Oldsmobile Alero

jpelder

As the car doctor might say, it may be a bad ground. But I doubt it. Good luck on Monday.

By the way, what is the alternate auxilatory jack?

gregkillian

I had a similar problem getting into 5th when my car was new...and i have since fixed it. Try this...unsnap the buttons the hold the shifter boot to the shaft. Look down inside and you'll see a white piece of plastic on the right side. That piece of plastic should NOT be folded down behind the reverse lockout (the little plastic thing that lifts up and allows you to get into reverse...you'll know what i mean when you look inside). Anyway, the plastic should be flat and "standing up" against the inside of the boot material. It's purpose is to keep the soft boot material from getting caught behind the reverse lockout. As you might have guessed, mine was folded when i got the car (2001 black GL2 5-sp). However, i also get a clicking sound when i put the car in 5th. It did this before and after this little fix. Anyone else get this clicking noise when putting shifting into 5th?

gregkillian

The Alero has speed sensitive, variable assist steering that changes, as the name implies, with the speed of the car. In parking lots, the steering is very light, and as speed builds, it is "weighted", or uses less pwr steering pump pressure to add feel in corners. My brother, a chrysler vehicle dynamics engineer who has done a lot of competitive comparison driving of the Grand Am and Alero told me that the Grand Am's steering stays lighter than the Alero's across the speed range. Likely Olds' marketing efforts to target drivers of european cars vs. Grand Am's target of American women.

gregkillian

For those who have a '02 Alero w/ the 2.2 ecotech. Be weary of getting oil changes at generic "quicky lube's". I needed a new engine after trying to save a few bucks one of these places in MA. I brought my wife's Saturn LS wagon in (has the same engine) and the removable element oil filter confused them. The put in a filter from the V-6 which was too big, cut off oil flow to the engine, and seized it. Luckily their insurance covered the $5500 repair bill (not without lots of arguments and paperwork though.) The dealer told me they had seen this several times.

dindak

I've never heard of something like that happening. Very poor training!

jpelder

I still am not convinced of the correct oil quantity for the ecotec(manual says 5.8 quarts, owners have told me 4 and 5). Guess I will just keep checking the dipstick as I fill.

Now I have to worry about the filter. I bought a filter from autozone which is supposed to fit the 2.2 in the Saturn. I hope it wasn't a misprint or screwup in the manual. Who knows what the quick lube guys are thinking when they confront something like that.

Funny that happened in MA. A buddy of mine in MA took his truck to jiffylube. THey forgot to refill his crankcase with oil (I am serious). He drove the truck about 6 blocks or so and the engine seized. Of course, Jiffylube replaced the engine, which worked out pretty good for my buddy since his original had 94,000 miles.

Personally, a quick lube place in Buffalo stripped the drain plug on my company van, which didn't get detected until my next oil change.

While we all make mistakes, I think the main reason for these idiotic blunders is that they are rushing. That's why for my own vehicles, I change my own oil.

rdeschene

Personally, I take my car to our local GM dealer for even the routine maintenance. Or maybe I should say, ESPECIALLY for the routine maintenance. I've just seen and heard of far too many people having their cars damaged at a quick lube shops, and our dealership is quite fast and inexpensive.

I'd rather spend a bit more for the routine maintenance, have it done right, and continue to have a troublefree car. I'd prefer to do the oil change myself, but it's not easy to dispose of used oil here.

jpelder

Around here, I take my oil to a local autoparts place. NAPA will take the oil, as well as World. I'm not sure if our new Autozone will take it, but I will check soon since it is closest to my house. I've always heard that any repair garage will take it, but never had the nads to ask one.

pmclaughlin

Hi, I have a 2001 Alero. I have had numerous electrical problems with the car since purchase on June 4, 2001. Now I noticed that when I brake, the car is an automatic, if I am on a pothole or road change the car will jerk forward. I had the dealer look at the brakes and was told that they are 75% worn. The car is only 7 months old and has 15000 miles. The dealer told me that brakes only last for 20,000 miles. Has anyone had to change their brakes yet and what was the mileageat the time? This seems unreal to me.. I had a Saturn with over 100,000 on it and only changed the brakes twice in 7 years. I am going to try to go thru the Better Business Bureau and see if I can get bought out of the car some way without losing too much money on it. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any help.

