Noob Here. Just bought a 1997 Bonneville SE
 

Hi,

I am a long term car forum user and also a car nut.


Bought this car used for business travel, so nothing really exciting regarding mods, etc.

I am looking for an FAQ on the car for common issues with this model to be pro-active and make sure everything is repaired before I start driving the car on long trips all around the Southeast US.

The only plans I have for the car right now are:

Full professional detail from High-End Detail
Install my Kenwood head unit with iPOD control and Satellite Radio
Install my Garmin mount for GPS
Window Tint
Factory OEM floor mats.

Car is clean and ding-free. 114K miles. I plan on putting another 50K on the car hopefully without issue before moving on to the next one.

Any input on the car or the items I plan on upgrading would be appreciated!

welcome to the club. here's a start for a common problem. its fixable and if you have any trouble the club is here to walk you through it
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...e=article&k=38

Hi and welcome to the club.
I see you've already been pointed to the upper intake issue...thats about the only big problem we've got.

All in all these are great cars, they've got some small problems, that are fairly easy to fix, that creep up and we'll be here for all the help you need.

Re: Noob Here. Just bought a 1997 Bonneville SE
 

We have a lot of car nuts here...and some simply nuts too 8) ... welcome!

another SE guy...sweet. Check out http://sebonnevilleclub.com also.

Welcome to BC! :D

The '97 is a good year for the SE, IMO. You will want to address the UIM and the LIM gaskets per the article linked above, but once that's done, you could be OK for another 100K. Mine currently has over 173K hassle-free miles on it and runs like a top.

Hi all and thanks for the welcome.


I just picked up the car over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised to see that it is a 1998 model SE not a 1997.

It is getting a full professional detail this Thursday after the holiday. I started some of the clean up already and it is in really really good shape. Leather is really tough on these cars (vs. some older BMWs I have had). This is a good thing. Not a lot of cracks and wear marks at all.

Here are the issues I have found thus far:

1. 60+ MPH shimmy in front. Noticed one of the front wheels is bent which may be causing the problem. I can pick up anotherone cheaply on eBay it appears. It's a 16" wheel.

2. The steering seems really stiff. Maybe just getting used to a front wheel drive car again. It's just sort of "choppy" at times when I am in low-speed turns. Not smooth. Is this normal?

3. The grab handle is missing on the driver's side (above seat in headliner). I'll order a new one from GM.

4. A small bit of body trim at the bottom of the car along the driver's side had popped out. It looks like the body pin is missing or not aligned. It should be an easy fix. This is the strip that runs along the bottom of the car.

5. Wheels have a lot of brake dust burned in. I need a heavy duty cleaner or my detail guy will need a little acid to get it off. I might just upgrade to a set of wheels and take care of the bent wheel and dirty wheels in one shot.

6. The power antenna is bent and won't go down. GM part again unless I can find a used or cheaper one online somewhere.

7. The "down" arrow button on the climate control is worn off exposing the plastic underneath and the light shined through. Not a big deal. I saw a new one listed on eBay for $34. Does that seem right? Very cheap to me. Are these hard to replace or plug and play?

8. The remote for the lock/unlock has a dead battery. I need to replace and read up on the re-program listed on this board. I saw it somewhere.

9. There is some trim at the bottom of the driver's side window that is loose and needs to be replaced.


OK, where the heck in the interface for the CD changer and where would the CD changer be if I had one? I looked in the glove box and the trunk. Also under the front seats. The Advertisement for the car listed a CD-Changer and I thought I saw a CD changer magazine out when the P/O was emptying out the car. Maybe I don't have it? I'm upgrading soone regardless, but just curious.

I'm sure once I take it in to my mechanic they will find more stuff. I just emailed him the link to the FAQ for the upper intake for them to check the date codes and will proactively get it replaced if it is the original unit. It has the pink GM Dextron coolant as well which I need to find the link on the board to get replaced.


So far, not a bad car.

For a few of those replacement parts you are needing, you MAY do better here on the board by posting in the "Wanted" section. There are a couple good guys on here that go yarding regularly and often get some of the common replacement parts for very reasonable prices.

Also, I'd suggest a seperate thread in the mechanical section regarding your "choppy" steering, to solicit some opinions on that.