Like you, I've driven sticks for most of my driving life and I just don't want to get back to "rowing".
About the "sport" and "winter" modes, they're nothing but cosmetic features to make automatics more appealing to overcome some prejudice against them in Europe. You see, electronic automatics can do all that intelligently: push the pedal all the way and it'll shift only close to red-line, be gentle when starting off and it'll use the 2nd gear.
Ref 2035 Hi Evandro, Glad you agree about stick shifts. Can't agree with your comments about sport and winter modes though. I can assure you that with all autos I've driven, even the "intelligent" type will not allow you to take off in 3rd gear however gently you dip the trottle. Still wait until we are all driving CVT boxes in about 5 years time. they make auto boxes seem out of date let alone stick shifts.
My 2000 Alero is now 3 years and 8 months old with a little over 19,000 miles on it. It has the 3.4 V-6 engine, GLS-3 model. About a year ago I noticed that the coolant was down about 5 cups. I took it to the dealer who checked the car and said there was no problem. Here I am a year later with another loss of coolant (about 3 cups). There must be a problem. There is no coolant leaking externaly therefore the leak must be either in the head gasket or the intake manifold as I read from previous posts. Does anyone have a feel if I can get GM to look at this and fix the problem even though my warranty has expired? I feel that the problem existed last year but the dealer did not own up to a problem. What are my chances?
I have purchased the Alero 2001, 2.4, 5 speed this year brand new with 7 miles at odometer. The main reason of my egzotic choice was the price. It was less than for WV Polo high line TDi. But now I am not happy with this car, it's even worth, than Russian Lada, I meen the quality of assembling. We had 2 days of raining, and I had found water at rear. I can't beleeve that double strips can't prevent this water leak...
If you have that, you may have a case. I would ask to get in contact with a regional warranty rep. Sometimes you can get this kind of stuff done under the "good will" umbrella. If not, go directly to head office and try.
Nothing is wrong. They can't sell all Chevrolet Aleros in Europe within one year and reduce the price. I have a sticker in my car with the date and time of production. It is good equiped: alloy wheels, Disk brakes, ABC,TC,AC, Driver's 6 way power seat, radio with RDS + cd + cassette deck. The only different from the Olds are front lights and the extra side turn lights and labels of course. In my town it was sold by KIA diller because we have no GM. And I can tell you he is not able even to reset oil change light, so I'am alone with my problems.
Where do you live? Did you not get a manual with the car?
The reset for the oil light in my 02 is inside the driver side dash hatch (on the side of the dash when you open the door). Just pop it open and there is a button.
I live in Lithuania (at the other side of Baltic sea is Sweden). About oil reset - It's already done by myself. Also I have the instruction (You can get it for free from GM site), and now I am searching for Service manual in the internet, but I am not sure, that I can find it for free. It's not a problem to buy it, but I dont't like to pay 50$ for money transfer + shipping expensies. In my country now 5.10 PM and my working day is over. I wish you a nice day!
Wow, international Alero owners. Cool! Everyone on this site seems to be from the US or Canada. You must have one of the only Aleros around??
I remember seeing a couple of Aleros in the Netherlands when I was there a few years ago visiting relatives. My uncle's neighbor had a Chevy Lumina van which I thought was funny since you don't expect to see many GM cars over there.
I've once helped a Finn in the Usenet with potential transmission problems who wasn't able to get much help from the local dealer: you know, pushrod V6 and automatic transmissions were both unknown to it.
We have 4 Aleros in my town. First few monthes I was happy with it, but after reading messages from this site I am afraid to own this car any more, because I have only 12 monthes of warranty... So, I am on the way to sell it, because after few month it can be too late... I have now 3.510 km on it. On sunday I had opened engine oil filling cup, while engine was working and found big air flow from it. Never had been seen at any car before. It looks like there is big pressure in the cranckcase, for any car it meens piston rings are blowed by. If it's normal for Alero?
I called to Olds, please find below their answer:
Dear Andrej,
Good afternoon! Thank you for contacting the General Motors Customer Assistance Center. We appreciate you taking the time to write us in regards to your Oldsmobile Alero.
We are able to assist only those customers who are within the United States, we recommend that you contact our Germany Customer Assistance Center. You may also contact them through their web site at gme-nav.service@de.opel.com to have your concern addressed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation so that we may assist you better.
