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Oldsmobile Alero

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    rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    I washed my Alero for the first time today. Whenever I wash my cars I open the doors, hood and trunk to wipe around the door frames, lips etc with a damp cloth. Unfortunately with the ALero I didn't need a damp cloth as all these palces were sopping wet. Is this normal. No water leaked into the car but I am concerned about long term water damage with water sitting in these places. I assume it must also happen when it rains. Has anyone else noticed this?

    I'm also concerned about this water freezing in cold weather. THis could make the doors, trunk and hood frozen shut if it turns very cold after a rain storm during the winter. (I had a similar problem with a Toyota many years ago). For those who went through a winter with their Alero, has this been a problem.

    The Alero is the first domestic car i've ever owned. The quality of the ride, comfort etc is on a par with Toyota, Honda etc etc. But today in cleaning the car, I cut my hand twice on rough metal places. In addition, it looks like the Alero is put together like an erector set with all teh bolts, nuts etc. The imports have a much more professional look to them. This is just my 2 cents.
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    rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    Awhile back in surfing the net I found an ALero website. I was kind of neat. Theere was an Alero of the month with a picture and other stuff that Alero owners contributed. I don't believe that it was sanctioned by Olds. Has anyone else found it. if so, can you give me the website address. I thought I had saved it but when I try to go to it I get a crazy site. Thanks for your help.
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    infinia1infinia1 Member Posts: 174
    well i made my first dealer trip to have the oil changed and the emergency boot replaced-it had torn already. i also asked them to look into the noise heard only when driving in wet weather. i've asked about this on here before and was told it was normal, however i don't think it should be. the are ordering the weather stripping that spans the top of the doors on the passenger side. i don't think it will help since the noise comes from the lower area of the doors on both sides. although they didn't give it a wash because their detailer had just quit, they took care of the oil change at no charge! also does anyone else with cloth seats get shocked everytime you get out of the car? my wife is making me ask this one. no rattles or water leaks. gas mileage with v6 has gone up to around 22 city whish is impressive. i tried to find a bug deflector at autozone-they said nobody made one for the alero so i went to checker and they wanted $75 dollars for one! i said forget it, i'll keep looking. does gm make one? i forgot to ask when i was at the dealer. as for the different gaps in the trunk area-the dealer told me "you don't want to mess with adjusting this-they make it this way so water won't leak in." bull, he just didn't want to mess with it. otherwise very happy with this car and can't wait to have the windows tinted! then it will be perfect!
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    rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    In my previous post #101 complaining about water entering the door frames as well as the inside metal edges of the trunk and hood, I neglected to make one comment. Abotu 2 weeks ago while driving in the rain I drove by a construction site. The road was very muddy and it splatterd on the drivers side of the car. Yesterday I found the same muddy splatter marks inside the door frame.

    Thanks for any advice
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I talked a friend into an Alero this weekend. She takes delivery in two weeks and is very excited. She was going to get a 4cyl Accord, but decided give the Alero a try. She got a 6cyl Alero for around the same price.

    Hopefully it will do as well as my mom's 99 GL which has been trouble free for 25K+.
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    ketchketch Member Posts: 217
    Just read in one of my car mags (one of many I get, much to the dismay of my wife) that overseas,
    the alero is called the chevrolet alero! Its due to the fact that Caddillac and Chevrolet are the brands of USA GM's sold offshore. Typically they are sold out of Opel (Germany) or Vauxhall (UK)
    franchises. In another example, china the Buick Century is made and sold as the same.
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    coalcrackercoalcracker Member Posts: 53
    How many of you out there know that the gray door panels on the 2000 Alero are real leather. They are not plastic? I just found out when the dealer was replacing one of my panels because of a blemish on the cloth insert. I verified this fact with the Oldsmobile people also. This fact was never told to me when I was buying my Alero. I thought the panels were a soft plastic. Don't put vinyl protector on these panels . You might have a problem later. By the way I am pushing 10,000 miles on my car and I still love it. It is a great car and a bargain for the price I paid for it. Especially now that I find that the door panels are leather.
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    michoumichou Member Posts: 4
    I'm looking into buying an alero 2000 GL.Thanks for all the great info especially about the leaks.
    That problem will definetely be discussed with my dealer. I'm very concerned about this since I live in Canada and we do have heavy rainfall in the spring and we do have very cold weather. This problem could be a serious issue for me. I've been researching this car for the last couple of days and this is the most informative site I have found!! Any advice before I go to the dealer would be greatly appreciated.
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    hengheng Member Posts: 411
    Any optional suspension/tire package not necessary, standard suspension/tires sporty enough.

