Oldsmobile Intrigue

frankpcb

I am looking at purchasing a 2001 Intrigue GX, 18,900 miles equipped with power sunroof (an asc installation which is better than my factory roof in my 1996 Park avenue ultra)power driver seat, 6 speaker cd/cassette, and all other power options, dealer is asking $13,995. will offer 13,000. Any problems with 2001's, need reliable daily transportation. What would a GM extended warranty cost (up to 100,000 miles) as I keep my car a long time. What do you think about the asking price. Dealer showed me detailed carfax printout, no major problems of any kind, ie. no flood damage etc. Want him to pull maintenance history, but says he can't because he is a Chevy dealer, I am going to call Olds directly. Your opinions are appreciated.

lmacmil

I think that's a great price. I paid more than that 8 months ago for a 2000 GX with 23K miles. I also bought at a Chevy dealer who has done my warranty work. I can't believe a GM dealer can't pull the maintenance history on any GM car. After all, they punch in the VIN to verify that it's still under warranty.

dindak

2001 models are very good. Unlikely you will have any major problems. Sounds like a good price too. You'll enjoy that car.

dindak

Well, I went in and talked to the local dealer about getting out of my lease early and into an Alero. Tested a 2.2L Ecotec model. Superb is all I can say and a big improvement over the Quad 4 it replaces. Unfortunately the penalty was too big as GMAC does not have an early termination available. Working through the numbers, I would be loosing about C$1200. I guess the residual on my lease is way high. GM will take a bath on that car in 5 months!

My wife didn't care and she said she can wait. Such is life.

Back to the Intrigue..

teo

It seems that the 1998-2002 Intrigue will continue to experience Intermediate Steering Shaft problems according to this technical bulleting from GM:

http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/Nov2001/articles/steeringshaft.html

one2one

Unbelieveable! All that drama fighting with the service dept that many have experienced all to find out that the problem was grease as opposed to a costly replacement shaft. Too bad they didn't figure this out sooner, especially since it affects so many other vehicles.

one2one

Sounds like a winner to me. And with the info teo provided, the biggest complaint against the car probably won't affect you. And if it does, just show him the article teo posted.

teo

But my question is.....will this ISS "Re-Grease" be a permanent solution to the problem or yet another "band-aid"?

Notice that the only other W-body cars absent from that list are the Buick Century and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

focus

is your name getting a bit tiresome? The tire company is offering up to $25,000 to Canadian residents with the name Dunlop - if they agree to legally change their name to Dunlop-Tire before next March; as appeared on a front page Toronto-Star newspaper article.

teo

This TSB affects the 1998-2001 Intrigue:

http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/July2001/articles/headrest.htm

one2one

That's one problem you won't find me complaining about! :-) In the '98, it would slide down.

teo

http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/Nov2001/articles/audiooutput.html

jg28

My headrest will never stay in the up position and I think that's bad because I'm very tall and need the height on it in an accident. They ought to lock in place with a button of some sort so this will not happen. I've read the TSB for that but it doesn't sound like it would help this "migrating down" problem that I have.

Has anyone drilled holes in the airbox to get more air in? Anyone try that Tornado fuel saver? I'm interested to see how/if that works.

I've had rough starts like many others here. I just leave the ignition churning until it does start (which is only like a couple extra seconds). To me, it sounds like a fuel thing because it seems like it doesn't wanna run after it starts.

one2one

I've got one thing to say: Go aftermarket!

oldsman01

Check and see what the original in service date of the car was. If it was after 12/12/00 then it probably has the 5 year/60,000 warranty. It's basically a GM major gaurd no deductible extended warranty and for a small fee, I believe it can be transferred to subsequent owners.

oldsman01

A year ago yesterday will go down in history as we finally learned who would be president and we also learned that Olds would probably not be with us by the time there was another election. A year later, I still hate the fact that the brand is going. Why couldn't some half baked brand like Mazda or Kia or even Mercury be the one. Olds is(or was) too great of a brand to be discontinued. Too bad Wagonner and some of the brass at GM didn't think so. Whats worse now is some are saying Chrysler is in serious trouble. I've never been a big Mopar fan, but I hate to see another longstanding nameplate be dropped. And just like Olds, Chrysler currently has a very nice line of cars.

dindak

Ya, I remember our family discussed Oldsmobile at the Christmas dinner table last year. Brand is fading fast and by this time next year Intrigue and 3.5 Aurora will be gone. Alero and 4.0 Aurora will follow the following spring and there will just be a van and an SUV left. Sad.