Germans still are keeping silence.
Possible some where are also lucky Alero owners, but I am afraid not at this site! It's my first and I hope the last U.S. car ! Any ideas?
Why don't you bring it to the dealer you bought it from rather than guess what is wrong?
The Alero has generally been a good car with average reliability. My parents have a 99 and they have enjoyed it for a very trouble free 4 years which is partly why we got one. I wouldn't panic about the car, just have it looked at.
It's normal in any engine to blow air from the oil cap. All those pistons and valves moving displace a lot of air.
If the piston rings are busted, the oil consumption is going to be high and maybe there's even going to be smoke coming from the exhaust pipe.
Where exactly did you have water leaking in? If it's in the trunk and your car has a rear wing, it's likely to have come from an improperly attached wing.
I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I've had a '99 Alero V6 for 36000mls and the only problem I had was a battery going bust after 2 years, but that's normal in Texas. ;-) A not so normal problem was a power steering pump breaking down a month before warranty ended (that's 3 years or 36000mls in the US).
I recently took my wife's 2002 Alero GL1 3.4V6 in to the dealer beacause of an annoying "squeek! from the right front suspension area. This was only eveident at low speeds going over the abysmal Kansas City road system. The dealer said they had detected a recall whereby the alloy wheels and tyres needed sealing. One rubbing against the other causes a "squeek" apparently. Nearly dying of laughter, I collected the car and guess what? The squeek is cured. Funny thing is though, there was no loss of air pressure. Puzzles me, but there you are. This may help if you have similar problems. I wish G.M would shorten the gearing though. They are the same in Europe, they have always been obsesesed with ultra-high gearing which is fine on a long flat road, but hit a hill and you have to change down, or the box does it for you, and bang goes all the fuel you saved. In my expereince a shorter top gear would mean overall, better and easily obtained performance plus better fuel consumption as you would be in top longer. They have to get up to date with their engines thpugh. In 20003, to only get 170 b.h.p out of 3.4 liters is ridiculous.
As a contrast to your alero, my 2002 with the 5 speed seems a little short in 5th. The nice part is that I rarely have to downshift, but at 70MPH, rpm is about 2300-2400RPM. For some reason, I crave 2000RPM at 70MPH, like you get in a good cruising car, like an Impala or Buick. Maybe you have a western transmission? Do carmakers still install eastern and western transmissions?
Should I get my tires/aluminum wheels sealed? I don't notice a squeek, but the tires all seemed to lose pressure this past winter.
andrej1 - I have found my alero to be of very high quality, and I have 2 friends with 99 aleros...both with no problems whatsoever. The air coming from the crankcase is not unusual..in fact, it may be more accurate to refer to it as "wind" from all the movement going on in there. If there's a problem, it will show up in your oil (or lack of oil).
Thanks to all. I will trace all problems. The only point is when you are buying a new car you are not expecting any troubles with it. Before I had mostly VW Passats up to 10-12 years you can relax. Fuel economy exelent - 23-24 MPG town, now with Alero -19-20. Good luck !
Well your car was sitting on the lot for 2 years so I'm not surprised if there are a few issues. Gas mileage should get better as the engine wears in. How many kms do you have on it?
Look at the torque of almost 300Nm and available at almost any RPM and you'll understand why that old 3.4 OHV could reach 60MPH in under 8s. Moreover, it could hold its own against any BMW with the 2.8 DOHC... ;-)
I take evandro's point ref message 2058. The performance is great, but the car is still blunted by too high gearing. Unfortunately mate, it wont come near the classic BMW straight 6. Look at the output and let's be realistic. I think Bimmers are well overpriced and overated, but their engines are superb. You guys have a choice for the USA car industry. Make the same mistake as we Brits did and stagnate with your development or move with the times. Pushrod engines have more moving parts, cause more friction and should be pensioned off now. If you don't believe me, look at the sales figures of the domestic car market, Where do you think it will be in 10 years time? You have GM marketing an engine that first saw the light of day in 1961 and Ford selling the Vulcan Taurus engine that is out of date too. I love our Alero, but oh for a more modern engine. My Taurus 3 lite DOHC gets more MPG than our Alero, even though it's a lot heavier.
