There has been heavy Intrigue advertising in Ontario the past few weeks. Full page ads!
Right now they have 0.9% lease/ finance for 48/60 months. Cash back is about C$4000 I believe as they are advertising GX cash price of C$23,998. Great deals. Local dealer has 5 on the lot as of Sunday.
My "next level" front sway bar from grandprixstore.com is still creaking when going over bumps. I have to put the factory back in If anyone knows any regal or grand prix owners out there that would be interested in a slightly used next level sway, please let me know. I have enjoyed it even with the creaking. You wouldn't believe how I've been able to go around corners with it, the stbs and my new potenza re930s. Like a sports car. I know because of my experience none of us Intrigue owners will want it. But I'd still recommend the stbs and the rear sway. I think the factory front sway is probably pretty good anyway.
My thanks to Imacmil and One2one for the info on the K&N air filters. It sounds like a good bet even if the only benefit is avoiding the all too often periodic replacement and deterioration associated with paper filters.
To vcjumper and others who have tried the no-drill front STB's advertised at http://members.aol.com/wizbang250/STB_Bracket_Build.htm. Are your cars equipped with the 3.8? I'm curious to know if the front brace will fit my '99 GX which has a stock 3.8.
My current Intrigue has the 3.5; the one I put the K&N in had the 3.8. When you look for the part number, you probably won't find it in stock. If you cross reference the number, you'll see that the Buick Regal part matches. I put mine in at about 40k miles and the engine was smooth as silk at 80,000 miles and the filter didn't look filthy like paper filters.
You probably won't have a problem with clearance with the 3800 engine. From what I'm recalling, the big problem with the 3.5 comes because the coolant tank is bolted onto the strut tower. The 3.8 is up front next to the radiator. So you'll probably be fine.
From personal experience, I think you'll find more impressive performance increases by spending less money and getting the front and rear strut tower braces.
redline65-It didn't look dirty because the element is oil impregnated gauze with a red tint, and not white paper like the stock ones....They are reusable and filter out down to a 4 micron particle I beleive...So, its not in the engine...L8tr...btw I have a K&N cone on my '99 3.8 and it works great...
Can anyone confirm that the 33-2086 does fit well in the 3.5? Thanks
I installed the 33-2063 Sunday in my wife's 99 Intrigue w/ 3.8. Great fit. I haven't had a chance to take it out for a spin yet. Good deal at under $30 on sale at Farm & Fleet this week.
Has anyone had problems with their CD players cutting out, skipping and poor play quality? Mine is not consistent but I have had some problems. I have also experienced the headlight flickering a few times now. My Intrigue has 27,000 mi. on it. Any feedback would be appreciated.
You have 27,000 miles already?? You must live in this car! I just turned 4,000 in my 2002 GL. I have not had any problems with my CD player, but I have not played it that much. I will play it more to see if I notice anything. Have you notified the dealer?
I did just have the "GL" emblem on one fender replaced as the black paint peeled off it.
yes, quality lubricant. It has been lubed three times now. It looks like it's just not gonna work.
I can confirm that the 33-2086 works fine. I've had it for almost six months now and car is fine. I found what would fit using the dimensions from a fram filter and finding something within milimeters. Car has more horsepower and seems to be livelier at lower rpms.
As reported before the front swaybar on the intrigue is HUGE! Isn't it like 1 13/16" thick? I can't see how any aftermarket bar could do any better, unless it was solid. THe intrigue's springs are too soft and should be stiffer. I would go that route before i went with a bigger bar. I think all of the wbodies have too soft springs. This is evident in the intrigue by the way the front rises up like a boat under acceleration.
Posted this in the Accessories and Modifications group, but here are the PN's for the different springs available for the W-Bodies. I believe the one installed in your car is identified by codes on a sticker in the trunk.
Front Springs
Prod# Code Service#
22133031 FKN 22133030 Highest Rate
22133030 FKJ 22133030
22133029 FJT 22133030
22133028 FJS 22133028
22133027 FJR 22133028 Lowest Rate
Rear Springs
Prod# Code Service#
10258880 TDJ 10258880 Highest Rate
10258879 TDH 10258879
10276574 TFY 10276574
10276573 TFW 10276573 Lowest Rate
Here is a discussion on the subject, including how to find which setup your car sports.