    Spend the time to take a good test drive, then decide.

    Make sure the rotors and brake pads are the upgraded versions. Many of us had to have them replaced (free by the dealer) because of a defective design. Make the dealer replace them at no charge before you take delivery.
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    darkworlderdarkworlder Member Posts: 14
    I'm also in Canada and I have a 2000 4-dr Alero v-6. V-6 s definately the way to go. As for the water leaks, I've seen no evidence of it. The rotors on the other hand I've had replaced supposedly with the redesigned ones. They seem to be warping again, but it might be my alignment, I'll let everyone know when I get my wheels rotated. You might want to check out egroups.com and joing the Alero newsgroup or www.alero.org. Both are great sources of information. Also, if you do choose to purchase the Alero, I strongly recommend getting the K&N air filter, you'll find the model number on the .org website.
    Good luck!
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    ketchketch Member Posts: 217
    Someone wrote here they found out they had leather on thier doors. Having read this I checked my '00 Intrigue GL (w/o leather seat to boot) and sure enough, what I thought was leather look plastic on the door is the real thing. of course I also smelled it up close to verify, but then my wife looks out in the garge to see me on all fours with my node up against the door panel. I had some "splainin" to do. Thanks to whomever posted this about the doors originally. It was a nice surprise to say the least!
    p.s. But come on Olds, why not say this in the brouchure and even tell the dealers to point this out?
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    michoumichou Member Posts: 4
    heng and darkworlder, thanks for the info, will check out org site for more info, still haven't made the purchase yet, looking for a silver or may go with midnight blue, this is all good info to go to the dealer with, I'm sure it will save me a few trips to the gm garage!!! will let you know if I officially become a member of this elite Alero group!
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    yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    Not only dealers do not know this. According to Edmunds, the door inserts are "leatherette", not leather, and are standard only for the GLS trims of Alero and Intrigue:

