Oldsmobile Intrigue

akitadog

Dan,
I bought the Intrigue slightly used for my 23rd bday, thinking I would keep it until it dies. It was to be a car I could carry my family in. However, here it is five years later, still not married (steady gf though), still no kids, and a 40 mile round-trip commute. Well, about 1 1/2 years after buying, I caught a sneak preview of the MINI before it got here and was hooked ever since. I've finished paying for the Intrigue, but don't want the cost of insuring two cars in DC ($$$). If I need extra car-space, I'll switch cars with my dad for a day (Mazda MPV). I'm sure he wouldn't mind driving the MCS.

mfletouva

Well, I guess my number was up or whatever because I brought my 2002 Intrigue in yesterday for emmissions, oil change, etc and ask them to check what I felt was a bit of a vibration and was told that the ISS needed to replaced. Of course it was a warranty fix, and the dealer said they don't bother with lubes because eventually it will need to be replaced anyway.

I appreciated it, and when I got my Intrigue back last night the steering was DRAMATICALLY different. I guess I hadn't realized how loose it had gotten but it certainly felt different.

However, it also seemed to be way off center. In order to drive straight, it seems like now the steering wheel is tilted to the right. I don't know if the alignment is just way off or what, but can this be caused by the ISS replacement and should I ask the dealer to align it?

Anyone who has had that work (and I know you're out there!) experience this?

Thanks.

bravedave

She had a little over 122k miles and I got $2600 for it. I was shocked to get that much... as I was expecting less.

vanman1

I seem to have a small rattle in the rear suspension as of late. It goes away after the rain but comes back after a day or 2 of dry weather which leads me to believe something need lubrication. Anyone have any ideas?

vanman1

Too bad you went to Honda camp. You should have waited for the G6, looks to be a much nicer looking car.

vanman1

I had my steering wheel lubed before the warranty expired on my 2000 Intrigue. I have never had a problem with the centering though, it sounds like your shop screwed with the alignment. Might want to bring it back.

bravedave

Well, the exterior of the G6 does look quite sleek. However, the interior leaves me cold... geez-- where did I leave my Oprah tickets?!

pat

Yeah, no kidding! That was wild.

vanman1

If you sat in a G6 you would see the quality of assembly and materials are as good as an Accord. Accord dash is nothing too special anyway.

white6

Forth gear is trash, which means the rest of the tranny is probably toast, too. $2500 to repair; about what the car is worth (when not broken). Looks like the end of the line for our Intrigue. Thinking of a Malibu Maxx as a replacement; cheap, economical and good utility. With my GM Card rebate and current $5,000 GM rebate, I can get out the door for about $14,500 (plus whatever I can get for the Intrigue) on a decently equipped 04 model. It's just for the wife commuting to work; 30 MPG will help ease the mild sting of $200 a month payments.

lmacmil

There was a TSB on the Intrigue tranny for the overdrive clutch burning out. When I bought mine used at 23K miles, I had no OD but never realized it until I did my first highway driving (I thought 2900 rpm at 70 was too high.) It was rebuilt under warranty and I haven't had a problem since (54K miles now.) I have no idea how long 4th gear had not been working before I got the car but I put about 1000 miles on before the repair and everything seemed fine except it never got past 3rd gear.

vcjumper

The fun engine won't be out till sometime next year unfortunately. Dash does look decent but not very modern in this day and age where the integrated radio/hvac look is pretty standard. Looks like what the 98 Grand Am should have been.

dan165

I saw a G6 and it's a nice car inside, much better than some pictures make it look. I don't think it looks dated and Edmunds likes it in their review.

