounds more like head gasket leak. I never had the coolant bubble with just intake gaskets. Just a loss of coolant into the engine oil. Harbor freight has one www.harborfreight.com/combustion-leak-detector-64814.html
@@BlazerGuy1983 I’ve already got the car apart and the plastic intake is still good no holes it does have some oil but not a lot I’m more than likely just gonna go ahead and replace the head gaskets
I just acquired a 2005 lacrosse with 54k miles. Great shape, but I noticed the coolant level dropping relatively fast. It has the aluminum intake . Wonder if coolant system sealer would be a temporary fix or would that contaminate the engine?? Wonder what this job would cost to do. Dealership
@@YOUZTUBE2000 I'm with you on this. Remember kids: stop leaks plug up all things you want plugged... and plug up things you DON'T want plugged (like heater core and wooder pump and radiator for a start)
OK, well it’s easy for everybody to sit here and say sealer is not the best idea but you know what a lot of people ain’t got over $1000 1500 $2500 to pay out of a pocket so therefore if a sealer will work temporarily then I will say what’s the issue if it gets your car up and run if it sells things temporarily, then therefore I say go with it But people ain’t got 1500 2500 or damn $3000 to even have that kind of work done and for somebody who don’t know how to fix on a car or removing that stuff I think getting a head gasket would be the best option for a temporary solution. I’m sorry just saying.
The effects are exactly that. Rough idle when the cars warm or won’t stay running unless you hold down the gas lol mine is having the same issue find the leak, than clean your MAF sensor.
What, the upper and/or lower intake manifolds and gaskets? TRQ has some bangers of videos on how to do these, I'm at least gonna tackle the upper IM however I'm on the fence with the Lower one. Edit: look up trq buick lesabre and you'll find em Guess I'll do the UIM and gaskets and coolant elbows and see how it goes. Either way when this is over I'm throwing in hon-duhhh blue coolant or green rather than dexcool. Hell I may use zerex g05 in its place
What are the Common symptoms when you have this problem. Mine works fine for a while but after about 20 miles after it has warmed up it starts to surge forward then reduces power and then shuts down and have to pull off to the side of the road. After it cools down a bit it starts back up, but after warmng back up it does the same process malfunction, surges forward, reduces power and shuts down.
I'm having similar problems with my '99 LeSabre. After it warms up it will die while idling, and it always starts back up. Once I get on the throttle it's better, but occasionally surges and gets a huge spike on the MAF reading. Lately I've been keeping the OBD scanner hooked up while I'm trying to find this gremlin. I've replaced the MAF twice, so not sure if I need to change it out again.
Informative and validating. 👍 As an owner of one of these lousy GM cars, all I gotta say is these engines suck. They lack power, sound like shit, get only mediocre fuel mileage and the fact that their cheap ass gaskets can't keep fluids separate makes them extremely unreliable. Early failure rate on these engines is very high.
Actually, no, Dolt. The reason you see so many driving around is because GM produced 25 million of them. So of course you're going to see them. A massive surplus of these cars, which were probably lackluster in build quality were sold to car rental companies. This inflated the sales numbers which enabled GM to invest even more into a more prevalent, aggressive, and (sadly) more effective advertising campaign thus further increasing sales number, which led to more advertising and so on. By the time the cat was out of the bag of bag that these engines sucked and as much donkey dick as your mom, GM was already putting them in just about everything except for the vehicles that were reliant on power, i.e., Corvette, Silverado, etc. These sale numbers are not indicative of exceptional, or even decent, quality. People will buy all sorts of lousy shit if they digest enough advertising or if they see enough people with the same thing. This is especially true when it comes to new cars with bright and shiny new paint. That said, MOST surviving 3.8l vehicles have had major gasket failures by now resulting in contaminated oil and almost certainly some degree of permanent engine damage i.e., bearings, rings, cam, lifters, etc. Thus the 3.8l vehicles you see driving around more than likely have a lot less power than the advertised 200hp (or 205hp) they supposedly came with originally, which isn't a lot to begin with for a vehicle that weighs as much as your mom. The 3.8's that HAVEN'T had catastrophic failures yet soon will. Junk yards and your mom are filled with these cars. So now you know, Dolt. "You needs to shut the fuck up when grown folks is talkin" Say hi to your mother for me. Tell her she better have my money and stop giving away all them free hand jobs. Toodles. 😁
@@AaronGoSoFast Nice rant, but people think they can beat on grand prixs and wreck them themselves as for people that know how to take care of their cars, they are lasting over 300k
Very possible it’s leaking from both. Common area to check for leaks is around the two coolant elbows. One is above the water pump going into the lower intake and the other elbow is under the alternator. Sometimes intake gaskets and water pumps can be miss diagnosed due to leaking coolant elbows. May not hurt to get a pressure check done on the cooling system.
