27th Oct 2002, 22:21
Diesel sucks. anyone who bought diesel deserves it. Why didn't you just buy a Yugo so you'd have a legit beef (and even some of those ran OK)? I received my Olds as a birthday gift from my dad... and the car was already 10 years old. It was the greatest gift ever. I went almost 200,000 miles, and even my dad was shocked. That car just had zest. It's probably still out there. I sold it for parts. It may still be out there. Who knows? If I ever get a windfall, I'm gonna get another '98.
15th Dec 2002, 10:31
The Olds 98 with the 350 diesel was not that bad as a lot of folks say. I have nothing but good things to say about that engine.Sure, it may be outdated now, but it doesn't cost all that much to keep it running. If people that purchased these fine cars used some sense when behind the wheel, and by having a look under the hood once in a while, things would have been great. I have two of these Oldsmobile diesel engines running great.Could'nt ask for any better. Knock on wood every single time. Call me crazy, but I think GM should reintroduce them. In 1985,the bugs were worked out of those engines.They were really well designed in the last year they were manufactured.
30th Dec 2002, 17:35
I also think GM is one of the best car made. I also have a 350 diesel and haven't had one single problem with it. I also wish GM would start reproducing GM Good-wrench 350 diesels, so I can put one back when, if ever mine quits. GM should be praised for paving the road in automobile diesel engines.
Proud owner of a GM Diesel,
Tim.
14th May 2003, 23:59
The original owner of my truck with the 5.7 GM diesel engine eventually had some problems, so the guy rebuilt the engine with some additional diesel strength parts. He must have been some sort of genius. Anyway, the engine just doesn't seem to want to quit. The only two problems I've encountered are finding parts such as fuel injector nozzles and overcoming it's low towing capacity. I think the materials that GM used could have been better, but the design is kind of neat.
29th May 2003, 15:06
The above comments are a JOKE, right?
Here in California we introduced the LEMON law primarily due to the GM 5.7L diesel.
I completely understand why this person is SLAMMING GM and the 5.7L diesel.
WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP ENGINE.
I had very similar incidents with my 5.7L back in 1981.
I have had now many diesels since then, all of them Fords.
Not a single major problem with any of the Fords.
All went over 200,000 miles and were running perfectly when I sold them.
I am now the proud owner of a new 6.0L Ford diesel and fully expect to see the same reliable performance out of this new engine.
If you want a diesel that’s going to run for extended miles…..Stay far far away from GM.
2nd Aug 2004, 13:18
No, the above comments are not a joke. Ford changed their Powerstroke diesel in 2002 (I think) and had teething pains, as did GM with their Olds diesel.
I have an '83 Buick LeSabre with an Olds diesel. I just rebuilt the engine after 20 years and 215,000 miles. That engine is quiet, solid as a rock and gets 25 mpg highway. Not bad for a 3-speed tranny pushing a 4,000 pound car.
1st Apr 2006, 15:00
I have a 350 Oldsmobile Diesel that just rolled 300k. The problems were with the owner.
30th Jul 2006, 00:46
I would have to agree. The problems were with the owners. With proper maintenance they run forever.
I'm buying a 1982 Buick LeSabre 5.7 diesel, and I'm having it rebuilt with the best parts I can find. When I'm done, I'll bet it well out last any Ford diesel out there.
P.s. I'm a Ford guy!!
7th Aug 2006, 19:14
The b-body platform is one of the best cars General Motors ever made. I can't comment on the diesel motor, but the G (Malibu, Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Regal)and B-body cars (Caprice, LeSabre, Delta 88, etc) were very solidly built cars, much better than the generation that preceded them and certainly more durable than the front wheel drive unibody cars that came after.
11th Oct 2006, 09:56
I have a 1984 caprice classic with a 350 diesel and I love it. I have put ARP head studs in it and I never had problem with head gaskets ever, I agree most of the problems with the first ones were the owners who knew nothing about diesels. I just bought a 1980 350 diesel engine that I am rebuilding for a station wagon. I get 30 mpg on the highway with the caprice, and your riding in a car that has plenty room for you and your passengers you can't beat that. I wish GM still made big cars like these with diesels. And I also own a 1995 powerstroke too.
15th Jul 2007, 21:39
I have had two 350 diesel cars. I only had head gasket problems with one and once it was fixed, it was fine. Those engines were introduced at a bad time, hence the bad rap.
13th Sep 2007, 18:32
I owned a 1980 5.7 (350ci) gas Oldsmobile 98 Regency, and had great luck with the car. I can't speak to the diesel version, but my car was a fantastic car for just running errands, hauling all your friends/family, and long highway miles. In fact, I would qualify it as nearly indestructible the perfect teenage car (from a utility standpoint).
... in hindsight, all I can say is "my poor poor car"
The car was given to me as my first car by my father when I was in HS, and I then drove it through college... and if that isn't the toughest test a car can suffer, I don't know what is.
Heck I ran it out of oil more than once, and it just kept on going!...and lets not even talk about the off-roading, donuts (yes it will do it), or burnouts.
In the end I completely wore that car out, with almost 200k miles on it. And of course by that time, there were many problems, most of which I cannot blame on GM. I eventually limped it to the salvage yard about 11 years later.
In fact, I think the only "defective" issue I ever had was with the cruise control "magnet" that strapped to the drive shaft. It would continually come free, and I eventually gave up. It was a kludge anyway, as many early cruise systems were.
Beyond that, it was just normal maintenance and usual wear/tear on things like alternators and water pumps over 200k, which is expected.
And of course, like all cars of this era, everything in the AC/Heater system worked on vacuum, and as such these systems degraded over time. But they were easy to repair.
Plus, given the popularity of the car and its siblings, parts were plentiful and cheap at one's local salvage yard.
But this was really a great car, classy in its over-the-top "80's luxury" sort of way, and almost never let me down. Oh, and it was one of the last years one could actually work on almost any system in the car with a wrench and get things going again. Come 1981, the computers came.
I miss my 1980 98. It served me well.
1st Mar 2002, 14:10
The only thing wrong with the 350 diesel was that people treated them like they were gas engines.