cabrack

I am planning on purchasing a new 2002 Alero GLS Sedan. I would like to hear how current owners like this vehicle. Any complaints?

mirth

My wife has a 2000 Alero V6 and I love the car. It's fast and has a lot of useful amenities for the price. Very fun and practical at the same time. The only thing my wife doesn't like is that the road noise is a little loud on the highway, but it's really not that bad. Haven't had any other troubles and it's 2 years old with 38,000 miles.

pmc - we had to replace the front brake pads on our Alero at around 24,000 miles. That's a bit sooner than normal but part of it is probably because I drive a little fast and thus end up making the brakes work more. 15,000 miles is pretty early to be replacing brake pads.

jpelder

I recently bought a 2002 GX with the sport package. While it is not the GLS, I have been very pleased with the fit and finish of the car. Time will tell on the reliability, but my friend with a 1999 GL2 has been totally trouble free (now about 60,000 miles.

I will talk to him tonight about the brake replacement intervals.

george92

Hi. Im new to aler0 site. I have a 98 intrigue. I notice not to many complaints about rotors. In 98 & 99 there were tons of complaints about wraped rotors. I guess they fixed the problem. I had the same problem with 98 intrigue. I had to have the front & rear rotors refaced. I only have 21000 miles and am off the warranty, and keeping my fingers crossed.

gregkillian

I have a 2001 GL2/4-cyl/5-sp. I love the car. It has tight handling, great steering, and strong, linear brakes (though some complain of early wear). My only complaint is the harshness in the 2.4 4-cyl engine. However, that has been fixed for 2002 as the Alero now comes with the 2.2 Ecotech - a world class engine that sings like a sewing machine, has decent power, and very good fuel economy. My wife has this engine in her Saturn LS, and I can't say enough about it.

In fact, depending on your priorities, I would consider getting the 4-cyl in the GLS (a $715 cost deduction). While the 3.4 V6 may have a bit more low end torque, it runs out of breath on the highway and is quite loud under acceleration. It's an 18 year old engine design, and it shows.

All in all, the Alero is a great car for the money, and based on my personal experience I would recommend it to anyone.

dindak

My mom has had a 99 Alero for over 3 years now and has had no trouble at all. It's been her best car ever in terms of quality. This is why we may get one as a second car this summer.

benjaminh

Who was it that got $3200 off of the price of an Alero with a GM card? What a deal! I have a GM card too, although I'm only up to $1500. Was it easy to use the GM dollars?

isseyvoo

I bought my 5-sp. GL2 coupe one year ago this weekend with almost $3K discounted for GM Card points. All it took was a phone call from the finance guy to an 800 number, and the money was applied. Doesn't get any easier. Plus I got $2K cash back and the dealer gave me almost another $1K off. So I got my car (incl. 7 1/4% taxes, tags, extended 6yr. warranty, scotchguard and auto butler warranty) for $16K and change. (Of course my trade in value is now hovering at around $10K 1 year later and with only 5K miles on it, but I plan to keep it forever so I guess that doesn't matter).

yurakm

I believe, my 98 Malibu have the same front brakes as Alero. At 23k miles the front pads scratched rotors, metal to metal. At 45k miles service they were replaced again: 90% gone.

So, with my driving style and routine, the pads are good for 22k miles or so. Both I and my wife are braking gently, but rather often. Mostly suburban / city miles. The CT streets and roads (and even highways) are hilly and winding, and the CT traffic is dense.

I would not consider it a major problem, though. Replacing the pads costs something like $100, every couple of years.

dtownfb

Unfortunately this is commone with not onlythe alero but anumber of cars built on similar platform for GM. They did have a problem with early Aleros (99) regarding brakes. Same with the malibu, Grand Am,etc. I believe it had to do with the rotors. Supposingly they re-designed them for 2000 and 2001 models. If you replace your pads, I would go aftermarket. Why spend money on the same pads that will wear just as quick as the original ones?