Aside from the LS1 V8(and it's derivatives), Chryler's new Hemi V8, and possibly GM's humble 3800 V6, I agree with you that OHC is clearly the way to go. Does Ford really still use the old 160 hp Vulcan V6 in the Taurus? I thought they finally dropped it a few years ago. As for the decline of the domestic car sales, I don't think pushrod engines are the cause of this. I think overall dull and uninspiring product with a history or reliability problems is the main factor here. My guess is that if Honda used a purhrod motor in the Accord, 95% of the people shopping for one would still buy one.
No push rods have very little to do with GM's problems. It's design and quality that have boosted companies like Honda and pushed down companies like GM/Ford. GM especially seems to be slowly getting it's act together with greatly improved efficiency, quality and better product. Of course the challenge is now to change perception as many people now assume that Japanese cars are always better.
ijennings1 : Our Alero has the thoroughly modern 2.2L Ecotec which I feel is as good if not better than most other 4 cyl sedans on the road. The 3.4L is a bit old but it's still smooth and powerful. I know as my mom has a V6 Alero also.
Thanks to oldsman01 and dindak for yor replies which are accurate and fair. I still feel the problem is not so much design as reputation. USA makes good cars. My Taurus has 109 cu ft of room, 200 bhp, a good ride/rhandling combination, excellent saefty record and oh so comfortable seats. I like the design and couldn't give a damn that 99% are rental. Mine in fact was originally a private car. Mind you, the brake effort needed is bad. But, listen to Bob Lutz who has been with just about every manufacutrer going! I still feel complaceny and patriotism are the big 3's problem. If a competitor brings out a new desgin say a 4 valve engine, then you have to wake up and join them. Honda engines, like most 4 valvers have to be reved hard to get the performance. I personally like an O.H.C with 2 valves as you still get a good low down rpm torque figure, say around 3000 rpm. In Europe, GM make a 2.5 litre engine with 170 b.h.p. It is a cracking engine to drive and for a V6, refined too. It is fitted transveresly. They also make the 3.2 as fitted in the Caddy CTS which does around 210 bhp. There is no earthly reason why we should not get them here. I also feel a lot of Americans wil not even look at American cars which is a pity as there are some great ones around. Americans make one of the best engines around today, the North Star. Why aren't there more derivatives of this? Fancy dropping the Intrigues DOHC V6 for the ageing 3800 in the new Grand-Prix!!I think if the big 3 concentrate on cars more and less on trucks/SUV's/crossovers then the sales will come back. My last English car had brilliant handling/roadholding/ride combination, won awards constanly beating the Passast and Europe Accord easily. Anti-dive suspension, ABS/EBD/EBA with 4 discs, curtain air bags and front bags which deploy on your collision speed, head rests that rise in the event of a collison to avoid whiplash, EBD/EBA brakes, fantastic driving position and great performance. Who made it? The Ford motor co, it is called a Mondeo and it is absurd we don't get it hear.
I have often wondered why the US doesn't get the Mondeo. As for GM, hopefully the new 3.6 liter DOHC V6 which is now available in the Cadillac CTS will find it's way into other models(i.e. next generation Regal, Grand Prix, Impala, etc). As long as trucks and SUVs are big sellers, the automakers are going to continue spending alot of development $$ there.
I think the sadest one GM has is the 3.1L v6. Is it gone after this year? Lets face it Nissan, Honda, Toyota all make 4 cylinder motors better than that and GM should have a 4 banger with 160+ hp too for its base 04 Bu.
I second oldsman01's and dindak's comments, just adding that OHV V6 engines actually have lower friction than OHC V6 ones and fewer moving parts: one cam is better than two and most current OHC designs need a rocker to support a roller between the cam lobe and the valve tip too. All this adds to lower friction and lower costs. So much so that the V8 with the lowest friction losses worldwide is GM's small-block V8. Ever wondered why an oh-so-modern Mercedes SOHC 24V V8 has less HP than the "aging" 350 and is much more expensive?
But I don't have anything against OHC designs. My biggest fit is with multi-valve engines, which bloat HP figures by achieving higher RPM sacrificing low-end torque. This kind of engine may be adequate for the typical European or Japanese car, but not for the typical mid-size American car. For example, VW doesn't dare trying to sell its normally aspirated 1.8 I4 in the Passat on these shores, neither does Honda dare trying to sell a 2.0 I4 Accord, all DOHC designs. Yet, see how lethargically the 4-cylinder 2.3 Camry and Accord go... The old Buick V6 may be almost 40 years-old, but I'll take one any day over any OHC or DOHC I4 and many DOHC V6.
