Oldsmobile Intrigue

dindak

Even our base Alero has auto door locks. Strange the Max would not.

dindak

04 GP site is up now. Looking at the pictures, I think the interior looks pretty decent. My only beef with the GP is the traditional 3.8L which I think I could live with as it's the only ohv engine worth looking at.

http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/grandprix/main.jsp

b4z

Noticed that the Comp Group cars offer the 3.29 gear ratio.

johnpasinski

I have a '99 GLS (manufactured in 7/99). I bought it new and have been extremely pleased with it - absolutely no problems at all for more than 3 years.

Recently, the car has stalled when I let up on the accelerator when coasting to a stop. Also, I have noticed that the engine sometimes hesitates (then lurches forward) upon rapid acceleration.

I have tried several approaches in an attempt to solve this problem including: a) changing gasolines (I live in MN - I believe that they add ethanol to the gas in the winter season), b) adding fuel injector cleaner to the gasoline, c) taking it out on the freeway and driving at relatively high speed to "blow out any carbon" - I use the car mainly in a suburban area (much stop and go). These approaches have been unsuccessful.

Have any of you Intrigue owners experienced the same symptoms? Can anyone suggest a possible solution?

I have lurked on this thread for many years and enjoyed all of your input. I know that many of you are "regulars" on this thread. Like many, I really regret the demise of Oldsmobile - the Intrigue has been a wonderful car for me and I look forward to many more years of driving pleasure ... currently have only 35,000 mile on the odometer.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

moonshadow

Although you only have 35000 miles/56000kms you may want to consider on a long shot the cost of a fuel filter. Those symptoms of yours 'could' be this. rough idling/stalling and rough starting off, but good once your going.

Of coarse there are a few/many? other possibilities. Although it does at first read, sound like a fuel problem. I tell those that ask, to try and have had good results with "wynns hotshot" fuel injector cleaner. Has cleaned up several cars that other cleaners have had no effect. Typically those cheapy fuel cleaners are already in the gas to start with.

Some others around here have had problems with the fuel regulators. If you know of someone with a fuel pressure tester?

A flaky injector that is not plugged perhaps. Maybe have a look at the plugs and wires at the injectors.

Also the idle control solenoid may cause the stalling and or carbon build up around the throttle body butterfly valve. Naturally the air filter should not be plugged.

A lot of maybes but some quick,simple and easy things to check.

99 with 35000. Sounds like you are just out of your warranty time.

redline65

crankshaft sensor

Just about everyone on this board with the 3.5L engine has had theirs replaced for exactly the same problem.

dindak

They have? News to me.

vcjumper

Mine was replaced but it was for starting problems (excellent QC/tolerance on that part!!). I thought many here have had it changed for that reason.

That was a silly problem to have and scared/made laugh people I had in the car even more away from GM ofcourse. I still remember running to the car in a rain storm at 2am with four friends, getting in and it not starting for 5 minutes when it only had 40,000km on it.

redline65

Well, everyone but you. ;-)

Let me know when you guys want to go in on a case of crankshaft sensors...

b4z

Sounds like dirty fuel injectors or fuel filter.

dindak

I had seen a couple of people mention it, I didn't realize it was a common problem. Like I said, news to me.

My warranty is up in about 2 months. Things I will have looked at before are :

1. Alternator - to fix the cold weather light flicker
2. I will get them to check the intermediate shaft even though the clicking seems to have corrected itself.
3. A possible rust bubble in the passenger door (could be nothing though).

Any thing else people would recommend I have looked at.

redline65

The hesitation during acceleration was what I was experiencing. One time I pulled out into traffic and it hesitated and I almost got hit. A few other times I was accelerating to get on the interstate and the car hesitated and lost power. A few days later my service engine soon light came on so I took it to the dealer and they replaced the crankshaft sensor. Haven't had the problem since.