    http://www.edmunds.com/newcars/2000/oldsmobile/alero/glssedan.html#stdequip

    http://www.edmunds.com/newcars/2000/oldsmobile/intrigue/gls.html#stdequip
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    coalcrackercoalcracker Member Posts: 53
    According to both the dealer and Oldsmobile, the door panels are real leather and not "leatherette". This makes a difference because if it is leatherette you use a "vinyl protector" on it to keep it looking good for yars but if it is leather then you use a "leather conditioner" to keep it looking good for years. These treatments are totally different so make sure you use only the leather conditionber because the inserts are real leather. Using the wrong stuff will cause damage to your real leather.
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    coalcrackercoalcracker Member Posts: 53
    There are several companies that make wood dash kits. I am looking at some from www.woodtrim.com; www.salesco.com; www.woodcorp.com;and I understand there is another one on www.alero.org. Can anyone tell me from experience which company has the best looking wood dash kit and easy installation. I am considering rosewood as the material. I understand that there are several ways that these wood pieces are made and some look better than others because of the way they are manufactured. If anyone has direct experience or knowledge thereof please let me know. I am sure that other paries would also be interested because this addition can really dress up your Alero. Thanks.
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    coalcrackercoalcracker Member Posts: 53
    The other site for wood dash kits on www.alero.org is www.customautotrim/catindex.html.
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    profaprofa Member Posts: 1
    Hi, everyone! I am a new member of Town hall. I have a question to all my cordial memebers.
    I have a 2000 Alero 4cyl. sedan. I feel like my Alero doesn't shift gears (especially 3th or 4th gear) properly. At and over 70 mile of speed it doent' shift down quickly or sometimes doesn't shift at all. I went to a dealership, but they said everyting is fine. They said Alero's overdrive is different from other automatic transmission. To speed over 75 miles are very hard and takes long time (even if it is illegal, we need to run that fast sometimes, right?). According to the manual, at the speed of over 65 mile, you have to push accelator all the way down. But it didn't work satisfactorily in my case.
    And very interestingly, today I found a website which shows defects of various cars. (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/servicemmy1.cfm), and it says "SOME VEHICLES BUILT WITH 4T40E AND 4T45E TRANSAXLES MAY EXHIBIT A NO THIRD OR NO FOURTH GEAR CONDITION".
    Does anybody have the same problem as mine? Please help me figure out what's wrong with my car. I hope to hear many cordial responses of you all.
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    cstudentcstudent Member Posts: 3
    I am looking at buying a '99 GLS Coupe that has a
    sunroof, spoiler, the performance suspension
    package, and 23k miles for around $14.8 + tax. As
    far as I know this is a good deal, but if I am
    completely oblivious, please let me know. Thanks.
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    hayes4hayes4 Member Posts: 1
    I had an interesting one. On my way to work with a little over quarter tank, my 2000 Alero Coupe (12K miles) just died. Turns out a electronic module on fuel pump went bad, which indicated I still had fuel. Quick dealer fix, plus Tow and Free rental car for the day. Bad Part#22631715
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    etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    Where did posts 119-121 go?
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    ketchketch Member Posts: 217
    Thanks for the clarification on the models with leather on the doors, as I needed to know, so i knew what to protect it with. Turns out my GL Intrigue is the leatherette (plastic leather=Pleather?) , but I swore it smelled like the real thing (as mentioned, the GLS is real). i suppose I wanted it too. Nice to hear an Alero comes with the real thing, as it shows Olds isn't dumbing down the car in any way.
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    hues10hues10 Member Posts: 10
    I have a '99 GLS Sedan which is a pretty nice car if you don't mind the early morning back seat creaks. I have 15K miles on it after a little over a year of driving and had the front rotors and pads replaced due to warping. The dealer said the TSB only required the front rotors to be done. I don't have a similar problem yet with the rears, but I was wondering, is anyone getting all four wheels replaced under the TSB. I don't want to get out of warranty, then have to pay for a replacement. Thanks.