On the plus side, I do see a lot of good in GM's pipeline and if the death of Olds make GM stronger then it will be worth it. It's painful to watch it all die for me also, but in the end there is nothing I can do. If I buy an Alero in the spring, then there will be one more Oldsmobile in the record book if that matters.

coonhound

TEO:
Thank you for posting the intermediate shaft information. Sounds to me like us Intrigue owners should relax a little bit. Now we have to discuss how to get the shaft out.

I think the engine cradle has to be lowered at the rear and then the steering rack lowered in order to remove the intermediate shaft. Just an opinion, I could be wrong, call 1-800-!#=-+*?> if you disagree.

Where can we buy a shop manual a 66 cents on the dollar? I don't like that $120.00 dealer cost.

b4z

I remember it well. This thread was jumping. I remember shooting for 100 posts that day, but i think we ended up 98.
lots of unhappy campers. I think OLdsmobile was telling us they would be around until 2007. I laughed at that. 2003 is it. I said it then and i say it now.
If olds had kept developing the car it would have been a winner. I think they quit trying in 1998.
I also think if the intrigue had been included in C&D's latest sedan comparo it probably would have come in no lower than second.

oldsman01

I agree about the comparison in C&D! Everything they disliked about the Buick is simply not the case with the Intrigue. No "porthole era" V6, no Chevy Vega gauges, and no cushy seats.

coonhound, I ordered the manual directly from Helm and it was $120. Good luck finding one cheaper.

rcahoon

I have heard so much here about the altanator and I have the same problem on my 2000 Intrigue and the service place keeps saying that they cannot reproduce the problem. Is there any written articles or recalls on these that you can share. I even cut and pasted complaints from here and still no luck. Have 24k on the car and lovin it!!

jjpowell2

Waiting to hear how things turned out at your dealer regarding dimming headlights!

wbhall

Well, my wife picked up my car for me today and lo and behold, they couldn't find anything wrong with the lights!!! I will be giving them a call tomorrow!

dindak

I have heard on pretty good authority that Bravada will be converted to a Buick for 2004. GM can't give up on the luxury SUV's. Too much money to be made.

Oldsmobile could have been a great brand and a real winner if GM had put stronger marketing, quality and effort into it. Instead they gave up and GM will loose even more market share in the car market unless they get some good sedans on the street in the next year or two.

At least GM has a good truck line up (probably one of the best period). Now they need to funnel some of that cash into the car line and get some leadership back there also! CTS is a start IMO, but they have a long way to go.

bjl3

I took the Intrigue in today for my not starting problem. It took most of the day for them to diagnose my problem. They inspected wire harness's for chaffing all seemed fine. Per TAC Line they installed new Ign Switch. Sounded like it was quite the job. They told me to try it. Gm is aware of the problem and this was the first step. There are other things they would try if the problem still exists. (I hate that last sentence!)At least I have it on the record. So if 6 months down the road when I am out of warranty I have leverage.

yurakm

The manufacturer warranty pins you to be serviced by a dealer. Does not matter if you like the dealer and if he is located conveniently. However, some dealer mechanics and/or service advisers are rude, or not competent. Or it takes 30 minutes to get here, while you know a good mechanic the next door. Or the independent shop is opened through weekends and till 8 pm every day, and did not require an appointment, while the dealership is open 8 to 5 week days only, with a three weeks waiting. All of this are good reasons to to avoid the warranty.

There are other problems with a third-party warranty. In my experience, it is too difficult to get the approval for repairs. Not that they refuse the payment, but it simply took too much work to get through. Phones are always busy, and after the repair is done it tooks another call to get payment, with the fixed car waiting in the shop, probably through a whole weekend or at least till the next morning.

Any case, in average, the seller makes money on the warranty, while you pay him for the service. It is fine for those who do not mind paying for the peace of mind. However, financially it is better to self-insure. Better in average, and in long run only, of course: anything can happen with the particular car during the particular year.