The rough starting problem is still a mystery to me. I know quite a few people have experienced it, the engine cranks hard a few times and doesn't start. Then you have to try it a second time before it starts. It seems to do it mostly when the engine is warm. I found out the key is to just hold the key in the start position until it starts, even if it takes a few seconds.

johnpasinski

Many thanks to all of you who responded to my engine stalling problem described in #8702.

I checked my maintenance records: the fuel filter was changed only once at 14k miles (now at 35k) about 2 years ago. So, I may need to change it again. I recently added Gumout Concentrated Fuel Injector Cleaner to the gas. If that doesn't work, I will try the other suggested brand. Also, I will investigate the crankshaft sensor.
The engine service light does not appear and I have not encountered
any rough starts. Air filter was changed just recently.

My "gut feel" is that it is a fuel system problem. I noticed an improvement after a good run on the freeway. Maybe, I just need to drive it more ... which I love to do anyway!!!

It is an intermittent problem which does not occur daily. When stalling does occur, it usually happens near the time that the engine reaches normal operating temperature. However, I remain concerned because it only takes one badly timed stall in the wrong situation to cause a crash.

You are right, Moonshadow. The warranty expired about 3 months ago.

I still remain very impressed with the car and will do whatever is needed to solve this problem. Thanks again for your thoughtful help.

vcjumper

I had the stalling when traction control came on problem.. Pretty dangerous, it fixed when the crankshaft sensor was replaced because of the poor starting problem (sometimes I turned the key and it didn't try to turn over).

vcjumper

Anyone see the 04 Maxima pics.. Too bad, won't be looking at that for my next car! Eech! Side may look like the slightly homely Ion sedan, front looks like something that makes me want to pray to the porcelain god.

Maybe the back looks good this time around! hehe

redline65

I remember when the current style Maxima came out and everyone hated the rear end. Now I think everyone is used to it and it's tolerable. I'm sure the next-gen Maxima will be the same way. Now the Murano, on the other hand, may take quite some time to get used to...

vcjumper

Seen some on the road. I was surprised, I like it. Interior is really nice too.

Link to the front end of the Max for those who haven't seen it yet..
04 Maxima

TSchramm

Maybe it's just the angle of the shot, but 2 initial impressions

1) An Accord that ate a lemon, or
2) An accord that had a head-on with a Dodge Ram pickup.

Looks like Nissan is making sure that they carry a strong reesmblence to the other top selling japanese appliances wiht the bulging headlights- the Camry and Accord.

evandro

At first, I had kind of liked its side styling, but, boy, is its front styling ridiculous or what? Especially with that European Nissan grille, not to mention the ridiculous headlights.

The bad side of this story is that the stupid American media will praise its "audacious" (metaphorically meaning ugly) styling and it'll sell like hot cakes in both the Eastern and Western coasts.

Shame...

oldsman01

I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year's, I've been busy and hadn't had a chance to post lately. To update everyone on my car, it is STILL in the shop where it has been since Christmas Eve AM. Service advisor called me Thursday and said they were still waiting on the part. Mind you, the part is the power steering pressure line. So while I'm making payments on a nicely equipped Intrigue GLS, I'm driving in a four banger Alero thats a bright shade of blue And my car is in for mechanical problems, not being repaired from an accident or something I caused. Also, keep in my my tranmission problem hasn't been corrected either so there will be yet another trip to the dealer once the power steering leak is fixed. So God only knows how long they will have the car when/if they do tranmission work. As you may recall from last summer, the tranmission was rebuilt by a different dealer and I was without the car for 15 days. So now I'm using a different dealer(another Olds) service department and it's nearing two weeks just for a power steering pressure line. Granted it may be beyond their control if they part is really unavailable and that really causes me concern down the road. If such a part is not readily availble on a car that just went out of production six months ago, whats going to happen in 3 years? I'm in the process of writing GM a letter to lodge a formal complaint and get a file opened on this car. At this point, I really wish they would just buy the car back as resale on it is a joke. And sell it outright? I certainly wouldn't sell this car to anyone I know. Basically the problem here is two-fold. First off, my car has had some problems which a car so new really should not have. Making matters worse is a dealer service network that is ridiculously slow and can't seem to get problems fixed the first time(the blame here can be sharedby the actual dealer as well as GM's network of getting parts). I really like my car, but I'm ready to part with it. If I get the car back Monday(here's hoping) then in the past 12 months I've been without my car for 34 days. Looking back to when I bought this car, I think I should have just settled for the cheaper looking interior and gone with the Pontiac Grand Prix GTP that I also shopped. I wish I could have traded places with JG28 and let mine be the one totalled in an accident as I feel this or it being stolen would be the only way I could get rid of the car without taking a loss. To nearly everyone else who hasn't had the problems I've had with my car, cnsider yourself lucky and pray your car doesn't have them as getting parts for these cars already seems to be a problem. Sorry for the long post, I'm just burned out over this whole thing.