I was just given one of these vehicles. It apparently ran fine a year ago and sat. All hell broke loose when I jumped it and it ran for a few minutes. The coolant leak contaminated the MAF which set off a P0102 code. Air filter was just soaked. The crankcase filled with raw fuel and coolant in a matter of minutes. It hydrolocked a block away and shut down. I pulled the spark plugs, removed the ignition coil plugin, pullled the fuel pump relay and cranked it over to get the coolant out of the cylinders. It was just a shit load of coolant that blew everywhere. Dumbass design there GM. ABS plastic intake and EGR don't mix. The engine cover doesn't help any either. I'll still fix this money pit because I know that the 3.8L can be a great engine.
Check your VIN yours might be under the GM recall I just took my 1995 Oldsmobile 88 recall o the 3800 Series II hey have to replace my valve cover gaskets and intake gaskets recall and lawsuit. I just relieved m recall on a 1995 Oldsmobile 88 Call your GM dealer and give them your VIN bad yours might be under the federal mandated recall hallway call firm 426/2007 and a second law went back all away from 11/2012
Mike A. I highly doubt it, my 02 lesabre had some kind of intake gasket recall paper work and they didn't even replace the gasket, all they did was just installed some kind of clamp or clip so it would make it past the warranty, And it ended up blowing around 95k anyways
Everything will come in the kit. Get the kit for upper and lower intake manifold gasket s. You will need a torque wrench also . You can rent them at certain auto parts store but be careful they might be wrong. I suggest butitng a cheap one
Man bro I got a damn Pontiac dat won’t start or nothing I done watch all your videos I done bought a new starter and all da extra it jus won’t start I jus don’t understand dese damn cars
Update 74,000 xar wont turn over..not sure if its the starter..or engine seize due too.. puddles of oil mixed with my red coolant in the groves of the top of the engine...also pulled dipstick and it looks like tranny fluid!😭 its happend! Was quoted 800$!
Why wasn't there a recall on these or some kind of class action lawsuit? It happens to 90%+ of them... if not 100%. I hate GM. I only have this car because it was left to me by my grandmother when she passed. If only I could have talked her into getting a Crown Vic or some other Ford/Lincoln car. GM didn't deserve the bailout. Neither did Dodge. Ford didn't even take the bailout.
Unfortunately crown vics (and similar) also had intake manifold issues, but in a different way. Heater connection would break and cause a #4 and #8 misfire (and believe it or not dodge minivans have this same flaw) And there's also the plastic coolant passage rather than aluminum
@@adventureoflinkmk2 Oh yeah, I forgot about the plastic coolant passage. Trying to remember if I ever had to deal with one of those when they were in the family. Yeah... I remember now. I blew one on my brother's 1999 Mustang GT. It just... blew. While I was driving, coolant spraying everywhere. Luckily I was close to home. It was a cold morning and I made it about 5 miles/8-10 minutes away and BOOF. I can't remember but I'm fairly certain I am the one that also replaced that. Whereas I do not trust myself to change the intake/head gasket on this 3800 II, though. I had a 1994 Thunderbird with the 4.6 HO. "HO" lol. Not very "high output", but yeah, that engine. It never gave me any issues except for a bad MAF and torque converter shudder. New transmission fluid and a new MAF and I rode that thing until I topped a hill and piledrove the side of a 90's Chevy 1500 truck. It should only be fair to say that, yeah, no matter what brand, there are faults in certain year ranges of certain models of everything. I know those early Ford 3.8 V6's (like in the super ugly Ford Taurus) were supposed to eat head gaskets, too. Just been aggravated about this car. Can't tell if I have a blown intake/head gasket causing vacuum issues or if vacuum issues are causing my problems. Can't find anything externally under the hood. But I've also had some weird EVAP issues going on.. and again, is it the actual EVAP system? Or is it a blown gasket? Car feels like a ticking time bomb. Again, really, don't get me wrong, when it was good, it was GOOD. And I still do get good mileage out of it. I just replaced the plugs a couple of weeks ago with some iridium plugs and she's running great... short of a high idle from a messed up vacuum leak somewhere. I believe with that issue out of the way, the 3800 series II is quite a bullet proof engine. 205 horse/220 torque (or 225, whichever), 6k RPM redline, "big" V6 for the time with a relatively low output. An all around "flat" engine that, before my current issues, I know would drive across the country and back without any issues. And once that's fixed, it'll be back to that state. I just have not felt like messing with it. And I hate to bring it somewhere. I've always done all the work on my own cars and for family vehicles... so knowing how much labor costs at a garage for something I MOST LIKELY can fix, myself, is just a double whammy for me. Then there's the option of selling it.. but it's worth nothing that I could put back into something else that would be better. 126k miles. "runs great" lol.