I think my ride is too stiff mostly and I surely don't notice any front rise when I step on it. I'd prefer the apparently softened system in the 2001 and 2002s with the addition of my stbs and after market sway on the rear.
The aftermarket sway on the front is about 5 milimeters bigger and is solid. Apparently it's too solid. I will miss having it but can no longer stand the sound going over (mostly speed bumps). (It sounds like the engine is going to fall out). I'm keeping the rear one which is where I noticed the most roll anyway.
Attention: Dindak (and other south-western Ontario posters)... If you could take the time, I'd appreciate any input as to preferred dealers and/or private sellers in the area who might have a good deal on a second-hand Intrigue, '98 or later model. I noticed your posting about the current good deals on new models (#6359), but 'no can do' at the moment.
Local dealer is advertising Oldsmobiles at invoice PLUS the factory rebate. Is it 2002 or 2500 on the Intrigue now? The Regal has a $2500 rebate I think. Many banks and credit unions are offering low interest rates as well so now is certainly a good time to buy one at invoice, take the rebate, then finance with a bank or CU.
Towne Chev Olds in Oakville is who I deal with and they had a couple of used Intrigues a couple of weeks ago. Generally good folks. Have not been around to any other dealers lately. Heard good things about Applewood in Mississauga also.
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bz4 : Intrigue and 3.5L Aurora are the only Olds cars dying this year. All the others are back for sure. I have a friend that works at GM Canada head office.
Again, my thanks to one2one and the others who shared info re: STB's, sway bars & K&N's.
As luck would have it just as I am getting psyched to begin making some mods to my clean '99 GX with 54K Mi, there's a squealing/grinding noise that seems to come from the front passenger wheel when I turn right. It happens at all speeds and only when the car is moving (if I crank the steering wheel right while at a standstill the car does not make the noise) which leads me to believe that it's not the steering rack. Likewise, the noise does not happen when traveling or braking with the steering wheel pointed straight ahead or to the left. Has anyone else had this problem? I'd like to know the root cause of the problem before heading to my mechanic. Thanks.
No bad news for Olds fans. If you check out the Chevy listing, it also shows TBD for 2003 order dates. The Intrigue and the 3.5 Auroras are the only models dropped for 2003.
After a whole lot of research and arguing with my wife, I bought a new 2002 intrigue this Monday primarily because my wife wanted to save money.
I know I will regret to pass a great deal on a 2003 Infiniti G35 w/leather+sunroof ($28000). Anyway, here's the deal on my 2002 Ivory White GL with Premium leather package and Sun&Sound package(MSRP$27257) plus window etching: $24789 - $500 dealer cash - $1500 loyalty certificate - $2002 incentive - $750 lease termination rebate + 6%*24289 tax + Title fee + Documentation fee
I opted to keep the 5 year warranty instead of another $1000 off. Everything included for less than $21800. So far I like the car, love the bose sound, appreciate the heated seats and plan to live with it for at least several years.
Congratulations, hope you enjoy the car. Sounds like you got a good deal. I've had my 2001 GLS for over 8 months now and still enjoy driving it very much. Other than a pretty quick engine, your not missing much by skipping the G35. I've read several reviews and seen pictures and other than the hp figure and 0-60 times, I'm not overly impressed.
No PCS. Not a lot of choice on dealer lots now. They are on clearance. That's why I only paid less than $20k for the car before window etching, tax and fees. That's much less than the price some people are paying for a STRIPPED 4-cylinder Altima 2.5SL!
What a pity that this model has no future. Combined with silky engine, smooth transmission, beatiful styling inside & out and great usable space, it's still the best family sedan GM has to offer IMHO. I am not impressed by the impala at all other than its crash test result. Why Buick Regal? Why not Buick Intrigue?
pgl1 - I've got a '99 Intrigue with the grinding coming from the front passenger side too. I only hear it when I'm turning left and it's usually only noticeable at low speeds. I'm wondering if it's the break wear indicators.