    PS - for those thinking of buying the 2000 model, plan on keeping it a long time, cause these things are depreciating fast. I paid $18600 (MSRP of $22250) for mine after rebates and trade-in this time last year, and I see the Trade-In Value according to Edmunds is down to $11,500. To me, that's a $10,750 depreciation off of MSRP in one year. Ouch - Honda's don't depreciate that fast in six years. Thus, I'm keeping mine until the wheels fall off.
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Keep in mind, Honda isn't going to give you $4k off list. They also don't sell to rental companies, Oldsmobile does.
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    missers1999missers1999 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2000 Alero GLS Coupe. At around 9,000 miles I noticed the same vibration when braking. (Along with many other things wrong with the vehicle, which at over 18000 miles, still aren't fixed.) However, I finally accepted that something was wrong and started to read the posts on this site. I talked to my dealership and they acknowledged the problem with the brake pads on Aleros and Malibus. After waiting two months for these to come in, they were replaced. (This was at 14500 miles.) I hate to tell everyone, but guess what? About a month later and 1500 or so miles, the same thing started happening. We are now at 18000 and when the brakes get hot, watch out! I have written a second letter to Olds and did file this second letter with my Consumer Protection Agency. I am asking that this car be considered a lemon - we have had it in the shop six different times for problems in under 15000 miles. To this day, none of these problems have been fixed. Good luck to all of the other Alero owners!
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    rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    I checked the Edmunds trade-in/resale values for 1999 cars. You have to realize that even thiugh we are still in 2000, a 1999 car is 2 years old as the 2001 models are out. I think October 1 is the beginning of the new modle year. The Accord was not much higher than the Alero. The first set of values was for a base car. THe prices for options listed have to be added to the base price. WE have to realize that Aleros have had rebates ranging up to $2000. The rebates lower the resale/trade in values. A lot of the 2000 leftovers with 4 cylinders were sold to renatl companoies. This also lowers the resale value.
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    michoumichou Member Posts: 4
    Well, I did it! The midnight blue 2000,4dr,6cyl is now officially mine. I LOVE driving this car.As a matter of fact I take it everywhere with me!
    Thanks to this site I had a work order opened and had the brakes replaced. So far this car performs like a dream. I had a 93 Jimmy that rattled like a bunch of skeletons in a tight closet so this quiet operation is heaven. I realize it's new but I hope it'll keep running like this for a long while. I read a posting about K&N air filters, my dealer didn't know what that was, is this a U.S. thing or Canada too and can I get more details on these. What is the advantage of having this and what is the cost.
    In the meantime I will continue to drive this puppy, trying to think of a name...Must be appropriate...any ideas???
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    infinia1infinia1 Member Posts: 174
    Concerning my last post here, no one has responded. Does anyone know where I can get a bug deflector for my Alero? I can't find one locally. My Alero is still doing great-no complaints since 1st dealer visit.
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    hb396hb396 Member Posts: 15
    We're looking at a '99 Alero 3.4 V6 that had 31,500 miles and looked showroom new.
    The Low coolant light was on, so when we took it for a test drive, I popped the hood and checked things out. Long story short... evidence of moisture on the oil fill cap and excessive moisture coming from the exhaust. Of course, took it back to the private owner and suggsted they get fixed under warranty. My question. Does this particular engine have any history of cracked heads, gasket problems, or introduction by some other means of coolant leaking into the engine? Maybe just one of those unfortunate things?

    If there are any mechanics on line, when this engine is fixed, should I even consider the car due to potential excessive wear from the exposure to a diluted oil situation? Thanks in advance for your advice.
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    etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    I'd be leary of any car that has water in the oil. Also, 31K is kind of high miles for a 99. Unless you can get a killer deal, I'd shop around a bit.
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    yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    The 3.4l is a relatively new engine: before 99 (GrandAm and Alero) and 2000 (base Impala) it was used only with some GM minivans. But it is close related with the GM 3.1l, as in Malibu, Lumina, Century, Grand Prix SE. Basically, the same design, a descendant of the 2.8l GM engine of 80-ths.

    Did not hear about cracking heads or leaking head gaskets with the 3.1l engine. But I had read complaints about the coolant leaking through another gasket, at manifold, if I remember it right. Again, if I remember it right, the complaints were posted on an old Malibu board, now in archives.

    As to the long-term consequences of the leak to the engine, I would rather ask an opinion of a skilled mechanic.
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    cq888cq888 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, I bought a 2000 GLS V6 loaded, 2 months ago,
    it has about 2000 miles now, and I think the
    gas mileage is not what's advertised on the
    sticker. If you have a similar model, could
    you share with me what kind of mileage you get?

    The dealer told me that it will get better
    after 5000 miles, it's lower when I am breaking
    it in, is it true?

    Since I am here, I might as well ask:
    if you are living in California, do you know
    if the DMV would mail me the license plates?
    or I need to go there and pick up one in person?
    I got the ownership paper in the mail from DMV,
    but they havn't sent me the plates. I hate to
    go there an wait in the line for 6 hours.

