Oldsmobile Intrigue

dekester

Doing a little research and comparison shopping, I came across the BF Goodrich Touring T/A....
They rate a 10 for quietness, tread life and a 7-8 for wet and snow traction; handling is a 6...

Looks like a decent replacement for the Eagle LS and cheaper than replacment Eagles.

Has anyone else considered the T/A? I used the Radial T/As on many of the old muscle cars I owned back in the 80s and early 90s and liked them better than the Goofyear Eagle STs that were supposed direct replacements for the old Polysteel radials.

dindak

We have T/As on our Alero and they run well, no complaints after about 20K. Company is a division of Michelin so they have solid technology backing.

white6

The Regatta's are significantly better than the LS's in noise and ride. Don't know about snow traction; they were installed after the snow stopped here. The wife (the Intrigue is her commuter car) is VERY happy with the new tires, though; we all know how important it is to keep the better half happy! FWIW, my sister's 91 Cougar (rear drive) has had the Regatta or Regatta II's on it for 6 or 7 years now and she swears by them for snow traction.

one2one

I just put a set of BF Goodrich TA/ TR4's on the wife's Bonniville. Reviews on TireRack are mixed. But some of my observations after 2 days are:

- much quieter ride than the old tires (Goodyear GA S-rated)
- smooth
- comfortable (the main street in front of the tire store was scraped and prepared to be repaved and the ride was very nice. Road surface wasn't intrusive as with old tires)
- quiet
- good wet traction (was raining the night of purchase)
- responsive The steering felt noticably quicker with more road feedback.

We wanted to go with the H4 but they only had 3 tires left in our size. Still have yet to put it on the highway to review that. But I am not disappointed at all. Paid $388 at BJ's for them. That included mounting, stems, disposal, road hazzard, lifetime rotation and all the other stuff that jacks the price up.

sda

Another tire to consider is the Yokohama Avid Touring. I replaced the Goodyear LS with these last December. I have found them to be a reasonably priced quality tire. They ride very smoothly, look nice, and are quiet. I have rotated them once, and they are showing negligible tire wear. They cost about $78/tire mounted and balanced. Check Consumer Reports and Tire Rack as they are rated highly.

dekester

I was just going to post that I was going for the Yokohama AVIDs. Called Tire Rack and had a nice conversation. The AVIDS are the #2 rated tire on their site. Plus $53 each makes them VERY attractive. For $246.50, I can have a set sent to their local authorized agent. They charge $18 for mounting, balancing and valve stem and an extra buck a piece for disposal of the old tires. I guess if I shop around I can get them done cheaper, but do I really want UPS delivering tires to my house?

I cruised Goodrich's site and found the Control T/A M80 with an 80M mile treadlife, superior wet/snow traction than the Tourings, but no one seems to have heard of them. Tire Rack said they hadn't sold any in quite a while and it was even off their inventory system.

Deke

one2one

Since we're on the subject, the guys at my local Sears (whose opinion I respect... they know what they're doing) recommended the BF Goodrich HP50. They were at a drive-n-decide event where they drove a 325i with the HP50 and a Goodyear model. The whole group was impressed with them. They said that the day of the event it was already raining but they still brought in the water truck and soaked the ground anyway. All of them raved about how well it performed particularly because it was wet (and also a 325i :-)

Pricing at Sears during the BF Goodrich sale was around $115/tire for 225/60/16 plus mounting, stems, yada, yada, yada.

So far I can't even find this tire on BF's website or TireRack. The only ones that seem to have it are Sears and NTB.

Just figure I throw it out there.

dekester

Just got off the phone with Tire Rack....tires should be in the house Friday! Found a local AAA-authorized shop that will mount and balance them for $12 each. Beats the $20+ the local drop agent wanted. Supposed to rain Saturday (it has all week this week), so I'll be able to test out the wet traction right away.

Never though I'd put anything other than Goodyear or Goodrich tires on my car.... Price plus performance outweighs brand loyalty any day. I say this as we are purchasing a new Camry for the wife....

evandro

I hope you enjoy the new shoes.

I've shone my Intrigue with those Yokohama and I'm happy with them. Traction is just OK, but an improvement over the OEM Goodyear. I'm still waiting for some rain to be able to tell how they grip to wet roads.

I bought the set at a local Discount Tire store, but using a printout of Tire Rack's web site showing their price to haggle the price down from $95. However, I paid those additional $20 each, totalling a still good price at $74.