I have a '98 Intirgue with 68,000 miles and I love the car. Lately, though, there has been excessive road "feel" coming thorugh the steering wheel, and through the brake pedal. It makes a "clunking" noise and you can feel every bump in the rodd through the steering wheel. I can also feel the brake pedal through thewheel when I apply it.
I took it to Firestone, and to my surprise, they said the brakes were fine, and they did not see any front end problems, and didn't even try to sell me anything, though they did say it could probably use struts at almost 70,000 miles.
Before I go to another mechanic, does anyone know if this is a common problem, or what I can tell them to look for? I don't know a lot about cars and don't want to get ripped off! Thanks so much.
I would say if you took in a car with 68K miles and they told you you didn't need a bunch of work done, you've probably found an honest shop. Every MacPherson strut vehicle I've owned has had to have new struts around 70K miles so that sounds reasonable to me.
If it s clunking it is the Intermediate steering shaft. Some people have had their racks replaced. But it is more likely the ISS. Your olds dealer will know what to do.
You're on! I'd love to swap for softer springs. I think with the STBs and next level rear sway, it'd still be quite sporty handling and a comfier ride.
Have been reading about the uncomfortable seats in the Maximas. I think our seats are comfy but wish the side bolsters were a little stronger to hold me in place around corners.
Hi folks, yesterday I was accelerating away from a traffic light and heard a low level grinding/rubbing noise from, I believe, the drive train. It sounded somewhat like a bad gritty bearing noise(?). It goes away when you cruise at a steady speed. At anything resembling an application of power, the noise is detectable but could easily be overlooked. My steering feels tight and does not make any noise under any condition. Any thoughts? Thanks!
how much would softer (but not Buick pillowy) struts be? Are we sure the 2001 struts are softer? I mean is this documented somewhere? Or would aftermarket be the best.
My steering wheel is loose. I thought I could avoid making another trip to the dealer, who by the way made the creaks and rattles worse when they took off part of the dash and the door panels. It's a rackety creaky trap now. How I wish I could get into something else. I really think quality must've improved after 2000.
The May issue of Car & Driver has a picture of the Pontiac Bonneville G/XP and Grand Prix G-Force from the Chi-town auto show and all I can say is that if that is the direction Pontiac is going with their styling, then I can accept the demise of Olds a little better. The GP has actually been pretty clean looking since it's redo in 97 so the cleaner style of the G-force wasn't that dramatic, but the Bonneville G/XP IS AWESOME looking. If they continue the cleaner sophisticated look to the interior Pontiac will have some winners and may attract some former Olds(and non-GM) fans. Now if only they would keep the 3.5 around and put a supercharged version of that engine in the high end GP. Oh and a blown version of the Aurora's V8 sure would make the high end Bonnie a screamer. Mr. Lutz, you listening?
You'll need to go aftermarket if you want a softer ride. You might want to try some different tires as well, especially if yours has the Eagle RS-As. I complained that the ride on my 2001 was a bit harsh over bumps and it was explained that the RS-A tires(which mine has) are H-rated and thus are stiffer than standard tires. I personally will accept the stiff ride for the car's excellent handling and high speed stability. Having said that, I will say that some how the Aurora is able to handle just as well while having a smoother ride. Ditto on the Cadillac Seville.
Look into Monroe Sensatrac struts for a softer ride. Make sure you are not overinflating your tires too. Another mod you can look into that the GP guys are getting made is bracing underneath the vehicle to stiffen the chasis, which will improve lots of things.
