Oldsmobile Intrigue

arnie82

My 2000 Intrigue's interior lights are not working. This includes the map lights, vanity lights, glove box light and trunk light. I checked the fuse (good) and followed the steps in the owners manual to reset the "battery saver" feature. I also made sure that the glove box was completely closed. They've come on a couple times but for the most part they aren't working.
Any ideas?

rabeet

Well, I sure hope that our 98 is not indicative of the breed.

However, several of the problems we have had are not unheard of - the dealer claimed many of them are common. This includes the rotors, ingnition switch, dash board, radio antenna, etc. I also noted that the new AC fan motor was a completely different unit. Seems they may have switched suppliers because of problems.

That said, there are things about the car I like, particularly the body styling. But this was our first American made car in many years (over 20 for me), and I would say it will be our last.

One minor thing - one of the driving lights burned out a month ago. The wife had it replaced at a local Goodyear shop. They used a similar bulb, even made by the company (Sullvania), but it was marked "3157" instead of "4157."

Well that one burned out in less than a week. So, I headed to a local GM dealer (we are fresh out of Oldmobile dealers around here) and bought the correct bulb. These bulbs do not appear to be common, so I would recommend going to a dealer should one of yours burn out. Cost was only $8 each (I of course bought a spare).

oldsman01

At temps below 30, you should be able to defog the windows with warm dry air from the heater. On nearly all cars the A/C does not run under 30. I think it has to do with the refrigerant oil getting cold as car A/C compressors do not have a sump heater like home heat pumps do. Most heat pump manufacturers recommend that you use the emergency heat setting immediatly following a long power failure to allow the compressor sump heater to heat the oil. Otherwise, the compressor oil gels and gets pumped out with the refrigerant.

redline65

Yes, the front windsheild will defog with warm air from the heater, but the side windows get fogged up. I think the Intrigue's A/C compressor will not run at temperatures below 38F. My wife's Envoy is the same way.

Glad my home has gas heat. :-)

redline65

My turn signals are doing some screwy stuff. With my right turn signal on and my foot on the brake, both front blinkers are flashing. I could see the reflection on the car in front of me. The right blinker flashes quickly while the left blinker flashes slowly. This is probably dangerous if people can't tell which way I'm turning!

With my foot off the brake and my left turn signal on, the left rear parking light dims each time the rear blinker flashes. Any ideas?

evandro

That's probably because the rear right lamp for the turning signal is burnt out.

HTH

redline65

That's probably because the rear right lamp for the turning signal is burnt out.

No, I checked my turn signals and all of them flash. I guess I'll have the dealership look at it, since I have an extended warranty on it. Of course, I'll get down there and won't be able to reproduce it.

sunsession

I'm thinking of having the word "Intrigue" lettered across the top of the windshield, just to add a little personalized pizazz to the car. However, I see a triangular mesh-like material attached to the glass just behind the mirror. Is this the radio antenna or what? Would windshield lettering interfere with anything? Thanks.

sda

I'm at home today baby sitting our 14 month old. Wife is out shopping, and baby is asleep. Ahh. So I just want to thank everyone who commented on my concern that the auto climate control in my Intrigue was not functioning properly. I am not used to the large fluctuations in temperature that this system tends to provide, and what annoys me the most is when the defroster automatically kicks in and starts blowing cooler air that puts a chill near my head and shoulders. Yet, based on the discussion, it seems my system is working as it should, so I will leave well enough alone. Thanks again for your input. I feel better now.

sda

I have now driven 2000 miles on the Yokohama Avid Touring tires that replaced the o.e. Goodyear Eagle LSs. So far, I am pleased. They seem to smooth out the smaller bumps better than the LSs, ride well at interstate speeds, and are decently quiet on most surfaces. They seem to handle about the same as the Eagles. We had about 8 inches of snow a couple of weeks ago, and our area is not equipped for snow removal. This was not a problem, and they performed well in these conditions. I have to admit, having traction control didn't hurt. At about $78 a tire installed, and 70000 warranty, I think they are a good value. There are better tires out there such as the Michelin Pilots, but for those of us not wanting to pay too much, these are a decent compromise. Hope this helps some of you needing to look for replacement tires. It can be a daunting task.