Not unless your car has been in the shop for extended periods of times for the same problem, without them fixing it, I'm not sure you will qualify for a buy back. You can always check though.

pmclaughlin

My car only has 15000 miles and the brakes are 75% gone. I would have to replace them every year. I do mostly highway driving to, so not much stop and go. At 1200 miles the car wouldn't start and I had to have a flat bed tow it to my dealer. I have had the ignition switch replaced twice and the radio replaced because that froze up, then the rear defroster light never came on, so they replaced the control knobs for some reason. The service engine soon light has come on a few times and when I plug in my cell phone my radio station get all fuzzy until I unplug it. They established that this is happening, but admitted they don't know how to fix it. The replaced the dimmer switch because the lights on the dash and the radio do not stay at one brightness. I have read a lot of these chats since I purchased the car and no one seems to have had any of these problems. And that only touches the surface of my problems with this car. I do like my car when it is running right.

mikey00

I have 2 GM gold cards for quite a few years now. When I max out the rebate on one I move onto the second one. I charge everything possible and never paid a penny interest. I redeemed $5521. when I purchased my 2000 Alero (not bad). At that time I also had $3000 in points on my second card and could not combine them. I was trying to find a way to sell them or trade to get some value for them. The rules seem pretty strict- only family menbers at the same address or one of the card owners. After thinking about that I called GM and added my brother-in-law's name to the card. Twenty minutes later in another state he used the points for a Grand-Am and sent me a check for half the amount. I called again and removed his name from the card. Gotta love these GM points. I now have $1000 on one card and $500 on the second plus the coupon for $1500 Olds sent me for announcing they were going out of business after I purchased. Almost forgot to mention I have a $1000 coupon GM sent me as a result of a class action suit for a Chevy truck I owned many years ago with potential for gas tank explosion. I was thinking about trading in for a new Alero just to use all these $ but trade in value is disappointing.

jpelder

I was the guy who used the $3200 GM card points. The GM card points were so easy...the rep called GM before I got there, and the discount was on the paperwork when I arrived. All I had to do was sign. I also got the $1500 rebate (the rebate jumped to 2002 the next day...GGGGRRRR) and had already negotiated the deal to $100 over invoice (before rebates). THus, the price for my GX with sport package was $11,500, plus tax.

The GX with the sport package is a steal. And yes, the Ecotec is a super engine.

Unfortunately, the new GM card is not so generous, so if you have the old one, hold on to it!

benjaminh

What an amazing deal, but how is 5500 in GM dollars possible? I have a GM gold card too, but I'm capped at 500 a year--3500 max. When I started going over my yearly amount I got a 2nd GM card, but now they've watered it down so that there's a maximum amount of rebate you can spend on any one car, usually 2000 or less. In any case, the GM card is a great deal, and I don't understand why anyone who is even considering a GM card doesn't get one.

RE: the Aleros that people got with 5 speed. How are they performing now that you've had them a while? What kind of mileage are you getting, city and hwy?

jpelder

It's still early for me, since I'm only on my 3rd tank of gas, but mileage on the first tank was 26.5 (all city driving with one 80 mile trip) and second tank was 25 (all short trips of 3-5 miles).

I'm loooking forward to better mileage as the rings are broken in, but that may take awhile since this is a 3rd vehicle.

That 5 speed is great and makes me want to drive it all I can.

mikey00

When GM first introduced the Gold Card the cap was 1000 per year,max 7000. It was later reduced to 500 per year max 3500. I was going along great when I first got my cards and couldn't believe I was racking up 2000 a year. Even now I guess I should be happy with 1000 per year (500 per card). Because my cards are the old ones they don't have a cap based on the car you buy.

benjaminh

GM must loose money on people like us (who pay of their GM cards every month), which must be why they keep cutting back the program. I hope they don't do what Ford did and just cancel it altogether. I also hope they "grandfather" all of us with the better 3500 a year cards, and don't force us to convert.

