Oldsmobile Intrigue

jgriff

When it comes to options, there are some that are gotta to have & and some that you can do without. It nice to have a choice, with Acura is mostly fully loaded.

Many years ago cruise use to be on option, for me it is a must-have, right along with A/C.

white: that color combo sounds great. I've seen similar combo on a Mita. Boy I tell ya to me, light gray & tan interiors look terrible after a while. I take black in a heart-beat, over the lighter colors.

I'm also finding out the a black exterior is not as bad as I thought it would be.

ketch

Hey all, esp. to Dindak and other long aquaintances here! We're all moved now to Vegas now from Chicago (after a layoff by a LUser co. after 23years, so relocated here and in Gaming Software now). The 2000 GL "typeR" made the move (via trucked out) ok. Easy to keep "her" clean here, just have to dust it off mostly. great compared to all the salt residue back east I had to deal with. Not alot of Intrigue's here, as it seems a very "left coast" pro-Asian makes attitude exists. That and the SUV's (most with the 20 inch rap star stupid wheels no less) are real common, way beyond what we had in suburban Chicago. Alot of P-ups too, many jacked up for that "bigfott" look. Doing a trip to San Diego this weekend (first time to CA and the coast) and plan to forgo the minivan for the Olds, should be fun and comfortable.

oldsman01

My company is based in Chi-town and one of our vendors is a company we affectionately refer to as LUCifer. I'm sure you've heard that expression before:) Hope you enjoy your trip to San Diego. I've never been their either, but we also do business with a company based there so maybe I'll get sent there on business sometime. While I'll drive to Chi-town, I think I'll have to fly to San Diego as it is simply too far from here. But aside from a Cadillac CTS(or a Corvette) there aren't too many cars more suited for the trip than the Intrigue. Have fun!

jgriff, my Intrigue has the dark grey interior and I like it alot. It does get a little toasty in the summer, but hey thats what A/C is for. And it is MUCH easier to keep clean(i.e. it doesn't show dirt). Now the black exterior is a different story, but when she's clean she really looks good.

vcjumper

I really like it there but then I'm a sucker for beaches. Last year I was there visiting family I got to drive around in my uncle's E-Class and used nav to find my way back to their place.

dindak

Good to hear from you. Glad the Intrigue "R" is still running strong. Enjoy San Diego. I've never been to CA, only Vancouver and Seattle on the left coast. Intrigues are very popular in this area so I see a few every day. Most are GLs or GLS' so they aren't rentals.

sunsession

One of these things popped off and the dealer replaced it. Now I've lost another one, and I'm thinking...is this a manufacturer item, or are these caps available in auto or tire accessories stores? I did a little looking around on the web and I see that you can get them in chrome as well as plastic. My question is, what is the size of these things on the standard Intrigue 16" wheel? I think it's measured in millimeters. Thanks.

Ken

evandro

It depends on the year-model. Perhaps #9595120 is what you need (check here to buy it on-line).

ketch

Thanks all for the kind words for my pending trip.
On another matter, recently had the 2000 GL (30k miles) into the Olds dealer in Vegas (Findlay) for a major miss of=n hard acceleration. Turns out while they found I needed an updated eprom (the car, not me, although my wife might disagree), per a TSB, they dumped the codes and saw the error for the timing sensor. A common ill as many of us know. While I was 6 months out of warrantee, they covered it all, the eprom and the sensor replacement. Runs great again.
The dealer and I talked, and they plan to take on Caddy soon to replace the Olds brand, and already have Saab. He indicated they will handle my car until it dies, and said since the engine was a Northstar derivitive, handling it will be easy as they transition to the Caddy biz. Makes me glad and secure as I plan to keep it another 5 or so years at least. Of course It'd be nice to get a CTS-V from them (!). OK, dream over. Time to pay the bills.

sda

On June 10 I wrote seeking advice as I thought I might be experiencing the infamous crank sensor failure. Well three trips to the dealer later, I think they finally got it. First trip, they said the battery was leaking and replaced it and one of the side posts. They thought it might be getting a bad electrical connection, and therefore causing the problems. It ran fine for them, but next morning, the car was back to all its antics. Second appointment was two days ago. Gave me a loaner '03 Deville. What a sweet ride. Called later in the day and said they had replaced a crank sensor. Whew. I thought, OK, now we're talking. Picked up car and took it for an extended drive. All was well. The following morning (today tues 6/24) car starts perfectly and all seemed fine. Traveling down the interstate at 65mph I hit an expansion strip as I came off an overpass the car cuts out and then comes back on. Seemed like an invisible hand turning the car on and off. Well, this isn't good, so I headed directly to the dealer. There's more but I won't bore everyone with the details. Apparently the ignition switch had gone bad! So in the past week I have a new battery (2nd replacement by same dealer in the past 4 months!), a new crank sensor (only one left to fail now) and a new ignition switch. Luckily, all was covered by the 3/36 warranty. Unfortuately, I only have 2k left before it expires.

