Did Buick make a 3.1L V6 for 2002 LeSabre?

Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and stumbled on a 2002 LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for a teenager, she likes it, so I've looked for reviews, recalls, etc., and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre. Have I missed something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so, wouldn't there be ramifications to its performance, or fittings? I'd really appreciate some advice about this potential purchase. Thank you.

On 8/30/15 11:56 AM, wrote:
> Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and
> stumbled on a 2002 LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for
> a teenager, she likes it, so I've looked for reviews, recalls,
> etc., and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre. Have I
> missed something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so,
> wouldn't there be ramifications to its performance, or fittings?
> I'd really appreciate some advice about this potential purchase.
> Thank you.
>


What makes you think it's a 3.1 ?

According to Edmunds website, only a 3.8 was offered in 2002

http://www.edmunds.com/buick/lesabre...eatures-specs/

According to info at Wikipedia, Buick may never have offered a 3.1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V6_engine#Series_II

wrote:
> Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and stumbled on a 2002
> LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for a teenager, she likes it, so I've
> looked for reviews, recalls, etc., and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre.
> Have I missed something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so, wouldn't there
> be ramifications to its performance, or fittings? I'd really appreciate some advice
> about this potential purchase. Thank you.

OK car if you don't mind the low gas mileage.
Big and hard to maneuver.
The 3.3-3.8 was probably the best GM V-6 ever made however it did have
a major problem with coolant leaking into the intake manifold
which eventually destroys the engine.
Do a Google search for:
gm 3.8, intake manifold leak

Unlikely the engines were switched. It would not be worth the
thousands of $$$ not including engine and trans and hundreds of work hours
to get it to work.
Besides, you can easily tell by looking at it. The 60 degree 3.1 looks way
different than the 90 degree 3.8.

wrote:
> Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and
> stumbled on a 2002 LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for a
> teenager, she likes it, so I've looked for reviews, recalls, etc.,
> and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre. Have I missed
> something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so, wouldn't
> there be ramifications to its performance, or fittings? I'd really
> appreciate some advice about this potential purchase. Thank you.

If it's a 2002 LeSabre they only came with the 3.8 V6.

The Buick Century in 2002 had a 3.1

On Sunday, August 30, 2015 at 10:18:01 AM UTC-7, Paul in Houston TX wrote:
> wrote:
> > Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and stumbled on a 2002
> > LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for a teenager, she likes it, so I've
> > looked for reviews, recalls, etc., and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre.
> > Have I missed something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so, wouldn't there
> > be ramifications to its performance, or fittings? I'd really appreciate some advice
> > about this potential purchase. Thank you.
>
> OK car if you don't mind the low gas mileage.
> Big and hard to maneuver.
> The 3.3-3.8 was probably the best GM V-6 ever made however it did have
> a major problem with coolant leaking into the intake manifold
> which eventually destroys the engine.
> Do a Google search for:
> gm 3.8, intake manifold leak
>
> Unlikely the engines were switched. It would not be worth the
> thousands of $$$ not including engine and trans and hundreds of work hours
> to get it to work.
> Besides, you can easily tell by looking at it. The 60 degree 3.1 looks way
> different than the 90 degree 3.8.

Thank you. I'll look under the hood this time. The seller repeatedly said it was a 3.1 and since I hadn't researched larger sedans prior to seeing it I was uninformed.

On Sunday, August 30, 2015 at 11:15:42 AM UTC-7, Steve W. wrote:
> wrote:
> > Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and
> > stumbled on a 2002 LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for a
> > teenager, she likes it, so I've looked for reviews, recalls, etc.,
> > and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre. Have I missed
> > something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so, wouldn't
> > there be ramifications to its performance, or fittings? I'd really
> > appreciate some advice about this potential purchase. Thank you.
>
> If it's a 2002 LeSabre they only came with the 3.8 V6.
>
> The Buick Century in 2002 had a 3.1

Thank you. I've a call in to see if perhaps he meant to say 3.8.

On Sunday, August 30, 2015 at 9:29:47 AM UTC-7, Retired wrote:
> On 8/30/15 11:56 AM, squid wrote:
> > Good morning, We're searching for a first car for my daughter and
> > stumbled on a 2002 LeSabre Ltd. with 50k miles. Surprisingly, for
> > a teenager, she likes it, so I've looked for reviews, recalls,
> > etc., and can only find them for a 3.8L for the LeSabre. Have I
> > missed something? Might the seller have switched engines? If so,
> > wouldn't there be ramifications to its performance, or fittings?
> > I'd really appreciate some advice about this potential purchase.
> > Thank you.
> >
>
>
> What makes you think it's a 3.1 ?
>
> According to Edmunds website, only a 3.8 was offered in 2002
>
> http://www.edmunds.com/buick/lesabre...eatures-specs/
>
> According to info at Wikipedia, Buick may never have offered a 3.1
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V6_engine#Series_II

That's what the seller said but I didn't think to look under the hood at that time. Thank you.

Really appreciate the assistance. Heard back from the seller who retracted the 3.1 to say it was indeed a 3.8. Now that that is straightened out it seems like it could be a safe and dependable car for my girl.

In article >,
squid > wrote:
>Really appreciate the assistance. Heard back from the seller who retracted the 3.1 to say it was indeed a 3.8. Now that that is straightened out it seems like it could be a safe and dependable car for my girl.

Just to let you know: there is only one reason why teenagers are willing to
drive enormous boats like this. It's because there is plenty of room in
the back seat for making out.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On 08/31/2015 08:50 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> In article >,
> squid > wrote:
>>Really appreciate the assistance. Heard back from the seller who retracted the 3.1 to say it was indeed a 3.8. Now that that is straightened out it seems like it could be a safe and dependable car for my girl.
>
> Just to let you know: there is only one reason why teenagers are willing to
> drive enormous boats like this. It's because there is plenty of room in
> the back seat for making out.

No, it's because somebody else was willing to pay for it. A large
underpowered low-status car is the perfect first car for a kid.

--
Cheers, Bev
A man's got to know his limitations.
It's a woman's duty to make sure of this.