It's too bad the 3.9L 245hp version isn't out till next spring though. That's the one many are waiting for.

stgoddard

I had my steering shaft replaced recently and agree, feels like a completly different car (2000GLS). I feel like at 55K miles I've got a new car, smooth and a complete pleasure to drive. I don't have your off center issue, mine seems fine. Maybe that's something your dealership was suppose to take care off but didn't?

white6

Yeah, if you don't know any better, you'd swear it was fine... until you get on the highway! Gas mileage takes a big hit too. I guess I'm lucky it didn't happen sooner. I'm now leaning toward getting it fixed. Kind of like buying my own used car for $2,000. We like having an older car that we don't have to worry about so much (already has the little nicks/scrapes, etc.) plus it's a good foul weather car, has new tires, just spent $500 on a A/C condensor (punctured by something on the highway) so the A/C is good and cold, etc. Looked at a Maxx yesterday. Ich. I don't think they could make the interior look any cheaper if they tried. Now I know why they have $5,000 rebates on those puppies. Drove a Mazda 6s; very impressed. Looking at about $20,000 minus what they would give trade-in; don't really want three car payments at the same time though.

dan165

Malibu needs to have a dash spruce up. It's real dull looking though it's a nice car overall. Check out the G6, no rebates though.

I'm surprised you have transmission issues, GM makes the best so you don't hear of them breaking much. How many miles?

dtownfb

I have some rattling in my steerign wheel as well. i figured it was the ISS. How much do they charge to repair the ISS?

white6

102,000. Local dealer is now advertising $7,000 off on new GTO. Tempting.

dekester

Looks like nothing had ever happened! One observation, though on the replacement headlight unit - there are metal braces across the openings for the headlights which prevent the rubber caps from being used, but not for the DRL/turn directional. The lack of the caps does not affect the amount of light in any way. Strange, but I'm not messing around with anything! I'll be trading in for a Magnum once the house is sold.

Stranger yet is that the DRL in the replaced light unit broke on Saturday! The bulb blew and scattered amber glass all over inside. I replaced the bulb, but couldn't/didn't try to get the pieces out. Maybe they scratched the bulb putting it all back together OR got some body oils on the bulb? I always use a paper towel when I handle bulbs these days.

Deke

msw13

Have you talked to a AAMCO shop or maybe try a wrecking yard for a nice used trans? I have also seen Intrigue transmissions on e-Bay for $275 plus shipping. Not bad. A lot of options are out there. Car-part.com is also a nice nationwide site for browsing the used trans market. If and when my '99 with 88k ever has a trans problem that is what I'm going to do. Mine has a very clean body and interior, everything but the cassette works!! My 3.8 runs perfect and so its worth it to put a used low-mileage trans in it IMHO. You should be able to do it for less than $1000 including installation.
Good luck!!

white6

Thanks. Transmission guy said these normally rebuild for $1600 to $1650, but could be as much as $2200. I know I am spending a little more than I probably could, but these guys are very good and I know the car will be as good as new by the time they get done with it. I VERY rarely make this statement about anyone, much less a car repair shop.

vanman1

I think if the tranny went on our Intrigue I would replace it. The rest of the car is solid and the 3.5L is still smooth as butter.

It's too bad they don't sell this car anymore. Closest thing to it seems to be a top end La Crosse with the 3.6L but I think I would give up the OHC and get a G6 in the end if I was replacing today.

Did you get it done yet?

white6

Got it back after a week in the tranny shop. Runs better than ever. He said there was a lot of bad stuff in there. Basically a total rebuild (replace everything that wears, plus the broken stuff). Charged $1885. He said they gave me a break since I brought it back to them after having to get the diagnostic done elsewhere. He told me that the dealer probably would have charged about $3,000 for the same work. No way to know, but I have always had great service and work done by these guys. All in all, I'm glad I had it done. Traded for a new GTO a couple of weeks ago. Payment is now a little more than half what I was paying, so the big bill for the Olds repair isn't quite as hard to swallow. Of course, the Olds seems pretty weak now after all that GTO torque!

vanman1

You bought a GTO? Nice!

What kind of deal could you get?

I wish they sold those up here. I think I should have my transmission fluid changed after hearing your story. I want to make sure it lasts.

white6

Wound up with $25,339 sale price. Did a 24-month SmartBuy, $0 down, $295/month. I was worried about the massive depreciation these things are gonna have. Using SmartBuy, I just pay for minor depreciation and interest, then give 'em back the car and let them take the hickey.

vanman1

You don't want to keep the GTO long term then?

white6

I'm notorious for wanting something new after a year or two, so I figured this way I wouldn't have to worry about being backwards after two years. I always have the option of financing the balloon note in two years and keeping the car; probably be better off turning it in and trying to buy it at auction (if I really want that particular car).

vanman1

Good idea then!

vanman1

I seem to have a rear end rattle in my 2000 Intrigue. It was rear ended in May but the body shop checked everything over and it seems fine. They are guessing some lubrication may be needed. Anyone have any idea where I might start too look? It seems to happen mostly at low speeds when turning corners or some bumps.

