1998 Buick Riviera

[Adam]

The muffler weld held! But for how long? Hopefully long enough to get a sticker. It sounds like a 3800 now. I'll avoid WOT until I get a sticker. Still need to check out fuel trims...

After separating the spindle and the strut, the ball joint went back together easily. While looking for torque specs on the internet, I found a reference for replacing rivet-in OEM ball joints with aftermarket bolt-ins. The documentation says to put the bolts in from the bottom rather than the top. Sigh. Its together now, so I don't care.

I removed the driver's seat to do some additional cleaning. Found another $0.65. It smells much less like smoke now. I'll do the passenger side later. Still need to do something about front floor mats. Maybe some AutoZone rubber mats for the winter? The driver's power lumbar definitely doesn't work. It sounds like some internal gear is stripped or misaligned or something.

I applied a coat of Eastwood Chassis Black over the Rust Encalsulator. We'll see how that lasts. It contains epoxy, so that might help fend off rust.

There is a squeak coming from one of the belt tensioners/idlers. The culprit looks like one that has been replaced. Might need to do those soon. It's not too bad with the hood shut.

I found the source of the drivetrain clunk when going in gear: the rear transmission mount. It isn't that easy of a replacement, though. The rack bolts to the bracket as well as the bracket bolting to the engine cradle. It also looks like you need to remove the sway bar to have a prayer of removing the mount without dropping the engine cradle. The good news? Aftermarket units come with the bracket for $38-$44. I'll see what the FSM says when it comes later this week.

My plan is to register it this week and maybe get a sticker/tires/alignment later this week or this weekend.

[Adam]

I got the FSM in the mail today. Conveniently there is a RPO code listing in the front of it, so here is the SPID decode.

AG1 - Adjuster FRT Driver Seat Power, 6 Way
AG2 - Adjuster FRT Passenger Seat Power, 6 Way
AK5 - Restraint System FRT Seat, Inflatable, Driver and Passenger
AL2 - Control Seat, Power Lumbar
AS7 - Seat FRT Split
A45 - Memory Seat Adjuster, Mirror, Power, Driver & Enhanced Memory Personalization
A80 - Adjuster FRT Seat, Back Power Driver, Reclining
A81 - Adjuster PASS Sear Back Power, Reclining
CF5 - Sunroof, Glass, Sliding, Elec
CJ2 - HVAC System Air Conditioning FRT, Auto Temp Cont, Aux Temp Cont
DD0 - Mirror O/S LH & RH, Rem Cont, Elec, Defog, LT Sensitive
DD8 - Mirror I/S R/V Light Sensitive
D74 - Mirror O/S LH & RH, Rem Cont, Elec, Dual Man Folding, Heated LT Sensitive, Color
D85 - Stripe Body Side Lower Accent
FE1 - Suspension System Soft Ride
FR2 - * Transmission Final Drive 2.93
IH4 - Trim Interior Design (H4)
JL9 - Brake System Pwr, FRT & RR Disc, Antilock, FRT & RR WHL
KA1 - Heater Seat
KG9 - Generator 140 Amp
L67 - Engine Gas, 6Cyl, 3.8L, MFI, V6, Supercharged
MN7 - ?
MX0 - * Merchandised, Trans Auto Provisions, O/D
NB6 - Emission System California, Tier 1
NC7 - Emission System Override Federal System
NG1 - Certification Emission, Geographically Restricted Location
NP5 - Steering Wheel Leather Wrapped
NW9 - Traction Control Electronic
ORN - ?
PF4 - Wheel 16x7, Aluminium
QNX - Tire All P225/60R16/N BL AL2
R9X - ?
T87 - Lamp Cornering
UA6 - Theft Deterrent Sys
UG1 - Opener Garage Door, Universal
UH8 - Cluster Cool, Temp, Tach, Trip Odom
UK3 - Electronic System Accessory Cont
UP0 - Radio AM/FM Stereo, Seek/Scan, Auto Rew, Music Search Cass, CD, Auto Tone, Clock, ETR
UW6 - Speaker System 6, Dual F/D Tweet & Woof, Dual Ext Range Shelf
U75 - * Antenna, Power, Radio
VH9 - * Envelope, Owner Info Man
VK3 - License Plate Front FRT Mounting Pkg
VM3 - ?
V73 - * Vehicle Statement, USA/Canada
WJ7 - * Trim Override, Interior Leather
1SE - * Option Package 05
1SZ - ?
50U - ?
561 - Interior Trim Med Neutral II (96)
564 - Trim Combination Leather, Med Neutral II, (4) (96)
6MA - ?
7MA - ?
8FF - ?
88A - Stripe Color Accent, Dark Briar Brown (96)
9FF - ?

