Buick - Century :: 1997 - Overheating / Low Coolant Light Flashed On Dashboard
May 5, 2011
I have a '97 Buick Century. I noticed the smell of coolant, and the "Low Coolant" light flashed on the dashboard. However, according to the temp gauge on the dashboard, the car was at normal temperature. I pulled over and opened the hood. The coolant in the overflow tank (not the radiator) was boiling, and sputtering out.
I took the vehicle to a nearby shop, where they said it needed a new "Coolant Level Switch." They told me they put a new one in and did a coolant flush, and sent me on my way.
About a mile down the road, the "Low Coolant Light" came on again. I pulled over and found that there was ZERO coolant in the engine. I filled it myself, and continued driving. Over the next few days, I checked the coolant every day and it stayed normal. I drove a bit, but never more than a few minutes, so the car didn't have a chance to overheat.
Then, today, I drove it a good distance for the first time since the original incident. After a few minutes of driving, I smelled coolant and pulled over. The coolant in the overflow tank was once again boiling and bubbling out. What it might be?
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I have a 98 Buick Century, with about 250k miles on it. Recently when I first start the car and drive a few miles the temperature gauge keeps rising until it is in the red zone and a warning light comes on. When I pull of to the side of the road after a bit it begins to slowly drop and I can begin to drive again. The gauge will then normally stay a bit above halfway for the remainder of the trip, the gauge has sometimes done a bit of jumping around between 3/4 and half sometimes though. The only work that I have had done on it recently is to have some work done on the ac system.
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Replaced sensor, light stays on.Removed sensor, grounded the probe, light goes out.Replaced antifreeze, bled system twice, no air or oil.Getting desperate. Removed and cleaned battery to body ground strap.Removed and cleaned battery to engine ground strap.Today found out there is no error code in the OBC but the light is still!
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My 03 Buick century is overheating. I changed the thermostat and the water pump. And still overheats as soon As I start driving. I am also getting when it is overheating some misfiring in cylindar 1. I am going to reflush and bleed the coolant even though it seems to be full . i dont think it is disappearing. Is it Possible i have a blown headgasket or intake manifold leak?
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I am having a very tricky problem with my Buick.
For approximately the last 4 months, it has been (at least according to the heat gauge on the dash) running pretty hot. Not overheating, but getting close. And it doesn't take long for it to get there. This all seems to have begun right around the time that my father and I flushed the coolant system.
Since then, I have replaced some parts, and learned a few things in the process.
I learned that there are bleeder screws which can be opened to let air bubbles out. And I have heard that the 3.1L is especially susceptible to them.
New parts which I have installed:
- thermostat
- coolant temperature sensor
- radiator cap
- upper radiator hose
- lower radiator hose
I have checked the water pump and it seems to be perfectly fine. No leaks. No signs of bad bearings. And it circulates coolant just fine. I have not been witness to either cooling fan, primary or auxiliary, switching on in a while.
The exact symptoms are these:
The heat gauge does not take long to get to mid-way point, but will sit at that point for a bit if the vehicle remains stationary. Once the vehicle is in significant motion, the heat gauge will climb fairly quickly, especially with moderately high RPMs. It WON'T touch the red though, but will get very very close to it. The car runs fine. It does seem to be a bit underpowered, but I am comparing it to my fiance's 1996 Olds Cutlass Ciera, which I believe has a different transmission. My Buick does not seem to have lost power since this problem arose. The cooling fans no longer kick on. The oil appears fine. The coolant as well. With the radiator cap off, coolant does not bubble out or shoot out.
I made sure after changing upper and lower hoses to fill the radiator, let the car run long enough for the thermostat to open, and then slowly poured more coolant into the radiator until it was full again. And the reservoir is at proper level and the the reservoir hose s not clogged.
I am not SURE, but I don't believe the radiator is clogged. I believe that covers it, at least as well as I can.
BTW, I do not know where the fan relays are, otherwise I would test the fans to see if they still work.
What the heck is up with my Buick? Also, it has 97,xxx miles on it, and the transmission fluid is at proper level and looks normal.