Any help would be much appreciated.

moonshadow

Since you got dinged it may be hard to tell long distance.

It could be anything from a loose trunk lid, to a tool left in the trunk somewhere from the bodyshop.

Have you peeled up the floor top see if the jack and spare are not loose? Or a bolt/ tool that fell in.

Are the lug nuts on the wheel tightened to spec.?

You may have a broken upper strut mount. You can eleiminate this and other wheel sounds by having someone in the back seat, fold down the back and place your hand on top the the rear strut tower to see if you can feel the impact from the sound/rattle in your hand. If you do not have the folding seat option you nay have to crawl in the trunk in a parking lot to try the above suggestion.

What was the extent of the damage and did the rattle occur immediately after?

Some ideas.

Can you be more specific as to where you think it might be coming from. Inside the trunk, axle, wheels, left right etc. Apart from that, I'm just guessing. GGod luck.

ccarbaugh

Hi I have a 1999 Intrigue and have a problem with the front right turning signal. One day I made a right turn and it flashed real fast. Well here my turning signal was burnt out. (i thought) I took apart the light assembly and pulled out the bulb. The fiberglass part that is used to hold the little wire contacts and holds the bulb in place was all burnt. The bulb was not burnt out, just that the fiber material was all fried so it didn't make contact anymore. I put in a new bulb and tried bulb grease too. About 2 months later is burnt that one up too. Anyone else have this problem ??? It is only the front right one. Do I need a new socket ?? I don't know what's up. Thanks for any suggestions. Clint

kennyjay

I also have a '99 and was experiencing the same problem with the right front turn signal bulb. I read somewhere that GM got hold of a bad batch of
socket connectors that year. Replacing the socket connector rectified the problem. (BTW -it's available only at GM dealers).

ccarbaugh

Kennyjay, hey thanks for the info. that is what I thought of doing. replacing it. So far I have went thru 3 bulbs in 6 months. Thanks, Clint

vanman1

I checked the jack/ spare tire area, all is secure. Lugs are tight. I try bouncing the car up and down but the noise only comes while driving, mainly around corners at low speed.

The noise a rattle, but also has a hint of squeak to it. It did not start immediately after the accident so it could be anything really. The noise seems to come from around the wheel area, I can hear it through the trunk. The body shop took it in again and checked the whole bumper / back area for any thing loose.

Are their any suspension parts that could loosen or would need a lube? Like I said, bouncing and straight driving seem to produce no noise, it's the corners that do it.

white6

Just a guess, but I would suspect a rear strut bearing; sounds like it only happens under a lateral load.

dekester

Big milestone today.... Bought 1/9/99 with 32 miles on the clock.

So, that averages out to about......7200 miles a year.

Was thinking of replacing the Trig with a new Dodge Magnum, but I'd rather keep the $25G for a bigger downpayment on the new house once we move. Just wish I had a GL/GLS or a 99 model with the fold down rear seat.

Deke

moonshadow

Hi again, Sorry about my horrible spelling last time, got pulled away after I posted and was too late to edit.

Anyway, there isn't anything back there to lube. The rear axle suspension links and trailing arm have rubber bushings that could be worn. As well as the sway bar mounting rubbers.

Inspect the little sway bar links for wear in its joints. They can cause annoying rattles that are hard to diagnose, due to the tension from the sway bar. They are several inches long and connect from the sway bar to about half way up the strut body. You will have to jack up under the steering knuckle to a point that takes the weight from the sway bar off the link so you can see if there is slop in one of the joints.

Another possibility, I also agree with White6 on the strut bearing/mount. As before, I diagnose these by getting to the strut tower "somehow" and holding the strut stud between your thumb and first finger. If the bearing/mount is defective you will feel the rattle there. Of coarse, it could also be play in the strut rod itself. At least it would isolate or eliminate the rattle to the strut/wheel on a particular side.