Multi-valve engines beg for valve phasing to get more low-end torque. The new 3.6 DOHC 24V V6 has this feature and it seems to deliver the best of both worlds. Its only drawback is that it's more expensive, but the 3.8 couldn't last forever...
Ford killed the new model here because it tried to sell a large European mid-size as a compact in America: big mistake. The 1st model years, it used the European suspension that didn't handle well in the pot-hole belt. Then Ford softened it and it became bouncy like jelly. How about the seats? The front one was lowered so much to fit American ergonomics that one sat just 10" from the floor. The back seat was a joke, making it the 1st 2+2 with 4 doors.
The new one is nice, but shares the same characteristics that Americans value and Europeans don't with the old one.
Ford's plan is to use the Mazda 6's platform for its mid-size model, the Futura. IMO a much better platform for a small mid-size in America with its longer wheel-base and wider track.
Not everything made in America is necessarily worse than those made in Europe. ;-)
vcjumper : I think the Ecotec could be modified or slightly enlarged to make 160hp. That said, I fine the 140-143 it makes fine in out Alero. I plan on putting a K&N in there are some point to bump it up a notch.
Evandro : I had a 91 3.1L Cavalier and it blew away Accords and Civics all over the place for lots less $$ and greater refinement. I understand the new Accord 4 cyl motor is much better though, I should like to try one some day.
The problem with Honda's multi-valve designs is that not all have cam phasing. The Accord's, for instance, had only variable valve lift, which was cool, but didn't help low-end torque. The new one now features both.
But as the old adage said, there's no replacement for displacement. And I'd add a modified version from the Pontiac Grand Prix's brochure: because a car should have more cylinders than wheels. ;-)
Then why are the majority of Accords sold the dull 4 cylinder models with the plastic wheel covers? And why is the best selling car in the US the Toyota Camry(or a few years ago the Ford Taurus)? Most of the Camrys sold have the wheezy 4 banger and again, plastic wheel covers and when the Taurus was the best seller, it had only pushrod motors(other than the very few which were SHOs). Oh and remember when GM's good old A-body Cutlass Cieras were hot sellers. The sad truth is, the majority of the car buyers don't care how many cylinders are under the hood and whether the engine is OHC, OHV, or a freakin vacumm cleaner. It has power this and CD that and looks to be reliable, they will buy it. And as for the pushrod theory, some of GM's best sellers are OHV. The Buick LeSabre is the best selling full size sedan and before Olds shutdown, the pushrod only GP and Impala outsold the DOHC powered Intrigue. Hey, I love the DOHC V6 in my Intrigue but the typical car buyer does not know or worse yet, doesn't care what DOHC is.
a 4 cylinder Camry or Accord and now even Altima is a far superior engine in smoothness to the 3.1 and 3.4 variants of GM pushrods.
My recent 1000 miles in a wheezing v6 RENTAL lawn mower sounding Malibu only confirm to me again how crude and undesirable this powertrain is.
Just reminded me of my more recent 4 cylinder Altima and Mazda 6 test drives where the 4 cylinder I really enjoyed and found it to be quite enjoyable.
Oldsman, put the GM bias aside for a bit and go test drive an 'Asian' 4 cylinder and then go drive that Malibu or Alero with mushrods and tell me what you think.
That's OHC smoothness you're feeling there buddy.
If pushrods are realy the way to go then why does Kia spend the extra money to put OHC in al their cars. Why doesn't Sab use pushrods in their 4 bangers if they are part of the GM clan?
This OHC/OHV is kinda old, so I'll keep my comment short. I agree that most people really don't know and don't care what type engine they get. Indeed, I think many people that blurt out that their car has DOHC don't even know what that means. I can name engines of each type that are good...personally, I kinda like the low end torque of many OHV, but also like the smoothness of my ecotech.
FYI, my wife calculated 27MPG last week for all city driving. I gassed up today after a recent highway trip (75% highway) and got 32.9 MPG. I was pleasantly surprised, especially since the car was fully loaded and the a/c blasting away. Mileage seems to be getting better...we'e at 7,500 on the odometer.
