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Oldsmobile Intrigue

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  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    I was talking about the Saab because of its wagon configuration. I have a couple friends who have had good luck with them and Volvos, but the 9-5 is obviously very pricey.

    Anyone know if the GM inline will take premium fuel?
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    It is a pity there is almost no American wagons anymore. Small Saturn and not so reliable Taurus/Sable - that is all I know. Why GM did not bother to make at least one wagon on the W-platform?
  • mrmiatamrmiata Member Posts: 7
    I learned the warped rotor avoidance method long ago. Can't recall just where, might have been in high school auto mechanics...think there were disc brakes back then : ). I've formed a habit of "heavy" braking leaving room for a "cool off" roll out prior to coming to a stop. Never warped a rotor in 25 years of driving.
  • mrmiatamrmiata Member Posts: 7
    My wife has informed me that on occasion our Intrigue will surge forward when she starts it. Also said she has notice a whine in reverse. Anybody have like experiences or is she just finding problems in her mind, in light of the steering and brake problems I've told her about?
    I drive my Miata the majority of the time and haven't noticed anything in my limited Intrigue driving time.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    We need more wagons. Hopefully they will become
    popular again. I learned to drive in my mon's 1977 yellow impala station wagon. 145 Hp 5.0 liter V8, 0-60 in 13 seconds. Lots of fond memories of that car.
    I have 198,000 miles on the original rotors in my camaro, I must be doing something right. It is also a 5 speed so i take my foot of the brakes at stoplights.
    Saabs have the worst Noise, vibration and harshness characteristics of any vehicle i have driven. We sold my sister's '87 for $500, the transmission no longer worked. It only had 106,000
    miles on it. The money she spent on that thing boggles the mind. I hated that car.
    They are mainly for someone who wants something different and with a lot of character.
  • etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    grbeck- No, I'm not a member of any Olds club. Do you have any links or information as I might be interested in it though. Of all GM divisions, I've alwasy liked Olds best second only to Cadillac.

    redly one- What company rents Auroras? I've checked with several rental car companies and all they have for large sedans are LeSabres, Bonnevilles, Crown Vics, and Grand Marquis unless you step up to luxury then the choices are pretty much a base Cadillac Deville or Lincoln Town Car.
  • redly_oneredly_one Member Posts: 122
    You can find the Aurora at Enterprise, Indy Airport. I was suprised by that one, also. The selection varied quite a bit...Aurora, Malibu, Galant, Taurus, Sunfire...so much for brand loyalty :)
  • ketchketch Member Posts: 217
    Back to what I said earlier, and "on topic" with wagons here, I still say an Intrigue wagon would make a great ride. The VW Passat and others prove some market is there for "premium" wagons, and the Intrigue would look great with its fender bulges and other styling trates on such a model. Hell, they could still use the same tail lights and license plate pocket to keep the nice rear look. Of course they (Olds) should've already done this, and shows how moribound GM think is these days. Of course they did choose to bring the Aztec out, shoing some willingness to take risks, albeit misguided ones style wise. The only bad thing with an Intrigue wagon is Olds dealers who would add a woody look package!
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    What does it take to get us on the Top 10 List?
    The impala now has almost 30% of the vote.
    I have emailed them to ask what it is that we need to do to be included. After going to the Top 10 site you can click on "contacts" to email them, Or webmaster@top-ten.net.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Actually an Intrigue wagon would be a neat idea. I doubt it would ever be considered, but if it was done right I would take a look. The Saturn LS V6 wagon is probably going to be the "family" vehicle I look at if gas prices stop my SUV purchase.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    With the increasing fuel prices and the questionable safety and high costs of SUVS a midsize station wagon makes a lot of sense. In recent times the only domestic manufacturer that was more or less successful with keeping station wagons popular was Ford with the Taurus/Sable models. GM needs to expand their lineup of wagons. Chevy, Buick and Olds could benefit from them.
  • dwgdwg Member Posts: 43
    It seems that the success of the Volvo X-Country and similar AWD wagons is reviving that segment, at least at the high end. (I'd even trade my Intrigue in for an Audi Avant Quattro if I won the lottery!) I wouldn't be surprised to see GM follow suit, although it may be more in the form of all purpose vehicles like the Aztek and upcoming Buick Rendezvous. DaimlerChrysler had on tap (for '04 I think) a really neat design for an all purpose vehicle based on the LH platform -- sort of an AWD 300M. Of course, DC has its own problems now so I won't be holding my breath for that model any time soon.