dindak

Luckily all Chev dealers in Canada sell Olds so no service issues for me. Chevy dealers will continue service indefinitely.

sda

3trigs, which of the three Intrigues is your favorite? For 2002 Olds made some improvements to some interior pieces such as the A-pillar molding, different headliner material, etc. Rear wheel liners were added in 2001 (I think). Did these improvements really add any tangible difference to the car such as being quieter? Can you tell any difference in sound quality of the revised radio head for 2002 vs previous yrs. Just wondering...were the improvements actually worthwhile?

johnpasinski

I have a 99 GL. Have been very happy with it but recently noticed that steering is very difficult (stiff) when parallel parking. No problems with steering at normal driving speeds. Steering fluid level is fine and no indication of a leak (no fluid on garage floor).

Am aware of history of intermediate steering shaft problem, but I don't think that it applies to me.

In post 8718 oldsman01 described a problem with a power steering pressure line, but this was a leak - mine is not leaking.

Other posters indicated that they had the power steering rack replaced but stiff steering problem was not solved until the power steering pump was replaced. So, I am thinking that the power steering pump is the likely source of the problem.

I have 38K miles on the car and the 36 month warranty has expired. No extended warranty.

I would be interested in any advice/experience that any of you might be able to offer before I take it in to the dealer. Any service bulletins on this issue?

oldsman01

This seems like something alot of Intrigues have needed replaced. Was it still an issue on 01s? Mine has never failed to start and it always starts quickly. Anything I should look for if this is about to go?

jgriff

oldsman01 :: I'm with you on the dark grey interior it holds up well.

I've always perfer the darker interior for a couple of reasons, (1) I think it is much easier to keep looking clean & hides some of the dirt. (2) darker interiors are easier on the eyes during bright sunny days, the sun will reflect off of light leathers & door panels [almost blinding at times].

I don't think that a black cloth interior is overly hot [leather is a bit of a pain]. Nothing that a window tint job won't cure.

redline65

One of these things popped off and the dealer replaced it. Now I've lost another one, and I'm thinking...is this a manufacturer item, or are these caps available in auto or tire accessories stores?

I always used to lose 2 or 3 of them after my dealer would rotate my tires. The techs don't know how to put them on properly. I would always have to return to the dealership and get them to replace them, free of charge. So now I remove them myself before getting the tires rotated.

If they fell off after your dealership rotated your tires then they should be responsible for replacing them.

redline65

Has anyone with auto climate control had a problem with the external temperature display being off badly? Mine displays 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. I think the sensor is located on a plastic panel near the radiator. Is that the only sensor there is? Any idea what they cost?

oldsman01

After mine has been parked for a couple of hours, it tends to display an exterior tempertature about 20 degrees warmer than it actual it. Once I get moving, it quickly drops to a more accurate reading.

Martypa

after one week in my (new) 00 GLS. 29 k miles and adding fast!:

World class handling

The 3.5 is waaaay fun, invites you to open it up

Well appointed. Good interior layout.

GM screwed up by killing this car/division. They have nothing tp replace it. I will enjoy the one I have till it dies.

I considered an 04 Grand Prix prior to buying the Intrigue, but we bought a new minivan last year and 2 new car payments would be a stretch.

The car is out of warranty, but I have yet to find a single flaw on the vehicle. Given what some other folks on the board have experienced I will knock on wood.

I really appreciate the comments here. Many of you really know your stuff!

redline65

After mine has been parked for a couple of hours, it tends to display an exterior tempertature about 20 degrees warmer than it actual it. Once I get moving, it quickly drops to a more accurate reading.