Engine smoothness is driven by fine balancing and vibration damping. Conventional OHV verses OHC makes no difference unless the RPM's are very high. In America we always picked more cubic inches, as mentioned in an earlier posting, over trying to squeeze the last horse out of a small engine. The reasons are simple. Less stress on the engine and longer life all else being equal. The Europeans are facing a displacement tax on their engines so they have different reasons for wanting more horsepower per cubic. The manufacturers want to make the same basic car for everyone so we have been convinced by advertisements that more horsepower per cubic inch is a good thing.
Your missing my point, I never said the GM 3.1 or 3.4 were paragons of refinement and honestly, I wouldn't want a car with one of those engines. Or certainly not the 3.1 at least. What my original statement was is that the average car buyer does not know and probably does not care what the difference between OHC and OHV are. My guess is that everything else being equal, Honda could put the GM 3100(without anyone knowing it was a GM engine) in the Accord and the majority of the people buying Accords would continue to buy it. Sure, a few would notice the lack of refinement and performance but they, just like us, are in the minority. As for Asian 4 bangers, I have driven several and I'll stand by my statement that the Saab 9-3 is the only 4 banger I've met that I really liked. Do I like the GM 3100 V6? Heck no!
a little be bop around town won't show the deficiencies of a pushrod motor, but get it out on the highway and get the revs above 3000 rpm and its starts to show its weakness.....
i dunno oldsman, i think if Honda put that nasty and crude 3.1 in the Accord, a lot of folks who previously drove Accordswould notice something amok right away. That engine has all the charm and driving quality of a weed trimmer.
Isn't bad compared to import 4 bangers because it has more grunt compared to all but the Altima 4 from my experience. And has a v6 exhaust note to me anyways.
I haven't tried the new Accord 4 banger, but I'd take a 3.4L over a previous Honda 4 cyl or just about any other for that matter. I love driving my mom's Alero GL, very fast.
I certainly started something there with my pushrod comments. some great replies. The great thing is that we are driving enthusiasts. some great letters. O.K, so now the obvious, what would your perfect Olds be? You do not live in a real, but ideal world where you can have what you like. So, mine would be a STRAIGHT 6, not "V" as they are too unrefined. I would like it placed behind the seat for maximum handling, but realistically a straight 6 has got to go up front so there it is.(Although the 911 and Boxter manages it I suppose)) It would displace 3 litres with a S.O.H.C and 2 valves per cylinder (A La Alfa Romeo of some years back). B.H.P would be around 200 with todays technologies and around 230 pounds of torque at 3000 rpm. The power to weight would be of the Colin Chapman theory (a genius of course, he started his first Lotus workshop in North London where i come from). The body would be Kevlar. I would have a 2 door coupe style by the greatest design house ever, Pininfarina. It would be based on the Ferrari 365 GTB/4(Daytona). I would have 3 triple-choke Weber carbs and would be able to pay someone to keep them in tune! Catalytic converts are banned in my ideal world so I would not need fuel injection. There's nothing like a carb set up for me. If i could not have webers, I would have a Carter 4 choke. I drove a British Bristol 411 in 1972 with the Chrysler 6.2 V8 and the Carter carb was superb.
I would aim for a body gross weight of 2250 lbs, which should give great performance and m.p.g as due to the characteristic of the engine, you would not need to rock the gearbox very often. If I could, I would have a fully autobox with tiptronic option which would have to be on the wheel. I'm not an expert on suspension and gearing ratios, but I suppose i would have to choose a Citroen hydo-pneumatic set up. (I used to drive one as a company car in the U.K). It would adjust the car height depending on your speed with a manual override for the awful roads we have to endure in Kansas City.It is of course self-levelling and anti-dive. Also, I would not need a spare as you can drive these on 3 wheels if you have to (I'm not joking.) The gearing? Well, i would want it to hit 2750 rpm at 70 m.p.h which is a perfect setting for me. A good combination of mpg and mph!
It would handle like a series 3 Jag XJ6 which i have driven. A fantastic combination of ride, handling and roadholding. Incidentally the V12 i also drove was never as smooth as the 6, but a lot quicker of course!!
I'd like recarro seats, not leather as they are too cold in the wintewr and too hot in the summer. Problem is Recarros give me hemorroids!! Still at 52 years of age I have to be realistic. So it would a bucket seat a little wider than Recarros. i would have all the safety systems, air bags everywhere, ABS/EBD and EBA brakes. Traction too, but a switch to turn these off if required. I thought about 4 wheel drive, but experts like us do not need this to tell us how to drive. Therefore it would a a rear-wheel drive set-up so that you can drive around bends with the trottle and no torque-steer as you get with F.W.D.
