NINETY EIGHT REGENCY

I did more research last night. The mechanic was dead on. Symptoms of a blown head gasket include: - White smoke coming from the tailpipe, sometimes intermittently.( intermittently in my case) - Coolant in the oil. When they mix, the oil gets a chocolate milkshake appearance. - Oil in the coolant. - Oil on the engine (plenty) - Rough idle - Poor fuel economy - High coolant temperatures I have all those symptoms…. But I have NOT had: Overheating of engine Lost of coolant Or stalling Because of that, I will need: Coolant flush and new coolant oil filter again ( recently did this) oil change again ( recently did this too) new spark plugs (platinum tip) pcv valve: A restricted pcv valve can cause excess pressure to find new avenues to vent, and an oil gasket or seal is usually “blown out “to let this pressure escape. *** This is what happened.. A new oxygen sensor If you had white smoke coming from the tailpipe and your head gasket was bad, chances are the O2 sensor may have been poisoned at the same time. Expect to have problems with it. It may need to be replaced. Other Areas to Check: The radiator needs to be checked. Check water pump Possible catalytic converter needed Check the Thermostat Poor gas mileage: Symptoms: Leaking fuel lines (already fixed last time) Vacuum leaks from bad hoses, seals or gaskets (see above) Leaking injector or seal Cold start or valve leaking Bad or damaged catalytic converter A TUNE UP IS NEEDED The mileage is 96,900 something miles.

I went outdoors this morning with the Oldsmobile Technicians book. I checked all the areas they say for poor fuel economy. I checked the car according to the book. I found: The coolant tank looks nasty!! It was off color and look like it had green mold or something floating in it I could not get to the pcv valve, but I suspect something there too. There oil deposits around that area. It was not clean. They said these things will contribute to a poor fuel economy and the rough idle. That also explains the high engine temperatures and heating up so quick too. I had a mechanic who lives near me look at the car. He then told me what was going on. He found oil inside the radiator. It was green because it ended up in there. It was sludge like. He then found oil inside the coolant tank. He said also gas was getting into the coolant too. He said you need to: get a head gasket set, possibly a valve job, oil change, and oil filter change, coolant flushed and changed, and new spark plugs, and pcv valve. He said you buy the parts it will not cost you much. The labor is where they might get you. He said do not drive this car anymore. He said you caught it early and you were smart. If you had kept using the car, it would have caused your engine to seize up and pistons to stop. Eventually you would have killed the engine. That oil was getting into everything he said. That is why you have the hard starting, the rough idle and the high fuel consumption.

Impressive. I liked looking at those drawings.. I like the things going on at Holden. This was fantastic.

How much is a catalytic converter and the extension pipes for a 1992 Toronado? Please let me know if you can sir. I found a diagram online of my exhaust system, and looked at my car. I can see the catalytic converter is bad( the major source of the rattle), the pipes on either side of it are in bad shape too. One of the pipes vibrates as the engine is running. The start up is really horrible and I also discovered driving it with the window down today I smelled some bad fumes and not only that, I still heard that bad idle even when the car is moving. I can describe the sound. It sounds like a muscle car or a diesel powered car. I had to put the Toronado up today until I can get it fixed in June. I was on less than a half of tank Monday. Just driving it to work this week put it was way less than a 1/4 of a tank. On the digital bars it is on the last three. one of them being empty. I said I cannot keep driving this car like that. That catalytic converter and exhaust leak can really cause some bad gas mileage. I have never seen gas go like that except on a big engined truck. So I am still at a loss why it sounds bad at start up and at idle and why the gas mileage is so bad.

Go to this link and watch the video: http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...showtopic=17227

It is sad, but Ford is not well right now. If Ford was smart, they would have shared development like GM does globally. They could have put: Grand Marquis Crown Victoria Town Car Fairlane/LTD on the same platform. Holden was smart to reposition Holden Caprice and Statesman too. GM is getting a return on the global investment. May they will... That is still sad though..

You are on the money about that one!! I noticed too since it has been warmer it is worse. I do city driving and it sucks the gas out of my car like nothing. That is why after this week, I am going to put it in the driveway until the first of June. The Ninety Eight will be the way to go until then. I really do not see how people drive SUV's and big trucks the way they do..

I remember that Eldorado. I have the catalog. I had considered it when I was looking at the Toronado. The Toronado had more features for the money. I can tell you the 4.9 liter V8 is better. It is because it was a proven engine and the gas mileage is okay. It is like 17 city and 25 highway. I think 1993 was the first year for the Northstar.

