Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I posted where I got a quote from AAA Rims for center caps at $25 per on your board. They are new aftermarkets types.
Seems like a reputable company, but I have never dealt with them before, or really talked to anyone who has.
BTW, thank god your board is threaded. I really hate wading through these flat boards..
also if you could tell me the color combo, thanks.
I own a 97 Aurora, bought 10/00...42k miles. Bought a warranty from [b]Auto Connection[/b]. 800 bucks/no deductible/bumper to bumper including wear and tear.
They were to bill my credit card x amount a dollars per month, for 6 months, until paid in full. by that time, the OEM warranty would have run out. Coverage with this warranty was to be effective immediately ( for $49.00 ) on 11/01/00.
A/C went down the flusher 6/01. Called Auto Connection, they said I hadn't paid in full= no coverage. Turns out, they stopped collecting the premium from my credit card in 04/01. They collected 580 bucks from me, stopped collecting - then denied the claim.
They wouldnt let me make up the difference, they wouldnt give ANY refund, they wouldnt even consider me buying ANOTHER warranty and applying a credit.
I have a complaint in to AZ Atty Gen - Fraud. Alos working up a complaint to the US Postal Service( contract came thru the mail) and the FBI( wire fraud ). Probably wont get anywhere, but will cause enuff grief for them.
In the mean time, the alternator went, the battery is on it's last legs ( can't find a battery replacement except at the dealer.165 bucks..agh..)
The temp gauge used to be rock solid on 200, now it's a hair short of 200 and runs as hot as 240. I seem to recall that there was a specific thermostat to use, to replace existng. I thought it was in this message board, but i can't seem to find it. I also don't see any mention of it in any service bulletins. Anybody recall this ?
anyway, even with all this, this car is still the overall (performance/economy/cost) best car i've every driven. Went to North Carolina and back (from Illinois) getting 25.5 mpg..@ 70mph..the mpg seems to be better at higher speeds..too wacky.
anyway..thanx for any info on the thermostat.
rock on !
If you know something really BAD about this car break it to me GENTLY!!Actually I've had her 2 years plus,with few problems.(KNOCK ON WOOD)THANKS.
My father had a '95 - Black/Neutral... he leased it(any miles over 55,000 for the term are charged at 15 cents a mile) so needless to say the odometer "went kooky" one day...
So, it wasnt yours, because we are in the Buffalo area of New York and the colors dont match.
They say in the owners manual that if the odometer has been rolled back, then you can see silver lines in between the numbers.
Question; If it is common for Auroras to have the fuel pressure regulator go bad, and the rear window seal to go bad then why not make a recall?
Also how much does it cost for the fuel pressure regulator and how much does it cost for the part and labor? Is this something I can do on my own? I've taken off the plastic Aurora piece on the engine and remember seing a diagram with it on there and didnt look to hard to get at.
sHOP KiNG
redskin024- see no silver lines-good sign??
matrixfrog-I don't think I had a surging problem to begin with,but that whole subject confuses me-maybe I did.My main problem was excessive cranking to start engine and stalling at low idle.The rpm's would also fluctuate at low idle.Well problem solved THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!
Magnaflow 1-800-959-9226 makes high flow catalitic converters too. These may be good to do with the cat-back system, but I think it may be best to stick with the stock size so as not to lower exit velocity. My understanding is that exit velocity is good for scavanging the engine. The trick is to reduce the back pressure without lowering the exit velocity too much - otherwise you lose low-end torque.
I submitted some questions to magnaflow about the converter. I'll let you know what I find out. They don't make a cat-back for the Aurora either. But they do for the Lincoln LS and the Lincoln LS guys said it was LOUD.
Blk97 - yeah these northstars like to use oil. I'll bet the 0 to 60 runs burned some.
Fjk - thanks for the 98 pricing. Very interesting. I remember drooling over the Aurora
years back, but that $39,000+ sticker slapped me back to reality quick. I still can't believe I own one now (6 months later) after finding an almost-new hardly driven 98 for half price.
Someone here mentioned the possibility of this car being a classic, and I have to admit to wondering myself. It is a remarkably beautiful car inside and out. With Olds gone, maybe that will add to the interest.
Since the latest postings did not address my question, I will ask it again.
Is anybody interested in having a live chat now that we have the owners club????
Garnes - I know I've posted before about the "original" Aurora becoming a classic... and I really think it will. How many were produced in its 5-year lifespan? Something like 200,000? While this isn't an ultra-low volume like a Viper or Prowler, it's much less than the yearly volume of, say, a Camry, Accord, or Taurus. Combine the fact that it has head-turning design, and, with the impending death of Oldsmobile, I think it is destined to become a classic. What other late-model Olds would fit that bill? Not the Alero or Intrigue, or the new Aurora or Bravada... or even the last 98 or 88, for that matter.