You're on crack if you think the 3800 isn't a good engine. The Northstar however is a giant piece of shit they never really fixed throughout it's life cycle.
I have had a valve cover gasket set replaced on my 2002 Buick LeSabre. It has over 214,000 miles on it.
I have a 2002 LeSabre with 123,000 miles on it and I am noticing that my coolant level has been going low so now I know what the problem is. Thanks for the info.
Hands down the best engine to have in a car 3800 engines are a beast. I drive mine like a grandma I take it easy on her. All these people out here be pounding there cars driving them like a bat out of hell and they don't last long. Most people on US roads don't drive their cars correctly all gas hate to hit the brakes.
I'm at 389k miles on my grand Prix, original engine and transmission
@@secretchipmunk7I am at 240,000 miles Chevy Sonic 1.8l. it is like a lawn mower lol😅😅😅
@@bobdelabourer1307 that's impressive but a 1.8 liter?
Smart people coast instead of brake. 😂😂😂
I’m at 65k miles on my 1995 Oldsmobile 88
Very informative. I have an 03 3.8l Impala, I swear, if I would have known all the issues this car had before I bought it, I probably wouldn't have. But I feel like I'm on a mission now, haha. Im so close to having it all figured out, I can't stop now. The fault codes on this car just went on and on. Now I only have this P0171, I can hear the air leak while it's running, the one area you mentioned by the throttle body is exactly where it's coming from. I just ordered the updated intake manifold and gasket kit, so hopefully this will fix it. I love this car, I refuse to sell it. I know it'll be a good car, it just never had anyone who took care of it.
this is exactly me w my car. dropped over 2200 on a heater core, rack n pinion, bearings, alternator etc and now i’m trying to figure out why my car is overheating😂you’re not alone tho even w everyone telling me to stop putting so much money in my car lmaoo i can only fix so much then it will be done!!
@@nolimitsaraxx6129 I'm glad I'm not the only one haha. I finally got it registered, I've been driving it to work for about 3 weeks now. So it's been doing good. But it's been a very frustrating journey haha.
My thoughts exactly, it has it's issues but this is a great engine, I live in a town with lots of hills so having the extra power makes for a smooth runabout
I had a 2000 grand prix GTP that had a po171 code for over a year...
It started with the car after warm and it was idling in traffic, it would start lurching forward every now an again. I took the maf sensor off and tried cleaning it (didn't work). So I bought a new, expensive one.
Went away, but it'd come back over and over again.
Found out to buy a SPECIFIC Hitachi sensor. Don't buy one more expensive, don't buy one less expensive. Buy the Hitachi sensor. Make sure it is that exact one.
Writing this to hopefully save someone else money. Yes that code can be a vacuum leak, but in my case it was a stupid sensor.
@@zzzhuh after I replaced the intake manifold, it did stop. But then I had the traction control light coming on. If I disconnected it from the module, put dielectric grease on the contact points, it would go away. But if I started the car, and put it in gear too quick, the light would come back on. So finicky! My neighbor was selling their Mustang, so I bought it. I ended up selling my Impala, I know I said I wouldn't, but I was tired of all the issues. And the Mustang is making me regret it at times haha. It has it's issues too.
This summer I just had my upper and lower intake gasket replace before anything got bad that's how much I take care of my 1998 Buick Riviera
How much was it?
@@andrewmcleod2301 350
@@curtisstones9628 good price
Ware did you go?
Thank you thank you, I've looked at so many videos and this one is the only one that is explanes my exact problem
My 2000 Monte SS has all these leaks. The valve covers were done by the dealer. Great vjdeo!
I just bought a 2003 Buick Park Avenue, 118,000 miles, just replaced the upper and lowers, had a shop do it, no time to do this stuff myself right now. The total cost was right around $600 for that. I had more work done, car is running pretty darn good, but has a very slight miss, and I mean very slight, I can feel it in my foot in the gas pedal, talk about OCD. Going to check the ground at the coil packs, clean it up and see if it goes away. It has new plugs and wires, and I will check the coil packs to make sure they are within spec with an ohm meter. Maybe the crankshaft sensor too...
