I finally got around to fixing my Olds. My goal is to get it to 300,000 miles. The body is very rusty and it might fail before the engine and transmission. Here are some observations on a high mile 3.8.

The plastic elbows were the main problem. I had the metal elbows but I never bothered to install ...

I just got off the phone with APN customer service. I told them how unhappy I was that their part failed with only 220,000 miles on it. In all seriousness, I read somewhere on here that the intake should be replaced every 100,000 miles. I should have listened!

The coolant is seeping out around the ...

My 88 has 282,000 miles now. The APN upper just started to leak!

I finally did it. I dropped the pan and changed the filter four times now in my Olds 88. Since I do it every 50,000 miles, I forgot the torque spec so I googled it. I did a quick conversion of 13 foot pounds to inch pounds then set the torque to 70 inch pounds. All of the fasteners were already ...

I successfully replaced the gas tank. The feed and return lines from Rockauto worked just fine. The Spectra replacement gas tank that I bought had two fittings that were smaller then the larger main fuel line. The lines on the car were three different sizes. I didn't take photos so I didn't know ...

I'm replacing the gas tank on my 1999 Olds 88 with 210,000 miles. The gas tank is very rusty but still holds fuel. The three metal lines on the pickup rusted away to nothing which caused a leak. The lock ring, gas tank and fuel pickup have rust fused into one chunk of rusty metal so everything is ...

I has a SES from one spark plug with the wrong gap.

Read Bill Buttermore's guide about the redesigned upper intake and LIM gasket replacement. It is very easy to follow and detailed. I have 150k miles on the repair with no issues.

I don't recommend Monroe struts. I endured 100k miles with them and didn't like them!

When changing plugs, I looked down and found the power steering reservoir for the first time. I never checked it once yet. The fluid has 190k miles. Is there a way to drain the system and replace the fluid?

The only source I know of the for the LIM redesigned aluminum gaskets is the dealer. I have over 100k on those gaskets with no problems.

I knew better then to throw the part the Autozone clerk suggested at the car.

My car was about 15k miles away from needing a tuneup, so I installed new plugs and wires. One of the plugs was gapped at .020. The rest of them were .060. All of the plugs looked normal for having 85k miles on them.

I ...

I always make my own. I run into minor trouble with bubble flares. If I can't use the factory line where a bubble flare is needed, I buy one from Autozone, then double flare the other end and attach them that way. I have all kinds of spare brake lines laying around the garage. I only made a flare ...

Last fall the check engine light illuminated in my 1999 Olds 88 with (now) 185,000 miles. The most concerning was P1811 max adaptive long shift. I cleared that one out with the Transgo shift kit band aid. The Olds was almost due for a pan drop and trans filters replacement so I replaced the springs ...

I put about 100,000 miles on Monroe struts. I liked that they are quit struts and bolted right in, I don't like how they perform. Thanks for posting the question, I'm doing research for replacements also.

Sounds like the coolant sensor.

My 1999 Olds 88 is quickly approaching 200,000 miles.

Here is the maintenance I performed over the years:
Changed the intake manifold and gaskets which included an antifreeze flush at 62,000 miles.
3 transmission pan drops and filter changes, the last one was at 150,000 miles.
Plugs and wires at ...

My 1999 Olds 88's check engine light popped on last week. It was the first time driving my winter car after letting it sit all summer.

The transmission rarely shifts hard or acts up in any way. From my google research, the code is thrown when the trans takes longer then .65 seconds to shift ...

Thanks for the replies! After referencing this thread:
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=28813&view=previous
and this page:
http://easyautodiagnostics.com/gm/3.8L/maf-sensor-diagnostic-tests-1
I found it was the MAF sensor. I ordered a new one from rockauto.com. After a ...

My 1999 Olds 88 left me stranded on the side of the road for the first in in almost 100,000 miles. I went out for lunch, car drove great. After an hour eating, we hopped in my car, started it and it stalled after a few seconds. I probably tried to get the car started about 20 times. Same result. It ...

I went out to feel the pipes, they were both hot. I checked the compressor by switching to defrost and then pressing the A/C button, it doesn't seem to be kicking on. I thought I heard it kicking on and off, but I never actually checked with the hood up. I'll have to check some fuses and research ...