vcjumper

Its a tough position your in, I can see why you need to vent. Unfortunately with resale values the way they are, it is tough to get out of these vehicles early in their life without ending up upside down.

I've been one of the lucky ones with my Intrigue, not sure if I'll gamble on my next car (as far as purchasing one with poor resale).

b4z

Been there done that. We have had very few owners on this thread who have not encountered problems.
I don't know about you, but if there is a known problem with a car and I purchase that car I WILL have that problem too. That is just my luck.

I did not find out about Townhall until several months after buying my Intrigue in '99. of course I used edmund's to price it I just didn't know what Townhall was.

My Intrigue had basically every single problem that was experienced by other owners.
Rough start, warped brakes, sticking doors, rear window motor etc.

So far my Impala has had the problems that others have exoperienced just to a lesser degree.
Thankfully the Impala seems to have fewer probs than the Intrigue so I have only made 2 trips to the dealer for repairs and am about to make my third before the warranty runs out.

I am actively pursuing the purchase of another Impala and will take a hit on the sale. I am figuring the best i can do on the Imp is 14.9K with 13.9 a real possibility. I owe 16K and change.

I can buy a new '03 with a $27,235 MSRP for 22K and change. That is with XM radio etc. everything basically except sunroof.

I have looked at the '04 GP but feel that the incentives will be few and far between until later in the year.

Anyway I got no satisfaction from my Olds dealer I hope you do.

Good Luck.

vcjumper

I want this to replace my Intrigue! Too bad the 04 GP is not closer to this than the same old Wbody. Oh well

Pontiac G6 Concept

beach15

I just watched a full review of the 2004 Grand Prix on PBS’s Motorweek. I wasn’t aware of this car being reviewed anywhere else yet, but the car they tested was a fully loaded silver GTP Competition with charcoal leather. Up until now, I haven’t really had much of a liking to the new 2004 GP from what I’ve seen in pictures on the net and in magazines, but seeing it in motion and on video in the real world, I very much like it now. After showing basic exterior views from different angles, the next thing they did was make a point of putting the camera down in from of one side of the new dual exhausts on the GTP and letting you hear the car at start-up and then as it was lightly revved. The car seemed to have a nice growl and sounded very sporty, though not loud by any means and clearly not very aggressive. They proceeded to show views of the car climbing hills and making sharp turns at speed and I was even more impressed with the look of the car in motion.

From there, they went on to explore the new, much improved interior with great versatility, saying it may now be possible to buy a very sporty sedan but still have the ability and flexibility to haul and carry large or long items, with the fold flat split back seats and new feature that allows the back of the front passenger’s seat to lay flat too, much like a PT Cruiser. That, and then they showed just how much room it had by being able to carry a long, rolled up area rug in the car with the seats folded and still be able to close the trunk. In addition, they opened one of the back doors to show how they now open at a nearly 90-degree angle and loaded a big box in that way and onto the backseat easily. The new TAP Shift was also shown, and I think it’s very cool, much like that in certain Lexus, BMW’s, and Ferrari’s. Simply pull the shift lever back to the last position, and then lightly tap the paddle on the right side of the steering wheel to shift up or down. Information about the system’s programming in relation to the way the transmission shifts was also given.

