[GMOnlyForMe]

The 3.4 TDohc is, I think and sweet ass engine. I own a 3.4 and I never have problem with it. I also got two Luminas with 3.1 and they havent given me a problem since Ive owned them. 3.4 and the 3.1 have the same block. I would never get rid of mine, specially after kicking the crap out of ricers and them finding out that a lumina just beat them.

 

[Neanderthal]

Picking among lower-mileage used GM 3.8s, something like an 02 LeSabre maybe that was probably used lightly, is a lot of bang for the buck. Most LeSabre types will have ABS and they also have automatic load levelers for the nights you have to transport the kegs.
An SC GP on the other hand is more likely than not to have had a lot of hard running. Not all of them, I see quite a few driven by old folks. But their kids probably run the pith out of them when given the chance.

 

[Elk]

Well the only idea I can come up with is pulling the engine and transaxle going to a junk yard buying a compete 3.8L V6, transaxle and engine cradle and putting it in.

 

[Elk]

buying a japanese marque is really the better choice reliability wise.

If buy Japanese you mean Toyota or Honda then yes. When it comes to other Japanese brands I have yet to see any reliability advantage.

 

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

An SC GP on the other hand is more likely than not to have had a lot of hard running. Not all of them, I see quite a few driven by old folks. But their kids probably run the pith out of them when given the chance.

My old fok dad has an SC GP and he drives the pith out of it He lopes down the highway at 70 but he gets there very quickly

 

[ChevroletTough]

The 3.4 TDohc is, I think and sweet ass engine. I own a 3.4 and I never have problem with it. I also got two Luminas with 3.1 and they havent given me a problem since Ive owned them. 3.4 and the 3.1 have the same block. I would never get rid of mine, specially after kicking the crap out of ricers and them finding out that a lumina just beat them.

its a powerful engine, but it is very problematic. The 3.1 is a strong engine, has less problems, and less design flaws. You should feel blessed by the car Gods that you haven't had a problem with your 3.4. They are the worst engine IMO hands down. Don't get me wrong, i like the monte, but the engine tranny combo, sucked horribly. It nickle and dimed me to death, and I know for a FACT that I am not the only one.

I will never own a 3.4L DOHC engine again.

Life lesson: dont let your mom find you a car, second, reasearch the hell out of the car before you buy it. I know so much about the 3.4 DOHC now its funny, knowing all of it, I wouldn't buy one. Not to mention the hours ive spent out in the garage freezing and tooling.....

Damn you 3.4....Damn you

 

[FightingChance]

You couldn't give me a GM car from the 80's or 90's. My '97 Saturn is just barely okay, it has had a lot of little niggles that bother me, enough to where I'm entertaining the idea of a different car even though it's running fine at the moment.

Yikes, dark days for the general. I'm not really a fan of any corporation (blind loyalty = foolishness), but I do pull for them to move back towards the standard of the world that they once were. I firmly believe that America and Americans can make the finest anything in the world if we really try.

 

[Elk]

You couldn't give me a GM car from the 80's or 90's.

They weren’t all bad. The most of the RWD cars and the 3.8L W-Bodies were good. And the 4 cylinder cars were ok. It was the 3.1L and 3.4L cars that truly sucked.

 

[paul8488]

How many miles were on the car? Does it look like a hard life? If the car wasn't used all that much then I'd be quite upset... but if it's been horsed it's whole life by the previous owner, maybe it's not the huge dud you think it is. I looked years ago for an early 90's 3.4L Lumina Euro (the older style), and couldn't find one that hadn't been driven to hell and back.

Not that that matters in the end... if your car's dead your car's dead, no matter what the reason. Get an 80's Grand Am or Cutlass Calais with a Quad4... zippy little cars with no known engine problems

 

[ChevroletTough]

140,000 miles on it. The car looked maintained. But who knows? The tranny fluid was a little dark when i bought it, but nothing bad....

Im probably going to be looking at a 2000-2001 grand prix. 4door GT

 

[Squachy]

How many miles were on the car? Does it look like a hard life? If the car wasn't used all that much then I'd be quite upset... but if it's been horsed it's whole life by the previous owner, maybe it's not the huge dud you think it is. I looked years ago for an early 90's 3.4L Lumina Euro (the older style), and couldn't find one that hadn't been driven to hell and back.

Not that that matters in the end... if your car's dead your car's dead, no matter what the reason. Get an 80's Grand Am or Cutlass Calais with a Quad4... zippy little cars with no known engine problems

I heard Quad4's eats head gaskets like MAD.
That was really the only trouble spot i was able to determine....and that was after reading about how unreliable those engines were. Well that and those engines apparently run rough and noisy.

 

[paul8488]

I heard Quad4's eats head gaskets like MAD.
That was really the only trouble spot i was able to determine....and that was after reading about how unreliable those engines were. Well that and those engines apparently run rough and noisy.

