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1999 Cavalier - What are the problem points?

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Old December 20th, 2013, 9:17 PM
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Default 1999 Cavalier - What are the problem points?

Just picked up a 1999 Cavalier (CNG) from a local auction. Vehicle seems to have all required maintenance, since it was a State Vehicle. There is 99K on the car, what maint should I perform to keep my new toy in great running condition. I've only had the vehicle for a week, but do enjoy cruising on CNG at $1.47 GGE. Vehicle runs great, with zero issues at this point.
Old December 20th, 2013, 10:14 PM
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depending on the engine...head gaskets
wheel bearings, fuel pumps for gasers, ipc stepper motors, upper strut bearings


very reliable cars, parts are cheap

Last edited by tech2; December 20th, 2013 at 10:19 PM.
Old December 21st, 2013, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by tech2
depending on the engine...head gaskets
wheel bearings, fuel pumps for gasers, ipc stepper motors, upper strut bearings


very reliable cars, parts are cheap

Thanks for the info. Hopefully with the car maintained by the state (Tax payers dime) it should have had all needed maintenance. It has the 2.2 L motor. My buddy has the same year, also running CNG and has 250K with minor repairs, (water pump) Hopefully mine will deliver similar results. Just to be sure, I'm doing a Transmisson Fluid change and flush out the radiator this weekend. Funny that you mentioned stepper motors....My 2005 Silverado lost a few gauges, and I'm planning on replacing the stepper motors as soon as my replacement stepper motors arrive....
Old December 21st, 2013, 5:28 PM
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My daughter used to have a 97, and all the problem points generally stayed between the axles up to the roof!
Old December 25th, 2013, 10:44 AM
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Gave the Cavalier an XMAS present. Just changed the oil/filter. I found all the maint records in the glove box. The oil was changed 7500 miles ago. When I changed this morning the oil was relatively clean. My buddy also has a CNG Cavalier, and has said that after 10K on his car the oil still looks clean as well.
Old December 25th, 2013, 11:35 PM
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My bil bought a 2002 cavalier CNG state vehicle. 1.5 years later it over heated to death. That was a short time before i fixed my over heating prob. Our Cavs opened the t-stat with warer from the heater core. Our heaters worked fine but the "FLOW" was not enough to open the t-stat. "REVERSE" flushing the heater core solved my problem.
Old December 26th, 2013, 11:20 AM
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Originally Posted by BW56
My bil bought a 2002 cavalier CNG state vehicle. 1.5 years later it over heated to death. That was a short time before i fixed my over heating prob. Our Cavs opened the t-stat with warer from the heater core. Our heaters worked fine but the "FLOW" was not enough to open the t-stat. "REVERSE" flushing the heater core solved my problem.
Flushing out the system was next on the agenda. I will reverse flush the system as you did, and hopefully not overheat. Tough to tell how the car will react in the summer. So far the highest temp the car has seen was around 90 degrees...
Old December 26th, 2013, 2:13 PM
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Here is the link to my story. You can test the heater core by bypassing it.
https://chevroletforum.com/forum/cav...rything-45692/
Old January 4th, 2014, 11:26 PM
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Originally Posted by BW56
Here is the link to my story. You can test the heater core by bypassing it.
https://chevroletforum.com/forum/cav...rything-45692/


So far my Cavalier isn't running hot. Car seems to be in great shape, only problem that I haven't corrected yet is the horn. I've tested the horn and it works, but haven't tested the horn relay yet. I install a new horn button before I remove the steering wheel.
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