    dwg
  • grbeckgrbeck Member Posts: 2,358
    The club's website can be accessed at www.oldsclub.org. The club puts out a monthly magazine, Journey With Olds. The various chapters around the country put on small regional shows throughout the year. My chapter, the Blue/Gray Chapter of central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, holds a summer show and a fall show, both at local Olds dealers. The national club also puts on a national meet every year in July. This year's meet was held in New Jersey.

    An Intrigue wagon would be great, but lately GM seems to be putting the bulk of its development dollars towards trucks and SUVs.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    With gas prices showing little sign of falling, I think GM is already seeing SUV sales falling in the future. With announcements of big money being put into GM's small car development and smaller crossover vehicles, you may see big SUV development on the backburner soon enough. A slowing economy may push this home even faster.
  • etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    The wagon is a very good idea. I think that the Impala and Intrigue could use a wagon version and either the Regal or Intrigue get a coupe version.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Federal regulations have driven us to buy SUVs. Here in South Carolina nobody actually needs 4 wheel drive, but they are everywhere. People buy SUVs because of their lifestyle. The carpools, the vacations and the boats they need to tow.
    While at a boat landing last summer, I noticed that out of over 100 vehicles with trailers, only one was a passenger car. It was a body on frame Crown Vic. The unibody cars generally do not have the towing capacity that a full frame vehicle has.
    All the federal regulations that have been put on the manufactures have driven buyers to trucks and Suvs.
    I think wagons are making a comeback, especially by the european manufacturers.
  • spitaskyspitasky Member Posts: 12
    Does anyone with a sunroof have trouble with it making noise (chattering/squeaking)? My dad and I both have a sunroof, his is solid, no noise.

    Of course, these are hard to isolate, so the dealership has been of little help. It has done this since the day I drove it off the lot a 1.5 years ago.
  • j_colemanj_coleman Member Posts: 143
    I had to take the Intrigue to the dealer today. The engine almost stalled a few times in the past week and it was taking a long time to start. The "service engine soon" light came on yesterday. The dealer replaced the crankshaft position sensor (part# 10456594).

    Needless to say, this car has had its share of problems. The results of my long-term test:

    '99 GL bought 6/30/99 (built 5/99, 3.5L engine)
    19560 miles total

    1. Car would not start - battery was replaced
    2. Front end clunking/rattling - intermediate steering shaft was replaced
    3. Front doors hard to open - trim along the top of the doors had migrated backwards, dealer repositioned.
    4. Transmission shift lever too loose - dealer tightened
    5. Glove box light did not turn off when closed - dealer glued the switch bumper down
    6. Rough starting, nearly stalling, SES light on - dealer replaced the crankshaft sensor.

    Nothing too surprising here. Most of these problems have been encountered by other owners and posted on this board.

