Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
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
Whoever suggested using the oil life monitor for oil level gave you bad advice. There is no connection between the two.
Measure the oil level with the dipstick (admittedly an imprecise and frustrating exercise). My '97 has an oil-level sensor that activates a Driver Information Center (DIC) message at two quarts low; something like "OIL LEVEL LOW." I assume your '99 is the same.
The oil life monitor is an entirely different concept. Instead of recommending changing oil at fixed intervals (like 3000 miles, or whatever), GM is using the oil life monitor to make a better-informed decision based on operating conditions. The oil life monitoring is done by the PCM using only two inputs: engine revolutions and oil temperature. GM does not divulge the exact algorithm; believe me, I've tried. Several articles on the OLM system talk about "combustion events," which I assume to be spark plugs firing; divide by four gives the PCM the number of engine revolutions. I suspect that coolant temperature is used as a surrogate for oil temperature since I have never found a component labeled "oil temp sensor."
My experience with my '97 is about 1 point reduction in 2 to 3 days when driving 10-15 miles per day. Faster reduction in the winter with cold temps.
Hope this helps.
Les
It makes sense what you just said.
I guess I will have to failover to the dipstick and see if the oil level is drastically changing
Hope not..
Take care, Niko
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Have there been problems recently with water pumps having the blades corroded away and not being able to push water well enough to maintain cool under high heat loads?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
oddly, the car is overheating on the highway but not in town. Also, it was near the redline when I got home. I carefully opened the cap and it did not boil over. Coolant was present. I turned off the engine and the coolant erupted. I restarted the engine but it would not stop the eruption. The gauge did not show a significant creep after the engines was turned off and the eruption commenced.
I really love the 97 and am hoping to keep it a couple more years... any help is appreciated.
I recently change the oil level on my '99 aurora. Once 1000 miles were, an alarm was triggered in the monitor: Low Oil level. I see it every morning after 10-15 minutes of driving. Then when I step out for lunch about noon it doesn't come out anymore..
I checked the dipstick (which, according to some sources is not accurate) and it is one bar above the ADD line (but if I turn the dipstick around it is slightly above the ADD line)
Below I have provided a simple diagram that indicates oil level in different point of time. See for the X mark
Right After changing the oil:
____ADD|__|__x|__|__|MAX___
1000 Miles after changing the oil:
____ADD|__x|__|__|__|MAX___
Is it normal that am getting the low oil level alarm. Has anybody has gone thru this problem before/
Thanks Niko
1) Your car may be either burning or leaking oil. Suggest checking more often.
2) Your sending unit may be defective. I want to say I paid $25 for mine from the local Buick dealer (I'd be sure to use only the GM part, as it's calibrated for the Northstar/Aurora)... and, if you did your own oil change, you can change your sending unit. It looks like a black roll of quarters and it's right next to the filter...
--Robert
Les
When I got the low oil level alarm on my '97, it took two quarts to get the level to appear on the dipstick. So it appears that you are getting an erroneous alarm. The oil level sensor is somewhere in the oil pan. Note that this is a different sensor than the one for oil pressure that is located near the oil filter.
Something just occurred to me. When you write "low oil level alarm," do you mean a message displayed on the DIC or the red idiot light to the right of the fuel gauge? I believe, but have not confirmed yet, that the idiot light can be set by two conditions: low oil pressure or low oil level. If your indication is indeed low oil pressure, then the sensor (sender) next to the oil filter is probably the culprit.
Les
Thanks for the input.
The Low Oil Level alarm is displayed in the DIC (the device that displays the date, mileage, oil presure parametes as well)
-Niko
I had noticed that i loose 1% every 100 miles.
It is good to know that the monitor decay slows down on a long trip.
Well actually I don' t seem to be able to find and leaking. I don't have white fumes when I drive 60-70 miles/h in the highway. I'm not sure where the oil goes if it is not leaking or burning...
I probably have to check to a garage the seals in the back to make sure that there is no leak at all.
I have had the pleasure of driving my Aurora for just under 80,000 miles, on several long trips, and for daily use and I can report that this car has been as trouble free as any luxury automobile that I have owned in my 63 years.
The car is an absolute no-brainer, get in, turn the ignition and go. Go quietly, comfortably, safely, and, if it is your bent, quickly.
Other than the prior posts where I reported that the dash air vents were replaced, one at a time, under warranty, nothing has been a real problem. Oh yes, one vent is still broken, this problem seemingly the fault of the over use of plastics in the vent controls.