Kind of late, but don't forget cam sensor
I had the same problem on my 3.8l 2007 Buick Lucerne. It had a slight misfire only when after it would crest a hill and it would kick out the cruise control. Very annoying. The mechanic replaced all spark plugs, all coil packs and the plate that the coil packs sit on. Didn't fix it. Do you think it could be the intake manifold gasket?
@@MyLifeThai371 If it is the original intake manifold, I would replace just to stay ahead of the coming failure. But, I do not think that is the issue. The mass airflow sensor could cause an issue like you describe, how old is that and has it ever been cleaned? There are also those transmission sensors, I think there are four, that would also be something I would look at. Or, it could be something as simple as the cruise control switch on the dashboard/stalk. I guess I mean to say, it could be a number of issues. I would head over to the Buick Forum, they have a very good website with a lot of info.
If you have a pcv valve, take it out and inspect it, clean it if good. Replace if bad. If parially clogged or clogged can result in oil leaks at the weakest seals 😊
Also I forgot to say that these engines date back to 1988 and these engines were not made to run Dexcool. These were originally designed for Ethylene Glycol Green antifreeze or use the universal green collent
Gm has been making 3800s for a long time, however the series 2 and 3 do run with dexcool, it was the original for the car. You can switch to green, but there is a downside.
Running dexcool and NOT replacing it every 5 years or 150,000 miles will start to erode gaskets.
However, running with the standard green stuff is known to make water pumps to go out faster if it's not replaced.
Basically, you can run either. Just make sure you're changing it.
I would love to hear testimonials of green coolant users. I am going to run what the manual says. Replacing a gasket is better than replacing an engine.
GM hated the fact that these engines will run 300,000 mile easily. Could go on for 500,000 mile with proper care. The engineers at GM must of did something different that the big heads didn't know about these engines so when GM big heads learned of the longevity of the 3800 engine they started putting dexcool in them to kill the gaskets. Sad part is a lot of these cars with 3800 engines in them that are junked can still run if you know what you're doing. My prediction is that this engine is going to be the last one standing on the road and as time go on people are going to seek cars with these engines.
@@thomasdion3104 nah, the electric shit is coming. We're all doomed.😱
@@zzzhuh hmm. I wonder... if you can run either zerex g05 or even the hon-duhhhh blue coolant instead of dex-cool or green.. and see how long it goes?
thanks for the info. My 2001 Buick Regal has the same issue. Time to get it fixed!
I never had that problem with my 3800 v6. I service my coolant system from to time. U didn't mention if u been servicing ur car or just driving it. That's servicing ur cooling system from time to time is crucial. Theses service wrighters say oh no u ain't gt to service ur power steering system u might as well nt change ur engine oil
Dexcool and not changing the coolant is the bane of GM engines.
Sometimes you could just tighten the bolts on the upper intake and the lower intake and also the throttle body and there has been times where it stopped the leaks by just tightening up the bolts cuz they do come loose especially on these crappy roads that we have everywhere even in our area the roads suck loosens up everything
I just swapped a junkyard engine into my '05 Grand Prix. My wife was driving and one of those plastic bypass elbows blew, car overheated read bad screwed off the old engine. I may try just tightening the bolts because I want to get the car smogged here in Commiefornia and if there's any sight of smoke from exhaust or engine it fails.
Very good video. I now feel a bit relieved but also scared. I just bought a 2002 Buick Regal LS and I guess I didn't really look close enough, but sure enough when I looked it over closer I found a bunch of oil and coolant in those hidden areas I couldn't see without a flashlight. Hopefully It hasn't done anything too bad yet. Engine still runs like a dream and sounds good, nothing weird. Just hoping it's not too much to have it fixed. Other than that she's a beautiful car and It makes me feel like I have to fix it.
Edit: 200k miles. Not sure how long it's been like this.
I have a 02 regal LS too and it looks like that I’ve had it for 3 years with no problems
Mine gave me P0171 before it spit out low cat efficiency code. I put in new cat pipe and rear 02 sensor as it was saturated and dirty. Regal had 110k. The new cat pipe and sensor didn't fix my codes
Both if my p0171 codes on my 3800 series 2 were bad mass air flow sensor. I also threw a p0420 code last week and put on a new cat. The only way to diagnose your P0171 is to read fuel trims live data. Schrodinger box CZcams has a great tutorial on that.
You should pick up zzp plog front and rear maybe a 2.5 downpipe help her breathe a lil better. Im about to do this and probably grab some metal 90s and replace the oem plastic
Did it work out?