    The Consumer Reports 2001 Buying Guide lists the '99 Intrigue as a "Used Car to Avoid". The '98 Intrigue gets an "average reliability" checkmark, and the '99 Intrigue gets no checkmark, which means worse than average.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I don't know where they get their data from, but the 98's had more problems than the 99s. I like CR for a reference to most products, but I don't like their car testing division. I much prefer MT, C&D and AutoWeek (especially live on Speedvision).
  • ninaraininarai Member Posts: 5
    hello all! Have questions for you intrigue owners. I own a 98, have had it for 1 1/2 yrs, and have had my fair share of problems. The latest, well sort of. Back when it was still in warranty, I noticed excessive wind noise and draft through the drivers window. The dealer could not duplicate the problem. I then did some research on my own and found a tech service bulletin for same problem. I brought back to dealer. They still could not duplicate the problem. It was back to the dealer for a intermediate steering shaft and a wheel bearing among other things and they still could not find the wind noise/draft. Now it is out of warranty and the noise is no longer a swishing, but a distinct whistle above 40 mph! I have taken to my mechanic and he replaced the window seal. No luck. Even louder whistle now. This makes me insane as it is right at ear level! I turn the stereo up, no luck, I can still hear the damn thing. Anyone have this problem, or any suggestions as to what to fix next, before I go legally insane?
    Any help is appreciated.
  • j_colemanj_coleman Member Posts: 143
    My windows are sealed tight - no noises.

    Consumer Reports gets its data from surveys that it sends out to its readers. People are asked to answer "yes" or "no" questions about repairs they have had on major components of their vehicles. Of course, the questions can be open to interpretation. Some may not consider a problem serious enough to respond negatively. Some people may not answer truthfully also.
  • limadeltalimadelta Member Posts: 49
    ninarai::::I noticed the same type of noise in my '98 and this is starting to occur (to a lesser degree) in my '00.

    What tech bulletin are you referring to, or where can I find the page that lists this tech bulletin?

    Thank you
  • j_colemanj_coleman Member Posts: 143
    For those of you with the wind noise - have you ever applied silicone gel to the weatherstripping of your doors? There is a piece that goes all the way around the door itself and a piece that goes around the door frame. Maybe the door is not making a good seal when closed and is allowing air to slip through. The manual says to do it every six months.
  • marktestmarktest Member Posts: 43
    I had a 98 GL and had a wind noise at high speed on hot days, sounded like going over a draw bridge and you could feel the window vibrating. the dealer couldnot/would not fix it and oldsmobile was no help.

    I found the noise would stop if the window was ever so slightly lowered to remove the compressive load on he glass when it was raised all the way to the motor stop. You could see the door breath when the window was raised all the way. If I lowered just enough to take out the Breath, it would stop the noise.

    Ultimately I fixed all the problems, Magna Groan steering noises, bubbling interior door panels, leaking trunk, leaking water pump, high speed wind noise and other misc by getting rid of the car at a terrible depriciation loss.
  • etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    Have you guys seen the new(well it's been airing for some time now) commercial for the Camry? It's the one where some goofy looking guy is driving it and all these attractive women are looking at him as he goes by. The song "Love is in the air" is playing and the text reads "chics love it" or something like that. I guess I'm just driving the wrong car. Maybe if i drove that "sexy" Camry, I'd get more chics:) On a more serious note, if Toyota can run really stupid ads like that one and the "I'm too sexy" ones and still sell a boatload of cars I think Olds should really consider running some serious ads promoting the Intrigue. It seems they had some decent ads back in 98 and 99. The one I remember basically showed an Intrigue driving on a desert road and you could hear the engine revving up. I thought these were pretty good ads, but I haven't seen them in a year or more. In fact, I seldomly see any Intrigue ad on tv. I've seen a few more in print and I'm seeing more and more of the full line ads, but not the Intrigue.
  • redly_oneredly_one Member Posts: 122
    Spitaski-
    My sunroof makes a rattling noise in the up position. It's the strangest thing, quite irritating to boot.

    Ninari-
    I feel for ya man. I had a 94 Olds Cutlass that was quiet as could be. THEN, I took it in to get detailed/carpets shampooed/the works. After I got it back, I began experiencing the same problem. It drove me crazy enough to sell the Cutlass and buy an Intrigue...was that a good idea???
  • redly_oneredly_one Member Posts: 122
    I've seen this twice. When I start my car up cold, I get a light that I think means low coolant (no words, just red symbol). My coolant level is fine, and the light is corrected by a re-start. I don't like it, though.

    Also, what's the deal the "Change Oil" light? Did they just forget to reset it when the car was serviced? Another dislike...