Some aren't listed. The FSM also shows an FE3 (Sport Suspension) and FE7 (HD Suspension) options. Not sure if they were available on the Riviera or just the Aurora. I'll fill in the unknown RPOs after asking the internet.

Other things of note:
- This car has the optional memory seat system.
- This car doesn't have the optional rearview mirror compass
- This car has the optional sunroof (that doesn't work)
- The 4T65-E trans is shown in the book as MH7, the SPID doesn't list that.
- The Aurora's trans was the 4T80-E. That's a lot of transmission torque holding capability for the baby Northstar
- There is a multi-disc CD changer option listed. Maybe I can leverage this to add aux-in
- V-rated tires were optional

[Adam]

Items with * are from random places on the internet.

[kevm14]

I looked up FE3 and FE7. FE3 seems to apply to the Aurora and may apply to the Riviera. I don't know that FE7 even applies to the Aurora. Maybe like...export only? It actually would be nice if it was the FE3. It's not like it would be too firm.

[Adam]

...And it failed state inspection for rust.

Probably my fault for taking it to the local Firestone rather than...somewhere else. I will start another thread for the rust repair with some before and after pics later. The job shouldn't be too bad, just need to procure some metal. The main issue is the front of the driver's side uni-body reinforcement (the U-channel "frame" is missing its side and bottom in the area below the A-pillar. It didn't look great when I bought it, but then I tool a wire brush to it which made it look much worse. Apparently cleaning it off and treating/painting the area wasn't good enough. The good news is the chassis black looks great in the areas I treated...

Just need Ed to refill my gas bottle for my welder...and buy some weld-through primer.

[Adam]

FYI "failed for rust" really means "failed for safety" and gives me 30 days to address it before the state starts looking for their plates.

Also it needs a RH outer tie-rod end.

[Adam]

Haven't written things down in a while. After fixing the rust (see rust thread), I replaced the outer tie rod end that was failed. Really easy. I did a tape measure alignment and saw I had about 3/4" toe out. That's a bit much. I set it to approximately 0" and got an actual alignment with my sticker. Much better.

I've put nearly 1000 miles on it now, and here are some more broken things and other issues I've noticed:
- various interior rattles, 'cause 90's GM
- using the power steering while warmed up and in gear without moving causes the engine RPMs to sometimes drop into the "all the NVH" zone. Not sure what that means.
- non-performance transmission calibration is lame.
- driving around with a case logic 100-disc CD case has some nostalgic properties, but otherwise it's a PITA
- air leak at the door glass to body seal is annoying, especially at speed.
- homelink works. That's more of a feature than an annoyance.
- the tires passed inspection but the front's are terrible in the snow. Need to look at tires.
- driver's window glass goes up a little too high at the rear so it sometimes hits the window trim when closing the door. I need to be careful so I don't break the window glass.
- some part of my catalytic converter repair failed while using WOT. Need more muffler weld. Maybe I'll do a converter this summer.
- failed transmission mount is pretty clunky. Need to do that soon.
- doesn't appear to be leaking oil fast enough for me to care. Also the oil still looks pretty clean after 1000 miles on conventional.
- averaging 22 mpg. The Fleetwood barely did that on pure highway trips.

[bill25]

air leak at the door glass to body seal is annoying, especially at speed

Unfortunately that problem is probably not better in the Monte Carlo SS... Unless you have tinnitus, then it is quite soothing... LOL

driving around with a case logic 100-disc CD case has some nostalgic properties, but otherwise it's a PITA

I forgot... Does the car have a tape deck? I think I have an extra tape to 1/8th inch adapter.

[kevm14]

It does but it's broken. Then he bought a replacement that was CD-only because...brain fart?

[Adam]

It does but it's broken. Then he bought a replacement that was CD-only because...brain fart?

The eBay seller has agreed to take it back towards the proper radio.