Oldsmobile Aurora

sls002 · January 2005

Yes, the dimming inside rear view mirror is nice, but on my 98 Aurora, I missed the dimming drivers side outside rear view mirror that my 95 Riviera had.

Henry · January 2005

"I went quite a bit smaller, but I thought the Aurora was a boat."

A BOAT! A BOAT!! aROARa is NOT a BOAT!

Maybe a luxury liner, but NEVER a BOAT!

Personally, I don't think the car is a boat. For a car its size and weight, its actually pretty agile.

huskerfan_1 · January 2005

Ok Ok. Luxury Liner it is. I prefer smaller liners I guess. Maybe I prefer more of a sporty suspension. I tried to make it beter with High Performance tires, but that did not help. Maybe the whole suspension was out of whack, cuz the reason I got new tires was that 2 rims were bent and 2 belts in the tires that were on it had slipped. I think something got taken for a real ride before I bought the car, which is weird becaue my aunt and uncle owned it before me, cant recall them saying anything was wrong. But of course they never pay attention to how their cars run anyway. They are driving a car now that has the steering wheel at a 90 degree angle and still have not figured out that the alignment is out of whack.

Can we agree that it is a large body car ?

sls002 · January 2005

The Aurora was not a sports sedan, but I think it did handle quite well. The original equipment tires were Goodyear Eagles. The Grand Am is not a BMW 325 either, but is small enough to be easier to park.

davepenn · January 2005

I have th eopportunity to buy an Aurora, and was wondering if i should.

It is a 97, with 110K miles on it. It is a trade in at the dealer where my brother works. It seems to be in good shape. They ran it through the shop and put a tie rod in and recharged the AC and put new tires on it. I havent driven it yet, but i did check it out. The only thing that i noticed for sure was the the drivers side power window was non functional, have no idea why? I am not sure how this "twilight sentinel" functions. also, when started, the gas guage went all the way up to full..stayed there for about a minute, then dropped down to empty(which i am assuming it was, or quite low as most cars on lots are). Is that normal? Are the trannys in these cars reliable? Any other issues?

Thanks.

blk97aurora · January 2005

I have a '97 with 117,000 miles. The gas gauge behavior reads like the same problem I had -- the sender was bad. It is located in the gas tank and is part of the same module that contains the fuel pump. List price for the module is about $500; the sender may be available separately. I decided to replace both since several list members have had their fuel pumps fail at 100,000+ miles. I purchased an ACDelco unit for about 1/2 of list from one of the internet GM suppliers (RockAuto, Van, ???, I don't remember). There is an access panel in the truck so you do not have to drop the tank to replace the module. Most list members will tell you to always use ACDelco replacement parts. Other brands may save you some $$$ upfront, but you will pay again later with short life.

Hope this helps.

Les

blk97aurora · January 2005

My '97 had an interesting problem last week. The "TRACTION OFF" light came on and I could not turn it off with the console button. After a restart, I noticed the light was not on, but it did reappear after 1 to 2 miles of driving; this was repeated several times consistently. I then restarted (no light) and let the car idle for about 5 minutes -- still no light. Drove away and the light came on after a short time. I checked for codes and there were none; ABS indicator never came on. Curious as to whether or not traction control was actually turned off or this was just a malfunction of the indicator, I did a full-throttle start. Sure enough, lots of wheel spin, so traction control was indeed not working. Then I turned off the motor, restarted, and tried another full-throttle start before the "TRACTION OFF" indicator came on. This time the "TRACTION ACTIVE" light came on and the traction control worked.

Here's the strange part (knocking on wood): the problem has not happened since and that was 7 days ago with the car being driven every day. Anyone have an explanation?

Les

sls002 · January 2005

My 95 Riviera did this (shut down the traction control). The problem also may have flagged the service engine soon indicator. When I took it to the dealer, the computer was complaining about a fuel/air problem. They replaced the air mass sensor. Problem not fixed. Asked Buick headquarters for help and they said to replace the gasket between the supercharger and the intake manifold. That fixed it.