Plastic intake gaskets crack from age,ZZ performance gaskets,the cure
My 98 leaves in shop right now. I tried doing mine 2017 when I bought it,craigslist.bad shape. Got new lower gaskets,upper and plenum. Tried 5 times ,couldn't get manifold stop leaking through bolts. 2 bottles of bars intake sealer worked. For 5 years. It did block up heater core, months ago had system flushed. I put green coolant in, when I attempted the gaskets. Found out the red coolant eats gaskets. About 6 days ago, over fill resivior got low. Took radiator cap off, it was low.refilled two times,it was taking coolant from radiator too overflow..thier putting new gaskets in,should be ready tomorrow.asked mechanic too use newer metal intake gaskets. Still have the old gaskets intrunk.
Im thinking about getting a very low mile garage kept monte carlo with the 3800, can the gaskets go bad from sitting for too long?
wondering the same thing. bought an 02 impala with 70k miles that sat and it won’t hold oil, wondering what’s up with that
Yes, they will go brittle and crack without a heat cycle from the engine every now and then
One of the thoughts on the LIM gaskets is that if the coolant isn't changed every 3-4 years, it will start eroding the gaskets. There were also some design issues with the aluminum intake manifold, and it getting too hot too easily.
I've got one, I love it. But beware lol
If it's original and still using dex-cool, then it's leaking.
I’m gonna replace the intake gaskets on mine with 152k. Do you recommend changing the head gasket as well since I’m gonna be tearing it apart?
No. Perhaps valve cover gaskets, and the plastic "coolant 90 degree passes" from the factory in which they're famous for giving out!
I replaced head gaskets and everything when I did mine
Great video.
...ty..How much estimate to fix? I got puddles of oil in those same spots..and loosing oil as well
Book time is almost 6 hours for labor
@@corysturgis6660 man! So about 700 hundo with parts?
@@edubb2491 probably. I think parts are 100 or less. Going labor where I live is 80 to 120 hour depending on the shop. Chilton says it will take 5.8 hours if I remember. Just under ,6. I took mine apart in less than 2 hours. But have electric impact gun and mechanical experience. It's not hard but you have to be careful and pay close attention.
@@corysturgis6660 wow..2 hrs..and shop say 6? Wtf😂 ty
@@edubb2491 that was only removal. There's a bunch of cleaning and assembling parts and gaskets
Did you know that GM had a recall on the intake gaskets and valve cover gaskets
Jus valve cover..no intake
@@edubb2491 my 1995 Oldsmobile 88 3800 Series II was recalled for the intake gaskets and it was done at the GM shop according to Carfax at 87,980 miles.
Will this cause a rough idle? My engine seems to run fine other than at idle. Even like 100 rpm above idle and i do mean 100 its smooth but idle is ruff and low. I have a the 4.3 blazer also that the egr clogs periodically and my 3.8 sounds exactly like that now when its idling. Cant find the problem. thanx for any help.
mine idles fine until I hit the gas it'll die.. new one for me
@@andybobandy675 may be a fuel pressure solenoid. Check out a vid on that.
Any vacuum leak from any bad gasket will cause rough idle.
What about around valve cover gasket leaking coolant I just did the head gaskets but the leak now moved to seemingly just in the front of the engine by the valve cover
Great job
They will last forever leaking externally. Mine been oily for past 75k/ 12 years with no problems. 215k no problem.
i just bought a 2004 buick lesabre custom with 200.000 miles on it runs real good paid 1200.00$ for it but its got a slow oil leak at the lower intake gasket . should i fix it or sale it ???
leak affects nothing. unless its dripping on the ground its no problem.
I'd say you got a good deal.
Fix it yourself: buy new intake(lower and upper) gaskets, valve cover gaskets, coolant elbows, and spark plugs. You’ll be pretty happy afterwards
Fix it ..
I have that issue now slow leaks on the ground about how much will
It cost to replace
I have completed this repair but now I have a water leak thru the throttle body. What needs repair?
Throttle body gasket and torque to spec
I have a 99 Lesabre with 55k miles there's oil around the intake and it's been sitting awhile I now notice white smoke from the tail pipe which clears up after it warms up.
White smoke, head gasket. Ouch! If it is a clean car, definitely worth fixing, will run you somewhere around $1200 to $1500 to have a shop do it, and that includes the upper and lower intake. Hopefully the heads are still good, they should be unless you drove it to a point of overheating.
Could just have been the lower intake manifold...
Did you have any coolant smells from the engine. I replaced my upper twice and lower once and I'm still getting a coolant smell but can't see it anywhere and have a inconsistent rough idle. Thank you. I also texted the coolant for head gasket fumes and it came up negative. That as last summer though.
camel to
Your intake manifolds might be warped. My 96 L82 3.1L is doing the rough idle, a bit of coolant consumption and oil in the coolant.