Mine always reads 20 degrees cooler than actual in the summer, once temperatures get above 80 or so. I can drive for an hour and it still reads low. I think the sensor is probably bad.

oldsman01

They must not have softened the suspension for 01 as mine is pretty tight.

martypa, as for an Intrigue replacement, start saving your pennies and check out a Cadillac CTS in a few years. Thats what my Intrigue replacement will likely be. Someone over in the CTS thread said MT just tested an 04 CTS with the new 3.6 liter V6 and it posted a 0-60 time of 6.4 seconds. I have yet to receive the issue so I haven't read the full report, but the CTS was already one heck of a car before the new engine.

dindak

Glad you are enjoying your Intrigue. We have an 00 as well and it's been a wonderful car, just a couple of small issues. Long highway trips are especially enjoyable for me as that is where the 3.5L excels.

Martypa

I have a question. I have a remote from a 98 Intrigue. When I program it to work on my 00, the one remote I have for my 2000 Intrigue doesn't work anymore. They are the same make, #'s on the back are identical. Is there some kind of trick to get them to both work on the same car at the same time???

Martypa

I absolutely love the CTS! I sat in one, however, being 6'2 and long waisted, found the headroom to be a little lacking. That said, that wouldn't be enough to prevent me from checking it out in the future. The interior is the best I've ever seen in a GM vehicle.

one2one

The suspension changed as early as 2001. My '98 had a really tight "riding on rails" feel. I have to agree with 3trigs that, in comparison, my '01 is boring. It does make for a comfortable highway ride, particularly for passengers. But from a driving perspective I would like it to have a slightly firmer feel.

Does anyone know if both the spring and struts were modified or just one and not the other? I wonder if replacement springs & struts for '98s are the same as the originals or if they use the newer ones for every model year?

oldsman01

I've remarked that my 01 feels as if it is riding on rails, I can't imagine it being much stiffer. Maybe models without PCS and the RS-A tires are softer feeling.

focus

comes on at 6,000 km after last oil change, wrongly mistaken it for the oil change light, i ignore it for another 500 km; opened the hood last night to check the dipstick and find it is totally dry!

Went to get an oil change and was told the light would come on after you burn 1.5 litre of oil (intrigue takes 5.5 litre total, was told), and that 1.5 litre less would give me a dry dipstick.
It doesn't sound right, can anyone verify this?

Dealer wants to upsell me a $40 PCV valve before they can determine if there's any oil burning, there is also a possbility that they did not fill it up at my last oil change.

cornellpinoy

Martypa: Anytime you add a new or additional remote to a GM, ALL the remotes need to be reprogrammed at the same time. As you learned, remotes that aren't included are no longer recognized. You are able to program a maximum of 4 keyless remotes to the same vehicle.

oldsman01

That Caddy still running good? BTW, how long does it take you to do a run from Detroit to south FL?

donp9

My 00 GL without PCS and with Goodyear LS's is also very stiff especially over expansion joints on the highway. Looking for softer tires but unsure at this point what to select?

tander

Lately this discussion board has morphed into what was the ultimate Intrigue (ie the PCS, the '99 3,5 with 3.09 gearing etc). Reminds me of which Mustang was best (the early 289's, the Boss 302's, the Mach Ones or my favorite, any model with the 351 Cleveland motor as I was born in Cleveland. Having said this WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE INTRIGUE?! I say the '99, 3.5 in Crimson, but Im biased.

oldsman01

Despite her problems, me thinks my 2001 black GLS with PCS, dark grey leather interior, chrome wheels, and gold emblem package is the ultimate Intrigue:) Actually, an 02 model of the above would probably be the ultimate Intrigue.

vcjumper

I'd say the OSV with the supercharged 3.5L :-).

If talking production, I would say the older models with the firmer deCarbon suspension parts as that is what I prefer/will choose given the choice.

Martypa

Thanks for the info on the remotes. It took me less than a minute to program them both. The dealer wanted *only* $60 to do the same thing!

As for the best Intrigue???? I'd go with the OSV. I also prefer any model with the firmer suspension.

evandro

I also got a '00 GL with Eagle LS, however they were badly treated and are cupped. According to the penny test, there's no more than a couple of months of life left in them.

I'd like to have quieter and more comfortable tires than this Goodyear. I've been doing some research and narrowed my choices to Bridgestone Touranza, Michelin Harmony and Goodyear Aquatred. The Michelin seems to be pretty good, but is the most expensive of the pack. The Bridgestone is a little less expensive and my brother confirms its qualities. The Goodyear is the cheapest of the bunch and seems to perform well, though a notch below the other 2.

I guess I'll get either the Goodyear or the Bridgestone, whichever I can get for the best deal.