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My car is a 1992 Buick Century with a 3.3 liter V6. My tail lights, parking lights and dashboard lights are out. I checked the fuse in the fuse panel and it's good. The light switch is good, I confirmed it by inserting a voltmeter in the empty fuse socket and turning the switch on and off. The wiring diagrams in my manual are not useful. The diagrams don't include the lighting circuits. Is there another hidden fuse someplace? Could it be a bad relay? If so, where the lamp relays are located?
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My wife has a 2000 Buick Century with about 150,000 miles on it. It has been relatively trouble free. Recently, the "low coolant" light began to come on.She took the car into a garage where she was told there was oil in the coolant and the sensor had been compromised. The cooling system was flushed and cleaned and a new sensor installed. The "low coolant" light continued to come on. She took the car back in. She was told the wrong sensor had been installed. When she went back for the car the second time, she was told the oil in the coolant was preventing the new sensor from working and there was nothing more the garage could do. I went in and asked questions, primarily how serious was the condition, and couldn't get a straight answer.
We are due to drive to Florida in November. My wife would like to take it to a garage there. Is it save to drive it as is? What are the implications of oil mixing with coolant? What is causing it to happen?
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-We have a 99 Buick with 38,000 miles. At 30,000 miles the car overheated and we had to find a mechanic in unfamiliar area. He told us car was unsafe to drive unless we had new radiator system installed (water pump, radiator flush, pressure test, radiator system flush, radiator kit (premium), anti-freeze - 2 gallons, lower and upper radiator hoses) at a cost of almost $1200.
FYI the car is in Florida full time - under cover.
Recently the "low coolant" signal has come on and after checking with a local mechanic, he said the manifold gasket was leaking and it could be fixed for about $600. We are reluctant to spend that money unless we can feel somewhat certain that the main problem is solved. We understand that at some point there was a class action suit against GM because of problems with Dex-Cool which is the required coolant for GM cars. In the meantime, we have been adding plain water to the reserve tank but are very concerned that this may cause additional damage. There is never any leakage under the car.
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My nephew was driving down the road, car suddenly died. Went to take a look at it, gave it a jump, the car turned over, then backfired thru the EGR valve, plus seen the wires heat up, not completely sure if they melted or not.
Got the car back to the house, popped the hood, thinking it is a simple coil pack issue, and would get him rolling again. Since my diagnostics were measured by a multimeter, the results are normal. I pull a plug, hadn't been changed in over 20 years. I change the plugs, check spark, plenty, and no start. Ok, do I have gas, yes. Do I have compression, yes. Crank the car over, seems like it is missing on most cylinders, or wants to start, but doesn't.
Going back to the egr valve, when I pulled it out, it was wet, had some kind of yellowish sludge in it. Bought some break cleaner, cleaned out the ports, and installed a new egr. What the heck is the yellow sludge? Blown intake or this 3.1 engine?
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I'm looking to sell my dad's '97 Buick Century Limited, but it has a problem with the steering. The short of the problem is that when you step on the gas the car steers to the left but only when you get on it. The more you get on it the more it goes left.So a little more detail here. So if the steering wheel is aligned correctly, it sits at 9 and 3 o'clock, but it isn't, it sits at 8 and 2. It goes pretty much straight at that position; it would take a couple blocks at least to go from the left side of a lane to the right. It doesn't pull hard or anything, you can easily steer it with one finger.
So the problem comes when you get on the gas, either stopped to cross a road or going 55 to pass on a highway. When you get on it the car starts to vere off to the left if you don't let the steering wheel automatically correct itself back to a 9 and 3 position. So it still goes straight unless you don't let the wheel move. The more you get on it, the more the steering wheel goes back to 9 and 3 position. So if you don't floor it, it won't go all the way back to 9 and 3. As soon as you take your foot off the gas it will automatically correct itself back to the 8 and 2 position. However when you are just cruising the wheel is at 8 and 2, doesn't matter if your going 15, 30, 50 or 75 mph.