Good for you.. This is indeed good news..

You guys are right.. They information you are giving us is correct. I found out today my Toronado has not only a bad cat, but an exhaust leak too. It is near the cat where the leak is. I will have to have the cat and the exhaust leak( pipe) replaced too. That explained the sluggish performance and the bad gas mileage and the rattling too. The gas mileage is so bad, you would think I was driving a Chevrolet Silverado with the biggest V8.

I noticed just driving it is sluggish like it going the same speed even though the speedometer is going up. The idle upon start up is horrible. and it does heat up quick too. It gets hot. When starting... oh brother.. it sounds horrible. I hope my gas mileage will go up. I drove it today, and it is sucking gas like it is going out of style. I might have to stop driving it until I can get those issues fixed. The rpms are low too. they never go past like 900 something. Thank you Camino.....

So.. what differences did it make?? I am curious to know what to expect.

Ouch is right.. You have my sympathies..... I hope you will soon have good news to share.

On my second car the 1992 Oldsmobile Toronado I am having the same issues. It is a project car I am bringing back. It sounds horrible at idle when you start it. Something is open. Once the parts heat up and expand it sounds fine. I am getting a bad gas mileage. I can tell you the wires and plugs have been replaced. The pcv valve is fine because it passed emissions inspection. Also I looked underneath near the catalytic converter the other day I saw the extension pipe moving( vibrating) when it had the bad idle at start up. I also felt heat at my feet when standing by the side of the car. Also when I drive and I hit a rough spot on the street, I hear rumbling like something is loose. I knew then something was going on underneath near or on the catalytic converter. My neighbor was in my driveway last Friday and we were starting my car, and I had to get a new battery( another story) he said you have a bad cat. I can tell you just by the sound when it starts and that heat. Once you replace your cat, that noise will go away and your mileage will go back up. I can tell how bad it is based on my Ninety Eight. I drove my Ninety Eight on the same streets and it use little or no gas. I drove the Toronado on the same streets and it used gas like it was a GMC or Chevy truck. I had even used fuel engine cleaner from my mechanic. Here is what a bad catalytic converter will do: There are two ways a converter can fail: * It can become clogged. * It can become poisoned. There really is no "inspection port" for the consumer or mechanic to see an actual clog in a converter. Often, the only way to tell if a catalytic converter is malfunctioning (plugged) is to remove it and check the change in engine performance. When a clogged converter is suspected, some mechanics temporarily remove the O2 sensor from the exhaust pipe ahead of the catalytic converter and look for a change in performance. A catalytic converter relies on receiving the proper mix of exhaust gases at the proper temperature. Any additives or malfunctions that cause the mixture or the temperature of the exhaust gases to change reduce the effectiveness and life of the catalytic converter. Leaded gasoline and the over-use of certain fuel additives can shorten the life of a catalytic converter. A catalytic converter can also fail because of: * Bad exhaust valves on the engine * Fouled plugs causing unburned fuel to overheat the converter Sometimes you can tell that a converter is clogged because you don't go any faster when you push the gas pedal. Also, there usually is a noticeable drop in gas mileage associated with a clogged catalytic converter. A partially clogged converter often acts like an engine governor, limiting the actual RPMs to a fast idle. A totally clogged converter causes the engine to quit after a few minutes because of all the increased exhaust back pressure. The catalytic converter, like the rest of the emissions system, typically has a warranty length that exceeds the term of the warranty for the rest of a typical U.S. automobile. Here is a safety reminder: Do not park your car over tall grass or piles of dry leaves. Your car's perfectly running catalytic converter gets very hot…enough to start fires! You can keep it running well by keeping the ignition system in top shape, to prevent any unburnt fuel from entering the catalytic converter. The link I got this from: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question482.htm

That is cool. I am sure you will enjoy your visit then.. I was not sure if you were looking to meet someone. I am not superficial, but unfortunately, there are others who are. You will have a good time.. Yeah.. a lot has changed since the 90's.. In a good way.. I am glad you liked it a lot.

The gay clubs are still in Montrose on the same street( Grant and Pacific) in Montrose. There are gay business back there still, but they blend in now. South Beach and JR's ( clubs)are next door to each other along with other bars on the same street. I forgot to mention Richmond street too. It runs parallel to Westheimer. West Alabama too. These are other happening streets. I was back there yesterday. You will find most of the gay people in the Galleria or uptown , at those clubs, on Westheimer, on Richmond, West Gray, West University and on the U of H campus and downtown at night, and in Mid town. Let me see a photo of you here. I can tell you if you if you will have a chance of meeting people here.