HTH

dindak

I'd get a 02 GLS in navy blue with PCS, black leather, power roof and OnStar. My 00 GL is still a great looking car in my eye though, still proud to drive it.

white6

FWIW, I had the Aquatread III's and now have Goodyear Regatta II's; the Regatta II's are superior tires. Aquatreads only lasted 40,000 (80,000 rated) on my Intrigue. The Regatta II's were on sale at tirerack for $73 each... great deal. They are quieter and ride a little better than the Aquatread III's; significantly better in every respect than the original equipment LS's.

sunsession

If they fell off after your dealership rotated your tires then they should be responsible for replacing them.

Yes, this is exactly what happened. They will replace at no charge. However, during this little event I came across some stainless steel lug nut caps on ebay. I think the shine would go nice against the dull grey of the wheels, so I ordered them.

Ken

oldsman01

Yeah, it is a toss-up between the dark blue and black on the ultimate Intrigue. In fact, navy blue was my first choice in color when I was looking for an Intrigue. Black was my second and sterling was third. Dealer was unable to locate a blue GLS for me, so I settled for black. Does yours have a spoiler? I think the Intrigue is one of the few cars that really looks better with a spoiler. I also, like how the spoiler includes an LED center brake light. I've been promising everyone pictures of my baby and hopefully soon I will set up a cheezy little web page and post some now that I have a digital camera.

dindak

I didn't want a spoiler but my wife did so I gave in. I really have come around to preferring it. Makes the car look better and I love the LEDs!! I find it funny seeing many new cars come out with no LEDs and it's so much less attractive when standing at a light.

Don't like the spoiler on the Alero though so ours does not have one.

b4z

Saw that more aleros have been built this year than last year.
I guess they are mostly rental cars?

ozznet

I see a lot of Aleros in my city so maybe more people are buying them. Their a nice looking car. I also heard that they might be keeping the Alero.

redline65

Having said this WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE INTRIGUE?! I say the '99, 3.5 in Crimson, but Im biased.

Hmmm, I don't remember crimson being a MY'99 color. I'll have to go check my brochure. Maybe it was that dark navy blue that wasn't available that I'm thinking of. What year did gold get ditched, you don't see too many of those?

tander

What year(s) were these parts utilized on intrigues? Wowee, I must be a dope, I didnt know anything about 3.09 and 3.25 gearing, now I learn about different suspension parts. Where do you guys learn all of these minutia of details? All I know is when I test drove my 99 3.5, I also test drove a 99 with a 3.8 and the 3.5 was much more fun, especially on the on-ramp to the highway.

vcjumper

Here is a very complimentary review of the Intrigue - circa 1998 by Jim Kenzie.. He talks a bit about the suspension. Toronto Star Intrigue Review

vcjumper

Hey folks remember what the townhall used to look like way back when the Intrigue was a relatively new vehicle?? Check it out

Old Edmunds Townhall

oldsman01

Crimson was available in 98 and 99 to be replaced by ruby for Y2K. The gold was dropped after 99 replaced in 2000 by Sandstone. Navy blue was also new for 2000.

Dindak, yep I think the Alero is better looking without the spoiler. One thing that I see on alot of Nissans with a spoiler is you see both the LED brake light in the spoiler and then you also see the standard issue third brake light in the rear window. I like how Intrigues with the spoiler do not have the light(or even the housing for it) in the rear window.

b4z

I like the old look. They seem to have deemphasized Townhall in the newer iterations.

Also the fonts are too small.

dindak

b4z : I didn't know Alero production was up. Interesting. They make wonderful 2nd cars with the 2.2L Ecotec. Can't beat the prices and we are very pleased with ours after a little over a year.

oldsman : I hate it when cars have both LEDs and the standard light. It looks sloppy IMO. GM has done a good job avoiding this in general.

vcjumper : Ahhh the good old days. ;-)

one2one

I've never had the low oil light come on. I have checked the dipstick and have seen that it is dry. I add 1 quart to it and it's back to an acceptable level. I check mine every 2,000 miles or so because that's when I've noticed it getting low in the past. Then I monitor it every other fuel fillup.

I read an article a couple of years ago in Automobile mag about their long-term Corvette buring oil. The dealer said the problem was the piston rings. They replaced them and it stopped buring oil. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the 3.5's problem. Looks like we'll just have to stock up on extra quarts of oil now that the engine has been canned.

focus

Thanks. 6.1 litres of oil is what the intrigue needs according to the owner's manual, dealer insisted is only 5.5; they said 6.1 is for the v8, go figure.
Did anyone ever need to change a Pcv valve?
The old Edmund site is lot easier to navigate and find info, that's why i am using the msn site more often now.