Loyale Question...

[guy123]

I may be in the market to buy something like a Loyale sometime soon. Before I so that though, I just wanted to know if there are any things i should be aware of about this model before i buy- common problems, weaknesses, etc. Any help you can give is appreciated. Thanks.

[heartless]

get as much of a maintenance history as you can - stuff like timing belts, axles, brakes, wheel bearings, oil changes, etc...the more you know about it's history, the better. what is the milage? dont need to be too worried about high mileage if the car has been cared for (my 89 GL wagon is just about to hit 230K), but if it hasnt - beware.

 

places to physically look at the car - wheel wells - front fenders have a bad habit of rusting out (being near the bay you may have issues with that) rear wheel wells and the portion just behind them are also very prone to rust damage.

 

looking under the hood, try to get a look at the axle boots closest to the tranny - rt side especially is prone to being damaged/torn. check the oil, is it full, clean or dirty?? also look for obvious oil leaks. these cars tend to "mark thier territory" with oil.

 

inside - make sure everything works - heater fan, lights, turn signals, radio, windows, door locks, any other power accessorys. how does it look inside? clean, dirty - overly worn upholstery, are there any "wet" looking spots on the carpet - could be an indicator of problems underneath.

 

if at all possible, take it for a teat drive. does it handle well, any vibrations, clunks or other noises. is tranny shifting smoothly? how does the engine sound? a slight ticking noise usually isnt too worrisome - commonly called the "tick of death" but really isnt - can usually be cleared up with little effort. is there any smoke coming from the exhaust - blueish smoke generally means it is burning oil and would need a rebuild, whiteish smoke is generally burning antifreeze - never a good thing.

 

this is my basic check list when looking at a used car - generally works for just about ANY used car. Good Luck.

[Bill90Loyale]

take it for a teat drive.

I agree wholeheartedly with Heartless.

P.S. I spent $1500 on a loyale about 8 years ago. I've put 120,000 on it myself. The car now has 220k on it. Timing belts, tires, oil, coolant. I did, however, overlook the teat drive. I won't let that happen again. Bill

[Tom63050]

I agree wholeheartedly with Heartless.

P.S. I spent $1500 on a loyale about 8 years ago. I've put 120,000 on it myself. The car now has 220k on it. Timing belts, tires, oil, coolant. I did, however, overlook the teat drive. I won't let that happen again. Bill

 

I always insist on two teat drives.

 

Nice thing about these motors is that they are non-interference engines; i.e. even if a timing belt breaks, no damage can result. Valves cannot hit pistons. Lotsa people sell their EA82 cars because of a broken belt, thinking it's gonna be an expensive fix. Wrong.

 

These cars tend to be easy to work on, and of course the Board is the universe's greatest source of expert advice to help you do so.

[Anthenium]

I've recently bought a '91 Loyale, site unseen. It was listed on eBay 3 or more times, so I made him an offer, and I got the car for $1500. He was the original owner, and had everything ever done to this car documented. Even stuff he did himself. I guess that made me feel a little more confident. The BAD points were the rust was a little worse than he had told me. Not a big deal, and it is still structurally sound. Also the electric windows quite working 2 days before I picked up the car. The drivers works fine, so acceptable for now. And lastly, the brakes are a bit Spongy! They don't go to the floor, but it's not a SOLID feeling when you hit them hard! They do the job, but...

 

I guess the point of all of this is I wish I had done a little more research, and DEFINITELY a test drive. But these cars are pretty reliable, and super easy to work on. Even easier than a Honda Civic!!!

 

I'm hooked

Fat Tony - http://www.smashbandits.com

[Tom63050]

Also the electric windows quite working 2 days before I picked up the car. The drivers works fine, so acceptable for now. And lastly, the brakes are a bit Spongy! They don't go to the floor, but it's not a SOLID feeling when you hit them hard! They do the job, but...

 

Electric windows...probably the contacts are bad inside the driver's door.

 

Brakes...bleed 'em. If that doesn't help, replace the front rotors and pads. Easy to do, maybe $100 tops in parts.

[Anthenium]

Electric windows...probably the contacts are bad inside the driver's door.

 

Brakes...bleed 'em. If that doesn't help, replace the front rotors and pads. Easy to do, maybe $100 tops in parts.

 

Thanks! I was told to check inside the drivers door, and then there's a relay under the drivers seat. I'll be looking into that this weekend.

 

I have bled the brakes, and it helped a little. The bleeders were easy to turn, so I'm guessing the previous owner had done this recently as well. Pads & Rotors? Not a problem! Are the rear drums a pain to do? I'll look 'em over anyways.

 

Also the Electric Door Locks dont work either. Mirrors didn't either, but that was a fuse. I was working on getting the cigar lighter to work, and it's on the same fuse. Oh! I just found the Lumbar Support in the drivers seat too. These cars are Truly amazing for their age/cost.

 

But the SUN is shining on the Motor City today. I've got the top off of the Chrysler TC/Maserati, and giving the BanditWagon the day off.

 

Thanks for your suggestions,

Fat Tony - http://www.smashbandits.com