Overall, a very nice car and I can see it doing very well as a replacement for the current model. It also seems to be more of an import fighter, and the reviewer even said how it offers a much more unique and sporty, performance-oriented experience than the Accord or Camry specifically, and it appears to take on certain aspects that the Intrigue used to fill in this regard, and is a great combination of both the Olds and the Pontiac.

I know this is the Intrigue board, but I also posted this on the GP board, and the cars are very closely related. That, and there's a good interest in the car over here too.

oldsman01- I really feel for you. Especially the fact that you have to drive around in a 4-banger Alero in the meantime. Not that it's horrible, as it's certainly better than a Cavalier, but it is not near an Intrigue. I just hope something miraculous happens and you are able to be rid of the car ASAP, and your next ride is flawless! I can tell you from experience, it's quite strange going from a beautiful car that's in the shop every other week to something new that's never had a single problem, a la our old 300M to the new Avalanche, but a very nice thing to happen. I'll say a prayer for you and that weird car tonight!

jg28

oldsman01, that's really ridiculous to want to trade places with me! I hope what you were saying is hyperbole but I'm sure if you think about it, you wouldn't want to be hit head on by someone going 65mph!

I, too, am disappointed with the Maxima but I like the headlights a lot. The only problem I have is the grille. I've seen a doctored photo with the silver tooth out of the grille and it looks much better. People compare the Ion to the Maxima just because the top of the rear doors are configured the same way and that's about it. A picture of the rear is available at www.nissandriven.com an odd look for sure but thankfully they've deleted the clear taillights.

Say what you will about Nissan styling but they're willing to take a chance at least. That G6 concept should have been the next GrandPrix but GM isn't willing to be that bold.

b4z

WOW! Is that a replacement for the Bonneville?

redline65

That near 90 degree door opening angle sounds like it might be a problem. I sense more door dings in my future...

vcjumper

I dunno but it look similar to the Chevy SS concept.

beach15

Here's a link to tons of pics of cars unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show:

http://www.autonews.com/files/2003_detroit/03detroitshowart/

Check out the weird new Malibu, the new Traverse, the Caddy's, the S10 replacements and more!

dindak

I like the new Equinox a lot. That might just well be our next vehicle. 04 Malibu looks good also, nice interior. Not crazy about the new Max, like the current looks better.

I want to see that GP review. Like the what I have seen / heard so far.

b4z

If your newspaer offers "Parade" magazine there is a pic of a dark blue '04 Grand Prix. The car defintely looks even better in dark colors.

Intrigue!

oldsman01

Having problems with a car is one thing, but having it take 2+ weeks and/or multiple trips to the dealer is unacceptable. It took me three visits to two different dealers before the alternator was replaced due to the headlamp flicker. I've had it in for service due to transmission problems three times and still having the problem(despite a complete rebuild on the second visit). And now, it has taken two weeks just to replace the power steering pressure line. I could accept that the car had some problems were they resolved in a timely manner and corrected the first time, but this game of take my car in and not see it for two weeks is getting old. Funny thing is, other than the flicker, I haven't had the problems most here have. My steering intermediate shaft hasn't had to be replaced, my brake rotors are fine, and my doors do not stick. My problems seem rare(but more major) than most here have had.

jg28, I was being a bit satirical there as I don't wish an accident on anyone, self included. I'm just at the point that I don't think I would shed a tear if I saw mine totalled in an accident.

beach15, I'll even accept a car that might have a problem here and there, I JUST WANT A SERVICE DEPARTMENT/NETWORK THAT CAN FIX THE CAR RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AND NOT TAKE AN ETERNITY!!

vcjumper, I knew resale on these cars wasn't that good when I bought it. This was part of the reason for the heavy discounts. And while I haven't actually had a dealer quote me a trade in price, most of the major pricing guides are giving me the 12-13K range for trade in values. I could attempt to sell the car myself and play up it's virtues and the fact that it is a one owner and meticulously maintained, but whats going to happen to that potential buyer when he/she asks to see the service history on the car.

