# Rusty 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** silhouette, oldsmobile\ **Created:** [July 31, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037 "2018-07-31T19:54:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TomTaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@TomTaylor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TomTaylor)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/1 "2018-07-31T19:54:07Z")
I have this 2002 Oldsmobile silhouette with 181,000 miles last week the inside of the rear wheel opening fell off now the stainless steel exhaust is starting to leak I thought the exhaust was supposed to last the life of the car If I had a dollar for every time I took the drain plug out we could go on a long vacation now the body mounts to the unibody are rusting and starting to pull out what am I supposed to do ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/2 "2018-07-31T19:58:16Z")
Well, first of all posts without punctuation and sentences are just too hard to read . But apparently this vehicle has rusted to the point it is not safe so get rid of it. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/3 "2018-07-31T21:20:52Z")
I’ll second that. Junk it! It has reached then end of its life. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 2:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/4 "2018-08-01T02:45:38Z")
Took the drain plug out of what? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/5 "2018-08-01T02:49:54Z")
Why are the body mounts rusting out going to enable you to go on a long vacation? What are you supposed to do? If it was me I would take the vacation. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/6 "2018-08-01T02:50:45Z")
The wheel well and exhaust problems should be fairly easy to fix, although possibly somewhat expensive. But I wouldn’t junk the car just for those two. However the rusted body mount problems might be a show-stopper. Have you asked a shop for a quote on what it would take to repair the affected mounts? ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 11:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/7 "2018-08-01T11:04:21Z")
It looks like the end of the road for this one. If you spend enough money you could probably keep it running but why bother. Look for another good used car. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/8 "2018-08-01T12:12:02Z")
> [@TomTaylor](#): > > I thought the exhaust was supposed to last the life of the car It did, the car is falling apart, it’s life is over. > [@TomTaylor](#): > > what am I supposed to do donate it to NPR and get another car. ---
**Author:** ![TomTaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@TomTaylor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TomTaylor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/9 "2018-08-01T17:18:40Z")
Drain plug from the oil pan ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/10 "2018-08-01T17:46:19Z")
so you changed the oil about 10000 times (that would be $10000 towards your long vacation) ? that is once every 18 miles. Or perhaps a cheap vacation for $1000, which is changing the oil every 180 miles. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/11 "2018-08-01T17:50:57Z")
As best we can tell it’s time to junk it. If you disagree, take it to a mechanic and have them tell you everything that needs fixing and how much it’ll cost. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/12 "2018-08-01T19:37:05Z")
Rust is the worst thing that can happen to a vehicle. I remember back in 1956 when I was in high school, the mechanic that serviced my parents’ cars had a 1942 Pontiac. One time when we visited his shop the Pontiac was up on blocks and he was parting it out. I had ridden in his car and it ran well. He explained to me that the floor pan had rusted through and it wasn’t worth fixing and this mechanic even did welding. He also told me when looking for an older used car, to first check for rust and stay away from a rusted vehicle. Back then a car that needed an engine was a simple problem compared to a car that ran well but was rusted ---
**Author:** ![TomTaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@TomTaylor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TomTaylor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 12:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/13 "2018-08-02T00:14:20Z")
I am an ASE certified master tech and a GM master tech So I think I know a little bit about cars We bought the van new and I think it would’ve ran for at least another 50,000 miles without an issue but safety is the issue so we bought a new van sorry to say GM doesn’t make a minivan anymore so I had to jump shipments and ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/14 "2018-08-02T00:26:06Z")
> [@TomTaylor](#): > > I am an ASE certified master tech and a GM master tech Which makes me wonder why are you asking for help on a forum. Please use punctuation and sentences so your posts are easier to read. I guess your last one did not get finished. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/15 "2018-08-02T01:19:42Z")
@TomTaylor. I also wish GM still made minivans. I need a minivan for transporting my fellow musicians and their instruments. No other vehicle will do this as conveniently as a minivan. I had a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander that I really liked. We sold it to our son who needed a better vehicle. That Uplander now has gone 200,000 miles without a major repair. I would have purchased another GM van but General Motors quit making minivans. The Chevrolet Traverse didn’t meet my needs. Hence, GM lost my business to Toyota. If Toyota and.other manufacturers can turn a profit making minivans, it seems odd that GM couldn’t do the same. ---
**Author:** ![TomTaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@TomTaylor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TomTaylor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/16 "2018-08-02T02:08:57Z")
I just wanted to get opinions from other guys to see what they would do and agree With what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/17 "2018-08-02T02:15:40Z")
Like an old mechanic said once, you can always fix mechanicals but rust can’t be fixed. Call the bone yard. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/18 "2018-08-02T02:22:02Z")
> [@TomTaylor](#): > > the stainless steel exhaust is starting to leak I thought the exhaust was supposed to last the life of the car You’d think stainless steel would be pretty immune to rust. hmm … It’s possible I guess the leak isn’t due to holes in the stainless pipes, but a connection has come loose b/c a clamp rusted, or a pipe-to-pipe gasket has failed. ---
**Author:** ![TomTaylor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce7236/32.png) [@TomTaylor](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TomTaylor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/19 "2018-08-02T02:24:07Z")
Well I crossed over to the other side boy do I feel bad but on the outside the silhouette looked fine it’s still had shiny paint and no dents. I chiseled the salesman as much is a could got a good price on the Sienna then a asked about trading my van, some used car guy took it for a ride in the gave me $1000 on a trade in Amazing ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037/20 "2018-08-02T18:38:43Z")
Stainless steel will corrode in the right conditions of moisture, acidity, etc. There are many different alloys with different properties of heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and such. Some alloys are really good but very costly to purchase. You might find this inside a nuclear reactor but not on a consumer model vehicle. The stainless steel burners in my gas grills always seem to last a few years and then need to be replaced. Apparently that is an application where the cheap alloys used only last so long. I have scrapped some stainless in the past for money. The guys at the yard give a higher value for stainless that doesn’t attract a magnet vs. stainless that is magnetic. I have a buddy who is a machinist. They recycle all the cuttings/turnings as well. They get more since this is a very specialized and costly form of metal. It is medical grade and probably a lot better than anything in your tailpipe. It sounds like you made the best of this by trading it in for $1000. I think you did REALLY well on this one. Cars only last so long and I suspect this was used in a northern climate where they salt in the winter. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rusty-2002-oldsmobile-silhouette/122037.md?page=2)