This definitely sounds like either the intermediate steering shaft or the rack, or both. I put a post about this the other day on the problems board, but I don’t think it has many readers. After I ran into this problem, I read about 500 earlier messages on this board and found out that both the rack and the intermediate shaft on 98s and early 99s apparently had some manufacturing defects. I came across several dozen posts referring to theirs being changed. I had the same clunking and knocking you mention. I took the car in last week, just before end of warranty. They replaced the rack and lubricated the ISS. For now, the fix has completely worked. Steering with the new rack is more sensitive than before, and the knock is gone. I asked why they didn’t change the ISS, and they said GM is currently recommending lubricating it first, to see if that will stop the play. This lubrication requires a special GM hypodermic of some kind that can reach the shaft. When I expressed concern that grease would only be a temporary fix, they said if the problem came back they “might” replace the shaft (warranty on the repair is one year). I don't trust the lubrication. In my experience, you can often quiet a worn bearing by greasing it, but it is no long-term fix.
One post I saw estimated the cost of a rack replacement at $1500 and an ISS at $300. The ISS is really buried and hard to reach. You can hardly see it from under the car. It looks to me like the rack and some other stuff has to come out just to get to it. My guess is that there is a lot of labor needed to replace it, and it might be best to have it done by a dealer has done it before. Kind of like going to a brain surgeon who has a few under his belt. The problem was ruining my enjoyment of the car, I didn’t realize how much until it was fixed. It is the only complaint I have about the car. Let us know what you find out.
Oldsman, The cars with the base tires ride hard over small bumps also. Its the struts. It is not your tires, although i prefer Michelins. They are far superior to the 7 sets of Goodyears i had on my camaro.
jg28, Our friend 9899olds mentioned the gp struts. They may help a little. I definitely wouldn't go Buick. A major step backwards. I doubt if they would provide proper wheel control and you may see abnormal wear on your tires.
Sounds like your intrigue is creaking away. Mine drove me crazy. The console was the worst offender with the A pillar creaks a close second. Every time i turned the wheel the A pillar would creak. AARGH! The last 6 months of my intrigue ownership was spent with the stereo cranked.
People on this board say their intrigues don't creak. I don't believe them, or they only drive on roads as smooth as a billiard table.
This is my take on the intrigue suspension: Soft springs. Huge swaybar. Stiff struts. The intrigue does have some bodyroll(soft springs). Turn in is quick(big swaybar). Small bumps are harsh(stiff struts).
Did you every notice how small dips and bumps are harsh, but big bumps and holes are incredibly smooth? The soft springs are helping with the big bumps.
Notice how the front risies up like a boat under hard acceleration and the front wheels spin? Weight transfer is to blame here. Soft rear springs allow the rear to drop down.
The big front swaybar makes the front suspension less independent. Transfer more road impacts.
I would prefer slightly stiffer springs and softer struts.
jg28, I'm with you. But, because I only have 22K on my 99 ride, I'm waiting a while before I replace tires and struts. The STBs really made a difference, so that wait is much easier now. My ride is not as harsh as it used to be.
A while back I researched part numbers for springs. I found that there are 3 spring rates to choose from for front and 9 for rear. I don't have the numbers anymore so I will have to get them again. Parts guy at the dealer can get the printout.
Anyway, I compared my numbers to the printout (your springs have tags on them, look in side the wheel-well with a flashlight). According to the numbers, my fronts are medium and rears are like 3rd from the softest. My struts are FE1 according code in the trunk. This is apparently the "soft-ride suspension" (yeah right!)
Give parts guy your VIN# and he will also tell you what you have. I looked closely at the springs on new Intrigues on the lot vs. mine and could see no difference in design. Codes in the trunk were also the same regarding suspension.
If memory serves, there are a few variations of stock stuts for Intrigue but I was unable to determine which variation went in which year and model. All years were pretty much the same except a couple of years 00 and 02 didn't have one of them listed and 01 had something else in addition. It made little sense. GM will not provide this info and you cannot reach anybody that knows. Regal has same springs and struts but I think the huge front swaybar on Intrigue and maybe some other differences make it ride like a tractor.
Springs are $60 each from dealer and cheaper on-line but the problem is that you don't know how the ride will be effected til the work is done. New struts is about a $700 job. I finally said "screw-it" and did dual STBs. When the time comes, I will get quieter/softer tires and throw on some monroe sensatracs. If that doesn't improve the ride further, it really is a John Deere.