Been a while since you have been here to Houston huh??? Things have indeed changed. Houston is the 4th largest city in the United States and still growing. We increased by over 800,000 in the last few years. It has grown an expanded. Galveston is 1-45 South. You will go through several smaller towns to get there. I grew up in one of those smaller towns. It is one of the personal reasons I do not like small towns. I personally hate Galveston. The historical downtown he is referring to is called "The Strand" That is where a lot of tourist go to see stuff. There is plenty to do inside the loop(610) and there are so many restaurants here it is not even funny. Downtown covers several areas called "mid town". I live in or around mid town. It covers one of our wealthy neighborhoods( River Oaks). The houses in Memorial are cost more now. Call Montrose what it was.. It used to be the gay neighborhood, and that is not what it is anymore. Since Houston is changing, Montrose has turned into an upscale urban type thing. It has lost its gayness. I think that is due part due to the acceptance gays have found in society(for the most part) They have 350,000 dollar town homes next door to historical older houses. A lot of the old has been removed to be replaced by the new. Downtown actually is happening after the 9 to 5 crowd. We have light rail that goes through downtown, and there are bars, clubs, areas, live theater and more. I have gone to some of these things. In Montrose there are little restaurants and places you just do not see everywhere... You must have some real Texas Barbecue. When I had my Canadian friend fly from Canada and go to Iowa and get my Ninety Eight and drive it back to Texas, he was blown away by Houston. What really blew his mind was the food. He said he never tasted food like that. He was beginning me to ship him some food back to Canada. There is a lot to see and do off the Southwest Freeway (US 59), 1-10 ( Always backed up) and Midtown, Southwest Houston off Buffalo Speedway and Kirby and and more. The thing about Houston is it is spread out. Unlike other major large cities where they expand up, Houston is out. There is a lot of new construction off Kirby. If you want to see a constant stream of things to do, drive down Westheimer. You will not be bored. The international festival was the last few weeks. You missed that. This year was China. I joked to people since they were bringing the best China has to offer, they should have brought some of those Chinese Buicks and Cadillac to display. As for schools, Rice in in the Medical Center which is quite famous, University of Houston is here, and TSU, and many law schools and medical schools in the medical center. The area he was referring to where Rice University is is called Museum district. It is technically in Montrose. They have a whole lot of museums there. I used to go all the time. You have no idea how much real estate has gone up inside the loop. Gas is ranging from 2.87 a gallon to a little over three dollars. Please understand too: You will see multiples and duplicates of stores, gas stations and more. You will see also that the prices will not be the same depending on the area of town. West University is quite nice too. They have restaurants, small little venues and a host of places in this one area. I have been back there. Friday nights are really cool there. Memorial is nice too. A lot of wealthy people live there. The Heights is a old historical neighborhood. I have friends that live back there. It dates back to the beginnings of Houston. Uptown is happening too. This is the Galleria area. This is on upper Westheimer near the 610 loop. The traffic is killer, but it is cool. They have the Galleria mall( very nice and upscale) and many places of interest there. This is where you will see a lot of new cars too. Houston radio sucks bad... It is not like it once was.

This is why I posted that thread about Bob Lutz being on Autoline Detroit this weekend. This is why I suggested others watch it to find out more. Here is that thread: http://www.cheersandgears.com/forums/index...showtopic=17014 As I said before I am watching all of this. People are panicking for nothing. They miss the obvious because they fear the worst. That is how people get into trouble with their thinking. GM may want to throw everyone off to keep enthusiasts and the competition guessing. This was telling too: So next time you hear a Zeta's being "reevaluated", or is on hold, or is being delayed a little, keep in mind that none includes the Camaro, El Camino, or G8. These are locked in. Also, don't believe for a moment the sedans for Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac are in any real jepordy (they may not be locked in, but the door's barracaded). And don't fall into the belief that at least 1 "big" coupe won't make the cut (it's essentially going to be a LWB Camaro with a very different skin, and cost comparitively pocket change to make). Keep in mind, Zeta also was seen to spin off wagons, hatchbacks, and also the short wheelbase models were going to be phased in to replace at least a couple of dying W-body midsized cars after 2011. I'd imagine that's where your death blows are going to hit and do the most damage..... ......and give rise to this small RWD Alpha we've been hearing about. I will leave you with this commercial to encourage others about rear drive cars at GM and Zeta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfmqwhQ5W70 __________________

The beauty in your trip was buying the car and getting to enjoy the journey. The other aspect are the memories and photos and more. The other thing is the special feel in an Oldsmobile..