Have you grabbed the calipers to see if you can duplicate the rattle by shaking them?

One last guess, have you shaken or jostled the muffler/ tail pipe to see if that can be eliminated?

Just thinking out loud, I'm guessing the shop already did all this, but, one never knows. They may only be checking their own work. At this point you must start from scratch.

Keep us posted if you find the stupid cause.

Cheers

dekester

Good observations. I've had the rear stabilizer bushings replaced twice as well as the exhaust hanger rubber isolators. I still have a little rattle when going over bumps, but it's just the outer strut cover - nothing to worry about. I'll have it taken care of before my 1200 mile relocation.

Deke

vanman1

I looked under the car on the weekend and nothing is loose or rattling (exhaust is solid) BUT I did discover another twist that could help you help me.

It poured rain Saturday and as the car got real wet underneath, the rattle pretty much disappeared. It's back a little bit now due to drying but the moisture seems to make it almost go away.

Thoughts?

samova

Wow!!! This 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue is a great car. I got it at an estate sale with 22k on the odo. Who would have thoght Oldsmobile would finally put out such a great car right before it went out of business. It is tight, drives like a race car and is fun to drive. Who could ask for more. Maybe Buick will pick it up.

focus

Anyone test drove one yet?
in the latest wheels magazine, it is compared to the intrigue as spiritually alike; it's the same designer who's involved with both vehicles.
It has a 240 hp engine (same one used in cadillac)

samova

what does it take to add remote entry to the basic 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue? I know it already has actuators at all four doors. I suspect I just need a remote control module and a key fob. Can anyone shed some light?

samova

My car recently had an accident an $3,700 damage with parts and labor and painting. I found my own parts at a salvage dealer on the internet and reduced the cost to $2,500 total.
     Instead of SPOT PAINTING for $600 I got the whole car painted for just a few hundred more.
You can save thousands on body repairs by supplying you own parts with just a little time
searching on the internet.

lmacmil

I had a Viper brand system added a couple years ago. I think it was $120 or there abouts plus another $20 for remote trunk release (which I got.) Works great.

dan165

I would think that the Allure with the 3.6L could be very similar to the Intrigue. Only down side is it's not quite as sporty looking in my opinion. I would imagine power would be much better as would fit n finish to make up for that though.

focus

it has more horespower but less torque than the intrigue, wondering which one would win from a stop light?
Stability control cost extra on the new car.

focus

Test drive this car today.
Not a bad car overall, accelerate better than intrigue, but not as lively.
The rear seat is not very comfortable even for a short guy like myself, no thigh support.
Base price id 33,500 cdn, all three on lots are fully loaded at $40,000 cdn.
For that price, i'll pick up a Chrysler 300, or Acura TSX.

dan165

33K isn't bad, I would not pay 40K either. Way too much IMO. That is always the case with me though, I never go for the loaded cars.

swagled

Well I've been outta here for quite a while, but so far my car has done just fine.

The crankshaft sensor went out around 55K miles. No big deal, warranty covered it.

I am still on my original brake pads. There's no warping or shuddering... (I guess all that discussion about brake problems on the '98s forewarned me to use mine very gently!!)

I'm on my third set of tires now. I reccommend the Z-rated "Assure" wet traction tires at Goodyear. They ride great and don't squeal like those old Eagles used to.

The only problems I have, are really nitpicky. The light has gone out under the transmission shifter. Once in a while the climate control gets stuck on a low or high setting. (So I just shut it off and restart it. No biggie.)

The Olds Intrigue has to be one of the most under-reported successful products from GM. It's just too sad...

dekester

Check back a few months' worth of posts for the fix on the tranny console light replacement. I did mine, but I think I broke the tabs on the socket and can't get the thing to stay in place. I just depend on the dash indicator anyway....

Brakes were a weak point on the 98s because they used crappy rotors. I had to replace both rear ones at 9000 miles because they were heavily scored. Fronts were warped, had them turned and have been OK since then - have 40200 miles on the car now, so I may be getting near new pad time.

I may replace all four discs with aftermarket drilled/vented and composite pads.

Deke