    Thanks
    CQ
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    michoumichou Member Posts: 4
    When I was bying my Alero the dealer told me something interesting. The gas mileage they tell you your cars get is tested at 70 km/h, 45mph. This is apparently standard testing across the board. Now why the tests are done at this speed when nobody but our grandmothers drive at that speed is a mystery to me. Now please don't take this as fact but it might go a long way into explaining the mileage you're actually getting.
    I hope it is getting good mileage anyway, I still haven't emptied my first tank yet so I haven't been able to calculate mine but I sure hope it's good because the gas prices here a killing us!
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    robsxltrobsxlt Member Posts: 1
    I recently made a trip to Gatlinburg from Montgomery, Al in my 2000 Alero GLS. I traveled at around 80 mph and got around 30 mpg. I was very impressed. However, I have been having problems with my brakes also. When it rains the brakes feel like you just went thru a water puddle and it won't stop. They also make a very loud grinding noise. I only have 6000 miles on this car. I love this car but the problems I've had are unreal. The drivers mirror also shakes, all the time. They said they were working on a fix. I just want someone to fix the brake problem. Every time I take it in they say they can't find a problem. Oh well, I guess I'll have to die to get them fixed.
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    rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    I have a 2000 GL2 with 6 cyl. I also have 2000 miles on it. My mileage is a combiantion of hiway and city. I've been averageing about 25 to 27 mph (this depends on whether my wife with the heavy foot or I do the bulk of the driving). I'm taking a trip this weekend which will entail primarily hiway driving and hope to get more than 30 mph.

    My only complaint about the car is that there are some sharp edges around the trunk and door frames and whenever I clean them I cut my hand. I've always had imports and am not thrilled seeing all the nuts and bolts which I never saw on mthe imports. Also, my car is bright white and I find it impossible to keep clean.
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    hengheng Member Posts: 411
    Yes it took more than 2000 miles for my 99 GLS mileage to improve. Now it gets ~22 mpg around town (suburban commute) and 30+ mpg on the highway.
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    marushamarusha Member Posts: 7
    I have a loaded 2000 GLS coupe. When I took a long trip, my highway mileage was 31 mpg....I was really impressed. My weekly mileage (combination city and highway) is averaging 27 mpg. Not bad for a V6 :-)
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    cq888cq888 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for all who responded to my inquery.

    a question for marusha: your numbers are
    the same as the ones printed on the sticker.
    so I guess Olds didn't lie, but...
    did you get those numbers before 5000 miles
    or after the break-in? how come my gas mileage
    is so much lower than yours?

    thanks
    CQ
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    cpzhangcpzhang Member Posts: 16
    I just rented a 4 door Alero with 2.4L and 20k miles for a trip from Long Island to Boston. I was really impressed by the 2.4 engine. It provides more than adequate power for everyday driving IMO.Although it is kinda noisy at full throttle, but every engine makes such noise under full throttle, right? And the milage is not bad, 550 miles used less than 20 gal, including about 10% of the milage in the stop and go traffic in Boston and NY metro area.
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    coalcrackercoalcracker Member Posts: 53
    I have a 2000 GL3 4 door sedan with a v-6 engine. I get 20-21 MPG in conservative suburbia driving. I get from 30-36 MPG (mostly 30-31) on the interstate traveling at speeds of 62 to 67 MPH without the air conditioner on and the windows closed. The dealer told me my mileage would improve after about 7,00 miles. Well I have 10,000 miles on the car and I still get the same mileage under the same conditions. I even had the computer reprogrammed (October-2000) with the latest calibration data and that didn't help either. By the way this driving is in warm weather. In the winter the mileage goes down further. I have come to the conclusion that the EPA MPG info on the car is incorrect for city driving. If I drove this car in the city I would probably get lower MPG in that environment.
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    cq888cq888 Member Posts: 3
    I got about the same gas mileage as
    coalcracker. my freeway mileage is
    not any better than 22, but freeways
    here are always jammed, so it's same
    as city driving or worse.