The self-insurance must be affordable, of course; otherwise it is wise to buy a warranty. As it happens so often, the poor pays more...

winter9

I picked up my 2002 GL last Saturday and am loving it. I am posting much more detail below and comparing it to my wife's 99 GL.
I checked everythig over pretty well when I got it home. I wanted to check the lug nuts for proper torque, to make sure I don't get warped rotors from overtorquing. I found nearly all nuts were at 60-70 ft-lbs. The book says 100. A few were even under 60! I ran them all up to around 90-95. You wonder if this is the factory's solution to the warped rotor problem?!
I have been bothered by not knowing why all 2002s are EPA rated at 20/30 mpg (including PCS cars). The 2001s are rated at 19/28 or 19/27 with PCS. If they changed the 3.5, I want to know what they did. I had to press for answers. This is what Olds customer assistance said: "Thank you for your continued contact with the Oldsmobile Internet Response Center. Depending on different sources, 19/28 or 20/30 are stated as the EPA estimated mpg.
On the Intrigue website, intriguecar.com, it is stated as 20/30.
On our General Motors Media website, www.media.gm.com, it is stated as 19/28.
Keep in mind that these are merely estimates -- they are not perfect numbers. As for the differences in 2001 and 2002, there were no major changes that increased the estimated mpg.
Thank you for choosing Oldsmobile!"

winter9

When I brought my new Intrigue home and parked it right next to the 99, I couldn't help but give both cars a thorough inspection to see what has changed. Some things will be nothing new to the well-read on this thread (i.e. heated mirrors, remote fuel door release, etc.) but other things may surprise you as they did me. Please keep in mind that these are MY impressions based on the 2 specific cars I own. The comments may or may not apply to your car, even if yours is the same model year. Happy reading.

Let me start by introducing the 2 contestants, both of which I am very satisfied with. In the left corner is the (early) 1999 Intrigue GL with the following 4 options: leather, upgraded stereo system w/ CD, steering wheel touch controls and cabin air filter. As an early 99 it has the 3.8 engine and now has 46,000 well cared-for miles on it. In the right corner is the (early) 2002 Intrigue GL with the following 4 options: leather, PCS, wing and block heater. Interestingly, 2 of the options on the 99 are now standard on all 2002 models (CD player and cabin filter) and 3 are standard on 2002 GLs (all but leather). Pricewise, I feel I got a better deal on the 2002, partially because I could get it at a supplier price. I paid $22,940 for the 99 and $24,753 for the 02 (complete price before tax, license and GM earnings and rebates). If you account for the $1500 loyalty and the $322 in total interest on the 99 (0.99%, 36 mo.), I actually paid $9 less for the 2002 (got free interest)!
We also had over $3300 off on each car due to GM earnings, as my wife and I each have the old black cards. As you can see, I agree with redline that the GL model represents very good value. So if ever there was an apples to apples comparo on the same model, 3 years apart, this would probably be it.

winter9

Let's start with the sweet 3.5. I have not spent much time north of 4000 rpm in my first 225 miles, but what little time I was there it was obvious that the 3.5 rules the mid and upper range. It is really hard for me to keep my foot out of it and let it sing. The motor also fires up instantaneously, with the 3.8 requiring just a little bit more cranking - especially when hot. Just an observation - the 3.8 has 2 motor mounts attached to the front upper frame member, the 3.5 has just one. Seems odd.
I do like the wing better and the fact that the upper brake light is in the wing. This eliminates the "bump" behind the rear seat that collects unsightly dead bugs, which are virtually impossible to remove. The 5-year warranty beats 3 years. I like the PCS system mainly because it is an active (think proactive) safety feature (it can help you avoid an accident). Many safety features are passive, meaning they will help protect you when you do have an accident. To me, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The ride is more solid in the 02, possibly due to it being new, and seems to be a bit quieter. It has 1 inch more of ground clearance on the air dam - this is appreciated. I like the new RDS stereo. It displays the call letters of the stations, where available. I also like the retained accessory power feature - you can play stereo or lower windows for up to 10 minutes after you remove the key but before opening the door. The car has 2 power seats vs. just the driver as in the 99.
The 99 looks odd with the driver seat sitting noticeably higher than the passenger seat, to house the electro-mechanical actuation hardware. The wheels are sharper (but harder to clean). It is impossible to lose the individual lug nut covers as they remain part of the center cover assembly when removed. This is not true with the 99 as some posters have found out. The shifter easily glides into all gears - even 1 effortlessly. On my 99, you need to use Arnold-like strength go pull into 1. Dealer said that's the way they are. Yeah, right. I do like the bun warmers in the seats - especially this time of the year. The driver legroom is significantly more generous in the 02. I am 6'1" and the legroom in the 99 is just sufficient most of the time, unless I have boots and a heavy coat. Then I am a bit cramped with it maxed to the back stop. On the 02, MJ would be comfortable. Finally, the 02 does not have the weird "Yahtzee rattle" sound after startup while the ABS's are resetting themselves. The 02 does make a sound but is much quieter and sounds more like a faint springy fart.

