Oldsmobile Intrigue

focus

not working. it's been extremely cold here (-15 to -20 c), heat is not coming out doesn't matter what temperature i set it to. any ideas.

vcjumper

Does the air conditioning portion of the ACC work?

rabeet

I would not recommend a 98 (or any year) Intrigue. We have owned one since early 1998. It currently has a bit over 50K miles. Here are the problems we have had with it:

- front brake rotors warped immediately. Replaced twice. Had to give up on the "autoban" rotors.

- front seat cover replaced.

- dashboard replaced. Yes, the entire dashboard.

- steering problems caused the replacement of the rack and pinion twice.

- AC/heater fan replaced.

- water pump replaced.

- alternator replaced.

- ignition switch (in the dash) replaced.

- stereo antenna replaced.

- passenger grab handle replaced.

- engine speed sensor replaced.

- oil leak problem fixed.

- door window switchs intermitten. Never really fixed.

- door seals sticking to the windows. Never fixed.

- headlight pod hazy within a few months. Their choice of driving light bulb and placement caused this problem. Changed in later model years.

And that is just off the top of my head. I have owned a dozen vehicles and have never had anything approaching this number of problems.

TSchramm

I, too have a 98 Intrigue with 75K miles. Two trips to the dealer - one to fix the ISS, and one to replace brake pads. Other than that, it has been trouble-free- routine maintenance only.

rebeet and oldsman - proof that you can get a lemon wioth an Intrigu - or any other car. And I'm proof that you can also get a great one.

lmacmil

My experience with thermostats is that they usually stick open. It hasn't been above 20 F here in a couple weeks and in the last week I've noticed my temp gage going past 1/2 and even up to 3/4 before the thermostat opens and it drops back down. Normally it runs pretty rock solid at about the 3/8 mark. Anyone had to replace a thermostat that was opening late? Any other ideas?

oldsman01

As we speak. Had the heater on high, both seat heaters on high, rear windown defogger on along with the headlights and not a bit of flicker. Maybe these alternators like cold weather:)

focus

Vcjumper: if i move the fan up manually, then it work. Outside temperature is -30c with wind chilllll in toronto this week.

mfletouva

There is a post like yours on every board in this entire website. It happens to every car, and it really stinks for the owner (who I always feel for), but that doesn't mean that every...or even a significant number....of cars are like that. Just yours.

What i like about there forums, though, is that usually if a whole bunch of people have the same thing go wrong the same way, its a good indication that something is wrong.

By the way, made it to 3200 miles, no problems...(for whatever that's worth...)

one2one

Been away for a while but caught up on all the posts.

Went to the Philly Auto Show last week and have some observations of my own:

'04 Grand Prix: They had the GTP on the floor to sit in and a Comp Grand Prix behind the tape. VERY, VERY sharp on the outside. Disappointing on the interior. The rear seats look and feel too low to carry passengers for long. However, the driver's seat feels good. My memory's fading but I think the center cushion was a faux suede that keeps the driver from sliding.

'04 Max: In a word-- hideous! It looks like an Altima mutating from radiation. It was on a stand and only tall folk like myself could see the interior. I'll leave opinions about it to myself until it hits dealers. One thing I did like is that the wheelbase is long and looks like it will fit people behind me comfortably. The Altima has good room behind me with the seat back so I'm sure the Max will be fine. The rear is probably the best looking part of the exterior.

Intrigue 3.5: Waking up to 7 degree weather with a high of 23 is, uh, unappealing. However, my most recent fillup came during this cold spell and performance is noticably better. Faster, more responsive. My gas mileage for this fillup has improved as well. Why buy a cold-air intake when I can just wait for winter weather? :-)

dindak

I haven't seen the 04 GP, but the pictures look decent. Why did you not like it?

Given a ohc engine upgrade in 05, I could see myself buying a GP eventually.

jg28

Most of the problems that rabeet has has WERE/ARE common in many many Intrigues. There are now three Intrigues where I work but none of them are kept as nice as I kept mine. The wheels on one are even grimey/dirty.