Sorry guys, I should have said my ideal engine would have 2 overhead cams and 2 valves per cylinder. Alfa would never forgive me. I used to drive an Itlaian Fiat with that set up. It was a i.8 liter, about average for Europe. It developed 110 b.h.p where as most 1.8's were getting about 90 bhp then. BUt it got 115 lbs of torque at a lowly 2700 rpm. Real Grand Turisimo engine for its day!
Comments
About the "sport" and "winter" modes, they're nothing but cosmetic features to make automatics more appealing to overcome some prejudice against them in Europe. You see, electronic automatics can do all that intelligently: push the pedal all the way and it'll shift only close to red-line, be gentle when starting off and it'll use the 2nd gear.
vcjumper : Yes, resale will be bad, but the cars may be ok, who knows.
Hi Evandro,
Glad you agree about stick shifts. Can't agree with your comments about sport and winter modes though. I can assure you that with all autos I've driven, even the "intelligent" type will not allow you to take off in 3rd gear however gently you dip the trottle. Still wait until we are all driving CVT boxes in about 5 years time. they make auto boxes seem out of date let alone stick shifts.
Take care
Ian
US Fleet Sales
Pontiac and Buick not far behind.. So much for 0% retail incentives?
We had 2 days of raining, and I had found water at rear. I can't beleeve that double strips can't prevent this water leak...
Sorry to hear about the leaks. If it's new, take it in, it's under warranty.
The only different from the Olds are front lights and the extra side turn lights and labels of course. In my town it was sold by KIA diller because we have no GM. And I can tell you he is not able even to reset oil change light, so I'am alone with my problems.
The reset for the oil light in my 02 is inside the driver side dash hatch (on the side of the dash when you open the door). Just pop it open and there is a button.
Hope that helps.
About oil reset - It's already done by myself. Also I have the instruction (You can get it for free from GM site),
and now I am searching for Service manual in the internet, but I am not sure, that I can find it for free. It's not a problem to buy it, but I dont't like to pay 50$ for money transfer + shipping expensies. In my country now 5.10 PM and my working day is over. I wish you a nice day!
I remember seeing a couple of Aleros in the Netherlands when I was there a few years ago visiting relatives. My uncle's neighbor had a Chevy Lumina van which I thought was funny since you don't expect to see many GM cars over there.
I have now 3.510 km on it. On sunday I had opened engine oil filling cup, while engine was working and found big air flow from it. Never had been seen at any car before. It looks like there is big pressure in the cranckcase, for any car it meens piston rings are blowed by. If it's normal for Alero?
I called to Olds, please find below their answer:
Dear Andrej,
Good afternoon! Thank you for contacting the General Motors Customer Assistance Center. We appreciate you taking the time to write us in regards to your Oldsmobile Alero.
We are able to assist only those customers who are within the United States, we recommend that you contact our Germany Customer Assistance Center. You may also contact them through their web site at gme-nav.service@de.opel.com to have your concern addressed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation so that we may assist you better.
Germans still are keeping silence.
Possible some where are also lucky Alero owners, but I am afraid not at this site!
It's my first and I hope the last U.S. car !
Any ideas?
The Alero has generally been a good car with average reliability. My parents have a 99 and they have enjoyed it for a very trouble free 4 years which is partly why we got one. I wouldn't panic about the car, just have it looked at.
If the piston rings are busted, the oil consumption is going to be high and maybe there's even going to be smoke coming from the exhaust pipe.
Where exactly did you have water leaking in? If it's in the trunk and your car has a rear wing, it's likely to have come from an improperly attached wing.
I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I've had a '99 Alero V6 for 36000mls and the only problem I had was a battery going bust after 2 years, but that's normal in Texas.
;-)A not so normal problem was a power steering pump breaking down a month before warranty ended (that's 3 years or 36000mls in the US).Good luck.
I wish G.M would shorten the gearing though. They are the same in Europe, they have always been obsesesed with ultra-high gearing which is fine on a long flat road, but hit a hill and you have to change down, or the box does it for you, and bang goes all the fuel you saved. In my expereince a shorter top gear would mean overall, better and easily obtained performance plus better fuel consumption as you would be in top longer. They have to get up to date with their engines thpugh. In 20003, to only get 170 b.h.p out of 3.4 liters is ridiculous.