winter9

I generally have 2 modes of driving. One is a sport mode (usually alone), the other is what I call "limo" mode (very low G-force, smooth driving) and is usually with my wife in the car. The 3.8 powertrain really shines in limo mode. The stump-pulling torque right off idle coupled with a magnificent, buttery-smooth tranny that likes to shift early, makes for an electric-like, feathery power delivery. In comparison, I was a bit disappointed in the 02. At modest throttle, it hangs on to a gear forever before shifting and then the shift is felt much more. In sport driving, I couldn't care less about any of this, but in limo mode, the 99 is far superior. It really makes for a more upscale feel to a car in my opinion.
As we probably all already know, the 99 has heated outside mirrors and a locking fuel door w/ remote release. Perhaps less well known, are the trunk accoutrements. The 99's trunk is very clean looking as it has a wall-to-wall mat that covers the entire floor of the trunk. The 02, devoid of this, looks cheaper as the spare wheel cover is exposed in all it's nakedness as is an ugly carpet seam going right up the middle. Also gone are the trunk-accessible pull cords to fold down the rear seats. Now you must enter the rear doors to fold down the seats. I also noticed the rear trunk hinges were beefier than they are now. Similar in design, the new hinges are a bit wimpier looking. I am sure they are up to the task at hand, but appear to have less margin for abuse.
The quality of the leather seems to have possibly dropped a notch. This is a very subjective observation, and perhaps the 99 is softer from being used, but some of the seating areas do seem to now wear a bit tougher grade. One place where it is night and day difference is the steering wheel. I'd be hard pressed to find a piece of leather that feels any better (soft and smooth) than what is wrapped around the wheel of the 99. By comparison, the 02 wheel leather feels pretty rough and man-made. It appears that the bean counters were out looking for areas to decontent. The headrest in the 02 does not seem to come up quite high enough on the back of my head to offer maximum protection.
Bottom line: I am very happy with both cars (so far). The 2002 has more content overall, a few areas have been decontented. The 99's main strength is it's limo mode abilities, the 02 is the sport driver of choice.

oldsman01

Nice comparison between the two. Glad to see we have several first time Intrigue owners who have come back for more. Anyone up to number three yet?? Once you get that engine broken in, you'll love keeping it about 4000 rpm.

wbhall

Just a word to the wise, you might want to go down to your local tire dealer for the type of tires you have on your car and get hazzard insurance. My car has Good Years and low and behold, I picked up a spike nail through the side wall. No hazzard insurance from the factory and guess what, I'm buying a new tire. Hazzard insurance at the Good Year dealer was $10 per tire and he gave me a break on the tire replacement as well. I asked him what it would have cost me to replace this tire if I would have had hazzard insurance before hand and he said $10. Your choice......just thought I'd be the reminder that the tires don't come from the factory with any kind of hazzard insurance! Your choice!

b4z

I agree with most of what you said, but i feel that the 3.5L has a more refined feel both putting around and driving it hard.

Once you get that engine broken in you will not be able to get your foot off the accelerator. it encourages hard driving.

oscarz2

Who has the strut tower brace on 3.5 Intrigue? I know at least one person does but I forgot who. If memory serves, it touches the power steering line causing noise but some foam rectified that? What about the wiring harness on the driver side strut tower area? Was that in the way at all? When I look under my hood, it looks like that might be in the way also.

