Q–I have a ’95 Lumina (3.1-liter V-6 engine, 13,500 miles, change oil about every three months), whose warranty expires in February. I drive under 30 m.p.h. until the engine warms up. The engine sounds like a diesel for a couple of minutes after startup. The dealer tells me this is a characteristic of this engine. Yet GM customer service says they have opened a file on my concern and it will be “considered” if I have a future problem, so I shouldn’t worry about my warranty design. Is this characteristic or am I getting the runaround? A.D., Naperville
A–You may be getting a bit of a runaround, but it seems your problem is being handled properly. When you say it “sounds like a diesel,” we assume you are describing a clattering. If the noise goes away as the engine warms up, it’s a symptom of piston slap. If the problem was common to all 3.1-liter engines, you could ask the dealer to start a few for you to hear. We think you will find most don’t sound like yours. That GM has opened a file suggests they suspect a problem that may get worse though we haven’t heard of anyone being stranded because of piston slap.
Q–I have had a tuneup, new spark plugs and fuel filter and choke adjustment, but when I start my 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88, it stalls when I put it in drive. I get it started and it dies again before reaching the street. I never had that trouble before. That’s why we kept the car. Now, the car is old and so am I, but I would like to keep it going a little longer. C.H., Oak Lawn
A–There is probably no major problem with the engine. When the shop adjusted your choke, the engine may not have been totally cold, resulting in a misadjustment. Take your old Olds back, explain the problem and leave it overnight so the adjustment can be corrected in the morning.
Q–I have a problem with our 1990 Buick Century, which we acquired recently. It only has 52,000 miles on it and it is almost perfect except for the constant whine in the motor when it is running. D.G., Gainesville, Ga.
A–You haven’t given us many clues. Is the whine sensitive to engine speed? Does the pitch change when you rev the engine? Does it get louder or softer under any conditions? Take it to your technician, who can listen to components and zero in on the source using a stethoscope similar to the kind doctors use. In a pinch, we have held a 36-inch screwdriver against our ear as we probe with the blade.
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Bob Weber is an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician. Send questions to Motormouth, 17717 Silcott Springs Rd., Purcellville, Va. 20132. Send e-mail with name and hometown to motormth1@aol.com. Answers are supplied only through the newspaper.
