Problems with my 94 Roadmaster

[Redman10026]

Love and peace Buick forum...

My father gifted me his 1994 buick roadmaster limited. It has a little over 94,000 on it. It's in incredible shape for a 24 year old car, and i would like to keep it that way. However as expected with a 24 year old car it's got it's problems. I took care of some of the problems (I'll describe below) but there's still alotta miscellaneous problems with the car (also describe below), and I'm hoping that the good people in the Team Roadmaster B-body forums can help me out.😁

When i first got the car from my dad, i started sneaking around the forums, looking for posts that had problems with their Roadmasters similar to mines. I found a few.

Similar problems

I had a parasite draining the battery to the point that i had to jump start the car every time i had to move it.

When i stop at the light, or while idling sometimes, the car would shut off completely and i would have to turn it back on.

The front drivers side window would go down incorrectly and had to be hand moved while holding the window power up button to be put up correctly (It was going down and up on an angle, now it doesn't go down anymore; more on that later.)

the passenger side window goes down correctly, but going up, it stops halfway i have to tap it down a little and tap it up in like an up-down up-down motion until it gets past halfway, then it goes up all the way.

The rear passenger window goes up and down ok, but it sounds like something is scratching the window.

The rear drivers window goes down but doesn't go up at all, it has to be hand pushed up (but this one is very different from the driver front because the rear is abnormally easy to hand pull up.

What's been fixed so far...
As far as the parasite and the idling problem the mechanic i took the car to disconnected the radio, installed a new alternator, new starter, and new battery. This cost me $650.

While at the mechanic he gave the car a diagnostic and informed me of other problems with the car.

Other problems

One of the windshield wipers has a clogged spray nozzle, the other one works, but leaves streak marks. (This I knew, but i didn't think it was gonna cost me $50 to fix)

That i needed to get my brakes flushed, my brakes failed the strip test.

That i needed new tires; the description says cracked sidewall dry rotted over 5/32" tread depth

I needed new shocks and struts; the description says Fluid Leaking Left Front OEM Right Front Rust Worn bushings for the front, OEM rust worn for the rear.

I needed front sway bar bushings and front sway bar links; in the description it says OEM links and bushings. Bushings cracked end links.

I need a new muffler and exhaust pipes, there's a hole in the muffler (and recently where the hole was at the near end of the tail of the muffler came off).

He told the grand total to get all of this done is $2500 (is this fair Roadmaster forum? Can i get it done cheaper? )

I am a novice when it comes to cars and fixing them, but reading all of the how to's in the forums and YouTube taught me enough to where i could at least fix my windows (at least i thought lol; shout out to the forum for posting the impala link and pics and parts) after buying the rollers, i took my door panel off and tried to roll the window down and it won't roll down anymore. All of the other windows roll down and i can hear the motor for the drivers side but.... nothing. Could definitely use some advice as to the next step i should take.

I would like a radio in my car but not at the expense of another battery (the mechanic did not help me in this regard)

As I stated before I would definitely like to keep this car around for another 20 years; you really don't see these type of cars out there like that no more and it makes me feel good that I have one in such good condition. However there are repairs that need to be made and if I could get them done cheaper than 2500 all the better. Thank you for hearing me out Roadmaster forum and I definitely appreciate any input you guys can give me.

 

[MelsRegal]

dont see the relationship between the idling problem and the new battery, alternator and starter.
concerning having to jump the car, did you first remove the battery and have it load tested, doesnt sound like you did.
Assuming you had a bad battery and alternator, why was the starter changed?
If you had a a parasitic drain from the radio why was the battery and alternator replaced?
How did the mechanic disconnect the radio, pulled the fuse? If so install the fuse and see if you really had an issue with the radio to start with.
Concerning all the other work, how much is labor and how much are parts?
Can you find a shop that has a lower hourly rate?

 

[Dirtybob]

I could see if the battery was toast, and the voltage dropped low enough, that the car might stall - but it wouldn't want to restart without a jump. Sure wouldn't think the starter has much to do with anything but it is hard to know without looking at the car in person...
I would be a bit suspicious of your mechanic, maybe he thinks you're made out of money (or he doesn't want to screw with it and shot you a high price to scare you off).
The sway bar bushings and end links are easy and cheap, the front shocks are cake and the rears are a slight pain to reach one of the top bolts. These cars do not have struts btw. I would do the bushings, end links, and shocks myself.
I went with the Monroe severe service shocks (listed for 9C1/taxicab applications). They firmed up the ride a bit with my soft (FE1) suspension. Also added a rear sway bar from a late 90s Lincoln, my car isn't what I would call good handling but it helped with some of the wallowing in high winds/uneven roads.
The exhaust shouldn't be too bad if you're just going to do stock replacement (i.e. from rock auto/similar) and it will come apart without self destructing. Worst spot is likely where the catted pipe bolts to the manifolds. A torch is your friend for this job.
Never tackled the window rollers, I've got one bad one on the drivers rear window. Might get around to it someday...

 

[Redman10026]

dont see the relationship between the idling problem and the new battery, alternator and starter.
concerning having to jump the car, did you first remove the battery and have it load tested, doesnt sound like you did.
Assuming you had a bad battery and alternator, why was the starter changed?
If you had a a parasitic drain from the radio why was the battery and alternator replaced?
How did the mechanic disconnect the radio, pulled the fuse? If so install the fuse and see if you really had an issue with the radio to start with.
Concerning all the other work, how much is labor and how much are parts?
Can you find a shop that has a lower hourly rate?

@ melsregal- appreciate the response....

I never had the battery loaded not sure about tested. TBH i saw a post a woman put up about her parasitic battery in her roadmaster and after i brought a second battery i figured that i had the same problem. (Prior to going to the mechanic, i brought a battery from another place). After it was installed it would die every 3-5 days. i would have to use the halo jumper to jump start the car. After about the 8th jump, the copper melted off the clips and i had to buy some new clips. It became harder and harder to start the car so that's when i took it to the mechanic and he told me that information in regards to a bad alternator battery and starter. I just wanted the car to turn over like a normal car without literally jumping it everytime i have to use it

He disconnected the radio wire from the radio i don't believe he took the fuse out.

Concerning the labor and parts, the place i went to wanted to charge me $2500 to $3000 to take care of all the problems, however when looking on ebay and Amazon, the parts are not really that expensive (shocks, bushings, turn signal device, muffler, tires-which i think will cost the most?). So i wanna see if i can get all of the work done for considerably less if i buy the parts myself.

Where i live, there's an oversaturation of mechanics, it's hard trying to find one that won't rip you off... i googled 'mechanics that specialize in 90's b-body cars in nyc', and they came up. decent reviews considering and i choose them. I gotta do more research on the finding a good mechanic end.

 

[Redman10026]

I could see if the battery was toast, and the voltage dropped low enough, that the car might stall - but it wouldn't want to restart without a jump. Sure wouldn't think the starter has much to do with anything but it is hard to know without looking at the car in person...
I would be a bit suspicious of your mechanic, maybe he thinks you're made out of money (or he doesn't want to screw with it and shot you a high price to scare you off).
The sway bar bushings and end links are easy and cheap, the front shocks are cake and the rears are a slight pain to reach one of the top bolts. These cars do not have struts btw. I would do the bushings, end links, and shocks myself.
I went with the Monroe severe service shocks (listed for 9C1/taxicab applications). They firmed up the ride a bit with my soft (FE1) suspension. Also added a rear sway bar from a late 90s Lincoln, my car isn't what I would call good handling but it helped with some of the wallowing in high winds/uneven roads.
The exhaust shouldn't be too bad if you're just going to do stock replacement (i.e. from rock auto/similar) and it will come apart without self destructing. Worst spot is likely where the catted pipe bolts to the manifolds. A torch is your friend for this job.
Never tackled the window rollers, I've got one bad one on the drivers rear window. Might get around to it someday...

@ dirtybob Thank you for the reply....

Most of the parts that I've seen on ebay and Amazon are cheap(i wanna check out the rockauto website you mentioned) ; and for the most part, looks like i can purchase myself. So for now it's all about finding a mechanic that can do the work correctly once i buy the parts needed. thank you for the info in regards to the shocks ( need a pair of good shocks living in the city; will check out those monroe severe service shocks you pointed out to me. Any other information you have will definitely be appreciated.

 

[MelsRegal]

Try finding a shop that is listed with New York AAA and has ASE certified mechanics.

 

[Dirtybob]

The part numbers for the monroe shocks are 550012 for the fronts and 550013 for the rears. Should cost around $140 plus shipping for all 4. They aren't listed as an option for the Roadmaster but they fit just fine.

Last set of (street) tires I bought for the Roady were a bit over $400 shipped from fleabay, paid a buddy of mine another $80 to mount and balance them. I would expect a tire store to come in at around $550-$600 for a full set. Not much of a price difference but I went with 245/60-15s and didn't want to hassle with the store about the size not being stock blah blah blah.

As far as shop rates, they need to be taken with a grain of salt. FWIW working on rusted old cars can be less than a pleasure and doesn't always go smoothly. Most shops will have a 50%+ markup on parts (helps to cover re-work on warranty claims) and need to charge a high hourly rate to cover overhead costs. I've been on both sides of this before...

IMHO an ASE certification by itself isn't worth much, that and a dollar might get you a cup of coffee. Some of the best mechanics I know have no certifications, just decades of experience and a solid reputation.
I try to stay clear of the shops with overly fancy waiting areas and several service writers up front. You WILL NOT get a bargain from a place like that. Usually it is just the opposite.

 

[danadalaw1978]

I'm not sure where you live, but $2500 sounds like a lot for what you described. I do all my own work, so I can't say for certain.
I think if I were you, I would first: get a second opinion. And second: research and get the parts yourself, and shop around for someone to install them. Do as much research as possible before you talk to a mechanic. Even if you don't know what you're talking about, you need to sound like it. If they know you are clueless, they will tell you anything to make money. Unless you actually find a good honest mechanic. But good luck with that.
As for the mechanic who changed your starter, alternator and battery, I wouldn't go back to him. Either he was just ripping you off cause he knew you didn't know about cars, or he was incompetent and just changed everything until the problem went away. Either way, I don't think I would trust him.
Your best bet would be to try to find somebody who works on cars at their home. If they're like me, they're happy to get paid. And most likely will want to do a good job so you will come back for other repairs.
That's my 2¢. Good luck. Just don't get frustrated and give up. These are nice cars once you get them going right.
Adam

 

[Stingroo]

I wouldn't put the severe service shocks on the car unless you want a firm ride. Be aware it will change the way the car handles considerably. I run them in my Caprice (same car) and love them, but it's not for everyone.

Shocks aren't that hard on these cars, as mentioned. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to spend $2-300 on some decent tools and get some skills. A B-body is a great car to learn on.

Good luck. I've owned my B-body wagon for almost a decade and love it.

 

[RMSWFAN]

When I had the '94 station wagon the battery draining was due to a defective electric retractable mast antenna. I can't tell from the pictures whether you have an electric radio antenna or one that's built into to rear windshield. In my case, I raised the antenna mast up while the radio was on and disconnected the electrical connector to the antenna; then taped the connectors to protect from moisture. No more battery drain.

 

[Stingroo]

You can buy a cheap multimeter from Harbor Freight and test your fuses to find your battery drain.

 

[danadalaw1978]

I agree with Stingroo. These are the perfect cars to learn with. They're fairly simple. Not too many electronics. Invest in a good mechanics tool set and any specialty tools you might need can be rented from Auto Zone or another parts store. Watch YouTube videos and ask questions on here. If you're at all mechanically inclined you should be able to do it yourself. The money you save on labor can be used for upgrades. I've owned a lot of cars in my life and I have to say that the Roadmaster is one of my favorites.
Good luck. Adam

 

[Wolfy01]

Love and peace Buick forum...

My father gifted me his 1994 buick roadmaster limited. It has a little over 94,000 on it. It's in incredible shape for a 24 year old car, and i would like to keep it that way. However as expected with a 24 year old car it's got it's problems. I took care of some of the problems (I'll describe below) but there's still alotta miscellaneous problems with the car (also describe below), and I'm hoping that the good people in the Team Roadmaster B-body forums can help me out.😁

When i first got the car from my dad, i started sneaking around the forums, looking for posts that had problems with their Roadmasters similar to mines. I found a few.

Similar problems

I had a parasite draining the battery to the point that i had to jump start the car every time i had to move it.

When i stop at the light, or while idling sometimes, the car would shut off completely and i would have to turn it back on.

The front drivers side window would go down incorrectly and had to be hand moved while holding the window power up button to be put up correctly (It was going down and up on an angle, now it doesn't go down anymore; more on that later.)

the passenger side window goes down correctly, but going up, it stops halfway i have to tap it down a little and tap it up in like an up-down up-down motion until it gets past halfway, then it goes up all the way.

The rear passenger window goes up and down ok, but it sounds like something is scratching the window.

The rear drivers window goes down but doesn't go up at all, it has to be hand pushed up (but this one is very different from the driver front because the rear is abnormally easy to hand pull up.

What's been fixed so far...
As far as the parasite and the idling problem the mechanic i took the car to disconnected the radio, installed a new alternator, new starter, and new battery. This cost me $650.

While at the mechanic he gave the car a diagnostic and informed me of other problems with the car.

Other problems

One of the windshield wipers has a clogged spray nozzle, the other one works, but leaves streak marks. (This I knew, but i didn't think it was gonna cost me $50 to fix)

That i needed to get my brakes flushed, my brakes failed the strip test.

