Warning! Good Car To Avoid.

[MustGoFaster]

I just fixed a friend's car and found out the problem I fixed is fairly comon. I advise against purchasing any GM with a 3.1l V6 or 3.4l V6. If your looking for a daily driver look else were. Not that any of you would want a GM. For more info go to http://www.gm-v6lemons.com

Just giving you guys a heads up. My parent's own 3 and I get to fix them when it happens. :headache: :headache:

[Iceman]

I hope they get a recall cause if they do maybe they well recall the shit ass 7 bolt for me

[JDM]

Same problem with the 2.4L non-eco-tec engine... I had a 96 Cavy that did the same thing...
If you get GM :razz2: Get the 2.2L eco-tec, or just buy a vette... Grand Ams and Malibus suck anyway...

[Matt D.]

My Grand Prix has the 3.1L. I haven't had a leaky intake manifold gasket, but in both of the engines I've had in it the rubber O-ring on the cap that covers the distributor hole in the intake manifold has leaked. I believe that's what caused a spun bearing in the orignal engine, because the oil leaked out and I didn't know it until I was going around a corner a couple times and the oil pressure dropped to zero momentarily. In my case it's $3 worth of parts and 30-45 minutes of work to fix it. This problem is common in all early to mid 90's 3.1L GM engines. Go to http://www.w-body.com/ if you want to know more.

[v8klla]

I know a guy that hd the same problem in his grand am a week or so ago...Damn that sucks...

Chris

[1QUICK4]

Funny...

I owned my 88 Corsica from 135000 to 287000 without any major problems
I owned my 89 Berreta from 160000 to 232000 without any major problems
Both were MPFI 2.8 V6s (same engine as 3.1)
I did replace the distributer Oring on the Corsica though when I did the FPR


I have had great luck with the 2.8-3.1 MPFIs

Its the old S10 2.8 TBI that was horseshit.

Just my personal experiences

[MustGoFaster]

They changed something in 96 or 97 I do belive. The Car I took apart didn't have a hole for a distributor anywere. And I am guessing it is with this change they fucked shit up. Matt, is your intake manifold (lower) part of your valve cover? It is on the motors on the cars with the problem. They probably changed the heads and intake manifolds to make them fit in the engine bay better. Any who, just read the page I linked if you want more info.

[Matt D.]

Originally posted by MustGoFaster@Nov 25 2003, 07:39 PM
Matt, is your intake manifold (lower) part of your valve cover?

The intake manifold on my car is two pieces. The lower part that covers up the lifter valley and touches the heads, and the upper part which the throttle body attaches to. The fuel rail, FPR and injectors are sandwiched in between the two. The valve covers are seperate.

[MustGoFaster]

Bingo! On the new ones are still two pice but the lower one makes up half the valve cover and the lower row of head bolts are outside the valve cover. And you know the whole reason for the change is probably something stuipid. Like they needed to make the engine 2" narrower so they could give passengers the room. They just had to fix something that wasn't broken. :stick:

[TalonFiero]

My girlfriend has a 2000 Alero with the 3.4V6. At 25,000 miles it needed the lower intake manifold gasket replaced as it was leaking coolant down the side of the motor.

My roomate is a GM Mechanic and he said all he fixes is gasket leaks each and every day. He laughs everytime he sees a GM on the side of the road and loves to point out what is probably wrong with it.

He also said that steering racks are another thing that seems to wear out quite often on GMs.

[BuildADSM]

wait so did they fix the problem after like 97... My family has a 99 alero with a V6 at about 50k and my rents just bought another 03 alero V6 8 days ago... it has 28k which was all freeway miles I know cause the car was only 10 months old. lol they are both the same color and other than 2 door vs 4 door they look exactly the same from the outside.