11,500 for an Alero is incredible. To get that kind of car for the price of a Toyota Echo or Hyundai whatever is a steal. The mpg on the 5 speed seems pretty good too. I have a Ford Focus, which is a smaller car, and I only get about 25 in the city with my 5 speed.

tjrmfarm

My wife and I are thinking of buying a 2001 Alero with the 4 cyl. motor and automatic trans.
This car would be mostly for my wife to drive to work. She drives about 45 mi. one way to work with most of it highway driving. What kind of gas mileage can we expect and what kind of experience have most of you had with this car ? Thankyou

dindak

GM isn't loosing money, the card issuer is. Up in Canada, the TD Bank offers the card and has been loosing money on it as too many people are paying off the balances in full. They have cut the earnings back to 3% starting in 2003 and limited the amount you can use on each car. I think the Alero will be $1500 starting in 2003. Kind of sucks, but I guess it was all to good to last.

jpelder

Is that $1500 just for Canada. I know that the Canada GM card is different, since you can use it on a Saturn.

I too paid off the balance every month...heck I though I was alone in that. However, I have switched to a USAIR card now, since I don't feel like waiting another 7 years for a benefit.

GAS MILEAGE: While the Alero is not bad on gas, it is not great either. Question: Are you considering a 2001 because it is used? The 2002 4 cyl. is a better choice if you insist on a 4 cyl. For highway miles, the 6 cyl. is about as good on gas as the 4 cyl.

dbains2k

I have a 2000 v6 Alero. I'm happy with this car, except it seems like I have to fill this car with gas much more often than any other vehicle I used. Could I have a problem, if so, how do I fix it? Or does the Alero just have a really small gas tank for its engine size?

heng

That will help us understand your problem. Also describe the type of driving you do.

To give you an idea, I get 30 mpg on pure highway trips and therefore the 16 gallon tank will easily take me 400 miles on a tank. I don't have any city type driving but I estimate it could get to the low 20's mpg.

Something that might give you the impression of a small gas tank is the low fuel light. It may come on too soon like my other car. The low fuel light comes on and there is still 5 gallons of gas in the tank.

dindak

Right now it's C$3500 limit on any car. If my memory serves me well, I think I saw that will change in 2003 to $1500 on smaller cars, $2000 on midsize, $3000 on larger cars and $3500 only for Cadillacs and some larger SUVs.

Program is definitely being scaled back here. That said, if I max out what I need for the next car I will just collect Air Miles instead on my free Amex.

jpelder

Last year, I received an ad from GM for the "new" GM card. You could keep your current card or switch to the new one. It touted a "no annual" limit type of point policy, but there were redemption limits for each car. I cannot remember each amount, but is was more like $1500 for the Alero.

No thanks...I will keep my old card. So far, I haven't heard anything about mandatory changes for the old US card.

coonhound

Depending on the fuel in your area, re formulated ethanol or MTBE will decrease fuel mileage by 1 or 2 MPG. Of course all the other variables kick in. Temperature extremes winter and summer result in a 1 to 2 mpg reduction.

Enough already! you should see 27.75 mpg with mostly highway and some city driving. With moderate driving habits. With aggressive driving and heavy braking expect 1 to 2 mpg reduction. I run 24 to 25 in conservative light city driving. 29 to 30 mpg at a steady 68 mph.

Blower motor speed control switch had a burned out resistor. Replaced under warranty.

The car is a Pontiac Gran Am without the cladding. The Alero comes with a few more whistles standard. The loss of the Olds name should not materially affect maintenance or parts.

rdeschene

As far as experience with this car: so far, it's all been positive (2000 Alero Sedan, 3.4L V6).

At 34,000 miles the car still feels very tight, and I really like the way it handles and the direct feel of the steering and brakes. The CD/cassette stereo is also very good indeed, and I find we get better FM reception with this radio then the Kenwood unit in our previous car. Seat comfort is excellent - nice and firm, and winter traction has been very good indeed: running on Michelin Arctic Alpins in the winter. The latter may not be necessary, but to me it's cheaper than insurance.

The only issue we had "reliability wise" was the gear shift button breaking off. Everyone who saw this thought it was very odd, and it was covered under warranty.