The nice part is that I rarely have to downshift, but at 70MPH, rpm is about 2300-2400RPM. For some reason, I crave 2000RPM at 70MPH, like you get in a good cruising car, like an Impala or Buick. Maybe you have a western transmission? Do carmakers still install eastern and western transmissions?
Should I get my tires/aluminum wheels sealed? I don't notice a squeek, but the tires all seemed to lose pressure this past winter.
andrej1 - I have found my alero to be of very high quality, and I have 2 friends with 99 aleros...both with no problems whatsoever. The air coming from the crankcase is not unusual..in fact, it may be more accurate to refer to it as "wind" from all the movement going on in there. If there's a problem, it will show up in your oil (or lack of oil).
The only point is when you are buying a new car you are not expecting any troubles with it.
Before I had mostly VW Passats up to 10-12 years you can relax. Fuel economy exelent - 23-24 MPG town, now with Alero -19-20. Good luck !
;-)Unfortunately mate, it wont come near the classic BMW straight 6. Look at the output and let's be realistic. I think Bimmers are well overpriced and overated, but their engines are superb.
You guys have a choice for the USA car industry. Make the same mistake as we Brits did and stagnate with your development or move with the times. Pushrod engines have more moving parts, cause more friction and should be pensioned off now. If you don't believe me, look at the sales figures of the domestic car market, Where do you think it will be in 10 years time? You have GM marketing an engine that first saw the light of day in 1961 and Ford selling the Vulcan Taurus engine that is out of date too.
I love our Alero, but oh for a more modern engine. My Taurus 3 lite DOHC gets more MPG than our Alero, even though it's a lot heavier.
ijennings1 : Our Alero has the thoroughly modern 2.2L Ecotec which I feel is as good if not better than most other 4 cyl sedans on the road. The 3.4L is a bit old but it's still smooth and powerful. I know as my mom has a V6 Alero also.
My last English car had brilliant handling/roadholding/ride combination, won awards constanly beating the Passast and Europe Accord easily. Anti-dive suspension, ABS/EBD/EBA with 4 discs, curtain air bags and front bags which deploy on your collision speed, head rests that rise in the event of a collison to avoid whiplash, EBD/EBA brakes, fantastic driving position and great performance. Who made it? The Ford motor co, it is called a Mondeo and it is absurd we don't get it hear.
Take care guys, apologies for the long message!
But I don't have anything against OHC designs. My biggest fit is with multi-valve engines, which bloat HP figures by achieving higher RPM sacrificing low-end torque. This kind of engine may be adequate for the typical European or Japanese car, but not for the typical mid-size American car. For example, VW doesn't dare trying to sell its normally aspirated 1.8 I4 in the Passat on these shores, neither does Honda dare trying to sell a 2.0 I4 Accord, all DOHC designs. Yet, see how lethargically the 4-cylinder 2.3 Camry and Accord go... The old Buick V6 may be almost 40 years-old, but I'll take one any day over any OHC or DOHC I4 and many DOHC V6.
Multi-valve engines beg for valve phasing to get more low-end torque. The new 3.6 DOHC 24V V6 has this feature and it seems to deliver the best of both worlds. Its only drawback is that it's more expensive, but the 3.8 couldn't last forever...
The new one is nice, but shares the same characteristics that Americans value and Europeans don't with the old one.
Ford's plan is to use the Mazda 6's platform for its mid-size model, the Futura. IMO a much better platform for a small mid-size in America with its longer wheel-base and wider track.
Not everything made in America is necessarily worse than those made in Europe.
;-)Evandro : I had a 91 3.1L Cavalier and it blew away Accords and Civics all over the place for lots less $$ and greater refinement. I understand the new Accord 4 cyl motor is much better though, I should like to try one some day.
But as the old adage said, there's no replacement for displacement. And I'd add a modified version from the Pontiac Grand Prix's brochure: because a car should have more cylinders than wheels.
;-)well, a main contributor to that aspect would a rough, lifeless, uninspiring, coarse sounding pushrod motor.
My guess is that if Honda used a pushrod motor in the Accord, 95% of the people shopping for one would still buy one."