lmacmil

Thanks for the post. After spending way too much time reading tire posts, CR, and the Tirerack website, I'm going with the Avid Touring also, probably this weekend. At 40K my Goodyears have a little life left but with the snow we've been getting, I want a decent tread.

oldsman01

If you don't want the system to go into the "defog" and give you the cold draft sensation but still want the automatic control of the system, just put the airflow pattern on the floor position. The temperature and fan speed will adjust automatically, the system simply won't adjust airflow patterns automatically.

secondolds

I have had my '98 Intrigue about a year and a half. Before it I had a '93 Silhouette that I loved. The Intrigue has been a frustrating car and I don't have any confidence in it. I have a commute of 35 miles each way in Atlanta traffic, and I want a car I can rely on. I have the common cracking noise in the steering, but haven't done anything about that yet. Also just had the serpentine belt and the mechanism that holds it in place replaced. Right now I am more concerned with what seems like a transmission problem that started a couple of months ago. When the car gets warmed up, and the temperature gauge reads in the normal range, (particularly after I have been sitting in the previously mentioned horrible Atlanta traffic), the shifting becomes noticeably rough shifting, particularly the last downshift at about 45 mph. I took the car in and they flushed and replaced the transmission fluid and put in an additive, but this hasn't helped at all. I am really hoping someone else has experienced this problem and can give me some guidance. I am hoping this doesn't mean I will eventually have to have the transmission replaced. If that's what I'm headed for, I'm not sure I want to keep this thing.

TSchramm

You didn't say how many miles are on your Intrigue. If you've been driving a five-year-old car in heavy stop-and-go traffic five days a week, now would be a logical time for problems to crop up.

Not a bad time to start looking for a replacement. In a five-year old car that's being driven 25K miles a year, the problems only increase, not decrease.

I have a '98 Intrigue with 75K that I bought used and drive 7-8K a year. If I were driving as much as you do, I'd be driving something else - not a five year old car.

vcjumper

You could get a transmission cooler installed. May just be a $100 bandaid though.

arnie82

That mesh is some design element, the antenna looks like a small defroster at the top of the rear window.

redly_one

I just got a recall letter from my local dealership regaurding a 99 Olds Intrigue 3.5L I sold earlier this month

Anyone have any insight into what the recall is for?

tander

My 1999 GS 3.5 has developed an oil leak at only 35000 or so miles. I have GM extended warranty, however, does anyone know of any recalls, silent recalls or TSBs that are on point. Apart from that it runs fine, and Im still happy with the car.

moonshadow

recall notices are very specific as to what they are for , their importance, the dangers/effects one might experience and how and when to arrange an appointment with your favorite dealer.

If you have a recall notice from gm regarding your intrigue my suggestion would be to read it through and let us all know what it says.

2001 3.5L and no recall notice

b4z

There was a guy who had a porous block about a year and a hlf ago. They replaced the engine.

focus

I read somewhere last week that GM is recalling the 3.8 engines for fear of potential engine fire, if memory serve me right.

redline65

Well, my Intrigue is creeping up on 50K miles. Wanted to get some input from you guys on some maintenance.

Fuel filter - Never replaced. Should I? How many are there, one or two?

Fuel injector & throttle body cleaning - Never done. I haven't noticed any hesitation or lack of power. Worthwhile service?

Dexcool Coolant - Never replaced. The stuff is supposed to be good for 5 years, 100K miles, right? Should I wait that long?

Transmission fluid - Never replaced. My driving isn't severe, but I'm not sure I want to go 100K miles before having it done. Should I chance it?

Serpentine belt - Never replaced. How long are you guys waiting? I usually replace belts before 70K miles.

A/C service - Never done. Is this really necessary if you aren't having any A/C problems?

Front end alignment - Never done. No uneven tire wear or pulling, not sure if this is necessary.

As you can tell, I haven't spent much on maintenance for my car up until this point. I think I probably spent more on maintenance for my wife's Saturn SL.

ian18

My '98 Intrigue is at 67 K. The maintenance I have performed is as follows:
- oil changes
- fuel filter, around 50K
- serpentine belt, around 60K when it showed some deterioration
- no fuel injector cleaning and doubt it is really worthwhile as all gas now has some cleaning additives in it.
- coolant is supposed to be good for 5 years but mine was changed when the water pump was replaced (around 50K)
- transmission fluid looks good on dip stick so I have not replaced it
- AC has not had any problems, I don't think there is any preventative maintenance for this system other than to make sure it periodically runs to keep the seals lubricated
- no front end alignment has ever been done, if the car tracks straight and doesn't pull it should not be necessary
- front brake pads replaced at 60 K, rotors were not resurfaced as they were repaced at 44 K

Hope this helps.

hammen2

redline65, what year is your Intrigue/how long have you had it?