I liked the BFG Touring T/A on my Alero, especially its cornering and wet abilities, but I'm sold on these Yokohama ride and quietness. I now enjoy going over road joints and marveling at how these tires smooth them out.

tander

I chose Regatta IIs over Michelin Ones(Sams Club private Michelins)because TireRack rated them better in snow traction. Besides, Akron needs all the help it can get. I live in NE Ohio and the winters here are brutal. So far Im very pleased. They ride smoother than the OE Eagle LS's, but dont corner as well. The sidewalls also look great with a ribbed design. Oh well, life is trade offs.

winter9

Hello everyone – it has been a while since I’ve been here. I’m loving my 02 GL – I just turned 20k miles this week. It is a sweet machine.
My wife’s 99 GL (64k mi) is doing well also except for the auto climate/AC system. I think I have 2 or 3 separate (but related) problems. One issue is we will often get cool air on the passenger zone, but uncooled air on the driver side. It does not matter where the passenger comfort dial is set. No AC for the driver. A second but possibly related issue is the temperature gage is wacked. It consistently reads about 20-30 degrees F too low. When it is really 90, it reads about 65. You can turn the desired temp down as low as it goes (60) and it may or may not produce chilled air. A 3rd possible problem may be that I’m low on refrigerant?
Has anyone experienced any of these problems or know if there are any relevant TSBs out there? Thanks.

b4z

Your outside temp gauge needs to be replaced

donp9

I had similar problems with my 2000 GL. They replaced the outside temp sensor and the entire dash unit. Thankfully it was still under warranty.

redline65

Buy the sensor from Mr. Goodwrench, it's $8. I believe the sensor is under the front of the car attached to the black plastic cover that sits behind the radiator (or maybe in front?). You just unplug the old one from the connector and plug the new one in.

Try the $8 fix before you take it to the shop. I found out the hard way and let the dealer fix it ($125 parts+labor) because I wanted to use my Warranty Gold extended warranty, but that's another topic...

oldsman01

On two or three separate occasions, my 01 has done a similar thing with the climate control. What mine did was blow warm air on the passenger side. I could turn the temp control all the way to 60 and the driver's side would have cold air, but the passenger side would be warm. Only did it one trip, next trip system worked fine. If your getting cold air on one side, then I don't think your system needs refrigerant. Does your compressor short cycle? If so, this is a sign of low refrigerant.

winter9

Thanks to all for the replies.

Redline: I think I will give your suggestion a try. Any idea what the part number is for the sensor? The location of the sensor you described - is that for a 3.8 engine layout? My wife's car has the torquemeister 3.8.

Thanks again.

redline65

The number on my invoice is 10248414. I've got the 3.5 engine, but I'm guessing those sensors are probably in the same place. Try to find it first before you buy the part. It's about 3 inches long and it's clipped into the black plastic cover.

shanian

Is the Olds loyalty thing ($1500) applicable only for those who had an Olds prior to the Olds closing announcements.i.e is it a one time thing that can be excercised once and not available to 02 buyers for eg.?
currently there seem to be a lot of GM loyalty rebates, but only gmc to gmc pontiac to pontiac etc.

dindak

I can only assume it's the same in the US, but here it's a 1 x thing to be used within 5 years of the announcement for owners of Oldsmobiles prior to the announcement.

dekester

Got the Avids mounted on Saturday and went for a little cruise around the area. I STILL can't get over how quiet these tires are! I find myself 5 to 10 MPH over the limit without even realizing it.

Maybe it's because I didn't know how noisy the Goodyear Eagle LSs were, but I can carry on a conversation with the windows open. Where I would always get a little tire squeal when turning, or where the trac would kick in, I don't now. It's almost like learning to drive all over again. I can take turns a little quicker, braking is a lot more sure-footed, driving through puddles (and we've got a LOT of them recently in New York) more stable. Even the way the tires channel the water away - not as much splashing up against the fenders and doors!

If anyone's looking for replacements, take a good look at the Yokohamas.....$54 each from Tire Rack, and they're rated #2 out of 36 tires.

Now for some brake upgrades.....

Deke

dindak

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=06065559

redline65

Is the Olds loyalty thing ($1500) applicable only for those who had an Olds prior to the Olds closing announcements

Yes, people who purchased an Olds prior to the announcement received the certificates in the mail. If you bought your Olds after the announcement you should have received the GM Protection Plan for free, or an additional $1000 off your vehicle.

By the way, with the loyalty certificate you only get $1500 if you purchase another Oldsmobile, any other GM make is $1000 off. I used mine last year on a 2003 GMC Envoy XL.