If you have learned anything from the relationship, you have not wasted your time. You have a healthy sexual need. You knew what you wanted a young age. Do not put yourself down.

Thank you. It is appreciated. You missed what I said too: I did not tell him to abstain. I told him he had free will.

One day and one step at a time.. You will give in to your temptations, but do not beat yourself up over it. Keep trying. For anything to change, it takes at least a month of changing the behavior and putting into practice. I commended you because were honest with yourself and others. All too often people lie and hide many things. Anyone can be who they want to be online. It is who you are with yourself and others that can see you that is important. I was looking out my office window a year ago one day watching people walk by. I commented you do not know who they are. They put on clothes. You do not know what they did the night before. You do not know what is going on in their homes. When people go out in public they put on a mask. The internet hides more. You came here and admitted something. Many others have done it, and that is saying something. I personally find porn boring. It has put me to sleep on many occasions. I am by no means perfect or live a perfect life style. I just see no point in watching someone else do what you would rather be doing yourself other than with your hand. Masturbation gets old too because you can use your hand for so long before you get bored. We are all humans. We are all creatures. You have a need. We all have needs. There is nothing wrong with masturbation. You need to do it. It is healthy. No one can keep that pent up for a long time. Anyone that says on this site they do not masturbate or never has is lying. I bet someone has masturbated looking at photos from people here ( posted in those self photo section). I am being extreme with that statement, but I am making a point. No one would admit to it because of the "shame" they feel it would bring. The thing is sex is all over the place in your face daily. It is not just the internet. It is on television, and in ads and more. People are presented with images daily and then you want it and crave it. It is like food. The other thing is you watch porn and you get into real relationships trying to have sex like that, you are in for a rude awakening. Sex in a real relationship is not like that. Interaction in real relationships is not like that. Too many marriages have been destroyed because someone was trying to have porno sex or became addicted to porn and could not get off that computer and go interact with the world. . Love in a "healthy" relationship can be good if it done the right way. My point in telling you this is you have no idea how powerful the mind can be. Those guys on that show on Dateline NBC and in other places started out watching porn. Then because it got interesting or they got bored, they kept building on it. These things start out small and then they build on on them. It evolves and the stakes are raised. Then.. in the end it costs you something major. Our society in America has put shame on the body. Shame on being true to yourself. Shame on being gay or bi sexual or whatever. They have created this society that does not exist but in someone's mind. Everything is not black or what. It is gray. This is why we have free will and a choice to make our own decisions. No one should be ashamed or feel ashamed. People try to make others feel ashamed because they are the ones with the issues or hang up. That is what I like about Europe and Australia and the UK and other places. They teach you to love your body, love yourself and be true to yourself. They teach you at an early age here to lie, hide, deceive and do anything to be accepted. You do not need anyone's approval or acceptance. At the end of the day they cannot do anything for you. I will say this.. there are some very attractive people on this site. What they do at the end of the day or who they do it with is their business. You have a choice. You have free will. Like Oldsmobile used to say in their ads.. "It's your money demand better. "

At least you were honest about your problem with internet porn. That says a lot about you. I hope you succeed in getting away from it. There are other things to do online and other places to go and things in the real world to do. I hope you get your computer cleaned up.

I am glad someone is pointing out the truth. People automatically assume people here are blind GM loyalists. I support GM because I want to keep people employed. By not supporting them you will end up supporting the workers with your taxes. That is not even the case. You see the truth for what it is. I already know Toyota was not hot in its home country. The American journalists and critics and analyst need to get a clue before they will be writing "remember when we had an industry". The government needs to step up. The sad thing is most of us here have jobs and benefits and still cannot afford to get sick because of the HMO's and co pay. They work you to death and expect you to perform at a 100% . Things need to change in the country in a major way.. One fundamental thing.. You have to get in order to get.

