Light puttering under idle

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[XTRevolution]

This is on my 95 Regal, L27. This has been happening for a while now. While the car is in idle, there's a light puttering sound coming from the exahust, and its repetitive.

1995 Buick Regal L27 3800 Series 1 Exhaust

If you listen for it, you'll hear it during the idle clips. Its a puttering sound that's very repetitive and predictable. The car pulls hard and has plenty of power, and there aren't any SES codes thrown. It idles decently well and doesn't fluctuate much at all.

Any idea on what this could be? If you put your hand toward the exhaust, you can feel the exhaust blowing bursts of air during the puttering sounds. Try listen for bursts of air.

Magnaflow straight through muffler. 4-5 years old, 80-90k miles.

[Chris]

I don't hear anything?

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

sounds like my old regal... but stick that camera to the side of the tail pipe, right behind the car. if youre askin about sound, we dont need to see the whole car, or any of it really. just hear it.

[XTRevolution]

Got a burned valve. Tried the old dollar trick, where you put the dollar on the tail pipe and it sucks it in and blows it back out repeatedly.

Burned exhaust valves 1993 Buick Skylark 3300

I have a guy in northern wisconsin who's offering me a complete 85k mile engine with sensors, icm, coils, everything for $150. I'll drive up there and pick off all of the accessories, sensors, and top end after I get back from my honeymoon.

[TehWinGTP]

What a nifty little test!

[XTRevolution]

What a nifty little test!

Yep!

If you listen to that video with the test, you'll hear the kind of puttering I was talking about, and you'll see the bill getting blown back during those points. If you watch my video, you'll be able to tell the same kind of sound during idle.

[Chris]

Oh wow, every 60*V6 I own has a slight sputter at idle, but not like that. More like a slight misfire. That, well that sounds; expensive.

[XTRevolution]

Oh wow, every 60*V6 I own has a slight sputter at idle, but not like that. More like a slight misfire. That, well that sounds; expensive.

Not really.

A valve job is $240 + parts ($40 per valve and guide that needs replacing, plus seals, etc.). Its not as expensive as it can be. My cost will be $150, gas to get there and come back, head gaskets and bolts, and a weekend.

Keep in mind I'd be doing this all myself.

[Chris]

My car cost me $300.

So that's expensive

[XTRevolution]

My car cost me $300.

So that's expensive

lol, your car is special. I want mine to go 300k miles and up, and I can't stand it when things aren't perfect. Little noises bug the living hell out of me. I take good care of my cars.

[Chris]

I use to be that way. I babied my '92. Bought it with only 30k on the clock, made sure it was always clean, always fixed every little problem... Then I realized that the car was rotting away to noting, and not worth babying. It eventually died and it's been sitting in my yard waiting to be stripped.

The euro, that thing has 249,500 on the odometer, this is it's first winter being driven and it's taken it hard... Car is rusting out everywhere. I'm sure it's going to do the same thing as the '92, and rot away to nothing; but still run and drive.

[XTRevolution]

Yes but you see, the regal was a California car till 2006, so I have a long way to go before the rust kills it.

[Mike]

Yes but you see, the regal was a California car till 2006, so I have a long way to go before the rust kills it.

It really is a good looking car.

All the little things that go wrong with my car annoy me too, they drive me crazy. I want her to be perfect. Like right now I swear I smell the scent of gas when I walk by it... I'm afraid it might be leaking...

[Chris]

It doesn't snow in Illinois? The euro had no rust on it, but now - that's a different story. I bought the Euro for the g/f originally, but she wouldn't help me work on it; so I kept it for myself as a winter car. My '92 wasn't going to make it through another winter; but it died in the fall so I've been DD'n the Euro for too long.

I'd like to have a nice car, but out here - that's not an option. No sense in buying a new car when it's rotted out to nothing in about 5 years. That's why I just keep a supply of Luminas on-hand

[XTRevolution]

It doesn't snow in Illinois? The euro had no rust on it, but now - that's a different story. I bought the Euro for the g/f originally, but she wouldn't help me work on it; so I kept it for myself as a winter car. My '92 wasn't going to make it through another winter; but it died in the fall so I've been DD'n the Euro for too long.

I'd like to have a nice car, but out here - that's not an option. No sense in buying a new car when it's rotted out to nothing in about 5 years. That's why I just keep a supply of Luminas on-hand

Not sure about all this rust you guys are getting there, but at least here, its minimal by comparison. My fiance's sister's 96 Regal with 115k has absolutely no body panel rust, and the underside is just light surface rust.

4 years in Illinois now and my car has no signs of any significant rust.