I also know what you mean about being able to afford one. When they came out in '94, I was interested, but it would have been a tough stretch for me to get one (I wasn't even 30 then). I instead chose to get married, buy a house, etc., and dreams of Aurora ownership languished. I helped my mother-in-law find her pearl white '98 last fall, and occasionally looked. When I stumbled across my pristine black beauty (with all of the options/colors I would have wanted had I ordered the car), for less than half of the sticker price (thanks to whomever posted the price list - my Aurora stickered for over $40k!), I had to pinch myself... lost much sleep in the month of March, until the deal was done...
--Robert
BTW I had a friend who's mom drives and Aurora and he said she had to get the same thing replaced but it costed her a little over $250.00. The must of raped her w/ labor charges.
Henry- Im up for the live chat. I'd prefer it if we could do it during the day because Im still swapping over parts from my old computer to my new computer and have not yet installed my modem drivers at home.
It's gonna be time for a new set of brake rotors soon. Any reccomendations? I've heard the company Brembo brought up a few times in here. Prices? Does any one in here have cross-drilled vented rotors? Just wondering.
Zinc- Just a suggestion but on your webpage you should start listing mods people have made to their aurora next to their photos.
Henri - Most anytime is okay by me for a live chat, this coming week anyway.
I would guess the total number of classics at about 125,000. I'm basing that on reading somewhere that about 25,000 were made in one of those years. I'd bet that in 10 years they will be somewhat uncommon. I may be wrong on this, but I seem to remember the original Mustangs being produced at 100,000+/year easy. I think a lot of the common cars are similarly numerous.
Yeah, there really isn't anything in the luxury/sport segment that comes close to looking as good as a Classic Aurora. Some of the others can boast about marginally better acceleration or ability to manuver around pylons (never have run into those yet other than lane closures), but they are slab sided, box like, and just plain ugly - and cost WAY more. The Aurora is a work of art inside and out. And some simple mods can always make you move faster if you want it. can't say that for lack of styling.
We think you can make a decent case for the Aurora being the '90s (and final) version of the 442 -- you can even make the numbers work: 4 liter, 4 speed, Dual exhaust. Well... not really, but it DOES have two exhaust exits. :-)
Could our cars be collectables like the old 442s in another 10-20 years? Who knows -- it's nice to think so.
Don't get me wrong. I like my car a lot. I am even the one that made up the name Classic for the old body style. But my conversations with car buffs leeds me to believe that the car will never truly be a collectors item.
One other point to consider, the aROARa is a very high tech car. You guys think its costs a lot to maintain it now . . . just wait ten years from now!
Try getting a module replaced or the center console replaced on a car from a defunct company. Baby, I hope you are starting a trust fund for the car now.
However, "she" is still my baby.
Henri
Zinc - I printed out the header stuff. Looks interesting. Thanks again for more great info.
Well Magnaflow said they don't sell any high flow catalytic converters for 1996 and newer cars. Something about newer emissions and they aren't up to them for those years. It seems Superchips web site lists stop at 95 for most GM cars too. I wish something would break.
stupid question#1-and i'm sure you'll be getting more from me in the future-In the 2 years plus i've owned this car i've put about 15,000 miles on her.In the DCI the tranny fluid life still reads 100% I know you don't change it like motor oil-but still, should'nt it have droped at least a few per percentage points??? just wondering.
well i'm going out to hit her with some meguires #7
GM SETS DATE FOR END OF OLDSMOBILE
GM said Friday it would end production of the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 model year, although production of the Intrigue and the AURORA would end sooner.
"Oldsmobile production has remained unprofitable," the company said in a statement.
Sales of Oldsmobile vehicles through August were down 14.5% from the first 8 months of 2000.
Production of the 2002 Intigue and AURORA V6 will end in June. The last AURORA V8, a 2003 model, will roll off the assembly line in May 2003. The exact end of production dates for the 2004 model year Alero, Silouhette and Bravada have not been set.
"recommended" is AC Delco.
AHH!! What a joy to be an aurorian!!
2000 through August - 17,607
2001 through August - 18,130 (+1%)
Silhouette:
2000 through August - 26,824
2001 through August - 27,020 (+0.7%)
Alero:
2000 - 90,233
2001 - 83,143 (-8%)
Bravada:
2000 - 21,600
2001 - 15,329 (-29%) remember the line shutdown?
Intrigue:
2000 - 44,144
2001 - 29,044 (-35%)
Total:
2000 - 200,318
2001 - 172,666 (-14%)
Build #s
2000 through August - 219,380
2001 thought August - 189,832 (-13.5%)
GM total
2000 - 3,833,591
2001 - 3,285,310 (-14.3%) Olds better that GM average.
GM killed the Intrigue by pricing it high and the other W-body cars (mainly Impala) low. The Bravada suffered a lengthy sales stoppage while the front suspension was fixed. The Alero continues to outperform GM as a whole by a wide margin. The Aurora and Silhouette, by staying at last year's pace should be considered shining stars.
A dealer once told me the magazine could be causing the problem. AT $80 for a magazine replacement, I decided not to do anything about it. Sending the changer unit out for repair would cost over $300.