Send the cold my way. We need the snow. With temps in the 50s and 60s, it's like spring here.

oldsman01

Low last night was about 3 degrees and I was out around 11 PM and the climate control said 7 then. It seemed kind of odd seeing the outside temp display in single digits as it seldomly gets that cold here. With the system set at 74 and the seat heater on high, you would have never known it was that cold outside. I think we got up to about 25 today.

oldsman01

I think mine certainly qualifies as a lemon. As for recommending or not recommending the Intrigue, thats a harder call. It is hard to argue against the car's driving dynamics and feature/performance for the money factor and as many here have posted with relatively few problems. I think alternators and steering intermediate shafts are the major problems as well as somewhat spotty assembly. And despite being nearly 6 years old now, it is still hard to find a mid-size sedan that is better looking. So while mine has been very troublesome, I can't say that they all are. And knowing my luck, I could probably buy the most expensive Lexus and I would be the "one guy" who has problems with it.:)

ian18

I now have 67K on my '98. Only problems have been the warped rotors (replaced at 44K), ISS lube and water pump replaced. I am extremely pleased with the reliability, features, ride and cost of ownership.

Sorry that someone else has had a lot of problems but I do not think that it is by any means representative of the '98s

dindak

Are you still thinking of trading in the Intrigue or will you stick it out a while longer?

oldsman01

I still get very tempted to trade, but the thought of not getting what I owe when I trade turns me off. And now I'm thinking about buying a house, so I may hold off on the new car for a year or so. As troublesome as it is, I do love how the car drives and since it is warranted until 60K, I'll let GM pick up the repair bills. I am still going to write them a letter of complaint on the car and see what happens. I figure in a year or so the Saab 9-3 Arc will be available as will the CTS with the new engine as well as the 04 GP and Bonneville so the new car choices then will be better than they are now for me.

dindak

Sounds good. Lots of interesting stuff brewing at the General.

As I now have a house and a daughter (with another likely on the way later this year), my car buying power will be limited for the next few years. Houses and kids suck money like you won't believe.

vcjumper

Well it looks like an Aurora gets destroyed in that one.. In earlier teasers an Intrigue gets destroyed.. Kinda funny!

dindak

Matrix is going to be a very hot movie. You are right, the trailers look really good. I saw an even longer trailer on ET a few days ago.

one2one

From an exterior looks perspective, they got it right. Clean and sleek. The color on display was on-point: charcoal gray outside w/dark gray inside. I just didn't like how low and flat the back seats are. I think the dash could be a little more upscale but the dark interior kind of made up for it. I think it's a much nicer car than the one it will replace. I think my disappointment comes because they did such a good job outside and remained kind of typical GM with the dash. I must add that the driver's seat felt really, really good.

akitadog

According to the guys at Knights Performance (knightsperformance.com) if there is enough interest, they can generate a CAI for us. Check out their site and shoot them an email.
Also, at modernolds.proboards13.com they are thinking of starting a petition-type list to give Knights Performance to get the ball rolling.

dindak

The dash looks much better than the current model, but I will have to see for my self next month at the Toronto show. I will reserve judgment until I see for my self.

Is the cruise on the smartstalk or on the wheel?

bravedave

My 98 Intrigue has well over 100K miles on her now... so far.. so good. This weekend, the wife & I went and test drove a Nissan Murano SL AWD. Although we generally despise SUV's, our plans to start a family necessitate something with more space, as our other car is a Civic. Plus, there have been numerous times where we have needed more space than the Olds can provide.

We were astonished by the Murano. Although it does ride stiffly, it will easily out accelerate and outhandle the Intrigue-- and get 20 mpg city/ 24 highway, which is not bad for a 4,000 pound SUV. Best of all, it does not look like a box, like most SUV's and Minivans. I want one!!

My only concern would be its CVT and its long term longevity. Also, I hear it has problems with squeaks and rattles in the Interior-- something I am already used to-- although the one we drove had no such problem.

It seems my Intrigue's days are numbered...

white6

Curious you mention the Murano, since I just read the Car and Driver review. They state 7.5 sec 0-60... just a little quicker than 3.29 geared Intrigue. And, of course, you don't get something for nothing... their as-tested price was well over 30 grand and knocked down 17-18 real-world miles-per-gallon.

bravedave

Yeah, I saw the C&D test. When they test them, they usually do not get "real-world" miles per gallon. Instead, they drive the snot of all their test vehicles to see what they can do at their handling/ performance limits-- just like I do my Intrigue--- oops-- on second thought---you may be right on this one OK-- you got me...