There was somembody on here that posted the specs for all of the wbody cars. This evening i will go through the archived discussions and see if i can find it. It was posted for the second time sometime last summer.
Well, I'm back from Florida, It took 22 hours to get down there, (thank you 3 1/2 hours of stand still in 2 different spots/ Tennessee) no problems with the car. NOT EVEN A FLICKER!! I averaged 28.3 MPG on the way down. The good mileage could be from all the drafting on the interstate. On the way back 18 1/2 hours, I thought I was home free, when I got 20 miles south of Louisville KY. I got into the WORST HAIL STORM OF MY LIFE!!! The hail was coming down the size of golf balls, it was pounding SO HARD I could feel the roof and windows vibrate. It shut down the Interstate! When I got home I looked at the car to see how bad the damage was. I have some serious hail damage. My car now looks like a golf ball. I don't know what the Auto body guys can do. It is all over the car! Has anybody ever had this happen to then? If so did you get the car fixed? Is it worth turning this over to my Insurance company. I was upset about this....untill I started to see some new cars, that did not even have plates on them....getting damaged! In all, I am glad to be home (alive) and could not ask anything else from this car! I got good gas mileage, and nothing went WRONG
Comments
Right now they have 0.9% lease/ finance for 48/60 months. Cash back is about C$4000 I believe as they are advertising GX cash price of C$23,998. Great deals. Local dealer has 5 on the lot as of Sunday.
If anyone knows any regal or grand prix owners out there that would be interested in a slightly used next level sway, please let me know. I have enjoyed it even with the creaking. You wouldn't believe how I've been able to go around corners with it, the stbs and my new potenza re930s. Like a sports car. I know because of my experience none of us Intrigue owners will want it. But I'd still recommend the stbs and the rear sway. I think the factory front sway is probably pretty good anyway.
You should be able to sell it pretty easy on the gp-owners.com forum.
To vcjumper and others who have tried the no-drill front STB's advertised at http://members.aol.com/wizbang250/STB_Bracket_Build.htm. Are your cars equipped with the 3.8? I'm curious to know if the front brace will fit my '99 GX which has a stock 3.8.
Also where can I get a good rear sway bar?
Thanks.
You probably won't have a problem with clearance with the 3800 engine. From what I'm recalling, the big problem with the 3.5 comes because the coolant tank is bolted onto the strut tower. The 3.8 is up front next to the radiator. So you'll probably be fine.
For the swaybar, try GrandPrix Store.com: http://www.grandprixstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GPS&Product_Code=411&Category_Code=005. If I remember correctly, someone here put on sway bars and didn't notice a big difference. I believe the Intrigue's bars are the thickest you'll find for W bodies. Anyone with more detail please correct me on this if I'm wrong.
From personal experience, I think you'll find more impressive performance increases by spending less money and getting the front and rear strut tower braces.
I installed the 33-2063 Sunday in my wife's 99 Intrigue w/ 3.8. Great fit. I haven't had a chance to take it out for a spin yet. Good deal at under $30 on sale at Farm & Fleet this week.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect
It doesn't look like GM is making any serious effort to fix this on a car line that will expire in a few months.
I did just have the "GL" emblem on one fender replaced as the black paint peeled off it.
I can confirm that the 33-2086 works fine. I've had it for almost six months now and car is fine. I found what would fit using the dimensions from a fram filter and finding something within milimeters. Car has more horsepower and seems to be livelier at lower rpms.
Isn't it like 1 13/16" thick?
I can't see how any aftermarket bar could do any better, unless it was solid.
THe intrigue's springs are too soft and should be stiffer. I would go that route before i went with a bigger bar.
I think all of the wbodies have too soft springs.
This is evident in the intrigue by the way the front rises up like a boat under acceleration.
Front Springs
Prod# Code Service#
22133031 FKN 22133030 Highest Rate
22133030 FKJ 22133030
22133029 FJT 22133030
22133028 FJS 22133028
22133027 FJR 22133028 Lowest Rate
Rear Springs
Prod# Code Service#
10258880 TDJ 10258880 Highest Rate
10258879 TDH 10258879
10276574 TFY 10276574
10276573 TFW 10276573 Lowest Rate
Here is a discussion on the subject, including how to find which setup your car sports.
