I just bought a 1997 STS with 84k miles. I know some of you might think I'm crazy for buying it with a few obvious issues but I have looked at many of these over the past few months and the body on this one is the best I have ever seen; it is absolutely mint and not a spec of rust underneath.
Now for the issues. In each of these cases I was hoping maybe someone can help clue me in to what needs to be fixed, and approximate cost?
1.) When starting cold, it kind of stutters for a bit before it starts; I mean it makes that chug-chug-chug-chug sound for a few seconds before it starts combusting. I don't know if I am describing this right but hopefully you know what I mean. I'm hoping this just means a new starter or something... ? Oddly though, this only happens cold. i.e. when I got gas, and then got back in and started the car (so it had only been off for about five minutes) it started fine.
2.) It says service ride control. But it handles very well. No obvious suspension or alignment issues when driving but again, I'm no mechanic.
3.) It said add washer fluid. I added about half a bottle, message is now gone, but nothing shoots out when I turn the wiper control thing to make it spray.
4.) When I first took it on the highway, a message popped up after a few minutes that said check coolant level (and this one made my heart sink a little) and for a while that message and the ride control one were both showing. However, the temperature gauge never went up very far. It always stayed between the 12:00 mark and the very next mark. I'm hoping that means it wasn't really getting very hot; maybe it just needs coolant added?
I bought some Peak antifreeze the kind that comes in the gold container, and says global, and says it can be used with anything (green, orange, magenta, etc antifreeze) and can be used to top off gm dexcool. I wanted to get dexcool but this was all I could find and I was freaking out about the message. However, when I tried to remove to pressure cap I unscrewed it a little (to use the clock analogy again, you know how the arrows are pointing toward the tube that goes into the coolant tank when its sealed? well, if that is 3:00, I turned it back to 12:00) and it was totally loose like I could jiggle it around, but it would not come UP or OFF! It was the weirdest thing is there some trick to opening these?
Maybe it was fate intervening because after a long time I had to give up, and when I drove the car the message about the coolant did not come up, and the temperature stayed mostly on the 12:00, and only went up a little bit here and there. The check coolant level message has not come up since so I'm thinking it probably isn't a hole somewhere, because wouldn't the coolant have leaked out more as I drove it more?
5.) rear right window does not go down, from either the driver's master control switch or the switch on the door itself.
thanks!!
Now for the issues. In each of these cases I was hoping maybe someone can help clue me in to what needs to be fixed, and approximate cost?
1.) When starting cold, it kind of stutters for a bit before it starts; I mean it makes that chug-chug-chug-chug sound for a few seconds before it starts combusting. I don't know if I am describing this right but hopefully you know what I mean. I'm hoping this just means a new starter or something... ? Oddly though, this only happens cold. i.e. when I got gas, and then got back in and started the car (so it had only been off for about five minutes) it started fine.
2.) It says service ride control. But it handles very well. No obvious suspension or alignment issues when driving but again, I'm no mechanic.
3.) It said add washer fluid. I added about half a bottle, message is now gone, but nothing shoots out when I turn the wiper control thing to make it spray.
4.) When I first took it on the highway, a message popped up after a few minutes that said check coolant level (and this one made my heart sink a little) and for a while that message and the ride control one were both showing. However, the temperature gauge never went up very far. It always stayed between the 12:00 mark and the very next mark. I'm hoping that means it wasn't really getting very hot; maybe it just needs coolant added?
I bought some Peak antifreeze the kind that comes in the gold container, and says global, and says it can be used with anything (green, orange, magenta, etc antifreeze) and can be used to top off gm dexcool. I wanted to get dexcool but this was all I could find and I was freaking out about the message. However, when I tried to remove to pressure cap I unscrewed it a little (to use the clock analogy again, you know how the arrows are pointing toward the tube that goes into the coolant tank when its sealed? well, if that is 3:00, I turned it back to 12:00) and it was totally loose like I could jiggle it around, but it would not come UP or OFF! It was the weirdest thing is there some trick to opening these?
Maybe it was fate intervening because after a long time I had to give up, and when I drove the car the message about the coolant did not come up, and the temperature stayed mostly on the 12:00, and only went up a little bit here and there. The check coolant level message has not come up since so I'm thinking it probably isn't a hole somewhere, because wouldn't the coolant have leaked out more as I drove it more?
5.) rear right window does not go down, from either the driver's master control switch or the switch on the door itself.
thanks!!
