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Re: Used 1995 CSE advice Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Wed, 15 Sep 2004 05:29:37
In Reply to: Used 1995 CSE advice, Rupert, Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:54:51 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Actually, things start failing well before 100K. But that is part of normal maintenance.
Definately check the engine mounts. Look at the 'dogbone' that connects the top of the engine to the body. It has two rubber bushings. If the bushings are badly cracked, then the engine has been moving around, a sign of bad motor mounts. Look straight down between the fenderwell and the belts - you'll see the forward engine mount. The rubber should look smooth, uncracked, and dry.
The other suspension place to look is the lower-A arm rear bushing. Wow, that's a mouthful. The bottom of the front wheel sits on an arm that connects to the chassis in two places; look at the rearmost portion. You'll see the arm goes through a round rubber bushing, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Does the bushing look cracked? If so, that isn't helping. That's a pretty easy replacement.
Bumps from the rear are common. Make sure the jack, crank handle, and spare tire are properly secured. Also, push down on the rear hatch - does it have play? If the rear latch needs adjustment, or one of the body-to-hatch bumpers is missing, it'll bang.
Things you want to know is if the oil has been changed frequently, coolant and brake fluid changed. Coolant and brake fluid changes are part of the 65K and 95K services. New serpentine belt goes in at 65K. But frequent oil changes are a MUST.
I expect the '95 comes with TCS. THis scares some folks. I doesn't scare me, but then, I don't own a car with it. Check through the records - if you see a trail of TCS-related repairs, stay away. One or two aren't a big issue - things break.
It all depends on how much work you want to do yourself. I just picked up a '97 CSE with 101K miles, and the previous owner had dropped over $6K in repairs over the last four years, because he had the dealer do everything. $11K if you count the new engine, because the first owner didn't change the oil frequently enough. At $117 to replace an antenna mast (something you can do yourself for about $15), things add up.
I'd check the condition of the coolant and oil. I'd expect the car to be in excellent condition, with no rust, and seats and interior clean and unripped. A/C blows cold, ACC blows hot, sunroof and radio work. I'd set aside the $2K for repairs as recommended, and assume that you'll need to do some stuff when you get the car, like idler pulleys and serpentine belt.
$4600 is a little steep for a '95. The 100K barrier stops most folks, so that gives you some bargaining space. For that money (or a little less), the car should be very, very clean, with lots of recent work done by a now fed-up owner. If the car is ragged, or needs expensive work, skip it. There are clean cars out there, it just takes time.
But again, these are not cars for folks that farm out work. Yes, maybe something like A/C work. But if you need someone to replace your antenna mast, or are unwilling to do engine mounts yourself, don't do it.
posted by 192.249....
, Wed, 15 Sep 2004 10:54:51, Wed, 15 Sep 2004 13:32:46, Wed, 15 Sep 2004 05:29:37 <-- Viewing This Message
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