W-body springs
The aftermarket sway on the front is about 5 milimeters bigger and is solid. Apparently it's too solid. I will miss having it but can no longer stand the sound going over (mostly speed bumps). (It sounds like the engine is going to fall out). I'm keeping the rear one which is where I noticed the most roll anyway.
If you could take the time, I'd appreciate any input as to preferred dealers and/or private sellers in the area who might have a good deal on a second-hand Intrigue, '98 or later model.
I noticed your posting about the current good deals on new models (#6359), but 'no can do' at the moment.
It has the startup dates for the 2003 oldsmobiles but it does not have an order date. It says "To be determined".
http://www.donlen.com/Whats_New/new.html
2002 could be the end of the line for oldsmobile.
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bz4 : Intrigue and 3.5L Aurora are the only Olds cars dying this year. All the others are back for sure. I have a friend that works at GM Canada head office.
As luck would have it just as I am getting psyched to begin making some mods to my clean '99 GX with 54K Mi, there's a squealing/grinding noise that seems to come from the front passenger wheel when I turn right. It happens at all speeds and only when the car is moving (if I crank the steering wheel right while at a standstill the car does not make the noise) which leads me to believe that it's not the steering rack. Likewise, the noise does not happen when traveling or braking with the steering wheel pointed straight ahead or to the left. Has anyone else had this problem? I'd like to know the root cause of the problem before heading to my mechanic. Thanks.
I know I will regret to pass a great deal on a 2003 Infiniti G35 w/leather+sunroof ($28000). Anyway, here's the deal on my 2002 Ivory White GL with Premium leather package and Sun&Sound package(MSRP$27257) plus window etching:
$24789 - $500 dealer cash - $1500 loyalty certificate - $2002 incentive - $750 lease termination rebate + 6%*24289 tax + Title fee + Documentation fee
I opted to keep the 5 year warranty instead of another $1000 off. Everything included for less than $21800. So far I like the car, love the bose sound, appreciate the heated seats and plan to live with it for at least several years.
You paid exactly what i paid for my '99 GX. My MSRP was $23,000 and i paid $21,800.
Your MSRP is over $4000 more but the out the door price is the same.
What a pity that this model has no future. Combined with silky engine, smooth transmission, beatiful styling inside & out and great usable space, it's still the best family sedan GM has to offer IMHO. I am not impressed by the impala at all other than its crash test result. Why Buick Regal? Why not Buick Intrigue?
Thank you all for your warm greetings.
Right now up here they have C$4200 cash rebate and combined with C$2000 Olds loyalty and $1200 GM dollars I could get a sweet deal.
The impala has more room but not the engine of handling.
I have a '98 Intirgue with 68,000 miles and I love the car. Lately, though, there has been excessive road "feel" coming thorugh the steering wheel, and through the brake pedal. It makes a "clunking" noise and you can feel every bump in the rodd through the steering wheel. I can also feel the brake pedal through thewheel when I apply it.
I took it to Firestone, and to my surprise, they said the brakes were fine, and they did not see any front end problems, and didn't even try to sell me anything, though they did say it could probably use struts at almost 70,000 miles.
Before I go to another mechanic, does anyone know if this is a common problem, or what I can tell them to look for? I don't know a lot about cars and don't want to get ripped off! Thanks so much.
But it is more likely the ISS. Your olds dealer will know what to do.
Have been reading about the uncomfortable seats in the Maximas. I think our seats are comfy but wish the side bolsters were a little stronger to hold me in place around corners.
The intrigue's springs are fairly soft to start with.
Thanks again!
My steering wheel is loose. I thought I could avoid making another trip to the dealer, who by the way made the creaks and rattles worse when they took off part of the dash and the door panels. It's a rackety creaky trap now. How I wish I could get into something else. I really think quality must've improved after 2000.