    I wonder why some people posted that
    they got decent mileages, while we don't.

    Should I take the car back to dealer for
    a tune-up? they should make the car
    perform as good as printed on the sticker,
    right? otherwise it's cheating.
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    hengheng Member Posts: 411
    I'm getting the same. Don't forget we've got a 3.4 liter engine. So it is going to drag any stop and go mileage down and 30+ on any highway driving is pretty decent.

    What's your beef? If you want better than that, then you need something with an engine under 2 liters.

    Forget the dealer. Its not cheating, its lawyering.
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    rich310rich310 Member Posts: 34
    As i posted earlier I get bet 25 and 27 in mixed hiway, city , suburban driving. I returned last night from my trip to DC. Averaged 30+ on the hiway. It was raining the way down so I was driving slower. The rain adds to friction which reduces mpg. For those complaining about mileage, you may want to test different brands of gas. In addition, check your driving habits.

    On any car we have had, I averages 2 or 3 mpg better than may wife. She accelerates very fast and then jams on the brakes to stop. I have better driving skills than she does.(I'm no slouch as I was doing 75+ on I95 driving home last night.) I've always found the sticker mpgs to be fairly accurate.
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    abeth67abeth67 Member Posts: 3
    I have owned a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero, 6 cylinder,
    sunroof, spoiler, midnight blue for approximately
    2
    months. It's a wonderful looking car and it was
    love at first sight. It has 2500 miles so far and
    was bought with a mere 97 miles. The problem is
    this approximately 3 weeks after I had the car, I
    noticed a slight knock after the car accelerated
    into third gear. I blew it off at first, telling
    myself that it wasnt a knock but some other engine
    noise that would disappear after engine break in.
    Now, eight weeks later, I am still hearing what I
    believe to be a knock (or constant ping)in the
    engine after the car accelerates past third gear.
    It only happens after the car reaches third gear
    and occasionally happens in slow and go
    situations.
    I am totally and completely depressed. Is there
    anyone having similiar problems with their new
    Alero? Anyone have any suggestions? I am calling
    the dealer this week to get it into the shop to
    have it tested. My greatest fear is that they
    will
    tell me its nothing or there is nothing that can
    be done. I am SURE that this new of an engine
    should not be knocking and refuse to listen to it
    for the next ?? years. Any help will be
    appreciated.
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    abeth67abeth67 Member Posts: 3
    I have owned a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero, 6 cylinder,
    sunroof, spoiler, midnight blue for approximately
    2 months. It's a wonderful looking car and it was
    love at first sight. It has 2500 miles so far and
    was bought with a mere 97 miles. The problem is
    this approximately 3 weeks after I had the car, I
    noticed a slight knock after the car accelerated
    into third gear. I blew it off at first, telling
    myself that it wasnt a knock but some other engine
    noise that would disappear after engine break in.
    Now, eight weeks later, I am still hearing what I
    believe to be a knock (or constant ping)in the
    engine after the car accelerates past third gear.
    It only happens after the car reaches third gear
    and occasionally happens in slow and go
    situations.
    I am totally and completely depressed. Is there
    anyone having similiar problems with their new
    Alero? Anyone have any suggestions? I am calling
    the dealer this week to get it into the shop to
    have it tested. My greatest fear is that they
    will tell me its nothing or there is nothing that can be done. I am SURE that this new of an engine
    should not be knocking and refuse to listen to it
    for the next ?? years. Any help will be
    appreciated.
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    carman30carman30 Member Posts: 10
    Hello,