Haha yeah, I was joking. A 3.4 followed by a Quad4? Talk about a double-whammy! No one man deserves that kind of pain.

Get a Fiero man. Or a 1986 Cavalier Z24. Or a 1988 Pontiac Trans Sport minivan. Or a mid-90's Riviera. Or a late 80's S-10. Or a first-gen Tracker. Or a Prius. Wait, scratch that last one. You'd be better off with the Monte with a busted transmission.

 

[Elk]

I heard Quad4's eats head gaskets like MAD.
That was really the only trouble spot i was able to determine....and that was after reading about how unreliable those engines were. Well that and those engines apparently run rough and noisy.

My experience has been that they are good until about 180,000 miles then things start to go wrong. They are not like the 3.1L and 3.4L V6 where you’re having to take things apart every 30-40,000 miles.

 

[Triple-X08]

i had one of these. it was a 96 monte carlo z34. had almost 100K on it. before i wrapped it around a tree.

miss that car, i used to beat the hell outta that thing, had alot of power to.

7,000 rpm redline, made around 220 hp if i recall, ive never had the pleasure of working on one, and nor do I. ive heard of horror stories, and what not, and hopefully i will never have to mess with one. see alot of monte/luminas, but with the 3.1 or the 3.8 in them.

pain in the ass to do spark plugs on, thats all i can say.

 

[ChevroletTough]

pain in the ass to do spark plugs on, thats all i can say.

haha yeah! they are a bit of a pain, but i didn't have to get the engine puller, I just snuck the shafts out and used some tricky skillz to get the plugs out... I didn't have to pull off the intake either!

But it was deff a pain. Compared to my 89 silverado, where i can practically sit in the engine and work on it (and im a big guy!)

 

[redlipp]

Ive had it, this is the last straw (this is going to be a rant, just to let you know.) Im a college student at the age of 21, Ive had my pickup (God bless that thing) since I could drive. I got this 1995 Monte Carlo 3.4L DOHC this past summer becasue i needed better fuel mileage, truthfully my mom bought it without my consent or checking it out, so I was hosed, and now im out $1500.00. What a great wrapup to 2006 and a sh*thole start to 2007 :

Ive replaced a camshaft sensor($95), 2 O2 sensors($50, second one was under warranty), 3 vaccum lines ($5), an intake gasket($20), a fuel regulator($50), PROM chip(#75), and an injector($90). This car has been nothing but trouble.

Ive been battling an idel issue with this car that is known with this engine. I solved the problem today, after 3 months of testing it. The O2 sensor went bad for the second time, and I had to update the prom chip. From what Ive read online and through many forums I am a member at, I am the only one whos solved this problem, for that I am very proud. But today a plate in the tranny went out. I cannot afford nor do I want to put any more money into this car. I was planning on getting it running and selling it this summer.

The 3.4 engine is the worst engine GM has ever built, and the T4 transmission paired with it is the weakest too. This car does not deserve the bowtie. Im so sick of this POS monte carlo.

I am a huge GM/chevy fan, I have a bowtie wrapped in barbed wire on my arm, but this series car/motor/tranny is the wost I have ever come across.

Im attending college right now, i have no money, i cant afford a new car. I have to drive the truck, at 11-13mpg im going to take a hit in gas during the school year and in summer when i drive 40miles a day roundtrip to work. 2007 is becoming 2006, a horrible year. My parents are going through a divorce, its dragged on for a year, the house is going to be sold.

DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


end of rant.

(i don't expect anyone to reply... i just needed to get this out....)

words of wisedom, when purchasing a 1500 dollar car, make sure you keep another 1500 in wallet to fix 1500 dollar car! sorry about your problems, cool truck though. especially the horns.

 

[Elk]

words of wisedom, when purchasing a 1500 dollar car, make sure you keep another 1500 in wallet to fix 1500 dollar car! sorry about your problems, cool truck though. especially the horns.

I’d say they key to it is find a car with a good engine, transmission and chassis and you won’t be paying more then $500 to get it on the road. A $1,500 car will have problems, but as long as you makes sure it doesn’t have any of the big ones you can still get a good deal.

 

[BlackTTC6]

I had a 3.4L monte like yours YEARS ago and it was perfect. Had 150K miles on it and didn't have one problem. Yours must have been neglected

 

[Old Dood]

What I "know" about the 3.4L is what my mechanics told me about them....that is: "Stay away from them..."

That is ALL I need to know.

 

[tom3]

Had one of these new. Excellent machine for the first 10K miles, then the problems started. Thousand dollars here. $500 there. That alternator was a bear. And my cold start problem was a head gasket leaking coolant into a couple rear cylinders. Really a heart breaker for such a nice powerful good looking car to be so much trouble.