Automobile / Buick / Somerset

Buick Somerset Car Repair Questions and Answers

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Question: 1996 Buick Somerset mileage: 67,443. I just bought an 1996 Buick Somerset from the original owner who is no longer able to drive. She has kept the car immaculate. I have (2) questions; 1) When cold, the car steers hard at a standstill but then becomes easy. I added a small amount of power steering fluid but have been told the rack is probably bad? 2) The automatic transmission shifts smoothly, but when I slow down to around 30 mph, the engine lugs and it seems that the tranny doesn't want to down shift when you press on the gas. It does not stall when I come to a full stop (I had a Skylark that did that, it was caused by a faulty solenoid or something which cost me $300 for the dealer to replace... could the TV cable need an adjustment or replacement? Thanks!

Answer: Yes, the steering rack may need to be replaced. Your transmission may be ready for service. Replacing the transmission filter and fluid may correct the problem.

Question: 1995 Buick Somerset mileage: 86,000. My car was running fine until it stalled going down the road. It wouldn't start back up until it cooled for a little bit. It runs fine until it gets up to operating temperature. Then it stalls, and won't restart until it is below operating temperature. Previous owner did not properly care for this car and we put a lot of new parts into it. Like: ignition module, plugs and wires, alternator, starter, fuel pump, fuel filter, transmission fluid and filter change, battery, water pump, serpentine belt, PCV valve, coolant sensor, oil pressure sensor and speed sensor. This car has a digital dash with all the gauges. When we did the first oil change, we got a small amount of sludge after draining the oil. Two weeks of driving 85 miles a day to work and we did another oil change. This time we got a bunch of sludge and my husband figured he should flush it out. He used a can of Motor Flush and got more sludge out than we thought we would. The intake manifold is just as bad as far as carbon build up. We used a can of Prestone Air Intake Spray and it seemed to run smoother. However, it still had lots of gunk in it so he sprayed it again to clean more. A few days after that is when it started stalling as soon as it got to operating temperature. It doesn't matter whether it is sitting at idle or running down the road, as soon as it gets to temp it dies. We just replaced the oil pressure sensor and now when we start it, it reads 2 bars and drops to nothing on the gauge. The oil indicator light does not come on at any time during idle or road driving. It doesn't show any codes on the computer either. We are totally stumped. Could we have dislodged enough sludge to plug the oil pump screen? Or, could some of the carbon worked its way into the injectors and plugged them up? It runs fine until it gets to operating temperature though. What are we missing?

Answer: Try replacing the oxygen sensor. You may also have a faulty ignition switch. Yes, you may have plugged the oil pickup. Remove the oil pan and clean. Replace the oil pump and pick-up screen. The fuel injection system is separate from the oily system.

Question: 1994 Buick Somerset mileage: 85,000. As I am driving, my door lock actuators keep activating to lock the doors. They activate every 2-3 seconds. But sometimes they stop (and behave normal). Sometimes they seem to activate when I hit a bump, but other times I don't really hit any bumps when they activate. This occurs only while the car is moving. When stopped at an intersection, the locks don't do anything. I have not noticed any other problems locking or unlocking the doors - when the car is stopped/parked. Also, in conjunction with this, when stopped at an intersection, the interior dome light comes on. Then goes off once I start moving - but then the doors start locking again. Additionally, when I park and get out, the interior lights do not always go off - sometimes they stay on for many minutes, sometimes they go off in about 20 seconds (as normal). Sometimes re-closing the doors fix this, sometimes not. Any advice is much appreciated. Thank You

Answer: Your door lock problem is more than likely due to pin switch (door switch) that is either out of adjustment or is faulty.