1994 Oldsmobile Achieva S 3.1 SFI from North America
Summary:
Economy luxury and performance
Faults:
The battery needed replacement in march of 2002 (8 years of life!)
The front brake rotors have warped. I think this was due to the uneven wheel torque when I had the tires replaced.
My car is equipped with the 4T60E 4 speed overdrive transmission. There is a gear whine in the differential housing that will need to be corrected by rebuilding the transmission with updated parts. this only affects the 1994 4T60E transaxle so a good road test between 25-60km/h is essential. Even better if the previous owner has had it fixed.
General Comments:
The person who owned the car before me had a large dog because there was white dog hair on everything. the driver's door panel is broken at the top and there are some large scratch marks on the top surface. I think their dog broke it by pulling at it with his front paws. that is abuse not a defect.
Excellent engine power and economy (I've had 42MPG on the highway)
Nice interior and features for a reasonably priced used car.
Full instrument cluster is handy and back lit by blue/aqua light (very cool)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st May, 2002
29th Jun 2003, 19:04
I wonder if the head gasket failure the first time might be from over heating. Low coolant, this would cause the head to warp.There's no comment noted about the head being checked for flatness. I believe this head to be aluminum, which warps more than cast iron heads. Also if the head gasket blows in the same place each time that sounds like a low spot in the head. I own a small automotive machine shop and seen several heads that show flat and when I surface them have imperfections you can't see with the eye. I always suggest surfacing on aluminum heads just as a precaution. Hope this will help.