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Óńé Símplé Test ì Dhidd ¡¡¡¡¡ 👍👍👍👳
Did thé Coolant Réplý to Yoré Text messagés. ¿¿¿¿
@@TheZProtocol
Note: Best way to test for a warped valve cover is to rest it against a pane of glass.
I’m working on a buddies 3800 and his Buick Park Ave it’s burning, coolant and leaking it between the intake and had I believe it’s the intake gaskets that are leaking
Pretty common. I’ve done 4 lower and upper intake gaskets on 4 different 3.8’s. Fel-pro or GM can’t remember who sells a revised metal lower intake gaskets instead of the plastic ones
@@BlazerGuy1983 so it’s more than likely a intake issue it’s burning coolant It has a rough idle and the reservoir is bubbling the second the engine starts up but there’s coolant between the intake and head The only thing I can come up with a Schooling getting past the intake ports and going down in the cylinder unless it has a blown head gasket
@@thecustomevobagger8083 I would do a combustion gas test on the coolant. If it is bubbling it sounds more like head gasket leak. I never had the coolant bubble with just intake gaskets. Just a loss of coolant into the engine oil. Harbor freight has one www.harborfreight.com/combustion-leak-detector-64814.html
@@BlazerGuy1983 I’ve already got the car apart and the plastic intake is still good no holes it does have some oil but not a lot I’m more than likely just gonna go ahead and replace the head gaskets
Change the resivour cover cap! 13 bucks and somthimes when coolant disappears thats it! 😉👍🏻
We're can you buy that valve cover lip keep oil off pipes?
I just acquired a 2005 lacrosse with 54k miles. Great shape, but I noticed the coolant level dropping relatively fast. It has the aluminum intake . Wonder if coolant system sealer would be a temporary fix or would that contaminate the engine?? Wonder what this job would cost to do. Dealership
Ahh, no expert here, but I’m very sure you don’t want ANY “coolant sealer/stop leak” even near your car. Just sayin’- anyone agree?
Kind of late for this, but lower intake manifold is bad.
@@YOUZTUBE2000 I'm with you on this. Remember kids: stop leaks plug up all things you want plugged... and plug up things you DON'T want plugged (like heater core and wooder pump and radiator for a start)
OK, well it’s easy for everybody to sit here and say sealer is not the best idea but you know what a lot of people ain’t got over $1000 1500 $2500 to pay out of a pocket so therefore if a sealer will work temporarily then I will say what’s the issue if it gets your car up and run if it sells things temporarily, then therefore I say go with it But people ain’t got 1500 2500 or damn $3000 to even have that kind of work done and for somebody who don’t know how to fix on a car or removing that stuff I think getting a head gasket would be the best option for a temporary solution. I’m sorry just saying.
What's the effect of vacuum manifold leaking on performance mine is cutting out at random sometimes dieing at idle.
The effects are exactly that. Rough idle when the cars warm or won’t stay running unless you hold down the gas lol mine is having the same issue find the leak, than clean your MAF sensor.
Try to tighten those Plenum bolts a little. Just a little and dry the oil up. See what happens.
thank you
What years are each series?
Did you make a how to video on changing it out?
What, the upper and/or lower intake manifolds and gaskets? TRQ has some bangers of videos on how to do these, I'm at least gonna tackle the upper IM however I'm on the fence with the Lower one. Edit: look up trq buick lesabre and you'll find em
Guess I'll do the UIM and gaskets and coolant elbows and see how it goes. Either way when this is over I'm throwing in hon-duhhh blue coolant or green rather than dexcool. Hell I may use zerex g05 in its place
Another common problem is the thermostat housing will crack and leak as well
Tightened unevenly?
@@Watchout1010
Warped housing surface would be my first guess.
Aluminium housing,pressure tightening one side and then the other is the cause- snug down back and forth..got one in the driveway
What fell to gaskets used? Thank you
Felpro 98014t
What are the Common symptoms when you have this problem. Mine works fine for a while but after about 20 miles after it has warmed up it starts to surge forward then reduces power and then shuts down and have to pull off to the side of the road. After it cools down a bit it starts back up, but after warmng back up it does the same process malfunction, surges forward, reduces power and shuts down.
I'm having similar problems with my '99 LeSabre. After it warms up it will die while idling, and it always starts back up. Once I get on the throttle it's better, but occasionally surges and gets a huge spike on the MAF reading. Lately I've been keeping the OBD scanner hooked up while I'm trying to find this gremlin. I've replaced the MAF twice, so not sure if I need to change it out again.
Sounds like a vacuum leak probably causing a dirty mass airflow sensor. Mine has the same exact issue.