I'm nearing a purchase from grandprixstore.com ($218.95 for front and rear) and would appreciate any comments on the above and also how it made a difference in the feel of the ride, handling, etc. Sorry so many questions. Any comments from others with a strut tower brace (3.5 or not)?

dindak

Great comparison posts, thank you. I sat in a 02 at the local dealer show room. Vehicles seemed to not have changed much from the 2000 I have. Guess I would have to drive it to see if it's quieter or drives better.

b4z

2001's and later cars have additional wheelwell liners. My impala is noticeably quieter than the intrigue was.

Isn't there a version of the strut tower brace that only costs about $20.00?

oldsman01

You are so right about not being able to keep your foot off the accelerator.

oscarz2

The $20 strut tower braces bolt onto the frame near the strut tower (and requires drilling) whereas the costlier ones bolt directly onto the strut assembly (and frame) providing meaningful rigidity. If any strut deflection does exist, I don't see how the cheap brace would counter it.

About the only two makers I can find that have the better ones for Intrigue are grandprixstore.com and slponline.com. Now I'm leaning toward the slp brace because there a tad less expensive, one piece, easier to install, and have no play (although the bracket doesn't go all the way around), whereas the grandprix one appears to have rotating play in the joint between the bracket and jam nut/rod/bar. It appears to me that the slp one would be more rigid because it's one piece.

All that being said, I'm looking for final feedback from those that have a bar on their Intrigue before I buy. At the grand prix and slp discussion forums I read nothing but good comments about the noticeable difference those STBs make but none of them are Intrigue owners.

vcjumper

I have the $20 bar that is stock on Impalas and Regals on my rear strut towers and it required no drilling and went on to the existing strut bolts.
Definitely made a difference but a bigger difference was made by getting rid of the Badyears.

Using the same bar on the front as on the stock Regal/Impala would require drilling.

oscarz2

Did you get it from dealer parts dept? I thought Regals only came with one on the front. What did you replace the Badyears with?

b4z

Is there any meaningful increase in rigidity by adding the bar to the front strut towers? I seem to remember the towers being very close to the cowl. I wouldn't think there is much deflection.

vcjumper

I have the Pilot XGT/H4's. I did get the GM bar from the parts dept at the dealer, came in day after I ordered it. Just had to widen the hole a bit with a dremel, but a file would work too. Maybe b4z can confirm the Impala has a front bar stock, but I thought I had seen pictures of them with it.

As far as the front bar adding rigidity, it does seem like it would be pretty nominal, but the people on the gp-owners.com forum seem to love them. I don't have a front bar yet.

oscarz2

How did the pilots change your ride? I hate to keep pulling teeth here and I know you've stated these things before but I don't recall the info and as you can see we're up to 5,500 posts and I loathe the thought of going back through all of them. Wow, that was a long sentence.

teo

http://www.detnews.com/2001/insiders/0112/17/insiders-369263.htm

dindak

It's true, alot of people aren't shopping for the number of valves per cylinder BUT there are many that do and GM has got to have sporty sedans that offer this technology if they ever want to compete with the Accords and Altimas. The 2.2L Ecotec is a good 4 banger but they need a replacement for the 3.5L ASAP.

teo

http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=1181

evandro

It's only too bad that Lutz's ins and outs are mutually exclusive, apparently. GM's content richness have always been a plus for me. If he's going to make a Chrysler out of every GM car, lacking the content that make GM cars stand out, I'll have to search other brands.

Dang, friends of mine that have cars of more expensive brands, like Lexus and Volvo, marvel at the equipment level of my Bonneville!

Yes, sometimes the customer is wrong. Sometimes, which means that other times the "car guy" is wrong...

dindak

I agree.. GM cars are very feature rich and it's a big plus because you don't have to add much to a base car (if anything at all) to make it desirable. Cruise, A/C, ABS and CD players are standard in almost all GM cars.

teo

True, but if you want "VW/Audi" grade interiors, then you have to give up some content for higher quality materials. Notice that most of these cars have generally lower content ratio (Compared to GM vehicles) but higher quality interior fittings.

focus

vcjumper - while you are at it, please provide the parts # for the rear stb bar; i called 3 dealerships and nobody know what it is.
May be you can post it under modifications as well for easier future reference?