Martypa

mysterious front end clunking evaluated on my 00 GLS. It turns out that the steering rack and shaft need replacing. The car only has 31,000 miles but is out of warranty due to time. I called Olds, they agreed to pick up half the $1700 cost to fix it.

oldsman01

My steering rack has to be replaced, in fact the part was ordered a week ago and I have yet to hear from them. $1700 for the fix? Glad mine is still covered under warranty.

moonshadow

half of $1700 seems like a lot for a rack. Have you sourced a rebuilt from an independant. I know the dealer gm racks are nuts. I know of a lumina that had one done under ext. warranty for leaking at the input shaft at 120000kms for around $1200 canadian. Which is close to your half 1700 US.

Perhaps you should start with the shaft. In the shaft relube bulletin it states to not change the rack for this problem. A lot of guys were swapping out good racks for this problem. Mine included at 7000kms, did nothing.

31000 seems too soon, even for gm rack.

redline65

I'd take it to a different mechanic and have the steering shaft relube done. You'll probably save yourself a lot of money.

winter9

Thanks to everyone's help - especially Redline for the part number, my auto climate temperature not reads the correct temperature. The part (10248414) cost me $10 at the dealer and took 5 minutes to install. It is located in the same place for both 3.8 and 3.5 engine layouts. Behind the passenger side headlight is a black plastic shroud attached to the frame. The sensor is attached to the back of this shroud (between the shroud and the radiator). You can pull the shroud back a little to locate it, but to replace it is best done from below.

Unfortunately, my A/C is still out as I get no cool air. I must either have a leak, need a recharge or replace compressor? When the A/C comes on, it makes a noise that sounds like bad bearings spinning. Any thoughts on this?

moonshadow

have a look at the AC magnetic clutch before changing your compressor. The clutch plate or springs or assembly will sometimes dissinegrate and give you a bad bearing/screeching sound.

dindak

I had a shaft lube done and the steering was good as new.

redline65

Yeah, it's about time for me to get mine done again. I'm getting a lot of knocking up front. I don't really notice it though because of my extremely noisy Dunlop SP Sport A2 tires.

winter9 - Glad that fixed the temp. display problem. I hope your A/C problem isn't too serious.

Martypa

rather, the steering gear and shaft that needed replacing. I recommended getting the ISS lubed prior to the mechanic looking at it, but apparently the trouble was worse. At least the crunching sound is gone and the steering is much tighter. I hope this is the last problem I have for quite a while. I really like this car and want to drive it for a long time!

upststedon

Good Morning Intrigue Educated,

The 2001 Intrigue is rapidly approaching 54,000 mile, I am an outside sales guy on the road a lot.

Was wondering what items I should look into getting serviced before the warranty ends at 60,000.

sda

Last week I gave a friend from the office a ride to their car. Because she was on crutches, I retrieved the car from the parking garage and picked my friend up in front of the office. When I arrived, she asked, is that a new car?? I smiled and replied, " no it's the same car I've had for a while." Her reply, "I really like this car, it is so good looking". For a car that has been out since '98, I think that says something...(2000GL Midnight Blue)

javidogg

Hey you should put up some pictures of your Intrigue, so we can all see the beauty of your Intrigue.

Mean while you can see my car here:

Http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg

Let me know what you all think, man I sure do miss my Olds Intrigue.

Peace.

redline65

Yo javidogg! Love the dubs on the Aurora. Did you lower it any, or did you stick with the stock suspension?

dindak

I would have them check the alternator and steering shaft for sure if you suspect anything might be not 100%. Those seemed to be the bigger issues on late model Intrigues.

oldsman01

I still get compliments and looks at my 01 Intrigue as well, especially when she is clean. Despite being on the roads for 6 years now(I remember starting to see them in late summer 97), the Intrigue is still a very good looking car. If she wasn't so good looking and fun to drive, I probably would have dumped mine long ago as it has had more than it's share of problems. I call mine a flawed beauty. When people ask me how I like my car, I tell them I love it, but I don't think it loves me:)

upststedon, what trim level is your Intrigue? I have an 01 GLS with 34K on it. Also, have you had any problems with the car? Mine has had problems since day one. Some of the major things I've had done, transmission replaced, alternator replaced(and this didn't correct the problem it was supposed to), power steering pressure line replaced(I say this is major because the dealer had the car 16 days for this repair), and now my P/S rack has to be replaced. If yours hasn't had many problems then your probably okay once the warranty expires. Mine has been a total lemon. Sadly though, I really like the car. I guess I'm like an 80s Jaguar owner. I know the car is trouble, but I still like it anyway. Now when the 60K warranty is up, well lets just say I hope to be driving a Cadillac CTS by that point:) The only thing I would do before the warranty is up, is make sure everything is still functioning properly and there are no odd noises. And if you do need to take it in, take it in ASAP rather than waiting for 59,900 miles as my experience has been when a dealer has to start taking things apart to repair something, another problem soon shows up. On a different note, isn't the Intrigue a great road car!

redline65

Your car has had a lot of problems. Most of mine have been little stuff - batteries, sensors, trim, ISS replacement, etc.. '99 GL with 55K miles.

dindak

I actually spent about 2 1/2 hours cleaning up our Intrigue on the weekend. Looks almost new. Proudly drove it around on some errands Sunday. Looks much nicer than the new Accords even after the years. Very classy.

It's too bad you got a bad car, I feel for you buddy.

winbro

I was one who had one of those intrigues you might have seen in august 1997. In fact, my Vin# ended with 1035 - manufactured may 1997. even though I had it until last month, I had many of the problems you described as well as others. fortunately, most were pesky in nature, but did require MANY trips to the dealer during the first 3 years. I would say I had anywhere between 20-30 minor problems all fixed under warranty ranging from a/c vent falling out to door trim pulling away (puckering) to bulbs blowing out, window molding falling down when opening windows; window motors failing etc......my favorite though was the 12 disc cd changer that did not work from day 1. it took the dealer 4 tries to get it right (the last time a loaner car was given for the weekend). all told in 3 years I got loaners 4 times.

but you are right, styling still looked crisp.

upststedon

dindak, and oldsman01
Thanks for your replies, the level of trim is the base version or DX with traction control.
To date the only problems have been the light flicker problem, which seems to only happen in the cold weather, and some wind noise, which I have just learned to live with. It does seem that during hot weather stop and go city driving the tranny shifts a little harsh. Other than oil changes, and new michelin Xones, nothing else has been replaced. And yes I do love the car, a couple weeks ago I spent 5 hours detailing her, nothing like a clean ride. Was thinking of doing the brakes myself, any comments on this, I have done many brake jobs, but if anything is different on this car let me know.
Thanks
Don in upstate ny

dindak

I had the same flicker in cold issue. Had the alternator replaced just before the warranty was up so I get another year on that part. Seemed to have fixed the problem though, we shall see in December.

mfletouva

Hello all...
My Red 2002 GL w/PCS and Sun and Sound is up to 8960 miles. I had the scratch/dent from the right rear wheelwell area removed fixed and now it looks great again. Still no problems.

 One thing though--every since they fixed my car, there has been some sort of a light powdery type of substance on my windshield. I assume it has to do with the paintwork that was done as they repainted the quarter panel and the door. You can only really see it when you are in the sun, but no amount of Windex has removed it. I would go back to the dealer but i just don't have time right now. Anyone know what this could be and how I can rid of it? The car also seemed sort of dusty inside when I got it back and it may be the same stuff, but I cleaned it throughly and now its good.

I park in a government-operated secure parking facility in Washington where you have to show an ID to a security guard to get into the facility. The other day I pulled up, rolled down my window to show him my ID, and the guard said..."yo man what kind of ride is this...that's a sweet looking car!" I told him it was an Intrigue, and he said "Intrigue? Never heard of it...is it a new model?" I told him that it was an Oldsmobile and actually they recently stopped making them. He said he couldn't imagine why and it looked great and wondered why there weren't more around.

Good question.

But, it made my day...

focus

as to why many government people are associated with the car (eg. X file, etc.)?

b4z

Clearcoat. have it buffed out.

oldsman01

I've had the same type questions and response about my car as well.

rjs200240

I'd try clay to remove it. Sounds like overspray. You don't want anyone to buff glass as the heat can shatter it. If it is overspray, clay will safely make short work of it.

mfletouva

Hmm, interesting, thanks for the response. What do you mean by clay--is this something I can buy in an autostore? If its clearcoat, would some type of paint remover work is that a no-no? I have to say that while I feel I know my Intrigue pretty well, I know almost nothing about its paint!

As for government types, I don't know! Sorry to say though, I am not as INTRIGUING (ok really bad sorry) as those X-Files types. I'm just a Press Secretary for a US Senator...

b4z

Razorblades are the quickest way to remove anything on glass.
You can get them at a paint store.

sda

I couldn't help but notice that the taillight and trunk styling on the current Hyundai Sonata looks like an Intrigue on a smaller scale. Copycats. Ofcourse, the Intrigue looks much better.

I get tickled when I read about much smaller cars with smaller engines that get worse gas mileage than what the Intrigue does. For example, on the PT Cruiser forum, 18mpg as normal while it is noisy and hardly quick?? The Intrigue will blow it in the weeds in refinement, acceleration and mpg. Mine consistently gets 22+ mpg in town. Enjoy the weekend.