I don't have an Intrigue, but do have a '98 Aurora with similar maintenance concerns. This is what I've done/I would do in your shoes:

Fuel filter - replaced at 42K mi (4+ years - bought the car used). Will replace every 30k mi from here on out.

Injectors, nope. Throttle body cleaning yes, only if needed (if it's gunked up - had it done around 45k - my IAC motor had to be replaced, so they were in the neighborhood). Will do again in another 40-50k mi (2-3 years).

coolant - supposed to be good for 5 years. I've "heard" (and previously experienced in my '96 Lumina) that the Dexcool slowly changes into a brown goo. If yours is still orange, it's fine, but if the overflow tank is getting crusty, get it flushed. Had it done at 34k on mine when the water pump went (GM paid :-)

Tranny fluid - I always have service by 50k mi. Never had a tranny problem with a car. I know some folks who work at dealers/have "free" access to the equipment, and they do theirs every 20-25k mi.

Serpentine belt - replaced it (and the separate water pump belt in my Aurora) around 40k mi. I was stranded once at 3:30 a.m. in the middle of nowhere in northern Wisconsin because my '91 Grand Prix's water pump belt broke - had to climb a tree to get reception on my analog brick cell phone. For the $20 cost for the belt, I don't chance this on any car.

AC service - don't touch unless you're having problems.

alignment - while it is technically possible for both wheels to be turned "in", so your car doesn't track to one side but the wheels are still out of alignment, if you're not seeing any odd wear patterns on your tires, don't waste your money. Do, however, get your tires rotated every 7500-9000 miles.

Just my opinions/beliefs. Hope this helps,

-Robert

vcjumper

For those of you interested in it as a replacement for the departed Intrigue..

GP

formersuver1

OK, here's my story: about two weeks ago, a friend of my wife's asked me drive her Regal on a trip Mpls-Chicago trip. I groaned a bit because I truly enjoyed opening up the Intrigue--but she bought the car last Sept. and still had less than 1000 mi on it and she wanted it "exercised". It's been years since I was even in a Buick and was not looking forward to it. Noticed right away that the package she bought had exactly the same (225x60x16)Goodyears I have on my Intrigue--I'm thinking this will be one noisy ride (because no one could claim the Intrigue is a quiet ride with those tires). I heard virtually no road noise at all--the 3.8l engine is a very nice, responsive engine in my opinion. I didn't tromp on it at 75mph, but it certainly has good passing power in the 55-70mph range. When I got back after a very pleasant drive I got the information from her as to exactly what she had bought--LS w/ Leather (nice!), climate control, alloy tires, upgraded sound, touring suspension, traction/ABS, etc. etc. I took that information to a local Buick dealer, was shocked when he showed me a sticker of $28,025. Then he pointed out there is a $2000 dealer discount, $1000 Olds certificate, plus $3500 rebate (another $500 bonus came on Monday), for a net sticker of $21,500. Then I held my breath as he took my 2000 GX with 39,000 miles on it to his appraiser--he came back with $9000 trade even. I had decided I would take anything over $8000. I really like the size and weight of the "W" body series. Picked up the new car Wednesday, it's tight, absolutely flawless as far as fit and finish, very quiet (so I can finally enjoy a good sound system), handles as well as the Intrigue.......I had not even one warranty repair with my Intrigue in 40+ months; it was also flawless. So even though I was never a real active participant on this board, I wish you all the best of luck with your Intrigues--and yes, GM does have a good alternative out there. I just wish they'd stop wasting their research $'s on Dino-Trucks (what the heck were they thinking when they designed the "Avalanche"--somehow that's a very appropriate name...an unformed and uncontrolled onrush of a massive substance...)So, adieu!!