This definitely sounds like either the intermediate steering shaft or the rack, or both. I put a post about this the other day on the problems board, but I don’t think it has many readers. After I ran into this problem, I read about 500 earlier messages on this board and found out that both the rack and the intermediate shaft on 98s and early 99s apparently had some manufacturing defects. I came across several dozen posts referring to theirs being changed. I had the same clunking and knocking you mention. I took the car in last week, just before end of warranty. They replaced the rack and lubricated the ISS. For now, the fix has completely worked. Steering with the new rack is more sensitive than before, and the knock is gone. I asked why they didn’t change the ISS, and they said GM is currently recommending lubricating it first, to see if that will stop the play. This lubrication requires a special GM hypodermic of some kind that can reach the shaft. When I expressed concern that grease would only be a temporary fix, they said if the problem came back they “might” replace the shaft (warranty on the repair is one year). I don't trust the lubrication. In my experience, you can often quiet a worn bearing by greasing it, but it is no long-term fix.
One post I saw estimated the cost of a rack replacement at $1500 and an ISS at $300. The ISS is really buried and hard to reach. You can hardly see it from under the car. It looks to me like the rack and some other stuff has to come out just to get to it.
My guess is that there is a lot of labor needed to replace it, and it might be best to have it done by a dealer has done it before. Kind of like going to a brain surgeon who has a few under his belt. The problem was ruining my enjoyment of the car, I didn’t realize how much until it was fixed. It is the only complaint I have about the car.
Let us know what you find out.
jg28, Our friend 9899olds mentioned the gp struts.
They may help a little. I definitely wouldn't go Buick. A major step backwards. I doubt if they would provide proper wheel control and you may see abnormal wear on your tires.
Sounds like your intrigue is creaking away. Mine drove me crazy. The console was the worst offender with the A pillar creaks a close second. Every time i turned the wheel the A pillar would creak. AARGH!
The last 6 months of my intrigue ownership was spent with the stereo cranked.
People on this board say their intrigues don't creak. I don't believe them, or they only drive on roads as smooth as a billiard table.
This is my take on the intrigue suspension:
Soft springs. Huge swaybar. Stiff struts.
The intrigue does have some bodyroll(soft springs). Turn in is quick(big swaybar).
Small bumps are harsh(stiff struts).
Did you every notice how small dips and bumps are harsh, but big bumps and holes are incredibly smooth? The soft springs are helping with the big bumps.
Notice how the front risies up like a boat under hard acceleration and the front wheels spin?
Weight transfer is to blame here. Soft rear springs allow the rear to drop down.
The big front swaybar makes the front suspension less independent. Transfer more road impacts.
I would prefer slightly stiffer springs and softer
struts.
A while back I researched part numbers for springs. I found that there are 3 spring rates to choose from for front and 9 for rear. I don't have the numbers anymore so I will have to get them again. Parts guy at the dealer can get the printout.
Anyway, I compared my numbers to the printout (your springs have tags on them, look in side the wheel-well with a flashlight). According to the numbers, my fronts are medium and rears are like 3rd from the softest. My struts are FE1 according code in the trunk. This is apparently the "soft-ride suspension" (yeah right!)
Give parts guy your VIN# and he will also tell you what you have. I looked closely at the springs on new Intrigues on the lot vs. mine and could see no difference in design. Codes in the trunk were also the same regarding suspension.
If memory serves, there are a few variations of stock stuts for Intrigue but I was unable to determine which variation went in which year and model. All years were pretty much the same except a couple of years 00 and 02 didn't have one of them listed and 01 had something else in addition. It made little sense. GM will not provide this info and you cannot reach anybody that knows. Regal has same springs and struts but I think the huge front swaybar on Intrigue and maybe some other differences make it ride like a tractor.
Springs are $60 each from dealer and cheaper on-line but the problem is that you don't know how the ride will be effected til the work is done. New struts is about a $700 job. I finally said "screw-it" and did dual STBs. When the time comes, I will get quieter/softer tires and throw on some monroe sensatracs. If that doesn't improve the ride further, it really is a John Deere.
It was posted for the second time sometime last summer.
W-Body Parts