That i needed new tires; the description says cracked sidewall dry rotted over 5/32" tread depth

I needed new shocks and struts; the description says Fluid Leaking Left Front OEM Right Front Rust Worn bushings for the front, OEM rust worn for the rear.

I needed front sway bar bushings and front sway bar links; in the description it says OEM links and bushings. Bushings cracked end links.

I need a new muffler and exhaust pipes, there's a hole in the muffler (and recently where the hole was at the near end of the tail of the muffler came off).

He told the grand total to get all of this done is $2500 (is this fair Roadmaster forum? Can i get it done cheaper? )

I am a novice when it comes to cars and fixing them, but reading all of the how to's in the forums and YouTube taught me enough to where i could at least fix my windows (at least i thought lol; shout out to the forum for posting the impala link and pics and parts) after buying the rollers, i took my door panel off and tried to roll the window down and it won't roll down anymore. All of the other windows roll down and i can hear the motor for the drivers side but.... nothing. Could definitely use some advice as to the next step i should take.

I would like a radio in my car but not at the expense of another battery (the mechanic did not help me in this regard)

As I stated before I would definitely like to keep this car around for another 20 years; you really don't see these type of cars out there like that no more and it makes me feel good that I have one in such good condition. However there are repairs that need to be made and if I could get them done cheaper than 2500 all the better. Thank you for hearing me out Roadmaster forum and I definitely appreciate any input you guys can give me.

I'm willing to guess that nobody is looking at something that is probably not even being thought about. I'm willing to guess you have a hood light on yours? It should be checked to make sure that it's not stuck "on". That would be a perfect parasitic drain, just like leaving a dome light on that will drain the battery and over a few times of being drained nearly or totally flat, will ruin the battery. Mine is unplugged, and was when we bought it. I'm pretty certain that it's bad and was causing a similar issue. The rest of the issues with your car, can be pretty simply tackled by an amateur mechanic as there is (in many cases) plenty of room to work on it. Get a good Chilton or Haynes manual to help. They aren't perfect by any definition, but will give you a workable guide on how to get to things.

The windows are a typical GM issue. Remember that these cars were built when the bean counters made the rules. Corners are cut wherever they could save a penny per car, and the cheap plastic sliders for the tracks have failed because they used junk plastic in there. There are tutorials all over youtube on how to fix them. I will state to MAKE SURE you get proper tools to get the door cards off. The plastic will be brittle, and the mounting points for the pegs WILL break, leaving the studs in the doors and a now rattle prone broken up door card to put back in place. The rest is patience and being careful not to shatter your glass. The parts can be found on ebay for cheap. This is up next for ours as our rear windows are doing the roll down OK but go wonky going up. Also get the rear tires off the ground and rock them up and down. Make sure the wheel bearings are tight. If they get loose enough, they'll fail and then you'll be doing axles along with the bearings. Ours is up for this as well.

I hope you get your issues sorted out. We love our land barge, and are working on it every weekend to bring it back to it's former glory. We've had ours for a couple of weeks now and have been systematically working the little issues out that it came to us with.

 

[mcoonbsa]

I'm a little late to the party, but having worked on cars on and off and fiddled around with old rusty stuff most of my life, I live in WI. consider this. Before you get heavily invested in your Roadmaster, do a cost benefit heart to heart with the truth here. Do you love the car? If so why, because it was your fathers, or because it's a great car? Many have paid way to much $ in order to keep dads memory alive to keep a not so great car running. I loved my dad but not one car he ever had was worth saving. If it's all about the car, then a decision has to be made. What's it going to be worth when you are finished fixing it? Try to be objective and reasonable to avoid future misgivings about spending 3to5K or more on a car that you discover you don't love. On the other hand, if you can't wait to work on it or drive it, like me ,1994 Estate wagon, money isn't the issue. Old cars are a constant investment of love and money and the payoff is incalculable. Best of luck.

 

[Stingroo]

Yep. I've spent way more than what my wagon is worth to keep it on the road... but none of that matters. The first time I got to drop the clutch and take it for a drive - it was worth it.

 

[edpdx50]

Old post, I know, but a problem that can occur at anytime. I was chasing a drain on my '95 sedan and realized there was a hood light, but I never saw it on. I cleaned it with some elec circuits spray and replaced the bulb with an LED strip. Now there is tons of light to get you off the freeway should problems arise- don't overlook this lamp- it IS a comfort feature that you could live without- but hell you paid the money for a comfortable car with these features, keep 'em working.