It is times like this I just sit back and watch. It makes for interesting reading. I stay out of these things. I have been where most of the people are here. When your division is dead, you do not have to fear or dread or worry if your division will get this are that. You do not have to worry if your division will have to fight for this are that. I feel for the Pontiac people because they are getting a car they want, but they want it to look like a 1960's or 1970's Pontiac. Chrysler just did it. It will last only for so long. That is why G8 has to be contemporary or European/BMW 5 series looking to get people like Moltar to even look at it. ..... I feel for Buick people because the product is there(China) and they have to wait and time is working against them and their favorite division. Cadillac people are in a better position because they are going to get it no matter what. Chevy people are like the Cadillac people but there is envy from Buick and Pontiac people. They are fighting for product people. I feel for SAAB people because they are the step child that still has no support or product to back them up. They segment they are in has changed so much and they have not kept up. Saturn people are the best off because they are European and Opel /Vauxhall in nature. They just need recognition and marketing. They are not doing what the others are doing. They are not replacing Oldsmobile either. If they were I would have two in my driveway. GM needs to build on that aspect and market Saturn. A commercial was just on tv. That Aura commercial does not sell that car. They won an award so???? If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at GM for bad management, poor decisions, tarnishing all the legendary name plates, misjudging the market and telling you what they "think you need" instead of giving you what you want. Be mad at them for getting the product right and then killing it( Allante, Fiero, Bonneville GXP) Ford and Chrysler have not figured it out either. Chrysler almost did, but they stumbled after 300 and Charger. Ford just never updated what they have and have no direction. Money is too tight to mention at GM... Toyota is successful like Honda because they are cashing in on Detroit's misfortune and lack of common sense. They sold the quality. They are selling the reputation. Let's be honest.. The Honda and Toyota's are not stylish. They do the job well like Detroit cars used to do. GM lost sight of that. Let's go back to a time when GM was successful the early 1980's: They have a small car platform( J car) A mid sized front drive platform(A Body) A mid sized rear drive platform ( G Body) A family full sized rear drive platform ( B body) Full sized luxury car ( C Body) A luxury coupe segment or personal luxury( E and K body) They were not truck heavy. The the late 1980's and 1990's came: All hell broke loose. They are still over 20 years later trying to fix this. Saturn was the monkey wrench in everyone's plan. They became truck heavy Almost every car was front wheel drive The rear drive cars were killed because they GM thought trucks were the way to go instead of redesigning the rear drive cars. They downsized their cars and cloned them and paid for that mistake. GM had the market. They had the names. They had the styling. Several bad leaders who walked away with huge packages left damage. GM became dealership heavy. Wayne Cherry felt GM North America GM should have nothing to do with the rest of global GM when he was design chief. He made sure of that. GM North America became isolated and arrogant. Folks.. you cannot undo 20 years of bad mistakes in 6 months to a year. It takes time. Cultures must change. minds must change, perceptions must change, a generation of buyers were lost. You start to change it through your marketing and mission. Let me link you to GM commercials to make a point: 1989 Grand Prix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pinA0ew_rIE Listen to that? Pontiac had a song. A commercial that showed what a Pontiac is. You identified with the brand. I admit it, underpowered as it was (2.8 liter V6 ( 130 hp) and fwd) the 89 Grand Prix was a cool looking car, and had a great theme song. A full line Pontiac ad: The song. The pictures. The theme. The images. It shows what Pontiac is. 1985 Pontiac 6000 STE: Look at that. That commercial makes you want to go check that car out. That commercial shows what a Pontiac is.. The touted the awards they won. Other 1980's Pontiac commercials: 1980's Pontiac Fiero GT commercial: 1987 Pontiacs commercial: 1987 Pontiac commercial( Fiero GT, Firebird Trans Am, Subird Turbo): 1969 Pontiac: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLKXJlAZBxI Even 1969 they got it.. It had a theme and a message. You knew they were widetrack and more. 2004 Pontiac ad: Says nothing about Pontiac. So?? it has horsepower.... Cars in a garage.... Buick used to get it too. 1988 Buick Regal commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9mptYFDT0M A theme. A song you remember and associate with the brand. A proud American car. The car moves in the commercial like a Buick. You see the luxury. They even talk about the features. The way things are now, you might as well say the great Chinese Road belongs to Buick. The 2004 Buick LaCrosse commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWzBejDt2HQ Chinese LaCrosse commercial: It makes you want to consider the car by what it shows you and tells you. Not even the same Buick. The commercial does not convey Buick. Cadillac got it in the 1987 Cadillac Eldorado ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU49ltKDXNQ It tells you how Cadillac was different. It shows you luxury. You forget that car is underpowered at a 130 hp. You see the technology and features. The 1992 Deville commercial: and That commercial sold that Deville. You forgot it was front wheel drive. They touted facts and features and the status they had. The new DTS ads: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1s7F_Jof68 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-uhCNzHJVE And I want to buy this car why?? It told me nothing about the cars. Thank you for letting me make my point and to let you know I understand and I feel for you all. Just remember having a bunch of rear drive cars does not guarantee sales. It is the mission, marketing and the company behind the product.