Your Aurora does not have a supercharger, so that should not explain it. There should be codes stored if there is an engine malfunction.

autobahn95 · January 2005

Les,

I had the same problem with my '95 a few years back. One of your front wheel speed sensors is on it's way out. They are part of the wheel bearing assembly, and I ended up replacing them on both sides within a short period of time.

Problem solved!

Hope this helps.

Pete

2k1olds · January 2005

My mother in law gave us a 1990 Corsica that's really in pretty good shape. It's the LT with the 3.1 and only 58000 miles. I thought I would drive it for the winter and leave my 97 garaged. I drove it for two days and absolutely couldn't stand it anymore. I had to go back to the Roara!

When you drive basic transportation like a Corsica, it really makes you appreciate the cars we all have here.

Henry · January 2005

TRUE!

However, I have always liked the Corscia. Fold down rear seats and decent power. Rented one once and liked it. I just thought the horn buttons were too small.

hammen2 · January 2005

..back in the day, I had an '88 Corsica w/4-banger. Turn on the A/C, it could barely get out of its own way :-) It was a good, reliable car, though, until someone blew a red light in front of me and I T-boned 'em :-)

--Robert

happy his Aurora started at -9 this morning.

Henry · January 2005

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo

Is the Corsica the learner car for owning an aROARa?

rjs200240 · January 2005

I had a 1987 Chevy Celebrity with the 2.5L "Iron Duke" I-4 pumping through a 3-speed hydromatic. I think it made 95 hp and 125 lb-ft or something from its one big throttle-body injector. My parents also had a 1983 Celebrity with the 2.5L also. The 1987 was much improved with more power, and monster 14" wheels (a big step up from the 13"ers the '83 had).

The Corsica only wishes it had the class and style of the Celebrity. Anyone remember the Celebrity VR? I don't remember it when it came out, but I sure remember when I first saw one in person!! :O

huskerfan_1 · January 2005

I always wanted a Celebrity. I thought they were sooooo cool with their rally wheels. There is a 1982 model here in the area still running.

If we are talking non-exsist horsepower, then I must tell you of the car I learned to drive a manual on. My mom had a 1978 Chevette. Talk about bottom of the barrel. 4-Speed, no air, am radio and sounded like an 747 taking off when you hit 55. Years and years later they replaced the rear brakes to learn that each of the rear coils had cracked. All eyes were on me.

2k1olds · January 2005

I used to think the the Celebrity Eurosport with the 2.8 was actually a pretty cool looking car. However, I think one of the best cars I had owned up until about 1990 was a Pontiac 6000 Touring sedan. It was maroon and gray, with the radio and climate control buttons on the steering wheel. I was only like 24 at the time and thought that car was great.

sls002 · January 2005

I think that you are talking about the STE. It was a very nice Pontiac 6000 and a good car for the times. The Celebrity Eurosport was good too. There was an Oldsmobile Cutlass International that was good and the Buick Century T-type.

I bought an 86 Electra T-type that I really liked.

imidazol97 · January 2005

Do you mean the Olds Ciera International that was the same body as the Century? Do I recall correctly that those are desirable to young guys? --There's something considered 'cool' about them?

sls002 · January 2005

I had forgotten that the RWD was the Cutlass. Anyway, the International was a European style sedan. I don't know if it went over big with anyone or not.

2k1olds · January 2005

I was sitting in my Aurora last night waiting to pick up my daughter in a snowstorm, and the engine was idling about 650-700 rpm. I kicked on the rear defroster and it jumped up to between 1000-1100 rpm. As soon as I turned it off, back down to 650-700. Never noticed it before.

rjs200240 · January 2005

it uses a lot of electricity. It could be the motor just jumped up to get the alternator spinning acceptably. At idle, alternators put out very little juice.

I've never noticed that, but I also don't take the Aurora out in the kind of weather that needs defrosting...

kayaman420 · January 2005

I get the same thing. I think its pretty normal.