With the V6 we get 32-34 mpg (U.S. gallons) on the highway when travelling at a steady 65-70 mph. You might see 1-3 mpg better than that with the I-4 engine, but I would expect that's about it.

dindak

The people who don't switch up here will be forced to switch on Dec 31st. I guess it was too good to last. ;-)

Comparing the Alero with other cars at the Toronto Auto show, I still think the GX is about the biggest bang for the buck out there in it's class.

jpelder

I just filled her up today...27 MPG. All city driving with one 45 mile trip today. Still only about 750 on the odometer, but mileage is improving already.

regfootball

how are you liking that nice new 4 cyl. DOHC sweetie?

jpelder

Not that I didn't like the car when I bought it, but I am liking it more and more as I drive it.

I have been taking it easy on the until it is broken in, but yesterday I decided to do some aggressive driving. That ecotec likes to sing in 3rd gear when you need to pass. I was surprised how it just jumped when I let the clutch up and the gas down. I am used to larger engines, but this one is smooth.

rdeschene

Have you calculated your mileage? Mileage varies, depending on who you ask, but ours is pretty good. We average between 32 and 34 mpg highway driving, around 28 mpg city. One thing I noticed after we first got the car was that I had to fill up a bit more frequently than our previous car, which was a Chevy Corsica. Turns out the Alero's fuel tank is slightly smaller than the Corsica's.

isseyvoo

I have the 2.4l 5-sp, 1 yr old next week. It's a weekend car, and I only have 5,800 miles on it. So far the mileage has ranged from 24-28 mpg. A bit disappointing since I generally use my old car as a local runabout and only run the Alero when I have to hit the highway. I usually cruise at just over 70 mph.

mikey00

I have a 2000, 2.4L, V6, auto and am very pleased by the mileage. I get around 34 on the highway and low 20's around town. My EPA window sticker claims 20 city/ 32 highway. I think they lowered the highway number in 2001 or 2002. I wonder if they really made any changes or if it was a marketing move so as not to compete with the 4 cylinder.

isseyvoo

This past week, I've noticed that each time I try to start the car, it cranks vigorously, seems to catch, but when I release the key it dies. I've had to try up to 4 or 5 times before it actually starts to run. Never used to do this before. As I mentioned in previous posts, I have a 2001 2.4l with 5.8K mi. on it. Has anyone else had this issue and/or want to venture a guess as to its cause?

pmclaughlin

It might be your ignition switch.. I have a 2001 GL4 and had the same problems, I finally got a check light come on and they replaced the switch and I haven't had any problems starting since then. You might also try holding the key a little longer.

Can anyone tell me if, when you plug in your cell phone it causes your radio to become staticy?

jpelder

No cell phone/radio static here.

idlehans

I'm buying a new Alero. I've got about $4000 on my old GM card. My mother has about $1500 on hers which she would like to give to me. Is there any way this can be done? How about, for example, if she put my name on her card with her...could I then I use the earnings of both cards? If anyone has any other ideas, I'd appreciate it. You can email me privately at garret@garretswayne.com.

zck1

Just got a 2002 GL2 and really am impressed. GM has come a long way since my 95 Grand Am. Can't believe Lutz is going to let this one die. Just one question... is the fog lamp switch supposed to have a light in it? Everything else seems to be lit up except for that. Thanks.

mnunez611

My fog lamp bulbs seem to need replacing between 10-12 months. I do use them every night. Does anyone here have input regarding how long their bulbs have lasted and how frequent you use them.

I know many have complained that the Alero's fog lamps are too bright on the 2000 model. I personally love them.

mnunez611

I want to get some input from around the U.S about Oldsmobile Dealer charges for routine maintainance such as Oil Changes and Tire Rotation. Some of the prices in my area are ridiculous. Here's my observation:

Cerrone Oldsmobile
S. Attleboro, Mass.
Oil Change: $26.00/+tax
Tire Rotation: $34.00/+tax

Banner Olsmobile
North Kingstown, RI
Oil Change: $29.99/+tax
Tire Rotation: $49.99/+tax

What do your dealer's charge? Any responses would be great!

mirth

Don't know if you have them in New England, but the Belle Tire chain in Michigan rotates tires for free. Of course, they then take the opportunity to "recommend" new tires, but you can always say no. $50 for tire rotation is ridiculous.

$26-$30 is about right for a dealer oil change. You can get it for about $5-$10 cheaper from a Jiffy Lube or something, but I like to do it at the dealer while under warranty.