BUT, in my wife's hands, I can see the Murano reaching 21-23 mpg in mixed driving, which is no worse than my Intrigue in the city. As far as $30+ price tag, that is typical for most machines in its class. A well equipped Highlander or Pilot falls around that price point. I personally want something that looks more stylish and looks less like a box.

I guess a Minivan could do the same thing, but I really do not like minivans. To me, the snubbed front end design compromises the amount of available crush space available in case of a head on or offset head on collision. That perception may be invalid, but I like the idea of more metal in front of me than what a Minivan offers.

As far as rollovers are concerned, the Murano felt MUCH more stable than my mother-in-law's Durango. The Murano claws into curves and sticks to them. The Durano must be driven much more deliberately, else it will roll. Since I value handling and have no need or desire to tow anything or venture offroad, a Murano will work just fine for us. It is big enough without being excessively so to do the job we want it to do.

dindak

It's nice, but it's pricey. Starts at over C$40K up here, ouch. If you are getting one I would wait until year 2. Nissan is not known for making problem free first year cars.

bravedave

Typically, you are correct about waiting a year. A friend of my father who was a mechanic always told us to never buy a car the first year it comes out, as they tend to be the most troublesome. This tends to be true across the entire industry, not just simply with domestic car brands. So, what did I do? I went and bought a year old 98 Intrigue in 1999 to replace my 1997 Cutlas (aka Malibu) GLS--- affectionately known now as my old "Cutlibu" or "Craplibu" depending upon my mood. The Cutlibu was a piece of junk. My Intrigue has been nearly perfect. She's just getting some mileage on her... I used to have a 40 mile drive--- one way-- to work. That is how I racked up so many miles-- hard driven miles at that. But now my commute is much less than that.

But, I must say I was impressed by the Murano. But, the fact that CVT's are unproven in the marketplace long term also gives me some pause. CVT's may work on an old Subaru Justy with all the horseposer of a mouse on a rolling wheel, but on an SUV? --- that causes me to look with more scrutiny. I hope this new technology will work... Are Saturn VUE's with CVT's out yet?

dindak

Our friends have an 02 Altima. Nice car, but it has not been nearly trouble free. Lots of little issues like an engine light, a couple of rattles and some loose trim. Nothing serious, but it gets annoying after a while.

vcjumper

If I had to get into an SUV, and in that price range, it would be the one I would check out first too, mostly because of the styling. It pleasantly surprised me the first time I saw one on the road.

oldsman01

The Trailblazer/Envoy would be my pick for an SUV in the low to mid 30s range. I'm not a big SUV fan myself, but I test drove those before I bought the Intrigue(they had just gone on sale) and was very impressed. Very smooth ride for an SUV, decent handling, and then there was that inline 6 engine. Lets just say if Cadillac could fit that engine in the CTS, the 3 series would have met it's match. The Murano is better looking than the Highlander and Pilot(it's likely rivals) but still a bit odd looking to me. With the snow we've had the past few weeks I've thought that an SUV would be nice to have, but then when I take the Intrigue into a sharp curve at a decent clip, I'm reminded why I buck the SUV trend and stick with sporty sedans.

redline65

Bravedave - I liked the Murano too. I'm surprised your wife likes it, my wife hated it. She didn't like the styling at all. She ended up getting an Envoy XL. Tons of cargo room, and plenty of options to choose from. And GM has had a few years now to work out many of the bugs with the first year models. The $3000 rebate is pretty nice too...

dindak

We may end up with one in a few years. I like the Trailblazer and Pathfinder the best. We may end up going for a more fuel efficient Equinox, Escape or VUE if gas prices don't ease off soon though.

bravedave

I was very suprised that we both (me and the wife) liked the Murano after driving it.

But, methinks we'll wait a year or so before we trade in the Olds. Actually, since it's trade-in value is already shot to heck, we may as well keep it. I think it best to see how the economy does and also how the Iraq war affects fuel prices. If they go too high-- we'll all probably wind up driving Metros instead of Muranos.

dindak

You will see $2+ gas prices if this war drags or gets out of hand. Things are already tight.