53rocket · January 2005

If I recall correctly, the defroster uses the AC compressor so the idle would increase to allow for the strain on the motor at idle and for increased alternator current. If any of you remember the 80's cars, there used to be a plunger that would extend, increasing the idle when the compressor came on. Same thing only this one is controlled by the computer and TPS.

imidazol97 · January 2005

I believe that was to add extra opening on the plate to keep the idle from dropping due to the extra compressor load. It may have been set to increase the idle slightly to smooth the roughness of the engine with the extra load that gets transmitted to the body. I don't think it was to increase the alternator output.

I tried full load on my 3800 LeSabre at idle. It doesn't lose voltage with air conditioning compressor, radiator cooling fans, interior fan, rear defroster, and heated seats all on at idle. I assume that means the alternator keeps up. I would think the Aurora would have done the same.

Let me know if I'm remembering my 67/70 Mustang/73 Torino settings wrong!!!

95mushroom · January 2005

So what happens if the Aurora is your learner car???

Henry · January 2005

Then you L-E-A-R-N from the BEST!

95mushroom · January 2005

I guess so, because the car barely fit during the parking test as the cones were placed on the INSIDE of the parking spot. Don't know how it fit w/o the mirrors hitting.

2k1olds · January 2005

Generally I don't like spoilers on the Aurora, but I saw one on a car on ebay that looked cool. Very low profile spoiler that just set the car off. They don't have any on ebay, should I go to a GM body shop or what?? This is for my 97 classic.

John

Henry · January 2005

The classic needs no stlying help.

----- nuff said

2k1olds · January 2005

Henry,

I understand your concern, and I've thought long and hard about this. I looked at the pictures for hours on end deciding what to do. If I thought it would detract at all, I wouldn't attempt it. But it really sets the car off. I'm not talking about the real high profile ones you see on the hondas, this one is very tasteful.

John

Henry · January 2005

Send me an email of the picture. I will send you a picture I have of a classic with a spoiler.

imidazol97 · January 2005

I'd like to see those pictures too. Can one of you post them with links for the rest of us.

I've never seen an Aurora with a spoiler.

Henry · January 2005

i dont know how to post pictures. I would be happy to send my picture to someone that knows how to post pictures to the pictures thread of the Aurora discussions.

Henri

blk97aurora · January 2005

Does anyone know if a 2001+ non-Bose radio is compatible physically and electrically with non-Bose Classic? I'm happy with my current '97 radio except I want RDS capability.

Les

pat · January 2005

Henri, have a look at this post: KarenS, "Oldsmobile Aurora Owners: Photo Gallery" #1, 31 Aug 2001 10:48 am.

If you have a place you can upload your pics, or know someone who does, it's a snap!

interweb · January 2005

Has anyone else had experience with these Gabriel Readymount Struts? I have an old 1991 Buick Regal that requires both rear struts to be replaced... From what I can tell from Gabriel.com this is a new type of one piece strut that was introduced in the middle of 2004 and has been around for only 6 months or so... Can't seem to find much actual user experience on these things. Because my old car is just a spare, I'm just looking for a low-cost replacement....Thx

Henry · January 2005

OOOOOOOhhhhhh KKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

I looked at the link you suggested and I have the headache to prove it. Like I said before, Does anybody want to post the pictures for me???

Henri

rjs200240 · January 2005

I shot you a mail, send the picts and I'll post 'em up for you.

zinc1 · January 2005

Hi, all! Just in case you guys missed it last year, the IMSA Aurora sold for only $23k. Amazing.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/images/slideshow/block/47340028.jp- g

1996 OLDSMOBILE AURORA IMSA GTS RACE CAR FROM GM COLLECTION SOLD 23,220

2004-PBCCA

rjs200240 · January 2005

Hey man! How's everything going? How's the Sonata treating you?

That car that sold had no drivetrain or I imagine it would have gone for more. Also, I believe that was the show/press car GM had, not one that actually competed in any races. I don't believe the two racers ever ran with the pearl white paint, that was only on the press car, though the car certainly could have been repainted in the last 7 years.

I saw that car on display at the Rennaissance Center a few years ago. It's too bad no one will ever see it there again...

They also sold two of the 2001 Indy Pace Cars in that auction for about ~$18-20k each. I'd have taken one of them over the IMSA car, as they had engines and trannies. It would be neat to see the Corsa system on it and to see if it made more power than a stock car does. I imagine it has the speed limiter removed as it has to do some speed there at the brickyard.

zinc1 · January 2005

Hey, rjs (et al)! The Sonata's the most under-rated car on the road. Virtually no problems after 60k miles. Now we're looking for a fourth car for my son - daughter has the Sonata.

I didn't know about the drivetrain thing. Heh, that explains it. I would have grabbed any of those Oldsmobiles for that price. Jeez, I paid more for repairs on mine! Cool that an Olds beat out the pack at the auction in AZ this year, eh? ($3.2 million!)

I'm mostly hangin' at news:alt.binaries.pictures.autos nowadays. Come visit sometime!

Z~

javidogg · January 2005

Hey Zincster, glad to see you still come through here, everyone all ways brings your name up and how you use to run the other site, it's good to hear from you.

I'm an Aurora owner, got all my info from when you had your site.

Take care.

Javier M.

dasher3 · January 2005

My first message on this forum as I just signed up today. I also had a problem with slamming between 1st and 2nd my 2002 3.5 Aurora. It was like that from the time I picked it up from the dealer in May 2002. Progressively got harsher until I couldn't take it anymore. Took it back to the dealer in Aug. of 2004. They replaced a pressure solenoid and can't express the difference for the better. Smooth as silk now. Also had a problem with front end clunking over bumps and also when I hit my brake pedal. They changed the intermediate shaft in the steering column and felt like I was driving a different car. No problems with either repairs since. Also had a problem with my moon roof opening and closing and coolant backflushing out of the coolant reservoir. Will go into detail if need be at a later date. Hope this helps. Tom

Henry · February 2005

One of the Auroarians from the board sent me an email and I sent him back the pictures. He will be posting the pictures in the photo gallery.

thanks again,

Henri

2k1olds · February 2005

Ok guys, I know we run premium fuel in our cars, but I think somebody on this board said it's a waste of money to run any kind of fuel injector cleaners in a car that already uses premium fuel. I just ran a bottle through my 01 3.5 and man, does it make a difference. Should I put a bottle in my 97? Opinions please....

aurora5000 · February 2005

is a good product. Other boards discourage putting cleaner in the gas due to possible damage to fuel pump. Are you having knocking or FI problems?

For FI problems you can have FI cleaner done at a quik lube places where they hook up directly to the fuel system at the engine and bypass the gas tank. You also can buy a kit and do the same.

Knocking is usually a carbon issue. I use Seafoam cleaner every 15K directly into the intake manifold being sucked in by the power brake vacumn line.

You can also put in the gas, instructions on the can.

RJS what's your thoughts?

Thanks,

Steve

2k1olds · February 2005

Not having knocking issues, just thought it would be a good idea to run it through every once in a while. Had the throttle body cleaned about 8000 miles ago. It just made such a difference in my 01 3.5, thought it can't hurt to put it in my 97. Never heard of this stuff harming fuel pumps.

John

imidazol97 · February 2005

I don't think I would have a FI cleaning done at the quick lubes. I'd pay a knowledgeable tech to do it at a quality shop or a dealer. Otherwise I'll stick with Techron by Chevron.

rjs200240 · February 2005

I've heard some of those cleaners can clean the anti-stick coatings off of the injector pintles, thus causing them to be more prone to clogging in the future. No idea how true that is.

Premium fuel should have enough detergents in it to keep the injectors clean, and to slowly clean them.

GM also makes a thing you hook to the fuel rail to clean injectors. I think I'll pass on that sort of stuff unless I'm having a specific problem. In the past I've used them and never noticed them do a dang thing... I also wonder if they boost your octane or anything to create an artificial feel of them doing something.

Henri, I'll have the photos up, having some trouble with the site I host stuff on...

95mushroom · February 2005

Shell V-Power vs. Chevron w/Techron?? I just remember hearing Shell has 5x the cleaning stuff in it.

Oldsmobile Aurora

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