oldsman01

I looked at some pics of the 04 GP on Pontiac's website and I do belive that some of what would have been the 03 Intrigue has gone into the new GP. The interior seemed to have a better grade carpet and materials than the current GP does as it looked alot more upscale. The exterior was alot more cleaner as well, although something about the rear looks a bit odd in pictures. Feature wise, the car offers alot, but still lacks automtic climate control. The funny thing is, the GP had this feature several years ago. I also noticed that base models will have standard bolt on wheel covers and no ABS(it is an option). Again, one of the things that I liked about the Intrigue was that ALL of them had alloy wheels and ABS as well as many other features. Unlike so many other cars in it's class(including the new Mazda 6, the maxima, and even the Passat) you never saw an Intrigue with plastic bolt-on wheel covers and never heard a four banger wheezing under it's hood.

Now a future Pontiac worth a look will be the updated 04 Bonneville. Edmunds has a couple of pics(go to new car pricing for the Bonneville and click on 2004 future vehicle) and it looks fabulous! Improves on the current car in every way. And the top line model is going to have a 4.4 liter DOHC V8! Whether this is a larger version of the Aurora's 4.0 liter V8 or a totally different engine is unknown, but if they keep the price in line with the current high end Bonneville(which has to be discounted to sell) and Pontiac spiffs up the interior a bit(haven't seen any inside pics of the 04) they will bring some new life into Bonneville sales. And no one will probably miss the Aurora once it's gone.

dindak

I like the Aurora a lot. Mite have bought one as an upgrade in a few years.

redline65

Yeah, if we didn't buy the Envoy XL we might have gone with an Aurora 4.0. But the wife wanted an SUV instead of a car. I still love the Aurora, maybe in a few years when it's time to get rid of the Intrigue I can pick up a used one for peanuts.

oldsman01

The Aurora is a very nice car and seems to be built better than the Intrigue. I test drove a 3.5 when I bought my Intrigue, but didn't really see the justification in spending a couple thousand more. I'm wondering now if I should have. Whats really funny is that I visit the Aurora thread sometimes and I haven't seen any complaints about flickering headlights in there. I would think that 3.5 models would use the same alternator our Intrigues do. Anyway, what I meant about not missing the Aurora was that if Pontiac warms the interior of the 04 Bonnie up a bit, they will basically have an Aurora as the exterior of the 04 Bonneville is very classy looking indeed. I would almost consider an Aurora if I could get a dirt cheap deal, but the parts issue does concern me. I know by law parts will have to be available, but as I'm discovering with the Intrigue, available doesn't have to mean readily available. Anyway, here's hoping I'll get my car back tomorrow.

b4z

Took the Intrigue in approx. 12 times in the 27 months I owned.
7+ times for rough start/non start. Dealer replaced
battery, fuel pressure regulator, key, etc.
Refused to replace the crankshaft sensors because there was no trouble code.
Banging suspension, mutliple replacements of various parts, ISS, etc.
rear tailight fogged. Delaer replaced with cracked one. etc.
I could go on and on, but my blood pressure is going up just typing this.

white6

Maybe that's the ticket for Intrigue people! Perhaps the Aurora 3.5 has a higher-capacity alternator since that car is more upscale and luxury oriented (more power features, etc.). Next time my Intrigue alternator goes (and I know it will), I might check out an Aurora part number to see if it's different. The alternator in my Intrigue has a lifetime warranty, though, so I might be stuck with that part number.
Oldsman01... You have discovered my reason for NOT buying extended warranties... dealer service, by and large, is pathetic. At least if I'm paying the repair bill, I can take the car to whomever I want, or even repair it myself. My 99 GL has just turned 75,000 miles and the extended warranty (at a cost of $900) would now be expired. My total out-of-warranty expenses have been $235 for crank sensor replacement (now I know it's an easy $50 fix!) and $225 for alternator (with lifetime warranty) for a total of $460. That means I came out $440 ahead by not buying the extended warranty AND I didn't have to waste my time and sanity dealing with the Olds service people over this last alternator. Yes, I had to replace it myself, and I know I am fortunate to have the ability to do that and that not all folks do. All I know is that I'll NEVER visit the Olds dealer service again. If I need something fixed, I'll take it to an independent and not mess with the dealer service "wunderkind."

evandro

The word is that it's the Grand Am replacement...

moonshadow

Was just under the hood of my 2001 intrigue and I noticed something missing that other GM's have.