Informative and validating. 👍 As an owner of one of these lousy GM cars, all I gotta say is these engines suck. They lack power, sound like shit, get only mediocre fuel mileage and the fact that their cheap ass gaskets can't keep fluids separate makes them extremely unreliable. Early failure rate on these engines is very high.
That's why there's so many of them still driving Around??? Please shut up
Actually, no, Dolt. The reason you see so many driving around is because GM produced 25 million of them. So of course you're going to see them. A massive surplus of these cars, which were probably lackluster in build quality were sold to car rental companies. This inflated the sales numbers which enabled GM to invest even more into a more prevalent, aggressive, and (sadly) more effective advertising campaign thus further increasing sales number, which led to more advertising and so on. By the time the cat was out of the bag of bag that these engines sucked and as much donkey dick as your mom, GM was already putting them in just about everything except for the vehicles that were reliant on power, i.e., Corvette, Silverado, etc. These sale numbers are not indicative of exceptional, or even decent, quality. People will buy all sorts of lousy shit if they digest enough advertising or if they see enough people with the same thing. This is especially true when it comes to new cars with bright and shiny new paint. That said, MOST surviving 3.8l vehicles have had major gasket failures by now resulting in contaminated oil and almost certainly some degree of permanent engine damage i.e., bearings, rings, cam, lifters, etc. Thus the 3.8l vehicles you see driving around more than likely have a lot less power than the advertised 200hp (or 205hp) they supposedly came with originally, which isn't a lot to begin with for a vehicle that weighs as much as your mom. The 3.8's that HAVEN'T had catastrophic failures yet soon will. Junk yards and your mom are filled with these cars. So now you know, Dolt. "You needs to shut the fuck up when grown folks is talkin" Say hi to your mother for me. Tell her she better have my money and stop giving away all them free hand jobs. Toodles. 😁
@@AaronGoSoFast
Sez the lazy eff who refuses to do basic maintenance and repair upgrades on a 3800. FAIL!
@@AaronGoSoFast Nice rant, but people think they can beat on grand prixs and wreck them themselves as for people that know how to take care of their cars, they are lasting over 300k
Will it cause the engine to smoke ?
Steam yes, smoke no.
My oil leaking on intake
so basically if your not lookign coolant or dont see any coolant leaks then you good.. GOT IT! then mine are good! :)
Listen son,, I have 134,000 on my Pontiac Bonneville. If it ran any smoother, I'll lay on a sticky track !
Nitro Joe.
Yeah mines caked in oil above the water pump.
And in front of engine
thats why 3.8 series 3 is the best just change the plastic albows
My 05 LeSabre is leaving by water pump mechanic says it's lower intake manifold gasket another says it's water pump ?
Very possible it’s leaking from both. Common area to check for leaks is around the two coolant elbows. One is above the water pump going into the lower intake and the other elbow is under the alternator. Sometimes intake gaskets and water pumps can be miss diagnosed due to leaking coolant elbows. May not hurt to get a pressure check done on the cooling system.
mine gets small puddles.
In the valleys of the engine..yep..me too!
@@edubb2491 hi i talk to 4 diffrent mechanics they all want between 700 to 1000 $ to fix
@@thisguy4490 ty!!
@@edubb2491 np im gonna do mine myself should be about 150$ for the parts.
ZZ performance gaskets-aluminium,the fix
I was just given one of these vehicles. It apparently ran fine a year ago and sat. All hell broke loose when I jumped it and it ran for a few minutes.
The coolant leak contaminated the MAF which set off a P0102 code. Air filter was just soaked. The crankcase filled with raw fuel and coolant in a matter of minutes. It hydrolocked a block away and shut down.
I pulled the spark plugs, removed the ignition coil plugin, pullled the fuel pump relay and cranked it over to get the coolant out of the cylinders. It was just a shit load of coolant that blew everywhere.
Dumbass design there GM. ABS plastic intake and EGR don't mix. The engine cover doesn't help any either. I'll still fix this money pit because I know that the 3.8L can be a great engine.
Tryna buy a 98/99 Monte for 1500 but he says it’s leaking because of a water pumps and says he has the part In the trunk thoughts anyone?
I'd see about getting a pressure test done to rule out (or in?) the water pump
Check your VIN yours might be under the GM recall I just took my 1995 Oldsmobile 88 recall o the 3800 Series II hey have to replace my valve cover gaskets and intake gaskets recall and lawsuit. I just relieved m recall on a 1995 Oldsmobile 88 Call your GM dealer and give them your VIN bad yours might be under the federal mandated recall hallway call firm 426/2007 and a second law went back all away from 11/2012
Just for asking if my car does fall under the recall do they fix it for free
Seems like my compression is off cause not running tip top shape I think that has something to do with my gaskets or valves
Mike A. I highly doubt it, my 02 lesabre had some kind of intake gasket recall paper work and they didn't even replace the gasket, all they did was just installed some kind of clamp or clip so it would make it past the warranty, And it ended up blowing around 95k anyways
HOW much would this job cost in a shop?