Wrong. Because, for one, people have come to expect current and superior technology in their hondas.
My recent 1000 miles in a wheezing v6 RENTAL lawn mower sounding Malibu only confirm to me again how crude and undesirable this powertrain is.
Just reminded me of my more recent 4 cylinder Altima and Mazda 6 test drives where the 4 cylinder I really enjoyed and found it to be quite enjoyable.
Oldsman, put the GM bias aside for a bit and go test drive an 'Asian' 4 cylinder and then go drive that Malibu or Alero with mushrods and tell me what you think.
That's OHC smoothness you're feeling there buddy.
If pushrods are realy the way to go then why does Kia spend the extra money to put OHC in al their cars. Why doesn't Sab use pushrods in their 4 bangers if they are part of the GM clan?
FYI, my wife calculated 27MPG last week for all city driving. I gassed up today after a recent highway trip (75% highway) and got 32.9 MPG. I was pleasantly surprised, especially since the car was fully loaded and the a/c blasting away. Mileage seems to be getting better...we'e at 7,500 on the odometer.
reg : 90% of people have no idea what's under the hood. "V6" or "4 cyl" are typical answers.
a little be bop around town won't show the deficiencies of a pushrod motor, but get it out on the highway and get the revs above 3000 rpm and its starts to show its weakness.....
i dunno oldsman, i think if Honda put that nasty and crude 3.1 in the Accord, a lot of folks who previously drove Accordswould notice something amok right away. That engine has all the charm and driving quality of a weed trimmer.
I certainly started something there with my pushrod comments. some great replies. The great thing is that we are driving enthusiasts. some great letters.
O.K, so now the obvious, what would your perfect Olds be? You do not live in a real, but ideal world where you can have what you like.
So, mine would be a STRAIGHT 6, not "V" as they are too unrefined. I would like it placed behind the seat for maximum handling, but realistically a straight 6 has got to go up front so there it is.(Although the 911 and Boxter manages it I suppose)) It would displace 3 litres with a S.O.H.C and 2 valves per cylinder (A La Alfa Romeo of some years back). B.H.P would be around 200 with todays technologies and around 230 pounds of torque at 3000 rpm. The power to weight would be of the Colin Chapman theory (a genius of course, he started his first Lotus workshop in North London where i come from). The body would be Kevlar. I would have a 2 door coupe style by the greatest design house ever, Pininfarina. It would be based on the Ferrari 365 GTB/4(Daytona).
I would have 3 triple-choke Weber carbs and would be able to pay someone to keep them in tune! Catalytic converts are banned in my ideal world so I would not need fuel injection. There's nothing like a carb set up for me. If i could not have webers, I would have a Carter 4 choke. I drove a British Bristol 411 in 1972 with the Chrysler 6.2 V8 and the Carter carb was superb.
I would aim for a body gross weight of 2250 lbs, which should give great performance and m.p.g as due to the characteristic of the engine, you would not need to rock the gearbox very often. If I could, I would have a fully autobox with tiptronic option which would have to be on the wheel.
I'm not an expert on suspension and gearing ratios, but I suppose i would have to choose a Citroen hydo-pneumatic set up. (I used to drive one as a company car in the U.K). It would adjust the car height depending on your speed with a manual override for the awful roads we have to endure in Kansas City.It is of course self-levelling and anti-dive. Also, I would not need a spare as you can drive these on 3 wheels if you have to (I'm not joking.) The gearing? Well, i would want it to hit 2750 rpm at 70 m.p.h which is a perfect setting for me. A good combination of mpg and mph!
It would handle like a series 3 Jag XJ6 which i have driven. A fantastic combination of ride, handling and roadholding. Incidentally the V12 i also drove was never as smooth as the 6, but a lot quicker of course!!
I'd like recarro seats, not leather as they are too cold in the wintewr and too hot in the summer. Problem is Recarros give me hemorroids!! Still at 52 years of age I have to be realistic. So it would a bucket seat a little wider than Recarros. i would have all the safety systems, air bags everywhere, ABS/EBD and EBA brakes. Traction too, but a switch to turn these off if required. I thought about 4 wheel drive, but experts like us do not need this to tell us how to drive. Therefore it would a a rear-wheel drive set-up so that you can drive around bends with the trottle and no torque-steer as you get with F.W.D.
Now it's your turn!!
Ian
Ian