Two things really .

1. the rubber seal that run across the front of the hood just behind the latch that forms a somewhat blockage to crud,sand and silt from flowing over into the engine compartment. Does any body else not have this seal?

2. There is normally black plastic shields that cover the headlight assemblys just under where the hood closes. Normally, I have to lift up or remove these on other gm's to get at the bulbs. Same question, is this normal for other intrigues?

I appreciate any feed back.

Also, while i'am at it . Da wife complains that the horn is way to hard to activate. A couple of times while being cut off she said she push hard in several places and could not get it to go off. Of coarse she was trying to avoid buddy coming through the intersection at the same time.

However , I myself have noticed that i have to give it a good whack/thump in the right place. If I want to give a buddy walking on the street a quick toot, it normally comes out as a blast.

Any way , does anyone else find the above condition with the horn realtive to other cars. I would love to hear any feedback on this as i was thinking of mentioning it when i go back in for another altenator and at this point want to pick my battles carefully and would like to know if this "is normal".

Thanks again

jr45

My '01 GL just went in the shop to have the battery replaced and the coolant overflow tank replaced (it had a slight leak.)I've had the car 22 months and it just rolled over to 35k mis., so it's a little strange the battery would be shot. All covered under warranty and no charge, however. I hope there is not some electrical problem that caused the battery to fail -- guess I'll have to wait and see. First time in the shop for any repair, so I'm pretty happy.

The only other issue is an occasional burning odor in the passenger compartment when the car is stationary with the heat on. The ticket says "could not duplicate" and the service write-up guy said they checked and couldn't find anything leaking. There is no smell coming from under the hood and I have gotten underneath myself and can't couldn't smell anything. Maybe something is burning on the cat. converter??

If anyone has had this smell, please post. It's a definite burning smell, but I can't say for sure it's oil. Could be rubber, plastic or something else.

JR

mfletouva

I have to say that I feel better about buying the Intrigue after seeing the new Malibu. The interior does look great, but the exterior is Camry-esque in terms of size (too tall), the rear pillars look exactly like the current car which doesn't work in this model. The thing that gets me though is that awful Chevy Truck bar across the grill--it really takes away any sort of sleekness that it has. It just doesn't work in a car. Of course, my opinion could change when I actually see it, but I was hoping for something a little more angular and stylish rather than bloated and truck-like...

As for the Maxima, YUCK. Why anyone would be one of those things over an Altima is beyond me. The rear end is flat out hideous and they even managed to ruin the front--I really think that the car is going to hurt sales wise because there is not enough differentiation with the Altima.

Redline, I'm just curious--why did you buy an Envoy XL over a Tahoe? They are about the same price, but the Tahoe has more overall room even though the Envoy XL is longer. I always wondered what the point of 2 similar SUVs was--Car and Driver wondered the same thing.

On a positive note, I really like the look of the new Bonneville--you guys are right, it looks a lot like an Aurora. Lets just hope they don't ruin the interior!

jg28

Perhaps the Aurora does have a different alternator but it also could be that there are probably one hundred thousand fewer (and probably more) Auroras than Intrigues. Remember, it didn't even get a whole year before the death announcement. I'd be surprised if there were 100,000 next gen Auroras on the road today.

I couldn't agree more about the horn. It was VERY hard to activate. I never really noticed it much until I got my Maxima which is, in comparison, very much easier to activate.

Everyone out east needs to channel their thoughts and send us some snow. We've had practically ZERO snowfall this year (the year I decide to buy snow tires no less)!