    I wanted to let you know I have a 1999 white GL3 for sale. The vehicle has 30,100 miles on it. I have taken IMMACULATE care of the vehicle, it has NO DINGS! I have meticulously maintained it, and have added HID headlamps. The vehicle has a V6, Bass Boost CD/Tape, Sunroof, 16 inch tire package, and interior is light grey. I want to get out of debt, and will let the car go for around $14,800. If interested, please e mail me at: colliff@lear.com.
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    vader5vader5 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2000 Alero GLS, white, loaded. This car is awesome! I test drove the Altima, 626 & Camry. Although, the three cars mentioned were satisfactory, they fell short of the mark when considering total "bang for the buck". After leasing a 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, I was hesitant to give GM another shot....bad brakes, rotors, AC controller...See 1998 Malibu postings on town hall, I gave GM one more try. I was glad I did!
    If you are considering purchasing a new car,test drive the Alero, you'll be glad you did.
    (P.S.-I don't work for G.M., just happy to find a great car after two months of research & shopping)
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    dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I would bring the car into the dealership before getting too worried. If they have a reputable service department, they should take car of it.
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    abeth67abeth67 Member Posts: 3
    Okay, 2 days before I was scheduled into the dealer to check out the engine pinging, I needed to fuel up and decided to use premium gasoline to see if perhaps that would help the engine knock. Well, believe it or not, since I have began to use the higher octane gasoline, I have heard nothing abnormal in my engine. I am so relieved. Just posting in case anyone else has the same problem. Although I hate to pay more for the premium gasoline, it is well worth not hearing the constant engine noises when I used regular 87 octane unleaded gasoline. Hope this helps someone.
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    etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    Have you tried using different brands of gasoline. You should be able to use regular unleaded in your Alero with no problem. I would run regular in it again and if the noise begins, take it to the dealer and have them check it. It may be something as simple as a knock sensor not working properly.
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    wilhfurtwwilhfurtw Member Posts: 25
    I bought a Sandstone 2001 Alero GL2 wtih V6, sun and sound package (Premium 8 speaker sound system and Power Sunroof), and the performance package. I only bought the Alero because I wanted to take advantage of the 0 down, 0 interest, 0 payments for one year plan. I am also a college student graduating this year. I figured, I will drive the car free for a year, and start paying it off when I get a job out of college. I should have waited another year to buy a car.

    Because the financing plan was in lieu of the cash rebates, I could not take advantage of the cash rebates. But don't let any of these incentives fool you into buying an Alero. I would trade in the Alero's extra features for quality and refinement.

    Although I put 900 miles with no mechanical breakdown, the fit and finish on the car is terrible. The carpet looks like it will come off. The dash has an unfinished look. The interior rattles, the leather shift knob and the center dome light is loose. The fabric looks cheap and ugly.

    Furthermore, the engine is loud, coarse, and no where nearly as quiet or smooth as a Honda or Toyota four cylinder. The performance suspension doesn't improve the handling very much but the ride suffers. I could feel every little ripple and bump on the road. There is a lot of impact harshness over bumps. The brakes are OK, but the steering is numb at the center and not always linear.

    I am not leaving out the heating/ventilation system. You can not leave it in recirculation mode without turning on the fan. That means I have breathe the smog fumes coming out of cars in front of me and let outside odor into my car. It turns out turning on the fan will turn on the air conditioner compressor. Correct me if I am wrong, but won't turning on the air conditioner compressor reduce my gas mileage? The manual's justification is that this will prevent fogging. But hello! Not everyone lives in cold climates. I live in Southern California where "chilly" is 65 degrees.

    People say that Alero offers lot of bang for the buck. But I paid $19,900 (MSRP $21,600) without cash incentives. For this price, I could have bought a Passat, Accord EX, Camry, Taurus, Jetta 1.8T, or a Galant, all of which I believe are superior cars. Not even the $750 Oldsmobile is offering right now on 2001 models should convince you to buy an Alero. Unless Oldsmobile offers a $2000 rebate, like it does right now on 2000 models, just skip along to a Honda, Volkswagen, Ford, or Toyota dealer. If you're bent on getting an Alero, get a GLS with leather and throw out the "premium sound system".
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