You can check the upper intake by the dates stamped on the top of it.
There should be several circular stamps in the plastic with arrows pointing at numbers. The problem was solved in 2000, but there have been several instances of 2000'* failing. You probably wont have any issues with a 2001 IMO.

Easiest preventative measure against the UIM failure that N/A cars are prone to, is to buy a supercharged car!

The supercharged engine doesn't HAVE to run on premium, but for it'* health and efficiency, it should be. If you're stock, 91will do, but if you're runnning a modified motor, you should use 93 or better.

Another area that can give you problems is that the sunroofs on 00+ Bonnies seem to be prone to leaks.

Ok, finally got a chance to look at the '01 SE I was talking about in the opening post. It now has 90,400 mi. on it. On the walkaround, car looks good inside and out. Just one minor scuff on the body. I didn't test all of the gadgets inside, but the ones I did check worked fine. Trunk was dry, motor appeared to be dry, no visible leaks. Oil looked ok, perhaps a 1/4 quart low, but I think they have gone over time to change it. (they just had a baby, so I guess it'* understandable) no Blow-by though. Tranny fluid wasn't as red as I would have expected...maybe a little brownish. It needs new tires. Car drove smooth, brakes seemed a little soft (but, it might just be me not being used to the car, and not having the seat adjusted completely to me) Questions: When does the "check gauges" light usually come on? It was on, but all the guages looked ok. Gas gauge was at a 1/8 tank. What temp should these cars run? (it ran really close to 200*) The fans appeared to work though. They are asking $6500. Considering this info, what would you offer for this car? Or would you walk away? What else do I need to consider here? (Sorry for the long post; thanks for the replies so far)

ttt

The check gauges light could have been due to low fuel (I've seen it a couple of times forr that specific reason).

The temp sounds normal, right around 200

I don't know on proce, tho. Run it through www.kbb.com to get an idea of fair value in your area

Can anyone verify this? (It'* what I thought too)
Any more thoughts?

i get the check gauges light when i am low on fuel (when the gauge is at about 1/8 of a tank). the 'gas pump icon' on the HUD appears at the same time too, as well as the light on the DIC. sounds normal....tell the seller to put some more gas in it and see if it goes away.

first thing i look for when buying a new car is rust (check EVERYWHERE) and body damage. however, since you're buying a '01 i doubt those will be an issue.

Double verify with my '93. Bout 1/8 tank it goes off, and will turn itself off if the gauge goes over 1/4 of a tank (going up hills). I assume that this would also be true of the 2K+ Bonnies, but wait for someone that owns one to triple verify

My 95 pops on soon as I hit the 1/8 mark. My gauge has orange hash marks there and so it pops up. If it has hud then look in the hud for a little gas pump. Bingo...maybe worth asking them to drop in a few gallons..or if its ok if you do. That'll make the light go off if it'* only low fuel.

I get check gauges when my fuel is low