2001 Buick Century engine and engine cooling problems

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING AN OIL CHANGE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT DEXCOOL COOLANT WAS PLACED IN THE WATER TANK INSTEAD OF ANTIFREEZE. THE MANIFOLD ON THE WATER BLOCK, WHICH IS THE GASKET BETWEEN THE WATER TANK, DID NOT HAVE THE CORRECT TYPE OF GASKET AND DETERIORATED THE WATER DUE TO OIL IN THE TANK. THE FAILURE IS CALLED A "PINK MILKSHAKE". THIS ALSO OCCURS WHEN THERE IS OIL IN THE WATER RESERVOIR. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $800. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.”

“TAPPETS SOUND ON A 2001 BUICK CENTURY TAPPETS WERE REPLACED TWICE UNTIL I WAS INFORMED THAT ALL GM 2001 CARS HAD THIS DEFECT. IT SEEMS THAT OIL IS NOT GETTING TO THE CENTER CYLINDERS, BECAUSE THE CONNECTING FEEDS ARE TOO SMALL. PROBLEM THAT CAN DEVELOP IS THE ENGINE CAN SEIZE. *TR”

“HEADLIGHTS ARE OFFLINE, COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON WHEN COOLANT IS FULL, AND 3X THE DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND THE WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP OR STAY UP. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BUICK CENTURY. THE VEHICLE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED AT LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON A BRAND NEW ENGINE. THE CONTACT SMELLED ANTI-FREEZE AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO CONDUCTED PRESSURE TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE MANIFOLD GASKET. IT IS A REPLACEMENT ENGINE AND IT IS DEMONSTRATING THE SAME FAILURE AS THE ORIGINAL ENGINE THAT WAS REPLACED AT 35,000 MILES BY ARBITRATION ORDER. BUICK HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR ANY FAILED COMPONENTS CONCERNING THIS MOTOR, INCLUDING REPLACING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CONVERTER WAS PLUGGED FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTOR FAILURE ALONG WITH THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURE FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON THE NEW MOTOR. THE POWER WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED IN JANUARY OF 2007 FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 145,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”

“CAR HEATER WOULD NOT WARM UP. TEMPERATURE WOULD THEN FLUXUATE BETWEEN HOT AND COLD. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILURE. COOLANT MIXED IN WITH OIL IN THE ENGINE. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT REQUIRED TO KEEP CAR OVERNIGHT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NEEDED A RENTAL CAR AND NO LOANER WAS AVAILABLE. GM AGREED TO SPLIT THE COST OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPAIR 50/50, BUT WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR. EFFECT OF THIS GASKET FAILURE AT THIS TIME IS UNKNOWN AND EFFECT TO ENGINE AND COMPONENTS. CAR HAS 68,500 MILES. ORIGINAL OWNER OFF CAR HAS KEPT UP WITH ALL SCHEDULEED MAINTENANCE. *NM”

“MANIFOLD GASKET NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A SMALL LEAK WHICH IS CAUSING CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS. ALL MECHANICS THAT I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR TO SAY THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE WHERE GM CHANGED TO PLASTIC GASKET. ALL SEEM TO HAVE SAME DIAGNOSES EXCEPT GM AND GM DEALERSHIP. *JB”