I wish they could find a solution to this Iraq thing as war is going to hurt the economy in more ways than just gas prices.

bravedave

My take on this is that nobody wants war. But it is also one of those things that may be necessary.

The fact that Saddam has thumbed his nose at the entire international community while oppressing his own people is sickening. The potential he may have weapons of mass destruction paired with the potential of his allying himself with Al Quaida is frightening. Given Saddam's history of brutality, it would be foolish not to allow what the UN Inspection teams are doing. Given their apparant lack of cooperation, I think they are trying to hide something. It is imperative we find out what this may be before it is too late. Having a weak economy is one thing-- but the alternatives have potential to be much MUCH worse. Just my honest opinion.

Oops-- I just remembered this is an Intrigue forum. Hence, I'll cease and disist with the political commentary. Adios!

sda

You can turn on the fog lights (GL,GLS) without the headlights. If it is dark enough for the auto-lamps to turn on the headlights, turn on the fog lights, then turn the headlight switch on the turn signal stalk to the 'parking light' position. The headlights will turn off, but the parking lights and fog lights will remain lit. I don't think this is mentioned in the owner's manual. I bumped into this by chance.

sda

I know I have asked about the proper functioning of the auto climate control, yet I still question whether my system is working correctly. With the cold weather, I set the temp to 'auto' 70-72 degrees. The system seems to work fine at first, delaying output before warm air can be generated, then it progressively turns up the blower to heat the car. The car becomes comfortable and stays that way for about 30 minutes. Then it seems the system wants to back off, and starts blowing cooler air, and the interior becomes chilly. I resort to turning the temp to 75 to goose the system to blowing warmer air. I haven't had to make these type of adjustments with other cars with climate control ( including GM cars) to keep the temperature comfortable. I am used to setting the temp and not having to make any additonal adjustments. Am I being over sensitive about this? Car is still under warranty for another 9mo/6000 mi, so I still have time to have this addressed before I have to pay. Thanks for any useful input. If I need to get a 'life', tell me.

redline65

I keep mine set at 76 in the winter and 72 in the summer. I find this works perfect for me. Why not just set it to 75 to begin with?

dindak

Got a copy of the Oldsmobile 2003 DVD promo. I don't understand why GM bothered with this given the division is all but dead. I think Olds must have spent 1/2 of it's marketing budget on this thing.

Anyway, I thought it was very well done. The history of Oldsmobile and innovations sections are nice pieces to remember Olds by. It's too bad they didn't do one last year as it would have been nice to see the entire modern lineup. Oh well, I'm happy to have a copy for the collection.

dindak

http://www.auto.com/reviews/iwirb29_20030129.htm

jg28

It might force a shift change in thinking for consumers and automakers. But I doubt this will happen. The Gulf War was what... fifteen days? And Saddam had a much stronger military then. Even so, I think twelve years is long enough to wait for "the inspections to work." Loved President Bush's comments about hydrogen cars in the State of the Union last night. I'd switch over to a hydrogen car in a minute, if nothing else but for the satisfaction of doing the least amount of harm to the environment.

evandro

Every human activity impacts the environment in one way or another. Perfect combustion of an HC-based fuel results in CO2 and water. In the real world there are other by-products, chiefly NOx.

H may actually be burned by current internal combustion engines with few modifications and its combustion results in water and NOx.

Electric motors run by fuel-cells using H emits almost only water. If H is obtained from an HC fuel, the emitted waste would again include primarily CO2.

Many argue that being CO2 a known green-house effect gas, it's the main environmental reason for phasing out internal combustion engines, even though they can burn H without emitting CO2.

However, water vapor is about 200 times more a green-house gas than CO2, and it's always present in combustion processes. Now, if one was to be consistent, if CO2 is to be avoided because it's a green-house gas, water vapor would have to be avoided much more so.

Of course, a volcano belch, and there's one everyday, accounts for 5 to 10 years of human emissions of CO2. An eruption as Pinatubo's, accounts for about 3 times the CO2 humans have been emitting into the atmosphere since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. And such an eruption happens every 10 or 20 years.