Anyone seen the Cadillac concept Sixteen? 1000 Horsepower? Seems the big news at the auto show is Luxury and Big Earth Destroyer type vehicles. Isn't it ironic that in a year where many car companies are suffering, BMW and other luxury brands posted huge gains.

oldsman01

I now have my car back! Dealer called this afternoon and said it was ready. Picked it up this evening after work and drove it home. First thing, I just about got killed pulling out of the dealer because traffic was heavy and I pulled out and accelerated hard as one with an Intrigue would normally do without thinking twice. Ah, but after driving an Alero with a tranmission that doesn't slip for two weeks, I forgot my Intrigue has this problem and with the car sitting out in the cold for several hours the engine revved, but there was little forward movement. Out of instict and fear of being rear ended by traffic I accelerated harder and the tranmission finally engaged fully with a hard slam. Too bad one of the service advisors was not with me when I did this. Remember, the 13 days was just to fix the power steering fluid leak. I'm going to have to take it back for this transmission problem. Wonder how long they will keep it then? Anyway, once under way it felt good to be back in my car. The heated seats sure felt good on this cold winter night and the Bose sound system sounded so much better than the tin can with a string speaker set up in the base Alero. One thing I noticed though when parking was the pump whines when doing sharp manuevers. Not as bad as the night it had leaked all of it's fluid out, but louder than what it usually heard when turning the wheel sharply at slow speeds. Also, when cornering there is a noticeable whine that varies with engine speed. I'm going to check the P/S fluid level tomorrow and see if it is full but I have a feeling the P/S pump probably needs to be replaced. So the reunion with my car is somewhat bittersweet. On a positive note, despite seat heater on and heat on high, there was no headlight flicker:)

oldsman01

The horn on the Olds does take a pretty hard slam to activate. BTW, does your Maxima have that generic "Toyota" sounding horn or has Nissan gone to using a more US sounding horn?

sunsession

I also am a bit annoyed at the pressure required to activate the horn. I'm afraid if I punch it too hard the airbag will activate. I was thinking of going to an auto electrical service place to have a horn button mounted on the steering wheel, in the opposite position of the cruise control buttons; a button that would be thumb activated, rather than fist. I believe this can be done.

dindak

Two things.. there is NO reason it should take 13 days to fix a car. Your dealer sounds like it's either swamped or incompetent.

Second, there is little doubt to me that you have a lemon as your car is working in the complete opposite manor to mine. A lady in our office had similar regular problems with her 626 and she just sold it Friday. I think you might want to do the same.

b4z

It doesn't matter if you car is stone cold, the tranny should not slip at all.
Sounds like slipping clutches to me or a fluid prob.
have they replaced all the clutch packs?
They really should give you a new trans.

buzzard4

I remember that when the salesman showed us the Intrigue, he made a point about the design of the power steering system, that it had some sort of extra return line that was supposed to avoid the noise and strain on the pump when the wheels are turned all the way to the stop. I'm wondering if the replacement part you got doesn't meet original specs.

The horn on my '99 is also very difficult to activate. The horn on my '97 Blazer is the same way. I've come to replace the short blasts with appropriate hand gestures, and save the horn for serious situations. When I test drove an '02 Maxima, my wife commented on how wimpy the horn sounded compared to the Intrigue.

redline65

jr45 - I've had to replace my battery twice since 1999. I don't think GM (or Delco) make very good batteries. You might want to try a Die Hard battery when they quit replacing it under warranty.

mletouva - A better comparison might be the Envoy XL vs. the Yukon, as the Chevy Tahoe isn't quite as nice. There are a few reasons - my wife felt the Yukon was too much of a big truck for her. She didn't really care too much for the styling. Also, I think the third row has less leg room in the Yukon, even though we will probably never have anyone back there this was important to her. A fully-loaded Envoy XL is also a bit cheaper than a fully-loaded Yukon (she loves options). Fuel economy is worse with a Yukon. And finally, she fell in love with magnetic red metallic (not available on the Yukon). There is no convincing a woman who is in love with a color. Funny, the sales guy said a lot of Yukon owners are downsizing to the Envoy XL.