Oldsmobile Intrigue

dindak

I used to live at Yonge and Eglinton. Bought a house in Oakville 2 years ago. Towne Chev Olds have a decent service department. I wish they had a car wash also like my old Grand Prix dealer did (Addison on Bay).

buzzard4

The trim that shifts on my '99 GLS is the exterior silver trim over the window on the passenger side door. It slides out of it's track and makes the door stick. The dealer told me they didn't know how to eliminate the problem, so they would just push it back in place. Now I just give it a few taps with a rubber mallet when I notice it starting to sticking out. I'll check the seals on my doors, but I don't recall ever having trouble with them.

vcjumper

had it on my 99 passenger a few years ago.. It was the only issue I had under warranty other than broken interior trim. Dealer glued it I believe. No problems with it after that.

vcjumper

Service dept did seem patient/nice to deal with on phone. I usually just go to Applewood to get oil changes but wanted a second quote. Trade pick ups there with a girl at work who has an Alero.

dtownfb

What you described is exactly why you don't see the sweet lease deals they had 2 or 3 years ago. The finance companies are losing tons of money on the lease returns. Of course, you can always buy the car if you want but why pay $4000 more then what the car is worth.

Good luck.

lmacmil

I also had passenger side door weatherstripping on my 2000 cause the door to stick. Dealer put it back in place and it's been fine since.

lmacmil

If anyone was wondering if the front air dam really works, I proved it today. I had driven only about 5 miles in 23F temps when I noticed the temp gage going past the 1/2 way mark, which it's never done. The gage oscillated back and forth around the midpoint until I got home. I looked at the air dam and sure enough, it was caked with snow (we've had 17" since Monday night).

lmacmil

I have uploaded 3 articles I wrote for our in-house newsletter several years ago. They are pdf files a little over 200K each. They are written in a conversational style and aimed at a don-technical audience so they are pretty basic but may be informative to some.

http://www.homestead.com/macmillan/files/actuation.pdf

http://www.homestead.com/macmillan/files/antilock.pdf

  

http://www.homestead.com/macmillan/files/brakes.pdf

redline65

Well, I've got over 36K miles on my '99 3.5 GL now. The car is still running strong. The only problems I've had:

2 dead batteries
replaced intermediate steering shaft
replaced crankshaft sensor
fixed migrating door trim
fixed loose shift handle
replaced trunk struts

Only 4 payments left and she's all mine!

Kirstie_H

Sound like a strange combo? We are looking for lawyers (any age, sex, kind of car) who are car nuts.

Please respond by March 9 to lordusky@aol.com

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

jjpowell2

What a gruesome week it's been! Reported to Oldsmobile that our headlights are still dimming out and they asked us to give the service department one more crack at it. Brought it in on Monday morning & we were given a Dodge Stratus rental at no cost. Tuesday afternoon they called and said they couldn't re-create the problem but thought it was merely the emmisions air pump coming on that drew down power causing a reduction in power to the headlights. They said "ALL" Intrigues have headlights that dim and he could re-create it on demand with his gadgets. He asked that we come in Wed. morning and he'd show us. Went in this morning and he had a 2001 Intrigue running with his computer hooked up to cycle on the air pump.....only caused a minor fluctuation in lights. We asked him to do the same with our car & he obliged. Once again only a minor fluctuation. We told him that ours dim out to almost off several times and on a sporatic basis. Asked why this didn't happen everytime if this was the cause. "Differing loads at the time was the answer."

He did find a new problem. By slightly wiggling the ignition key while the car was running it would cause it to stall out. It's possible that this may be connected and they're replacing the ignition switch. I got a call late in the afternoon that they are also replacing the alternator!!! This will be #7 for this car(we took delivery of our new Intrigue exactly one year ago today!). He said that the one they put in last month is the old model.

The representative from GM called today because we contacted BBB about arbitration. He was the rudest, most ineffective person I have ever talked to! He called the dimming problem a "design characteristic". Needless to say we're at an impasse unless we get our car back tomorrow and it's defect free!!

Do all of you Intrigue owners have headlights that dim off intermittently??? Don't think so....

swagled

GM is sticking to the line that the headlight dimming is a standard "feature". (In which case, they should have listed it as standard equipment in their brochures.)

re: Air Dam
Yes, I had wondered how much if a difference it makes. (I pulled the air dam off my Mazda when it was damaged, and the engine temp stayed the same.) I still want to get the redesigned one when I have time.

b4z

Then what are you going to do?

george92

From the posts Ive been reading it sounds like the dimming proble has only been on tne 2000, 2001 & 2002. I havent seen any complaints on the 98 & 99. Someone please correct me if Im wrong. Thank you. Ill be honest with you I dont drive much at night and if I was driving at night I dont think I would notice if my headlights were dimming off & on. How can you tell. I have a 98 intrigue.

jg28

it's not just a dimming, it's a complete flicker like the lights are going out. The worst experience I had was in October of 2000 when the weather had just turned cold although I'd noticed it slightly during the summer too. They dim so much so that it's a safety hazard, not just a nuisance. Ever since I had the "redesigned" alternator installed, I've not had a bit of problem but I remain skeptical based on the experiences of others here and keep a meticulous watch for it when I drive at night. You can tell it's not just a headlights issue because you can hear the heater blower also slow and the interior lights act the same. I sure hope NHTSA can get to the bottom of this. It's a BIG safety hazard and I hope everyone still having problems sees satisfaction.

djr222

I brought my 99GL in for the last in-lease service at 32K. I had a complaint about rough shifting (o/d gear burned up at 16K, resulted in a tranny rebuild, never has shifted really smooth since then), and once or twice I had the flicker.

Dealer immediately changed alternator (p/n 10464395)(test shows not charging at times); said the two could be related?!?

I really went in to get on record in case I buy at end of lease. I didn't think they would change alt. now. I don't know if I'll get to buy; GMAC doesn't seem interested. Buyout is 16.2K, trying to offer less than 10K. GMAC is losing a ton of money on those leases from 1999 with nearly 60% residual.

swagled

for those of us who bought our cars to just hang on to them for years. May as well get as much utility value as possible, since prices will be depressed from all those lease returns.

The good news may be that people who really like the Intrigue will be able to pick up used ones cheap for a long time. Imagine picking up a used PCS 2002 Intrigue in 2010 for $1000. I bet you'll be able to.

dindak

1way : Those Detroit city roads are murder on a car. I can't believe they can't find the money to fix them up. Glad you had a good trip.

jg28 : I have had only slight dimming on cold nights. The lights never went out. My wife noticed it also so it's not my imagination. I will wait till next winter to have it fixed, probably just a month or two before the warranty runs out. Have not seen the problem again since January. February has been a pretty warm month.

george92

This sounds like a serious problem.

headlights failling can cause accidents/deaths. GM should be really concerend about this. And the poor guy comming off the warranty gets the shaft again.

dindak

It's not dangerous, more annoying. I have never not been able to see the road perfectly. It's a matter of going from 100% to 90%, not 100-40%.

white6

My 99 GL had this problem in a BIG way... My wife called Oldsmobile and screamed at them when they said they weren't going to fix ours. It had the "new design" alternator installed about a year ago and we haven't had a problem since then (fingers crossed). Of course, our moron dealer service people poked a hole in the radiator while doing this job, so they had to keep the car an extra day to fix the radiator. And don't kid yourselves, folks, dealer service is some of the worst I've ever come across. The rotor "warping" problem isn't just caused by excessive torquing of the lug nuts, but by not tightening them in the proper "star" sequence as well. Every component on modern automobiles has been reduced and lightened to save weight (and money) to the point that there is very little room for error. Olds Intrigues are NOT the only car to have rotor "warping" problems, not by a long shot. Camaro/Firebird, various Toyota models, some Dodge models, etc. I've always made sure the wheel lugs are torqued properly and I've NEVER had a rotor "warping" problem in 25 years of ownership. BTW, the rotors are being warped by the improper torquing, which causes them to wear uneven, thus the pulsing brake pedal due to the uneven thickness of the rotor. Thinner rotors are more prone to this problem. Also, the Autobahn package installed on some 98 Intrigues was determined to cause problems because the brake pad vendor manufactured the pads too thick, creating a slight, but constant, drag on the rotor. This caused the rotor to heat up and actually warp from constant hot/cold cycling. They recalled all these cars and most people I have read about had their problems solved by changing pads if they had it done soon enough. Otherwise, they would have to have the rotors changed as well.

ian18

white6 - I will not argue with you about why you think rotors warp (I am not so sure that it can all be blamed on wheel tightening issues) . As an "Autobahn" owner, I just want to state that there has never been a recall on the '98 Autobahn Intrigues for brakes. I think there may have been a TSB for noisy brake pads. I am still on the original pads, my rotor warping problem stopped when the rotors were replaced.

george92

White 6,
Back in 98 & 99 I was constantly on this site. There were a lot more complaints about warped rotors on Intrigues that didnt have the autobahn package than the ones that did. I have the 98 and they warped at 7500 & 14000. I still say that particular problem was caused by defective rotor casting and the fact that the pads no longer have asbestos. By the way I never saw an offical recall on the autobahn package If you could dig it up I would like to read it. I believe olds stop making it after the 99.

jg28

It is most certainly a safety issue and went way WAY beyond annoying. When I had the worst dimming, it was 100% down to at least 25% (to the point that I almost pulled the car over and called roadside assistance). I was one of the first to experience this problem and was the first one to discover the TSB (I had to tell the dealer about it). What concerns me is that GM has known about this for a long time and has done nothing. Judging from the experience of some, I would say that the redesigned alternator isn't fixing the problem either but I don't know why it has for me. Regardless, I hope GM gets some payback from NHTSA and for all of us who've been frustrated with such an obvious design flaw.

delrick

After agonizing over the pain of losing my leased '99 Intrigue GL, I ordered a new 2002 GL, w/PCS, Sun & Sound package and spoiler. Silver with pewter leather interior (includes heaters now and power for passenger seat. Car has a couple thousand miles on it now. Love the car.

Actually it was the thought of foregoing that sweet 3.5 shortstar that forced this economically questionable decision. Anyway the extended warranty, discounts and terms made it acceptable. Especially when faced with the alternatives.

Was able to buy this vehicle for under 25K out the door and 5 years of payments that approached lease amounts, and we keep the car. It's a rationaliztion, but I could not find a competitive vehicle that was equipped or handled like I know this car would and does..

And although I read the horror stories of Intrigue idiosyncracies here, I have been in one since 1998 and have yet to encounter any of them. The Eagles did wear out in 24,000 miles but That probably is not the cars fault.

Comments on various topics. Have been using synthetic oil exclusively in all my cars for about 10 years. I fudge the cost by extending the change interval to 10K. I replace the filter and add a quart of oil at 5K. This has resulted in no problems, and I believe, superior engine protection, on the 8 vehicles I have owned in that time.

One of the most appealing properties of the synthetic is its resistance to heat and varnish formation. The stuff just doesn't have the chemical composition to turn to sludge. As long as you are getting good filtration to keep particulates out of your system, the stuff should hold up.

I believe this is particularly true with the oversized 6 quart capacity of the shortstar. With that amount of lubricant in this engine, they should have remarkable longevity. Time will tell.

jjpowell2

Finally got our Intrigue back after it being held captive at the dealer since Monday morning!! The service order said they replaced the ignition switch and it does seem a bit more stable when turning the key.

Cracks me up that they removed and replaced the alternator(#7 for this 1 year old car), because "they discovered that the wrong alternator was in the car". I asked about that when they installed it in January because it had the old part #. I'm hoping that this will be the end of this fiasco. We can put up with a mild fluctuation in brightness of the headlights, but dimming nearly totally out intermittantly was unacceptable and dangerous. We'll be taking it out for a couple test drives at night to see if we can totally enjoy our car now! Will report back...

dindak

My apologies. Mine is obviously not nearly as bad as yours. I figured everyone had it about as bad as mine. Yes going down to 25% would be a bad thing. The flicker/ dim has only happened to me about 4 times in total on cold nights.

--------

delrick : Congrats on the new 02 Intrigue. While the depreciation is bad, you have to keep in mind what you actually paid not what the list price is. Intrigues sometimes have a few bugs in them, but nothing that will leave you stranded that's for sure.

b4z

Congratulations on your intrigue!!!
Do you notice any difference in ride quality between the '99 and the '02? Several have said the '02 rides a little better.

pgl1

I have a '99 Intrigue GX (w/ the 3.8L and only power driver's seat, cabin air filter and folding rear seat) that I bought off lease by negotiating the buyout down from $13,400 US to $9,245 US through an area dealership. (After much trying, I got through to GMAC's administrative offices in East Hanover, NJ (I live in NJ); and they refused to deal with me even though they acknowledged that at auction they'd only receive about half the residual. Although I felt $9,245 was high, it was less of a hassle than paying excess mileage charges and buying the same car at auction, if you know what I mean.

I am considering a K&N mod. How did yours work out? Any airflow meter problems as a result? (I saw an old posting of yours from April of 2001.)

Also has anyone installed after market strut tower braces? I'd be interested to hear if anyone thought they were worthwhile.

I've got 52K mi. on my '99, and knock on wood, the only problems I've experienced are the migrating front door trim and the loud noises which emanate from the ABS when really hard braking causes it to activate.

I love the way the 3.8 pulls of the line, but it's not smooth or as responsive at highway speeds. Handling is also excellent; worlds better than the Maxima which was the other car I was considering when I leased the Intrigue back in '99.

Thanks.

ketch

Not me, my car, the dimming issue raises its head badly now. Left work last night in a raging snow storm here (Chi town) about 1am, and had the fogs on and the rear defogger. As I got onto the highway close by, the lights dimmed down to about a range of 60-30% momentarily, esp. while accelerating(?). It occurred about a dozen times for several miles. It was cold, about 30, but never seen it this bad. Without the defogger it stopped, so the draw must not help matters. Unlike Dindak, i cannpt wait, as this is my last winter under warrantee. So its a call to them monday. Thanx to all the great folks here, i have the new part number to refer to so they don't think I made this up. Whether they are able to reproduce it and then fix it is a question, iplan to ask them to replace the Alt anyways.

focus

Just saw a full page ad in the Toronto Star that says "Everything you want in a midsize car, And a lot less". Right on!

dindak

Saw that. C$23998 cash price for GX with added power seat. Not a bad deal.

You could probably get it for less also. Unfortunately I can't get another.

pgl1

I have a '99 Intrigue GX (w/ the 3.8L and only power driver's seat, cabin air filter and folding rear seat) that I bought off lease by negotiating the buyout down from $13,400 US to $9,245 US through an area dealership. (After much trying, I got through to GMAC's administrative offices in East Hanover, NJ (I live in NJ); and they refused to deal with me even though they acknowledged that at auction they'd only receive about half the residual. Although I felt $9,245 was high, it was less of a hassle than paying excess mileage charges and buying the same car at auction, if you know what I mean.

I am considering a K&N mod. How did yours work out? Any airflow meter problems as a result? (I saw an old posting of yours from April of 2001.)

Also has anyone installed after market strut tower braces? I'd be interested to hear if anyone thought they were worthwhile.

I've got 52K mi. on my '99, and knock on wood, the only problems I've experienced are the migrating front door trim and the loud noises which emanate from the ABS when really hard braking causes it to activate.

I love the way the 3.8 pulls of the line, but it's not smooth or as responsive at highway speeds. Handling is also excellent; worlds better than the Maxima which was the other car I was considering when I leased the Intrigue back in '99.

Thanks.

lmacmil

My opinion: if you are looking for a performance increase, don't bother. While some claim (anecdotally) that the K&N gave them a performance boost, I remain skeptical. The only hard data I've seen were some dyno curves from an Aurora that showed a 2-3% hp increase above 4000 rpm. I believe he had also modified the airbox to increase airflow.

If you look at the K&N thread in the accessories section, you'll read that about 1/2 the people didn't notice anything and the other 1/2 did. I believe those who think they can tell the difference are noticing the placebo effect, i.e., they think performance should increase, so they're sure they feel it.

vcjumper

What do people think of these Montegi MR7 rims (www.montegiracing.com) for an Intrigue? (man my gf is gonna kill me if I spring for these)

gunmetal MR7

yurakm

$125 per wheel... Expensive, of course.

Recently I threw away $114 on plastic hubcap for 15" wheel.

Had a 45k mile service with my Malibu. Left it at dealership. The service adviser called me at work and told that hubcap is broken and need to be relaced. However, the genuine GM hubcap for 98 Malibu costs $114. Dealership does not store the part, need to order it.

When she called, I was deep into program debugging, absolutely disconnected from the outside word. Additionally I have problem with understanding her diction. Thought that it cost $14, and approved...

Oops!

b4z

I am not sure how an angular wheel like that will look on the rounded off curves of an intrigue.
Perhaps a 5 spoke with rounded spokes and curves where the spokes meet the rim and hub would be better.

delrick

The 02 is my wifes driver so I seldom drive it.

Regarding ride difference from the 99, I do not see much diff. Maybe slightly firmer. There seems to be more change as a result of the larger tires/increased ground clearance. The taller final drive ratio and the subleties introduced by the PCS.

Not sure if I a care much for the "improved" Magnasteer. It seems more squirrely to me at all speeds. Maybe just a getting used to isssue.

Was disappointed with the content reduction in the 02. No fuel cover release and the spare tire/trunk treatment. They deleted the carpet overlay and wrapped some material around the spare cover. This looks cheap. Of course they did not get the carpet back in the 99. They did get an 02, carpet covered spare tire opening cover ;=)....

white6

Here is a quote from my new issue of MotorTrend:
"Apparently prompted by competition in the form of the Grand Marquis-based Mercury Marauder, General Motors has approved importation of a version of the Austrailian-market Holden Commodore SS as the next Impala SS. The rear-drive sedan features a Corvette-spec (350 hp) Gen III 5.7L alloy V-8, six -speed maual gearbox, ABS, limited-slip differential, and 17-in. 235/45 V-rated tires. This would seem to doom plans for an SS based on the current U.S. market front-drive Impala---but that hardly seems like much of a loss."
Interesting...........

yurakm

approved importation of a version of the Austrailian-market Holden Commodore SS as the next Impala SS

"SS" means trim, "Impala" - model. To sell absolutely different model, on the same market, and to name it like just another trim... It would confuse customers. Bad idea marketing-wise.

one2one

I had to use the filter from the Regal but I didn't modify the airbox. Imacmil may be right about the placebo effect. However, assuming he's right, I'd still use K&N. The reason is because it doesn't have to cleaned for 50,000 miles. I don't believe Imacmil feels this is a good reason to buy one either.

Personally, I would still get one. The performance increase may not be reflected on the dyno but the pump is another issue. It's a fact that a dirty paper filter will erode gas mileage and performance suffers as well, even if not dramatically. So, with that info, I tend to believe that there is an increase in performance.

Another argument he makes is that the cost of paper filters over 50,000 miles is about the same as one K&N for the same period. True. But that means you don't have to go under the hood or pay someone to go under there to replace it.

So if a dirty paper filter reduces fuel economy, reduces performance and makes me replace it more than twice in the life of the car (under 100,000 miles) and a K&N improves fuel economy (or at the least keeps it at what the EPA says it should be for the car) for 50k miles, assume it doesn't do squat for performance, over the same mileage cost me the same as a paper filter but only have to pop the hood once (which is a big plus if maintaining more than one vehicle), then I think it's worth the money to put one in.

And if after all that the placebo effect kicks in and you enjoy driving your Intrigue more, then I don't see where there is a drawback or waste of money.

white6

I agree, this would be confusing for most customers. What is really interesting is that Motor Trend has an artist's rendering of the 2004 Grand Am a few pages earlier and the front styling is almost identical to the small photo of the Holden Commodore SS. Why not badge it Pontiac instead of Chevrolet? This especially makes sense after learning GM has axed the replacement for the current Bonneville. They also confirmed that Cadillac will get the current Olds Bravada in a few years.

vcjumper

I priced 33-2086 locally and it was $100 + cleaning kit. The 3 Frams I have used so far were $8 a piece at Walmart. That made my mind up for me.

dindak

I figured either Cadillac or Buick would get the Bravada. Surprised it was Cadillac though as Buick really needs another boost to it's line up.

one2one

$100?!!!!

Is that Canadian or U.S.? That sounds awful high. The one I got for the Intrigue was only $45. I didn't get the cleaning kit because I wouldn't need it for another 50K. The Bonniville was over $70 (which suprised me) although the airbox is larger.

lmacmil

My only point to pgl1 was that he shouldn't buy the K&N based on the assumption of a performance increase. If reduced maintenance or reduced long term ownership costs (or anything else) are the reasons , then go for it.

jg28

And what will Cadillac call its incarnation of the Bravada? BUT? BXT? BTU? LOL!

I agree with one2one. I've enjoyed mine and haven't regretted it for a minute. They're not exactly easy to replace and if I can leave it alone for 50K, I'm all for it. Plus, I happen to think that I'm not just taking a sugar pill and that it does make a difference, even if it's only slight. I don't remember how much mine was but I was thinking around $40 USD. I got it from macromotive.com

Wasn't there someone here who talked about having custom made badging for his Intrigue? I'd pay money to get OLDSMOBILE in the Intrigue font right underneath the license plate on the rear. Then I could take the halfhearted Oldsmobile off the rear end.

vcjumper

It was $100cad, haven't gotten a second quote but maybe it would be cheaper.

As far as badging, I was also thinking of taking the tiny oldsmobile off the rear end. It looks straight out of the eighties.

vcjumper

Anyone taken a look at theirs? Wondering if there is a big bend in there that could be straightened/opened up with some custom work for better flow.

stgoddard

Has anyone else had the strange problem of turning on the rear defrogger and having the radio reception very noticeably worsen? I have a 2000 GLS that has had the alternator replaced once for the dimming headlights, while better it still isn't perfect. Wonder if they could be connected somehow?