Interestingly enough, almost all living and dead creatures on Earth emit CO2 and water. Many mammals also emit methane as the result of the digestive process, which is an even more green-house gas than water.

Therefore, I'm not looking forward to where all this environmentalist propaganda will lead to: an era in which we'll have to stop breathing and wear a catalytic converter down there...

:^D

badgerfan

Be careful before judging hydrogen fuel as being environmentally benign. Hydrogen can be derived from electrolysis of water-which takes electricity which is generated by either fossil fuels, wind energy or nuclear energy. The first method still produces greenhouse gases and potentially other pollutants. The second method would likely require more wind farms and capital investment than you can imagine to supply transportation needs, and the third has been unfortunately branded an environmental menace even though I believe it is likely the most environmentally sound of the options for generating electricity economically and in volume. No air pollution, no greenhouse gasses, and while the spent fuel is radioactive it can be contained and isolated in a relatively small volume. Once they finally get past all the political issues, the long term storage issues also can be localized to one site.

I believe you also can derive hydrogen from natural gas, but likely with other negative impacts on the environment and energy resources needed to perform the separation from natural gas.

Let the free market act. Once oil becomes scarce enough, prices will rise and alternative fuels such a ethanol, hydrogen, or whatever will become economically feasible. Until then, it ain't gonna happen.

dindak

Most people love their SUVs and people who can afford a $40K SUV and a $3 coffee at Starbucks sure don't care if gas is $2. Long term, people on the edge would likely go to a smaller SUV or car if gas prices stayed high.

oldsman01

I've noticed the Intrigue's isn't as consistant as my 89 Touring Sedan was. In the summer, I typically keep it set between 68 and 70 and usually 72 in the winter. When it was in the single digits last week, I had it up to 74.

sda

What I find interesting, is that when I set the temperature to 70-72, it performs perfectly for the first 25-30 minutes. It warms the cabin to the set temperature and all is well. Then after that period of time, it just seems to get a mind of its own and starts to blow cooler air, and then the car gets chilly. If I set the temp initially to 75, it does the same. Warms to set temp, then after a period, starts to blow cooler air. I think the only way I've maintained a constant temp is when I have manually selected the mode, temp and fan speed. But then, the windshield and side windows tend to fog, and that forces me to again adjust the system.

delrick

It only appears cool.

72 is 26 degrees lower than body temperature.

After the initial period to heat the cabin, the system shifts to a maintenance temperature to hold the 72.

That air is much cooler than your normal body temp and feels cool.

Same thing occurs with heat pumps. They absolutely feel like they are blowing cold air. However they are trying to get to a constatnt temp of 68 or 70 indoors.

The direct blast of that air is so much below body temp, it feels like it is cooling not heating.

redline65

I got my policy renewal from State Farm today. They want $946 for six months on my Intrigue and Envoy XL! It went way up from last time when I didn't have the Envoy XL. Anyways, I got a quote from Progressive.com for $630. Anyone here have any experience with them? It seems too good to be true, so I'm a little weary. I know there is an insurance forum here, but there are no threads about Progressive.

oldsman01

Good point about air temps and the sensation that it is cold.

sda, my guess is after the cabin temps warms, the system is going into the defog(floor and windshield) mode as mine does this. I have to manually keep the air flow in the floor position during the winter as I don't want defog unless the windows are truly fogged up. When it's 30 degrees and low humidity, there is no need for defog. The problem with defog is it turns the A/C compressor on so while there is still warm air, it is probably not as warm as before the compressor came on. Also, with defog some air is blowing out of the windshield outlet so it is creating more of a draft than if just blowing out at floor level. IMO, that is a design flaw in the control system as every other car I've had with auto climate control stayed in the floor mode then once the cabin was warmed went to bi-level(floor and panel) and then to panel. Defog would only operate if you choose it and if the economy button was selected, you didn't have to worry about the A/C compressor coming on.

redline65

The Intrigue's automatic climate control will not allow the compressor to run when it is 30 degrees. If you push the A/C button the light flashes and goes out. IMO, this can be dangerous when it's very cold and humid/raining. The windows fog up making it difficult to see.