MarkBurghart
New member
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2021
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 1
- Location
- Manhattan, Ks
- Buick Ownership
- 1998 Buick regal ls
Can I fix this myself?
Here's the thing, I bought this old dog of a car a couple weeks ago, didn't run bad and I got a few friends that are mechanically inclined. So I figured that could tell me what the skinny is. They all said she was a diamond in the rough, needed some minor body work bu the engine was fine. So I'm out Cruzin' and stop by one of my friends house and she politely tells me that I had a headlight out, well damn, easy fix though right? RIGHT! So the new bulb doesn't work and I try for the next couple days to fix it (drivers side low beam by the way. I checked with another friend and he thought we could jump it with a ground wire or so something and it worked except the damn light wouldn't go off no, 5he next thing I'm driving home from Wamego and it's like 1am, no one around and BOOM! My front driver's side tire blows out, I swerved and BAM! hit a curb and I'm airborne, felt like I was up there forever and then I hit dirt and spin to a stop.
Scary, huh. I get my bearings slowly and realize what happened and where I was... which was still about 10 miles away from Manhattan, I'm 54 and not about to hike no 10 miles. Not going to happen, so slowly I get the old tire off and look and behold the damn rims cracked! Not good and definatly not a good thing and more definitely not a quick fix. I put the donut on and go to start the car up?.. that was my plan anyway. But of course it just sat there, mocking me.
I popped the hood and after a little trial and error found the other negative post on top of the fuse box, it had been knocked a little loose and a quick spin of the wrench and she was running like a dream, well maybe not, have any of you driven on a donut?
Went back to Wamego the next day to hit up the pick and pull, they were great got the tire on and you know... great.
Here's the new problem, the breaks are starting to get sluggish. Hard to push to the floor, you know? And wher I turn a corner it kind of feels like the back end is getting away from me. That was about a week ago and I don't know what's going on. Is it my breaks, the resivior is still pretty much full, maybe the transmission? The fluid looks fine, what's happening, and most importantly can I fix it. Know know this, however much i like this car I only payed $600.00 for it and I'm not willing to go all on, if you know what I mean. Since then I've done a little research and played around considering that was my only transportation and I'm kind of scared to drive it. I've taken the headlight offhand went as far to order a new assembly... wasn't the assembly, new light an same old problem. Took the wiering harness off and went through it, I don't have many tools so I just did a visual check. I actually found a wire that had been soldered I figured I can fix this I cut the wiers down and redid the splice. Not bad. Didn't fix anything though, still no dim's on the driver's side. I don't know, some great mysteries are never ment for mortal ,en to figure out.
As for the rest this is what I've seen, I'll put some pictures up with this post so you can see what I'm talking about. The first thing i noticed was there was a wire or something dangling behind the tire and the connector piece looked pretty tore up. Then i noticed something that made my heart flutter, I don't know what it's called but I think ots a ball joint. Then too my horror I find something is leaking and I don't mean just a little, this was coming from under the engine towards the back near the passenger compartment. Don't know what it was, I looked and I still don't know, my buddy said it could be condinsafion or something eazy like that. Help me out here guys, what can I do, can I fix it just some advice would be nice,
Here's the thing, I bought this old dog of a car a couple weeks ago, didn't run bad and I got a few friends that are mechanically inclined. So I figured that could tell me what the skinny is. They all said she was a diamond in the rough, needed some minor body work bu the engine was fine. So I'm out Cruzin' and stop by one of my friends house and she politely tells me that I had a headlight out, well damn, easy fix though right? RIGHT! So the new bulb doesn't work and I try for the next couple days to fix it (drivers side low beam by the way. I checked with another friend and he thought we could jump it with a ground wire or so something and it worked except the damn light wouldn't go off no, 5he next thing I'm driving home from Wamego and it's like 1am, no one around and BOOM! My front driver's side tire blows out, I swerved and BAM! hit a curb and I'm airborne, felt like I was up there forever and then I hit dirt and spin to a stop.
Scary, huh. I get my bearings slowly and realize what happened and where I was... which was still about 10 miles away from Manhattan, I'm 54 and not about to hike no 10 miles. Not going to happen, so slowly I get the old tire off and look and behold the damn rims cracked! Not good and definatly not a good thing and more definitely not a quick fix. I put the donut on and go to start the car up?.. that was my plan anyway. But of course it just sat there, mocking me.
I popped the hood and after a little trial and error found the other negative post on top of the fuse box, it had been knocked a little loose and a quick spin of the wrench and she was running like a dream, well maybe not, have any of you driven on a donut?
Went back to Wamego the next day to hit up the pick and pull, they were great got the tire on and you know... great.
Here's the new problem, the breaks are starting to get sluggish. Hard to push to the floor, you know? And wher I turn a corner it kind of feels like the back end is getting away from me. That was about a week ago and I don't know what's going on. Is it my breaks, the resivior is still pretty much full, maybe the transmission? The fluid looks fine, what's happening, and most importantly can I fix it. Know know this, however much i like this car I only payed $600.00 for it and I'm not willing to go all on, if you know what I mean. Since then I've done a little research and played around considering that was my only transportation and I'm kind of scared to drive it. I've taken the headlight offhand went as far to order a new assembly... wasn't the assembly, new light an same old problem. Took the wiering harness off and went through it, I don't have many tools so I just did a visual check. I actually found a wire that had been soldered I figured I can fix this I cut the wiers down and redid the splice. Not bad. Didn't fix anything though, still no dim's on the driver's side. I don't know, some great mysteries are never ment for mortal ,en to figure out.
As for the rest this is what I've seen, I'll put some pictures up with this post so you can see what I'm talking about. The first thing i noticed was there was a wire or something dangling behind the tire and the connector piece looked pretty tore up. Then i noticed something that made my heart flutter, I don't know what it's called but I think ots a ball joint. Then too my horror I find something is leaking and I don't mean just a little, this was coming from under the engine towards the back near the passenger compartment. Don't know what it was, I looked and I still don't know, my buddy said it could be condinsafion or something eazy like that. Help me out here guys, what can I do, can I fix it just some advice would be nice,