white6

When my wife and I purchased out Intrigue in December of 98, we test drove a Regal GS twice before deciding on the Intrigue. We liked everything about the Regal except the cosmetic... big numbers on the gauges, not as up-scale looking interior as the Intrigue. But what ended up making our decision was the 215 hp Intrigue ran on regular fuel. The 240 hp Regal required premium. The 195 hp 3.8 Regal was just no match, performance-wise, for the cammer in the Olds. I will admit, though, I think we would have been just as happy with a black with chrome wheels Regal GS.... I see one every once in a while and think back to our decision. As we left the parking lot of the Buick dealer (on our first test-drive) the salesman told my wife to "punch it" and, boy, did she. Fried the tires for a good two or three seconds. Gotta love those blower motors! All that low-end torque makes driving fun.

b4z

Your intrigue was an earlier model that did not have the inner wheel well liners so it was noiser.
My 2001 Impala is noticeably quieter than my intrigue.
Enjoy your regal.

TSchramm

Just finished reading the new C&D review on the new Maxima, and they really seemd to like it - except for excessive torque steer. Commented that it is far more pronounced than most other front-drivers, although I recall them saying the Saab's TS was noticeable, too.

As I read the review, I immediately thought of the first time I drove the new Altima. The first time I accelerated hard from a stop, I ended up in the next lane in about 2 seconds without ever turning the steering wheel. Very annoying and unnerving. Sounds like Nissan has transferred the same problem to the Maxima.

evandro

I'd keep a salt shaker in hand when reading C&D. The previous Maxima was highly appraised in almost every aspect, just to be bashed a couple of years later for its beam rear axle. Wasn't it there in the 1st years? What did they "forget" to mention this time? ;-)

perna

I rented one while at my brother's wedding a year ago, and was impressed; this was before I purchased my Intrigue.

It was a very nice ride, but that solid rear beam axle *was* horrible. It would sort of "hop" when you hit a bump driving at freeway speeds, which is somewhat unnerving. While I would have liked to have the Max's power in my car, I much prefer the Intrigue's highway manners.

I've never driven a Regal GS, but have ridden in a friend's Pontiac GTP; nice engine setup, that thing does move! Both cars are significantly more cheddar than the $18.5 OTD price I paid for the Intrige GL, however.

dindak

I like the current Maxima and I would consider one. The new one looks ok also, but the price is creeping up and I can think of cars I'd rather have in that range.

I'm likely going to bring the Intrigue in for a check up next week. Warranty is almost up and I want to make sure everything is ok before we are on our own. The flicker will now be brought to the attention of my service manager.

oldsman01

I've been tempted by a Regal GS several times(nothing like the raw power of the supercharged 3800) and the deciding factor for me has been the styling. I simply think the Intrigue is a better looking car, inside and out. I'll give the Regal does have a quieter ride, and even with the GS suspension package it rides smoother than the Olds. Also, the Buicks seem to have better build quality. But when my black Intrigue with dark grey leather interior, chrome wheels, and gold emblems is glistening in the sun after a shower, I sometimes can't stop looking at it. Kind of like an attractive women after a shower, but I won't disgress any further:) Glad that you did get a decent trade allowance on your Olds.

oldsman01

Something about the new Maxi just doesn't look righ to me. Also, the price seems to be creaping up into G35/CTS territory. For a high powered Nissan at a reasonable price, I think the Altima V6 is a better deal. At least they finally deep sixed the beam axle rear suspension.

sunsession

Has anyone noticed an uneven border where the plastic bumper assemblies meet the sheet metal on the front and rear sides of the 2000 Intrigue? On my car the plastic sticks out about 1/2 inch from the sheet metal. Is this just normal workmanship on this car? Thanks.

sunsession

"Throttle body cleaning yes, only if needed (if it's gunked up - had it done around 45k - my IAC motor had to be replaced, so they were in the neighborhood"

In the above section from your post #8923 you mention an "IAC motor." Is this the motor that I hear upon starting my 2000 Intrigue that lasts about 20-30 seconds and cycles on and off sometimes while driving? Should I be hearing this sound? Does it mean something's wrong? I only have about 6,500 miles on the car.

dindak

Yes, the rear on ours is a little uneven, I noticed when I washing it a few months after we bought the car. Not a big deal, I doubt anyone would notice unless they looked real hard.