Few hundred dollars
250 to 300
Where's the parts list?
Everything will come in the kit. Get the kit for upper and lower intake manifold gasket s. You will need a torque wrench also . You can rent them at certain auto parts store but be careful they might be wrong. I suggest butitng a cheap one
Man bro I got a damn Pontiac dat won’t start or nothing I done watch all your videos I done bought a new starter and all da extra it jus won’t start I jus don’t understand dese damn cars
Update 74,000 xar wont turn over..not sure if its the starter..or engine seize due too.. puddles of oil mixed with my red coolant in the groves of the top of the engine...also pulled dipstick and it looks like tranny fluid!😭 its happend! Was quoted 800$!
That was fall to sorry
Correction: It's not a 3.8L engine but rather a 3800 -two different engines. Now you know.
Why wasn't there a recall on these or some kind of class action lawsuit? It happens to 90%+ of them... if not 100%.
I hate GM. I only have this car because it was left to me by my grandmother when she passed.
If only I could have talked her into getting a Crown Vic or some other Ford/Lincoln car.
GM didn't deserve the bailout. Neither did Dodge. Ford didn't even take the bailout.
Unfortunately crown vics (and similar) also had intake manifold issues, but in a different way. Heater connection would break and cause a #4 and #8 misfire (and believe it or not dodge minivans have this same flaw)
And there's also the plastic coolant passage rather than aluminum
@@adventureoflinkmk2 Oh yeah, I forgot about the plastic coolant passage. Trying to remember if I ever had to deal with one of those when they were in the family.
Yeah... I remember now. I blew one on my brother's 1999 Mustang GT. It just... blew. While I was driving, coolant spraying everywhere. Luckily I was close to home. It was a cold morning and I made it about 5 miles/8-10 minutes away and BOOF. I can't remember but I'm fairly certain I am the one that also replaced that.
Whereas I do not trust myself to change the intake/head gasket on this 3800 II, though.
I had a 1994 Thunderbird with the 4.6 HO. "HO" lol. Not very "high output", but yeah, that engine. It never gave me any issues except for a bad MAF and torque converter shudder. New transmission fluid and a new MAF and I rode that thing until I topped a hill and piledrove the side of a 90's Chevy 1500 truck.
It should only be fair to say that, yeah, no matter what brand, there are faults in certain year ranges of certain models of everything. I know those early Ford 3.8 V6's (like in the super ugly Ford Taurus) were supposed to eat head gaskets, too.
Just been aggravated about this car. Can't tell if I have a blown intake/head gasket causing vacuum issues or if vacuum issues are causing my problems. Can't find anything externally under the hood. But I've also had some weird EVAP issues going on.. and again, is it the actual EVAP system? Or is it a blown gasket?
Car feels like a ticking time bomb. Again, really, don't get me wrong, when it was good, it was GOOD. And I still do get good mileage out of it. I just replaced the plugs a couple of weeks ago with some iridium plugs and she's running great... short of a high idle from a messed up vacuum leak somewhere.
I believe with that issue out of the way, the 3800 series II is quite a bullet proof engine. 205 horse/220 torque (or 225, whichever), 6k RPM redline, "big" V6 for the time with a relatively low output. An all around "flat" engine that, before my current issues, I know would drive across the country and back without any issues.
And once that's fixed, it'll be back to that state. I just have not felt like messing with it. And I hate to bring it somewhere. I've always done all the work on my own cars and for family vehicles... so knowing how much labor costs at a garage for something I MOST LIKELY can fix, myself, is just a double whammy for me.
Then there's the option of selling it.. but it's worth nothing that I could put back into something else that would be better. 126k miles. "runs great" lol.
Had a 2001 Park Ave with 7700 miles. Stay away from these 3800 Monte Carlos, Park Ave, LeSabre, Grand Prix, same with North Star engines stay away.
I've seen grand prixs at 300k miles with minimum maintenance
You're on crack if you think the 3800 isn't a good engine. The Northstar however is a giant piece of shit they never really fixed throughout it's life cycle.
Why therea no reason. There the easiest cars to change ethe intakes on
@Lootin Lenny
You must be too lazy to learn how to do this easy repair.
@@johna.4334 Thanks for falling for my bait 😂