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95 base 3.3 vs 96 3.5 es

643 views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  mb-lhs 
#1 ·
may purchase either one of these from a buddy at work-he got a new car and a truck. both 1 owner cars. both have 113/114k miles. issues:
1995 3.3
THE BAD
needs new ac compressor-it is seized and snaps the belt
the steering column moves up and down and side to side (see earlier post)
will not hold battery charge unless driven daily. an aftermarket radio was put in and is obviously sucking juice constantly. obvious connection/ground problem somewhere-have not looked at it.
THE GOOD
it snapped a ball joint 2 seasons ago. the ball joints, control arms, struts, links, outer tie rods are new. (we did not do the inners or the rack bushings).

1996 3.5
dont know-overall in better shape inside and out
had an issue where it would start and die unless it was run at high idle, then ok when warmed up. stealer looked at it a week before this symptom as owner reported gas smell inside and said not fuel rail as that was already done. he replaced a camshaft seal (unrelated). nothing else was done to car-no gas smell and no starting problems now-don't know but cars do not usually fix themselves.
to my knowledge timing belt not done. car runs fine and everything works-he says it gets crappy gas mileage.

1995?, 1996?, either?, neither? lemme know your thoughts. i drive 40+mi to work each way daily. dependability and gas mileage are also factors.
 
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#3 ·
****** said:
they both can get about the same gas mileage, the 3.3 is a lil more dependable of a motor imo
I'll agree with that. My 3.3 has 181,000 miles on it , and has never been taken apart,this engine has no silly ticking noises. went through two water pumps. Easiest water pump replacement of any car ever built.
 
#6 ·
OneSpecialM said:
3.3L's have a chain, not a belt. Not sure of the replacement interval on that though..
The timing chain replacement interval is ...........a damn good question. My chain is original. ya might say I'm running on borrowed time, but then again I haven't heard of a broken 3.3 chain on this forum.
 
#8 ·
Well, if your going for cheap, reliable, easy to maintain transportation, then the 3.3L is the way to go.

It's still got decent power, but won't destroy the trans as easily.

It's got a timing chain as opposed to a belt. (recommended service by people on DI.net is 150K miles. I have no idea what the factory recomendation is.)

Easier to replace accesories because of more room in the engine bay. Most notably the water pump.

****

If your an LH car enthusiast, and want the better car, then the ES is the way to go.

ES's typically have more options than the base models, and i *think* they have a different suspension package. Not sure about that...

The factory recommendation for replacing the timing belt is 105K miles. If it hasn't been done yet, then that 3.5 is just waiting to leave you stranded someplace. Expect an estimate of about $600 for a shop to replace the timing belt. $200 if you do it yourself. Just remember that on this motor, the water pump is run by the timing belt, so it's a good idea to replace it at the same time as the belt. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run.
 
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