Has anyone had any experience with this on a 1995 Aurora?
Hardesty - thanks for the numbers. Interesting. Any car holding its own or increasing sales in this economy is incredible.
I agree with you about the Intrigue. We looked at one and then an Impala. We got the Impala loaded with everything and all upgrades and On-star for less than an Intrigue - plus it has significantly higher safety rating with side air bags and all. No side air bags for Intrigue. Impala mileage is incredible too. Not that the Intrigue is a bad car but the Impala is one hell of a car for the money. My wife really liked it. The 3.8 is not as fancy as the 3.5, but is a great engine nontheless. No offence to Intrigue, but we really liked the Impala better. I think GM out-did themselves with that car, hence the lack of "rebates".
Zinc1 - I agree with your GM executive analysis. Another thing I can't understand - you should see our Impala's air box. It is hopeless. It is WAY more restrictive than the Aurora box that I've rambled about. ALL the dirt ends up on literally a few square inches of the filter. One look at the box and it is self explanitory how the engine is being suffocated at full throttle. It could be SO much better if simply redesigned. I don't see how to modify it much. I'm looking at the Pontiac air boxes (they get another 5 HP from their 3.8's - and I think the engine is identical). Maybe I can swap. Why do they do this???!!!
I think that if GM, Ford, and DC could figure out how to put 5 year warranties on all of their cars and trucks (can you say build quality?) that they would gain back some of the market share they have lost in recent years. I think that the added warranty on current Oldsmobiles has clearly shown just how important this is to modern consumers. At a time when sales should just plain tank, they are selling well, and I think that the security of five known cost years is the main reason. People are certainly not looking at resale values and thinking that the rebates are any great bonus, these cars are being bought for the long haul.
OK, I'll get down off the box now. I am really going to miss Oldsmobile (but nowhere near as much as the people that don't own one).
And your high price comparison is self explanitory. The imports are unbelievably expensive, but people eat them up. I think there is a perception (among some people) that an import is just better/smarter at any cost and carries a certain snob attraction. Yeah even a Camry. Logically, none of this makes sense, but people pay big money for all sorts of name brand things that are not any better than another brand.
My wife is a flight attendant and she works with a different crew each flight. She noted many flight attendants just won't buy American for no other reason than it isn't cool. Sad really. Some people don't feel complete or competitive unless they have that Honda "H" on the car.
Now if any of you have a Honda, Camry, whatever, please don't take offence. My point is that some people buy things for weird reasons.
Intrigue numbers are worse than the Regal. Intrique has the expensive shortstar engine, it should cost more than the Impala.
I have long wondered why Buick and Oldsmobile were both in production. They seemed to me to have exactly the same products. At one time there were diffences in engines and buick really had some interesting automatic transmission ideas that are now part of GM's hydramatics.
If the Aurora/Intrigue's were on the new sigma RWD chassis, the european flavor might be more successful than it has been.
I think GM is skewing the numbers to get rid of Olds because they think it will make their stock numbers jump.
On top of that, Buicks are the ugliest cars this side of the Pacific Ocean - why would someone want to purchase a car that looks like an insect?
Olds is a far better brand than Buick, GM is just afraid they will lose their traditional older buyers if they dump Buick - which, by the way, sells fewer cars than Olds does.
But I agree with Hardesty that Cadillac, and GM in general, are leaning toward the chiselled look with hard, straight lines. Not at all like the new Olds models. Funny, though, that Jaguar has done well with the muscular look for decades. And how about the sleek Chrysler bodies? The PT Cruiser is a hit with rounded lines alone - surely not for the gutless engine. I'm sure GM has done the polling and found the market likes the 'Aztek' lines better than the retro-looking rounded shapes. Or maybe they're just gambling, as they are in China.
I had looked at buying some cross-drilled jobs, but just could not bring myself to paying the 3X as much. I don't do any weekend racing, and I don't spend more that 20 minutes in stop and go traffic, so I don't have to worry too much about heating and fading.
Total I spent about under $160 on pads and rotors. No too bad, considering there are monster front rotors on these babies. Of course I'm compairing that to my old VW Golf
Buick century - 94K, lesabre - 99K, regal - 36K, park avenue - 24K = total 250K
Olds alero - 83K, intrigue - 29K, aurora 18K, silhouette 27K,bravda - 15K = total 172K
I think buick is doing much better than Olds. Granted the product lines are different, which is in fact why I bought my Aurora. I did have an electra T-type which was every bit as good as the Aurora for its time.
This is all beside the fact that Buicks are ugly as a bucket of hair these days.
When a CD gets stuck in an iMac (not that I own one), you can insert a paperclip device into the right side corner of the slot and it will eject the CD...
So...As you can guess...CD's will no longer eject from my AroarA player. So is there a quickie manual release button on our CD players? Hidden? I didn't read about one...I'm too afraid to start randomly inserting paperclips into my CD player for fear of ... of... well... I will break it.
and NO...The CD's are not illegally burned copies!
and YES...The music is real good.