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Ran scanner and it showed codes C1215, C1226 and C1233. We checked the passenger front and found the wire to the sensor hanging off. It was damp inside so we dried it as much as we could. We reconnected the wire and tested. The light still on. We ran the scanner again, Only one code came up C1233. The book says ( Right front wheel speed circuit open or shorted)
C1233 - Right Front Wheel Speed Circuit Open or Shorted
Read more at: [URL] .....
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I have a 2003 Buick Century 3.1L. The airbag light goes on randomly. I realize that it is supposed to go on momentarily after I start the engine. Sometimes the light will stay lit for one or more drives and sometimes it will stay off for one or more drives. I have checked the fuse; it is good. I have tried smacking the airbag on the steering and the dash...the light remains lit. I have seen a bundle of wires on the back side of the fuse box and am not sure whether I should try to trace the fuse wire back to both locations or what to do next. Is there some trick of the trade like a reset button and what do you think I should try next?
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2000 Buick Century Custom with 140K miles: Service Engine Light came on. Re;placed gas cap, light still on. Took to dealer who replaced HO2 sensor, light still on. Took to dealer who found no problem but charged $100 for looking. Light still on. Took to dealer who said it needed two major parts. Light still on. Took to another mechanic who could find nothing wrong. Light still on. Is there hope?
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I have a 2004 Buick Century and the small window that indicates what gear you are in, on the dash, is very dim. All other dash lights are bright and working good. Is this the bulb and what sort of job is it to change it.
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The Buick Century has about 22,000 miles. The Service Engine Soon light has appeared on the dash. The instruction manual is not clear. What would you recoomend? What might cause the light to appear?
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Have a 2004 Buick Century and the light that shows what gear you are in is out. Is it the bulb or what? Can it be a fuse?It started going off but came back on later Also how hard a job is it to change the bulb.
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My problem is my 6 CL died going down the road I got to stop light & she quitly died. I got it started after a few tries & made it to BK, kept trying to start sounded like choked for gas. Hour later starts goes 1/2 mil dies call towtrk. Changed fuel pump(not so bad) fired her up, first couple times ran a sec. and died.
3rd time a charm it started & idled (a lttl ruf) for 20 min.& wife takes it to gas station shut off & restarted no problem & back home. 1 hr later I get in to run an errand & it dies I push it hm pop hood seems awfully hot. Is there a way to test the CPS unit?
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Ok, got a 99 Buick Century that is a cantankerous old hag. It doesn't like to start sometimes. naturally when i really need to get somewhere. The security light blinks at me for a while, goes solid, then i cycle the ignition and hope it will start. It happens with multiple keys and remote start(which has been removed multiple times because each mechanic thinks that will magically fix it). No rhyme or reason, it sends no code, the local buick dealership couldn't figure it out. I think its my security computer. what is the easiest/cheapest diy solution besides get full coverage and leave it in the ghetto with the keys and hope it ends up on cops? battery is fine, it starts normally most of the month, just maybe a handful of times a month it won't. Starter I believe is still good as well, and gets voltage when it starts. Fuel pump audibly works all the time.
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So I was leaving work when my car starting beeping and the coolant low light flashed. I shut the car off and popped the hood to find my coolant level almost to the bottom of the reservior. I figured I would just keep an eye on the temp as I drove home and it stayed right at 190 just like from day one. I took it to the dealer and they told me the water pump was leaking. I just turned 4k miles on the way there!! What gives? He said it was not uncommon for the pump to start a leak, but was pretty uncommon to leak so soon. He said it is probably due to a bad cast of the pump. I really like this car and I hope it is not a sign of things to come.
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I had my ABS and Traction Control system checked a few times for buzzing sounds and ABS warning light coming on occasionally. My mechanic assured my all the speed sensors and connections were good. I recently noticed there was uneven tire wear on the right front tire. Could a severe misalignment of the front wheels cause the ABS warning light to come on?
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I have 89 buick Century custom cpe had it out on the highway last night and the Batt light started to flash intermittently. after a little while it calmed down. Had it out running around today and no problem. what should I check besides the battery terminals?
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