My only other problem involved a monitor on the crankshaft that failed, causing the car to die when I was deaccelerating, usually around corners. The replacement was, as I remember, something around $250.00 and represents the only maintenance I have done on my car except regular oil changes (3000 miles).
I am on my second set of OEM tires, Michelins, the first set, with two rotations, going fully 68,000 miles before I replaced them.
The car has not stuttered or failed me once in all the driving in the sometimes harsh Intermountain West environment. I have learned that in damp weather I can expect to get some warning lights, especially the "low tire pressure" warning. I learned after checking the pressure to simply reset the monitor and all was well.
The fit and finish has been superb--the seats have held up well as have the headliner and carpets.
My only complaint with the car and I knew it going in, is that the trunk space is limited--two golf bags do take up alot of space but we have managed by packing with some care.
All the car's systems still function as when I bought the car, it is still as quiet as always, the mileage has not changed--this car gets a steady 24mpg when driven on the interstates and I usually drive between 75-85MPH when traveling. Mountain driving is no problem, the car is stable and predictable. I only had one incident, on a city street, at about 30 below zero, driving on sheet ice, when the car did a 360--fortunately I was only going 5MPH when it happened but when the car became unstuck, it was gone--no control.
Otherwise, thru rain, sleet, heavy, and light snow conditions the car has been very confident--brakes well (love those brakes!).
The question is, "Would I buy another 2001 Aurora?" In a minute! In fact, considering the resale of these cars is so low, I think they are probably the best bargin on the used car market today. You can get a hell of a car for under $10000 with this car. I do not mind that the value of my car has dropped so dramatically because in the four years I have owned this Aurora I do not believe the car owes me a thing--it has performed better in every way than I expected when I bought it.
Thanks for your time, hope this helps you in a buying decision.
However, it is was made clear to me that very same day and on the very same trip, that the Olds girl ain't what she used to be. Granted, my 95 like Ali, Jordan, et al. had its day in the spotlight but it is no longer center stage. I was pulling onto a highway when an Acura already on the highway pulled up along side me. I kept my foot on the gas saying to myself "No act cure ah" was going to pull ahead of aROARa. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
The Acura TL driver decided SHE wanted to be in front of me and kicked it. The car passed me like I was standing still. I have since rationalized the situation by saying: 1) I was still accelarating while the Acura wa on the road, 2) I did not have the performance button puched in, 3) We were going up hill, 4) I did have Gulf gas in the car; 5)the sun was in my eyes; 6) Yeah I could have taken her 100,000 miles ago.
While my 95 may no longer be top dog. It still looks better at 110 than that "Act CURE AH" looked straight off the assembly line. Can I get an amen anyone?
I put 1000 miles on my overhauled '98 (new shocks, struts, rear rotors, front and rear pads) this weekend (trip to Michigan for my wife's uncle's funeral). Wow, it's amazing how great the car rides with the new parts (my right front strut could be compressed with one finger; it stayed compressed for 5 minutes, only decompressing when layed sideways :-)
The car does not have the neck-snapping acceleration of my GTO, but it is still pretty quick/surprises people. Thanks to some boneheaded road construction in Michigan (whose idea was it to completely shut down I-96 west of Detroit?), I got behind and needed to make up some time. Spent a fair amount of time approaching triple-digit speeds on rural interstates, going into 30-40 mph headwinds, and the old girl just kept humming along and offering me more.
Only problem I had was that the plastic piece on the outside of each B-pillar, between the windows, was "bowing out" - also had a ton of wind noise. At my next gas stop, I looked, and the 3 plastic tabs that hold that piece in were broken on each side! A little ghetto repair (electrical tape wrapped a couple of times around each B-pillar at the top and the bottom) fixed that right up and reduced the wind noise. I'll be ordering the new parts tomorrow :-)
--Robert
96k on his '98 (27k when I got it over 4 1/2 years ago), and still rolling...
Whew
Sorry GM, you just don't cut it anymore.
I really don't want to shotgun this thing and wonder of maybe buying one coil to rotate out for troubleshooting and maybe one injector and doing same. Plugs looked good, AC platinum. Wires, I don't recall what brand. Seems peppy under full acceleration with no miss. I have noted that the exhaust sounds a little strange under cruise sometimes.
Maybe like burn is incomplete before valves open? Not sure what the proper name for the sound is. gurgle?
Need help.
