Oldsmobile Intrigue

oldsman01

Anyone using synthetic oil in their Intrigue(or used it in any car)? Is it worth the extra cost or not? I do drive my car hard at times and do want to ensure the engine is well oiled. I've heard some people swear by sythetics and others say it's a waste.

vcjumper

It shouldn't. If you have a suspension problem to bring it in for though, you might want to take it off before bringing it to the dealer.

Let me know if you are going to go through with it. I know it takes atleast a couple trips there so they can measure up the car and prototype it (unless a 3.5 intrigue driver has been there since I was and went through with it), I would be up for splitting those visits.

oldsman01

PCS and traction control are independent of each other, but are all controlled by the same module(EBCM) and utilize the ABS system to operate. The PCS uses additional components to determine if it should be activated then the EBCM will pulse the brakes at the appropriate wheel. Traction control will both apply the brake to a slipping wheel and/or will reduce engine output to preven or correct a spin. Older traction control systems simply reduced engine power.

one2one

Check out the Synthetic Motor Oil thread on Edmunds. These guys sound pretty knowledgeable when it comes to oil and can probably answer any questions you have related to it. One thing I noted from different posters is that the oil pan seems cleaner over time than using regular oil.

vintalage

Hey, How old do you have to be to test drive one of these cars? I really want to test drive an Intrigue GLS and compare it to it's little brother that I have, the Alero GLS.

one2one

Technically, if you have a driver's license, you can test drive any car you want. If you're a teenager, take an adult with you so the salesperson doesn't blow you off under the notion that you wouldn't buy it anyway.

evandro

FWIW, CR ran several cabs in NY with either synthetic or mineral oils a few years ago and could not find any difference in engine performance or wear.

winter9

All 3.5 Intrigues have alternators that are directly bolted to the engine blocks. This was a premium feature borrowed from Cad's Northstars. It is meant to reduce engine vibration - no typical alternator hanging on a bracket that will vibrate. It is a nice feature but probably makes it more difficult to service the alternator and probably runs hotter.

coonhound

Just remember, the Intrigue may be your fathers Oldsmobile and not cool. So you probably don't want to try one.

rc52

I'm waiting for delivery of the rear STB from my local GM store - install sounds fairly simple.

one2one: So which did you install in front, the GM bar or after market? If after market, which one? I agree it would be simpler for direct bolt-on to existing tower bolts.

oscarz2

Found a solution for the grandprixstore.com brace. A welder is going to cut, raise flange (about 7/8 inch), and re-weld flange on passenger side bracket. Will charge me $25. Since the bar is adjustable, it doesn't have to be exact so I'm not worried. I pick up the bracket tomorrow so I'll post the results then.

Driver side bracket can be left alone. Although the bar will tilt slightly, performance will be the same and bar won't press down on coolant tank or power steering line.

focus

Vcjumper- Let's put on the front stb. Do you want me to go there first?
Went to dealership today and meet dsm (district service manager) re the seat belt problem, they agreed to fix it and the rear wheel as well.
Parts people said the 17" aurora wheel may not fit intrigue as it's 0.5" wider, i am skeptical of their opinion. While i was there, i checked out the aurora, it does not seem to have front or back stb, while the impala has front but no back.

oldsman01

No G-body car has the strut tower brace. Funny thing, my old 89 Olds Touring Sedan had a front strut tower brace. As stiff as the G-body chassis is, they probably do not need one. The W-body cars can get away without one as they are pretty stiff as well, but as some have now stated here, it does seem to help some.

b4z

Intrigues comes with 6.5" wide rims. You can put 8" wide rims with no problem. Just keep the backspacing the same as the old rims.

b4z

if you cut the flange and reweld it won't that take some of the strength out of it?

one2one

Just remember, the Intrigue may be your fathers Oldsmobile and not cool. So you probably don't want to try one.

I completely disagree with you. I get more praise from teenagers, including female teenagers, on my ride than from adults. Without the spoiler that it may not be cool. I have one. The color may also be a factor. I have a Midnight Blue w/neutral interior. I have yet to hear one kid not like my car. I've even had the kids up the street hang with me as I wash and wax it! I think statements like: "That's a cool car Mr...!" gives me the impression they like it.

one2one

I haven't installed the front yet. I purchased 2 GM braces. I filed the holes so they would go over the bolt for the rear. If I can't find a place for the front, I'm going to check into the aftermarket from www.grandprixstore.com.

oscarz2

Depends on the weld job. I won't pick it up til this afternoon so I can't say what it looks like. If it were to fail where he welded, he would make it stronger. I really doubt this will be an issue. He's a professional fabricator/welder in his 50s.

b4z

Any 2002 owners on this thread?
My dealer has 5 '02's sitting on his lot.

ian18

In general, a properly done welding job will be as strong or stronger than the original.

b4z

I have never seen the STB's in question, but i was assuming that they are made from a piece of steel tubing and that the flanges are made from the ends of the tubing being pressed together.
If that is the case, then cutting off the flange, repositioning it and then welding it back on to the tube would weaken it.

Anyone?

oldsman01

Most of my friends(in their 20s) like my Intrigue as well. Never heard anyone crack on it being an Oldsmobile. Back when I was in college is when I had the 89 Olds Touring Sedan and despite it being nearly as boxy as a Volvo, everyone that rode in it liked it. And I will say, the seats in that car were supremely comfortable. Needless to say I was always the one tapped to drive on road trips.

oscarz2

Picked up my bracket and installed it in the parking lot. Perfect fit and looks good too but I'll have to paint the flange to match. Bar now sits about 1-2mm above power steering line. I took photos but will be a while for development.

Definitely a handling improvement. Less body roll and cornering is more stable. Steering feels better, especially in high speed maneuvers.

Well worth the money (front and back).

b4z: go to grandprixstore.com and look at the "next-level" STB. You will see that the flange is on the bracket not the bar. The bar has a bolt in it with a swivel-noose on the end that another bolt goes through. This bolt that goes through the swivel-noose is the bolt that goes through the flange. This whole setup is only as strong as that bolt. I'm certain the re-weld is at least as strong as that bolt.

one2one

Now you've got to put it on the road and let us know how it feels so I can obsess during my sleep on how to make the GM brace fit!

winter9

I'm a 2002 owner. What's up?

tomcat630

"...may be your fathers Oldsmobile and not cool"
?

Probably not with the Starbucks/"Friends" 30ish wannabe's who look at anything that even remotely reminds them of their parents as "eww".

Today's Teens do outnumber the "Gen X" crowd 2-1, so eventually the "90's cool" crowd will be put to pasture.

rc52

Someone mentioned that Fram made a cabin filter. Anyone know the part number and cost? I don't want to pay $25 from the GM dealer if there's a less-expensive alternative.

ketch

Original post by [non-permissible content removed] something....
"Just remember, the Intrigue may be your fathers Oldsmobile and not cool. So you probably don't want to try one."
vitalage said....
" I completely disagree with you. I get more praise from teenagers, including female teenagers, on my ride than from adults. Without the spoiler that it may not be cool. I have one. The color may also be a factor. I have a Midnight Blue w/neutral interior. I have yet to hear one kid not like my car. I've even had the kids up the street hang with me as I wash and wax it! I think statements like: "That's a cool car Mr...!" gives me the impression they like it. "

AGREE with vitalage...even a UPS guy stopped to ask me about my 2001 GL "TypeR"
out front. Asked how fast and said it looked great. Was able to tell him I had it up to RA and
"raced" it for a short time! Even had a guy stop and talk to me about "her" at the race track.
OK so it might not have the charisma of a Lexus or BMW, but read the road tests,
it'll stay with them most the time, and IMO, look better doing it. I didn't buy the car because I wanted to impress folks though, i wanted a car that was exceptional, in overall handling and performance, affordable, looked great (for MY eyes at least, as I draw cars alot, once gad plans to be a stylist, but never followed through), and could carry the family. Want to impress, buy an ES300 and be bored.

mfd37

I have a Ruby Red 2002 GLS w/PCS and the Gold Package. Almost 2500 miles and no complaints so far. Did a couple of modifications for use as an emergency response vehicle and have timed it against a Crown Vic Police Special. He would have caught me in a long chase, but he was still impressed with the challenge. I'm thinking about trying to find a chip that will mimic the police special chip used in Chevy's and Fords. I've been told there is one available although it isn't GM approved. Were you looking for something specific?

one2one

Actually, that was me who said the kids like the car. But that's ok. I'll let you slide this time :-)

winter9

Fram part no. is CF8392. You should be able to pick one up for under $20 at your local auto parts store.
I bought a Purolator (I think) a few months back and I was surprised to see the original vendors part # (marked directly on the filter) was identical to the OEM filter I removed. The AC part # is CF121. I remember paying about $18 for the Purolator part.
Another option racerx9 used is GMpartsdirect.com. He paid just $12.52 for this filter, BUT there is a $10 charge per order. So if you have more stuff to get, it could be worth it. Good luck.

oldsman01

I bet that Ruby with the gold package is sharp. Does yours have the chrome wheels?

ketch, I don't get the Lexus ES300. The LS430 and GS sedans are one thing, but the ES is simply a fancy Camry. Your sharing the same chassis with those $219 a month Camry lease specials you see in Sunday's paper. Somehow Lexus gets away with it and folks will plop down $35K or more for one of those. Imagine if GM simply added some softer leather, real wood trim, and more gadgets to the Intrigue and passed it off as a new Cadillac model. And people criticized the Catera because is was a re-badged Opel.

vcjumper

I've rode in a new 02 Camry and it is definitely luxury car quiet, quieter than the old model which was still quieter than the Intrigue (road noise, suspension noise, wind noise). I've also read lots of non-ES300 fans praise the luxuriousness of the interior, so it must be pretty good. Still rather have lots of other cars in the same price before an ES300(G35,325,C320,A4Q). No FWD for that money thanks.

oldsman01

For what an ES300 costs, one could get an Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 and have a V8 and car that shares it's chassis with $50K Cadillacs. Or a Cadillac CTS if RWD is a must. BTW, anyone seen a CTS in person yet? Several posters over in the CTS thread have said that a 251hp 3.6 liter V6 is confirmed for 2004 with a high performance version of that engine also likely. That just might be a worthly replacement for the Intrigue as I'll probably be ready for a new car then.

dindak

Camry is nice inside, but outside is ugly. The back is especially bad. There seem to be a lot of 4 cyl models with the small plastic covered wheels out there also which makes it look even worse. Honda much have smiled when they saw this car roll out. Don't see how they are attracting younger people to the car either as most of the people driving 02 Camry's seem to be around 65-75.

Nissan did it right with Altima and GM should do the same. My buddy just ordered a 02 Altima this weekend. Don't blame him, though I would have gone for a Max.

mfd37

Yep - got the chrome wheels too. Figured since I only get a new car about every 10-12 years I might as well get it with all the bells and whistles. The more I drive the Intrigue, the more I'm wondering if I should trade in the wife's '95 LSS for another 2002 before Oldsmobile goes away. She's been 'borrowing" the Intrigue on a very regular basis. I guess we'll wait and see what the financing looks like toward the end of the model year.

one2one

I was impressed by the interior of the ES300 at the Auto Show. From a looks standpoint at least. The center console is sooo wide that I can't get under the wheel. b4z--I think we've found another manufacturer besides GM who can make a "bigger" interior with less space. But it is nice.

On the quiet issue, my 2001 Intrigue is considerably quieter than my 1998. Keep in mind that this assesment is based on 5 hours of highway driving on an extremely windy day. Wind noise was very low--perhaps not as quiet as an LS430--but very good and much, much, much better than my '95 Camry.

I agree that if one is willing to spend the cash Lexus wants for an ES300 you could get an Aurora (read the fine print--many things that come standard on the Aurora 3.5 are optional on the ES. Load both up and the Aurora V-8 with every option checked is still cheaper and you get a V-8). The Aurora is as quiet as the Lexus, has more power and is just as attractive on the inside as the ES300. Though I think the Aurora's interior is more inviting. That's just my opinion.

rc52

I installed the $13 GM STB on the rear. I do notice improved balance in back on hard turns, but now its obvious the front needs similar treatment. Is there ANY bar that attaches to existing bolts that DOESN'T impact the P/S line?
I've heard both the SLP and GrandPrixStore front bars mentioned here, but it sounds like both have to be "modified" somehow to avoid the P/S? Has anyone found a true bolt-on that "fits" the 3.5 front?

b4z

My question about who on this thread owns a 2002 was simply to get some of the lurkers to post.
I am sure that there are hundreds of different people who log into this thread everyday.
Was trying to get some new blood into the discussion.

0patience

ian18,
In general, a properly done welding job will be as strong or stronger than the original.
Not entirely accurate, while the weld can and often is stronger than the original metal, the metal that is welded, especially if cracked has fatigued and is now a weak point. Unless the metal is brought up to temp and then welded, then heat cooled, then the weld is only as good as the surrounding metal, which is usually not very good after a crack and weld.
The only proper way to reapir a crack is to weld fill the crack, then fish plate it.

oscarz2

The only other place I know that has STBs for GM W-bodies is ramairtech.com and it's not for 3.5.

My suggestion is see a metal fabricator (look in yellow pages) and have them make one for you. Might be cheaper than expected. At least get a quote.

vcjumper

I'm going to try to get there this week to start the process of getting a custom made front STB for the Intrigue. Once they make it, they can ship it to whomever wants one. They are charging me $150cdn, which is about $93USD. Dunno if the copies will be more or not.

ian18

0patience - Again, to generalize, welding is done most often to join two pieces of metal together. Proper welding procedures are designed so as to ensure the weld zone is as strong or stronger than the base material. If needed, pre and post heat treatment are used to ensure that no problems will occur in the heat affected zone (HAZ), which is where a poorly planned welding job will often fail.

Not sure why you thought I was talking about welding to repair cracks. In fact, I would caution against chasing a crack with a welding rod, lots of potential dangers.

Welding is a very large subject area and I am certainly not an expert on all aspects. My only point in posting was to say that welding, done properly, it is an excellent joining technique.

0patience

I'll agree with that, I guess I came in on the tail end of a discussion and to be honest, reading thru all the posts, I kind of got lost.
As far as joining metals, depending on what you wish to accomplish, welding is by far the best and most reliable method. My preferance is MIG welding, more for convenience than anything else, when you are welding large amounts, it is nice to have a good sized Mig welder, as stick welding is tedious and constantly stopping and starting is a pain. LOL!

focus

Vcjumper - if second trip is needed, please let me know, i'll go. May be there is a discount for 2, 3, or more? I am sure it'll take them a lot less time from the 2nd one on.

b4z

No intrigues have been built so far this year. I guess the plant is still closed.

pat

redline65

I've got a grinding noise coming from the front right wheel. I only notice it when I'm turning left. It seems like it just started after my last tire rotation. Any ideas?

jg28

I just got new tires yesterday. The Potenza RE950s. Very pleased. They said my old ones (the badyears) were down to the wear marks and only 26K! Good riddance to them.

My first impressions are that the ride is softened, bumps are more easily absorbed and they are quieter by far (but only make the inside creaks more pronounced oh well). We'll see how well they do in the snow. We're expecting another snowstorm on Tuesday night. They cost a pretty penny I think ($585). But hopefully they'll end up being worth it.

I asked the guy at the shop how they perform in the snow and he said he has them on his Acura and they are the best snow tires he's ever had. (BTW, I was impressed with his knowledge of the Intrigue. He said it was a nice lookin car and asked "it's got the cadillac 3.5 right?" I was impressed that an Acura owner knew about the Intrigue).

I'm seeing what can be done about relocating the power steering line. I think the strut brace from grandprixstore.com is the best to put on either front or back because there is no drilling involved. Plus, they're on sale. I'll keep you updated about the p/s line.

I agree with whoever posted that their 2001 is quieter than their 1998. I drove my brother in law's 2001 and thought it was quieter and well put together in comparison with my 2000.

0patience

Hi Pat,
lots of posts to keep up with. LOL!

redline65, what year?
This is the first TSB regarding noise in the steering I could find, but need to know what year vehicle we are dealing with.
Clunk Noise from Front of Vehicle During Turning Maneuver/Steering Wheel Rotation (Lubricate Intermediate Shaft) #01-02-32-001A
Clunk Noise From Front Of Vehicle During Turning Maneuver/Steering Wheel Rotation (Lubricate Intermediate Shaft)
2001-2002 Buick Regal
2000-2002 Cadillac Seville
1997-2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
2000-2002 Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo
2001-2002 Oldsmobile Aurora
1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2000-2002 Pontiac Bonneville, Sunfire