sda

Has anyone upgraded their 2000 or older Intrigue with the wheel well liners that 2001 and newer Intrigues (and Regals!)come with? Was it difficult, and how much $$? Though I don't think my car is noisy, I wouldn't mind it being a bit quieter. I love hearing that 3.5 purr.

jg28

The current generation Max has plenty of torque steer as well. It's pretty unnerving when you accelerate hard, especially from a complete stop. And, yep, the rear beam axle is pretty bad on bumps. The "rough ride" that edmunds talks about makes me laugh. My 2002 SE is actually a bit softer than my tractor-like 2000 Intrigue was. Another bothersome thing about the Max is the huge turning radius (40ft). It's about like driving around an SUV especially in parking lots. (The Intrigue is 36ft). Some on the Maxima board credit the turning radius to the 17 inch tires though. The turning radius, coupled with the hood that doesn't slope as much as my Intrigue's did makes the Maxima actually feel like a bigger car to drive around, even though the dimensions are somewhat smaller.

evandro

... is quite easy to correct: just use a split half-shaft so that the length of the shafts that go to the wheels is the same. No rocket science, just an enemy of cost cutting. I guess that after VW, the market is leaning towards sheet-metal deep beauty... :-D

perna

OK, I've had my 02 Intrigue GL (non PCS) for ~8 months, and I pretty much accepted that while the car tore it up on the highways, it was kind of a slug from a dead stop.

Well, no more. I was at the local Speedway filling up, and I noticed that the regular unleaded light at my pump was blinking. Well, crap. So, I put in midgrade (89 octane).

About a day later, I noticed that the engine seemed to be a bit gutsier. A few days later, I was at a light and accidentally tromped the accelerator a bit too hard. The car took off like it was on FIRE. I played around with it a little, and came to the conclusion that putting 87 octane gas in this car is a mistake. I know the 3.5's big brother requires premium, but thought (like most people) that anything beyond 87 octane was a waste for this engine.

I was wrong, and I encourage all Intrigue owners to cough up the extra $1.50 or so and try it out. The difference, for me at least, is startling.

dindak

I've had premium in the tank and noticed no improvement in performance. Regular 87 works fine for me in our 00 Intrigue. Given gas is at all time highs right now, I'm not really in the mood to be putting higher Octanes in my tank. Gas companies are ripping us off!

That said, if it works for you, great!

oldsman01

I've never used mid or premium grade fuel in mine, but have often wondered if it would help performance. Now, I'm afraid that it might and I'll be hooked on the extra grunt and have to pony up for premium all the time(which ain't cheap right now).

vcjumper

Some CAA survey of its members had the 98-02 Intrigue in the bottom 10 cars surveyed (9th worst I believe, worst was 86-90 Caravan) for owner satisfaction and likely to buy again.

Oh well. It wasn't exactly scientific apparently.

redline65

Have you guys every looked at the J.D. Power ratings on the Intrigue? For initial mechanical quality, the 2002 model is scored "Among the best", with 5 out of 5. The '99 model gets "better than most", with 4 out of 5. For midterm mechanical reliability the '99 model gets "does not really stand out", with 3 out of 5.

focus

Yes, according to the CAA survey posted on the Toronto Star newspaper, intrigue (98-02) is 9th worst with 64% very satisfied with vehicle, and 76% who would repurchase. #1 worst is ford contour (95-99) with 51% and 58%; Caravan (84-90) is 3rd worst with 55% and 77%.

oldsman01

Please explain that a bit more. Car is in the bottom 10, but 76% would repurchase? I assume this means 76% would buy the car again. 76% seems pretty good for that.

vcjumper

86% was the average for the repurchase question

CAA

vcjumper

What would people here answer when asked if they would buy the Intrigue again if they could go back in time?

I would definitely answer yes. Mine has been very reliable and has never had to be at the dealer for more than 3 hours... Have about 75,000 miles on it now. Other than trim the only problem was the crankshaft sensor. It does drink about a quart of oil between oil changes.

I'm going to hang on for it a few years and enjoy the 0 payments/pay down the mortgage.

Did I just jinx myself?

oldsman01

That is a hard one. If it were the same exact car, then I'd have to say no as mine is a bonefide lemon. But if the car offerings were the same as they were when I bought mine and it was a different model, then I would probably do it again. Then again, I might have just nursed my 89 Touring Sedan another year and taken the plunge on a CTS.