Does anyone know what a complete readout of the OBDII costs? fuel trim and all. And is an ignition analysis considered separate so it is likely I'd have to pay for both, if I take it somewhere?
Any ideas on why the front end could be loose? When I go over railroad tracks or multiple bumps there are allot of rattles from underneath. Car has 135,000 and I am not sure of maintenance history on front end.
paul
paul
See #411 in "Care and Maintenance." Yes, you have to screw the pistons into the caliper cylinder until they bottom out to make room for the thickness of the new pads. I was never able to find a tool that fit correctly, but was able to use one of those universal cube-shaped tools that was close enough to work. No adjustment needed.
Les
Also, and Ford has disseminated this info, when parking without using the parking brake tension in the drive train between the points of transmission parking pawl and the wheel, forces lubricant from between all mating surfaces. Tear down comparisons showed extra wear at specific points that bore the thrust from this tension consistantly. The conclusion was that it was causing a dry start at this points where lubrication was forced out.
So when you brake to put in park, set park brake before releasing foot brake, and the reverse when starting up. Move from park before disengaging brakes.
My conclusion is that if it caused significantly enough wear that Ford wrote about it, they were likely concerned with in warranty issues. So what about all the other wear points, such as CV joints. Under static pressure grease will be forced from contact points.
It's also possible some of the suspension bushings are shot (polyurethane replacements, anyone)?
--Robert
This is a 1996 w/130,000 miles.
paul
--Robert
Merry Christmas to all!
Les
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
1) Please DON'T close the door by _____ ___ _ _____.
or
2) Please DON'T ______ __ ___ _____ when you close the door.
Come on you Classic guys, I know you know this one.
a) crankshaft position sensors (more on the V8, but I do hear V6 folks having this issue)
b) Intermediate Steering Shaft - "clunking" on turns or over bumps
c) on the V6 models, when the secondary air pump is active, the current draw is too much for the alternator, and it can make the lighting (both internal and external) flicker.
Does your dad have the 3/36 or the 5/60 warranty on his car? GM went to the higher warranty standard after the Olds shutdown announcement in 12/2000. Later on, you could drop the warranty down for an additional $1k credit.
--Robert
Yep, Christmas night, driving home from my brother's house, my '98 started making a driveline noise (like a loud road hum - thought it was the pavement at first since it was a new stretch of road). Noticed it also didn't seem to want to go over 45 mph. No CEL. Pulled off the freeway, checked everything out (trans fluid, checked the intake, reset PCM by disconnecting the battery for 20 minutes), still no go (seemed OK if you were rolling under 45 mph). Finally broke down and called my brother, who gave me a ride home.
Had it towed to a trans shop yesterday. When the tow truck driver (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Chris Elliott - maybe that's what he's doing these days) drove the car off the flatbed, I heard a rattling sound from the right front, like a BB rolling around the rim. Could the wheel hub/bearing be failing?
My August '97 built '98 has the Autobahn package, and the TSB about shift solenoids does apply to some '98's. I'm hoping, if it's the tranny, that's it (tach was a little high, but not close to redline, but I didn't push it since something was wrong). Otherwise, I've got a line on a couple different junkyard trannies (different depending on the Julian date of the trans - yes, both have the 3.71 Autobahn gearing) for around $400. Anyone know the book time to swap a tranny?
Oh yeah, I remembered that my third-party extended warranty was still in effect (100k miles or early January '06 - I have 98,650 miles on the car). Went to their web site... and their assets have been seized by the Hawaii Insurance Commissioner, and they're in liquidation. Oh well, can't really complain seeing how I got over $4500 in repairs paid out on an $1100 warranty...
Still waiting on the shop's diagnosis,
--Robert
Of course, the hubs usually go in pairs... I'm having them check the left one out. If nothing else I will probably replace it next fall when I pull the Aurora out of storage again (GTO comes out sometime in April)...
--Robert
Do you know how many times I have had to say that to people?
Though I have never heard of it happenning to anyone, I am concerned that one day the glass will just break.
I have taken to not only telling people, but rolling down the glass when "new riders" with me get out of the car.
Henri
The Regal had a similar, though worse, incident wherein the driver's side front wheel decided to take its leave of the car at about 60mph. Two wheel studs had snapped and the lugs stripped right off the other three. The three were about 1/4" longer than the replacements, making me wonder if the replacements weren't too short. When I then replaced the other side for safety's sake, I noticed they were the same length as the replacements. So the wheel studs had stretched significantly.
2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav