Oldsmobile Intrigue

wcooley

The car I was having problems with is a 98 GLS. The inter. steering shaft was replaced and that made the clunking sound go away. This is not the same problem. It is something in the steering rack or similiar.

limadelta

spitasky...The SHO from Ford actually had me go down and view that iteration of the Taurus because of the engine that Yamaha built for Ford.

I may be unique, but I don't think that I was the only one that entered a Ford showroom to see a 'go fast' version of the Taurus. Motor heads will go and look at car that otherwise may not have interested them. Witness the full size Impala that Chevrolet built a few years ago. The Caprice was a butt ugly car until Chevy got their act together and dropped a ripper engine into the Caprice along with some design changes. In speciality vehicles, I believe the engines are what bring people into a dealership and, even if you never were intrigued by a car before, the uniqueness of the engine will get you in the door.

The buzz that I've been hearing about the Mercury Marauder will also do the same for the Marquis. Not an exciting vehicle, but drop an engine into it the performs along with design changes and "they will come."

2 cents worth of opinion and keep the change.

jgriff

Yes I agree with you, networks are capable of tracking ones activity, especially in the work place. I work in the I.T. I.S. field as well, so I understand the tech side. However the PC is not following your physical habit and movements, it may be gaining knowledge of your surfing habits, but one can maintain virtual anonymity, as long as one is not trying to sabotage/hack-up other systems. You can view/shop most sites w/o giving them your vital info if you don’t want to, it at the POP [point-of-purchase] or registration that they start gaining knowledge of you.

I have given Olds/GM a lot info on my experiences, the question was/is will they take any kind of positive action on it?

lee18

If the airbag diagnostic indicates high resistance accompanied by steering turn roughness it may be that wiring inside the steering column is binding between turning and non-turning parts and is possibly broken. It may also be the coil that transfers the airbag wires from the fixed column wiring harness to your rotating steering wheel is broken. Just a guess.

mkco

The OSV definitely would have kept me in the Intrigue family. Now, I'm leaning toward getting something different when my lease is up.

As far as Onstar, I resent having to pay $500 for something I don't want. But it probably won't keep me from getting another GM car. The Intrigue has made me a GM fan (something I never thought I'd be).

bryangz

Having just drove a 2000 Lesabre with the 3.8 for 400 + miles, I think I can honestly say that the 3.5 is a smoother, quieter, and stronger engine. On the otherhand, anyone who says anything bad about the 3.8 should be made to drive a Ford or Dodge V-6 for a month. Compared to the 4.6 OHC V-8 I had in my 94 T-Bird, the GM 3.5/or 3.8 V-6 powertrain have more power and instant response.

While I will post it to the Lesabre list, I noticed that the 3.8 in my parent's Lesabre seems to vibrate more than the 3.8 in my 1996 Olds LSS. Is this the case, or am I just used to the smoothness of the 3.5 in the Intrigue?

Another thing I have noticed about the Intrigue is that besides the occasional road noise (Eagle LS tires on certain pavement?), wind noise is almost none existent.

Thank God I don't live in Buffalo!!!!!!!!

Bryan ; )

limadelta

What are you folks replacing the OEM Eagle LS tires with?

I've seen a reference to Michelin Pilot's here a few weeks back. How do those tires work as far as noise or performance?

Thank ya, thank ya.

vcjumper

I hear it pretty good in my Intrigue, especially on the highway when I usually cruise at 130-140km/hr depending on traffic at 100km/hr or 55-60mph, it is pretty quiet. But I don't think it is more than other cars in its class.

If there is one thing the Eagle LS are above average for, it is noise. I think they are fairly quiet. Mine should be good for almost another year, so by then there should be lots of opinions here about replacement alternatives.

vcjumper

In this article, they claim the 3.5L in the osv Alero is good for 245hp/255lb.ft. torque. Looks like it has a K&N intake and Borla exhaust. Don't think that alone would be good enough for 30hp!?!

one2one

I put the Michelin Pilot XGT H4's on my Intrigue and am very, very pleased. They cost $112 on sale per tire but are well worth it. I must add that I got the "H" rated tires. They are considerably more quiet than the Goodyear's. It's especially noticeable in the rain. It used to sound like someone was spraying a hose under the car but now it's hushed. Hard to describe but definitely worth the money.

The ride feels better... not as mushy as the standard Goodyears. Folks with the Goodyear H rated tires may not notice a big performance difference but for those with the regular Eagle LS will be satisfied.

hounddog3

The Pontiac Grand Am is now ahead of Intrigue in the write in for top 10. This must be a mistake.

To vote see post 60 for where to cast your ballot.

etharmon

I have mixed feelings about Onstar being standard on the Intrigue. It's probably fine that it is standard on higher end cars(i.e. Cadillacs, Aurora, etc) but I think on the Intrigue, it should still be optional. Even on the high end models. Having said that, with GM using it in more and more models, the cost per unit comes down so it doesn't add much to the cost of the car. If you disable the transceiver, the syetem cannot work. The critical part of Onstar is the cellular link. The GPS unit is what tracks the car's location, but the cellular link is how the car communicates with the Onstar center. If the air bags deploy, the cell phone part of the system automatically calls the Onstar center with a special message. This is also how the system relays information on the car's vital stats and is how it unlocks the car remotely. I'm sure there is a power source for the Onstar system which can be disconnected if you like. I do see how there is the potential for GM to watch your every move, but I don't really think they need to. They already know quite a bit about you. If you financed your car through GMAC, they aleady know your credit report and score. You guys know how conservative that I am and that I don't like the idea of "big brother" watching me one bit, but I'm really not too concerned with that. It would cost GM millions to have people and computers tracking everyone with Onstar every move. Remember, part of the Onstar service is an agreement with cellular carriers to provide the cell service. If you don't pay this, then the cellular service is not connected and basically all they can do is track the car through GPS. And I'm sure you could unhook the wires going to the GPS unit and disable that.

SHO and OSV. I think OSV would increase Oldsmobile's appeal. The SHO is the ONLY Taurus I would ever consider. The SVT line has created a cult following and Ford shot themselves in the foot by dropping the SHO and SVT Contour as these cars enhanced their image. Similar to what the SI model has done for the Honda Civic, the Type R to Acura, and TRD to Toyota. The cars sell in small numbers, but enhance the sporty image of the brand.

A problem. Thats right, I have discovered a problem. With the weather being very cold the past few days, I've noticed the rear suspension "creaks" when rebounding after going over small and moderate bumps. Speed bumps and backing down the driveway onto the street(where there is a slight difference in pavement height) is where I have noticed this. I can't tell if it is the struts or the springs, but I have noticed this the past few days. It's not overly loud, but it is noticeable. Any ideas or anyone else have this? Seems I remember that the rear struts were replaced on Edmund's long term Intrigue for being noisy. I guess I'll make an appointment for next week and enjoy a day with a 2000(or maybe a 2001).

etharmon

Where is it again that the vote is For cars that it:) I'll be sure to punch the ballot correctly!

spitasky

Got to use the traction control (3.5l) quite a bit last night: great feature. Works great. Doesn't do anything dramatic or unnerving, you just see the "low trac" light go on, and the tach and speedo drop.

I particularly like that it not only uses the breaks and modulates the engine, but that it upshifts the transmission.

b4z

They call it the Top 10 List but only the first six show on the page. Whch puts us at a severe disadvantage. What's up with the Grand Am? I guess its quantity over quality. To vote, click on view nominations.
http://www.top10sa.comTop10List.asp?ListID=17

one2one

Saw "The 6th Day" this past weekend. Seeing it again this weekend (yeah, yeah, nothing's changed since the last time I saw it but heah, I liked it).

Won't tell you anything plot related but GM basically had a 90 minute promo for the potential of OnStar. Every time a car moved OnStar was on the screen and a computerized female voice requesting the destination buzzed over the speakers. They even had OnStar drive the car while the characters talked like 2 passengers in the back seat! It really didn't need to be in the film as the same dialog could have occured with someone driving. I guess they had to create a "futuristic" environment. I don't know.

Any thoughts?

schloiz

The numbers seem a little fishy to me...the top six account for 99.9% of the votes cast....or is the analysis of % only looking at the top six vote getters?

If all the nominated cars [400+ votes] represent 0.1% of the total, then the Intrigue would need 50,000 votes to join the Accord and 528i at 12%.

b4z

I have a feeling nobody is monitoring the site at "Top 10." Shouldn't it be 2001 cars not 2000 cars. The correct URL is.
http://www.Top10sa.com/Top10List.asp?ListID=17

bryangz

I knew that the Intrigue's traction control used the brakes and decreased engine rpms to regain traction, but that it shifts to a higher gear? Is that correct?
Also, on my 94 T-Bird, if you shifted into second gear, first gear was locked out and you essentially started up in second gear, giving the rear wheel driver a little more traction (theorectically). Does the Intrigue have this?

Bryan

teo

Fellow Intriguers and GM W-body fans! ;-)

spitasky

I am almost certain that it upshifts ... but they are not saying that on the website now. I'll check my owner's manual ('99GL). It is definitely hard to tell what it is trying when the traction control is operating.

Regarding the shifter ... putting the shifter in second starts in first gear, it doesn't lockout 2nd.

mrmiata

Those of you with a dead link at "view nominations" I would gladly take a bet on your using Netscape . Try the MSN browser! Just tried and voted...maybe it ought to say optimized for MSN.....

mrmiata

Just an fyi for the Intrigue owner wondering about his. My '98 went in for a looksee at some strange happenings. Seems with the car started and sitting still, "whipping" the wheel left and right produced a "thump" felt in the floorboard. Dealer replaced my half shaft and was still there. He then replaced the rack and pinion and it was gone. Car still felt fine just driving so maybe an "early warning" method?

etharmon

98s and 99s with the 3800 V6 have a less sophisticated traction control than models with the 3.5 do. Mine has the 3800 and basically all the traction control does is reduce engine output to the spinning wheels. Models with the "shortstar" use the same basic traction control system that the Aurora and Northstar Cadillacs use which applies the brake on the spinning wheel, reduces engine output, and forces an upshift. Once traction is regained, the transmission goes back to a normal shift pattern.

dindak

Been away for a few days as my wife just gave birth to our first child, Emma. I think she enjoyed the ride home today in the Intrigue, she was happy all the way home. ;-)

RE: On Star. No big deal on the "Big Brother" issue. I do take a bit of issue in paying for it if I'm never going to use it however. In the end, there isn't a lot one can do. All car companies are moving in this direction eventually, GM is just the first.

RE: Buffalo. It's amazing how less than an hour away there is sooo much snow. We have none at all here in the Toronto area yet. The power of lake effect snow is frightening.

yurakm

Congratulations to your wife and to you with Emma!

j_coleman

Congratulations dindak!

etharmon: I think it is called "Full Function Traction Control" with the shortstar. What is it called with the 3800?

I had a scary experience with it last night. The roads were wet and I hit the gas to get through an intersection with no light. Traction control kicked in and it slowed me down so much that I was close to getting hit by traffic from the left and right. I guess it's better than just spinning your wheels though.

The voting website is not "Netscape friendly". I guess developers think everyone loves MSIE.

b4z

Congratulations! Is there a minivan in your future?

teo

Is there a 2002 Bravada in your future? or an Aurora?

vcjumper

Hope the whole family is doing well.

vcjumper

Have the 3.5L and I had a similar experience to j_coleman last spring trying to take a left turn and just inching ahead into harms way instead of through the intersection.

bryangz

First car I had with ABS was my T-Bird. ABS stops you straight, but I slid through a snowy intersection before I came to a stop. Talk about white knuckled. At least you can turn the traction control off. Might be something to think about.

Bryan

dindak

Thanx guys!

No minivans in our future (my wife hates them). A 2002 Bravada would be nice but with gas at 70-75 cents/ liter, I'm not sure I can afford to feed it. If gas prices stay high, perhaps a Saturn LS or a Saab wagon may be in the cards in a year or two.

etharmon

Wow, no posts in an entire day!! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Dindak- Congratulations on your new arrival. I'm sure you and your wife are very proud parents right now. I recently saw a 2002 Bravada at an auto show and was very impressed. I'm not a big SUV fan, but if the new inline six performs as well as the magazines are saying, I might give one a look in a few years. With the 2001 Aurora and the 2002 Bravada, I do think Olds is here to stay for a while. If they could just get people in the door to test drive an Intrigue or an Alero, I'm convinced their sales would double as the cars pretty much sell themselves once you actually drive one. My father is seriously considering trading his 95 Aurora for new car soon and the 2001 Aurora seems to be at the top of his list. I plan to go with him to test drive very soon. We plan to test both the V6 and V8 models back to back. I will report as soon as we test the cars. I know he'll want the V8 model after driving the 95 for several years, but I do want to give both models a good test drive and since I'd like to see how the 3.5 feels in the Aurora.

dindak

Thanx for the wishes.

The new Bravada does look very good. I will check it out at the Toronto auto show in February. From what I can see however, the mileage is still typical midsize SUV, which scares me when gas costs so much.

As for Oldsmobile, it seems to do pretty well in my area (Oakville ON). There are many Intrigues, Auroras and vans around. Fresh exciting TV spots during the Superbowl is what they should think about.

ketch

Ok, so my 2000 Intrigue GL is a year old as of Nov 24th. Wanted to post some experiences, esp. for those coming here to read in advance of a new purchase:

Miles=9300
PROBLEMS:
[1]2900 miles- Winshield Washer bottle leaks. Fixed under warrantee (replaced pump gasket and assembly)

[2]4000 miles- Rattle inside pass. side rear door.
Fixed under warrantee, fix was to repl. plastic rivet with a screw. No prob. since.

[3]5400 miles- Broken dash receptacle.
Fixed under warrantee, caused by owner (me!) when I opened the small receptacle left of steering wheel, on dash, and forced it to far trying to get someting out. Not considered a quality glitch then, but owner misuse.

[4]8000 miles- squeak in dash near glovebox.
No fix needed, as some Amorall sprayed/applied
to inside of the glovebox stopped it.


....so overall, minor AND few problems seen, and this with a hard driver as well. Naysayers here will say "just wait", but I'll also tell you they are the same ones who have said the car was problematic early on, which has not been my experience.

To those considering a 2001, I say this car is an excellent sports sedan that has exceeded my expectations for more than just quality, and to seriously consider this choice when looking. For the price, value and equipment levels, even a year later, few other cars match up, Domestic or foreign.

grbeck

dindak: Congratulations on the new addition to your family!

etharmon: Regarding Olds' future, I just picked up the Autoweek 2001 Ultimate Buyers Guide. The first section lists all of the individual car models by brand, and then gives a brief description of future plans. According to Autoweek, the Alero is scheduled to be redesigned on the 2003 Epsilon platform, while a "stretched version" of the Intrigue is planned for 2004. As Autoweek is published by the same people who publish Automotive News, I figure they have the inside scoop. I hope this is accurate, as it shows that Olds does have a future beyond the 2002 Bravada. Unfortunately, 2001 Auroras are piling up on dealers' lots around Harrisburg, Pa. Of course, actually advertising it (or the Intrigue, for that matter) wouldn't hurt! It's amazing Olds has sold as many Intrigues as it has, considering the nonexistent ad campaigns! I read about Ford Tauruses having transmission problems after two years (which is far more serious than a noisy front suspension), but they still fly off the lots, thanks to the constant promotion. Around here, you can't turn on the televison without hearing yet ANOTHER Ford commercial.

I'm curious - are you a member of the Oldsmobile Club of America? You seem to come from a real Olds family. My family had Oldsmobile 88s from 1972 on; when it came time for me to buy my first car, I went with the Honda Civic because the GM offerings in that class were rather lackluster. (Unfortunately, the intervening 13 years haven't changed that much.) My connection to the rocket logo was a 1972 Cutlass Supreme Holiday coupe that I sold about a month ago.

redly_one

I took advantage of the opportunity to spend the week driving an '01 Aurora rental (3.5L) ($30 a day nonetheless, much better than the $25/day Malibu) on a recent trip to Indianapolis. I must say, it is a beauty of a car. I truly wish my Intrigue had the stereo, dual switch sunroof , climate control, and sun visors that the aurora has.
Other than that, for $32K+, I will stick with the ~$20K Intrigue.
The Aurora felt like a heavier car off the line (because it is, I suppose) and the steering was much stiffer that the Intrigue. Those two things alone, after a week, were enough to make the trip home from the Airport as wonderful of a drive as when I first bought my Intrigue.

Happy Intriguing!!!

spitasky

In checked out my owner's manual. It definitely noted that the traction control will upshift, as well as apply brakes and control the engine (3.5l) as Etharmon noted.

However, if you go to the intriguecar website, they no longer list the transmission feature of the traction control. Do you think this feature was removed?

dindak

I didn't drive the 01 Aurora as much as you did but I liked it a lot. That being said (and given my budget), My 2000 GL was a better value in my eyes. Same power train in a smaller more agile package.

dwg

dindak: Congratulations on the addition to your family. Hope everyone is doing well. Stay away from the minivans if you can. My vote is for a '02 Bravada as well, but I'm not the one with a college fund to start.

dwg

dindak

If I win the lottery, I will definitely get a 02 Bravada. If not, it may have to wait.

ketch

Off to Disney World next week, and apparently GM has a display set up at EPCOT. We hope to get into the VIP area with a pass from my Father-in-law who works for GM's train division (Electromotive). I am looking to see if any Oldsmobile info and/or displays are there to help push the brand (hope so).

Sorry, I am a pro-Minivan, anti-SUV, dad, who see the former as practical and efficient, and the later as just the opposite. I've got the Intrigue anyways when I want a "break".

j_coleman

Will the engine in the '02 Bravada get better or worse fuel mileage than the Intrigue? Don't know if I could stand paying more for gas than I do now.

ketch

The new inline 6 has more power AND gas mileage than the 4.3 v6 it replaces, but expect it to be below the Intrigue's 19 city mileage for sure.

vcjumper

I prefer minivans to SUVs based on the way they drive. I cringe every time I have to drive a Jimmy or Grand Cherokee, regardless of how many toys are in the interior. Haven't tried the Escape/Tribute that is raved on about how car like it is though. Give me a Saab turbo wagon with the 7.0sec 0-60 :-).

b4z

My sister had a saab 900, i can tell you some stories about that car. Arrrrrgh.

b4z

Did you guys see the post from kyskier in the intrigue brake forum? He has a '98 with the autobahn package and has 72,000 miles with no problems.
He states that after coming to a stop he lets the car roll forward so that the hot pads do not stay in the same place on the rotors.
Never thought of that!!!

b4z

The bravada will definitely get worse gas mileage than the intrigue. It will also probably have a rearend as short as 4.10 also. It will get better gas mileage than the explorer though.
The bravada may be almost as fast as the intrigue.
The intrigue has a power to weight ratio of 15.8
and the bravada's is only slightly worse at 16.3

yurakm

Why you need Saab, when GP GTP and Regal GS are available? They have make 0-60mph in about the same time, are much bigger inside and more comfortable. And not so much different from your Intrigue.

I hope, though, that GM will start manufacturing cars with supercharged 3.5l v-6 soon. Not only demos for exhibitions, but real cars. The cars everybody can buy at his dealer.