    Have a nice day
  • spitaskyspitasky Member Posts: 12
    I had the coolant light come on when I started the car cold -- noticed the problem was worse when the car was parked nose-first on a hill -- and the dealer added just a bit of coolant and the light stays off now.

    You can also reset the change oil light yourself, it's in the manual, there's some combination using the accelerator pedal and the ignition switch.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Unfortunately you have a first year 98 model Intrigue. I remember almost buying one in 1997, but opting for the Grand Prix because of my 1st year fears. I now have a 2000 Intrigue and love it. Zero problems. It's unfortunate the 98s had problems for people like you though. It also hurt the Intrigue name a bit for the long term.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Just saw the new 2001 Consumer Reports Car Guide and they now recommend Intrigue as reliability is "back to average".

    I'm not a big believer in CR, but this should be good news for sales as many people do only look at CR recommended cars.
  • etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    Yeah, you made a good move trading the Cutlass for the Intrigue. Much much better design. As for the oil change light, my dealer forgets to reset it every time. I change my oil about every 3000-4000 miles and the light will go to about 6000 or more before it comes on so I will usually get the light halfway between changes. I just reset it myself. I wish the Intrigue had a reset button like the Alero does(or even better a display like the Aurora does) to reset it. My father's Aurora is always reset to 100% when he gets his oil changed. I guess Olds likes to make it tricky as I remember on my 89 Toronado you had to press 3 different buttons together to reset the oil life monitor.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    This is not specific to Olds. With Buick Regal the reset button is available, but only as an option.

    The car can be equipped by an optional information center. This is a small pane on the bottom of tachometer, plus a set of buttons. The pane displays, depending on the mode, the percentage of oil life, or estimated mileage for the amount of gas currently in the tank, or fuel consumption / mileage per gallon, etc. The oil life can be reset by a button.

    Without the info center, though, to reset the oil counter (as well as different programmed modes) you have to perform some strange sequences of actions with gear shift, pedals, ignition lock, door locks, etc. I would not dare to do it without the car manual on my lap. Next to impossible to remember, and why load the head by the nonsense?

    Probably, the same is true with different trims or option packages for Intrigue.
  • mkcomkco Member Posts: 65
    I noticed that you traded a Grand Prix for an Intrigue. My '98 Intrigue lease is about to expire and I'm thinking about going in the opposite direction. How do you compare the two cars? Thanks!
  • etharmonetharmon Member Posts: 399
    I know the Regal does offer a driver info center as well as the GP, but the Intrigue does not offer this on any trim level. I wish it did.
  • varealtorvarealtor Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Intrigue with 28k miles. Beginning in early November, it has started using a qt of oil every 3000 miles. According the local service dept., this is normal, but I have a hard time believing this to be true.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I had a 98 Grand Prix SE with the 3800 until it got totalled in March (not my fault). I like both cars very much. The reasons I switched to the Intrigue were a) Intrigue has a more refined interior, b) The 3.5L appealed to me though I do love the 3800 and c) I was satisfied that the 98 bugs were indeed rooted out. After 20K+ and 9 months of ownership I am still happy with my decision. I think I like the exterior looks of the Grand Prix GT are better, but the overall driving experience of the Intrigue makes it my choice.

    I should also mention that the Grand Prix had no incentives at the time (March) and the Intrigue had 4.9% financing. This made it a no brainer for me.
  • hounddog3hounddog3 Member Posts: 15
    Varelator:::::::::There have been some previous post on this site discussing oil consumption with the 3.5 short star. There were two trains of thought. One was that the rings are intentionally designed to reduce friction resulting in some oil consumption with a trade off of longer engine life and increased fuel economy. The other thought is with 24 valves there are all those stems and seals for the oil to leak past.

    In any case 1 quart per 3000 miles should not be of any serious concern. Most warranties will not cover any consumption rate unless it is less than 500 miles per quart.

    You did not mention the oil you are using and the type of driving. But you would have less oil consumption using a synthetic such as Mobil 1.

    One other thing, the post reported that the oil consumption normally decreases at about your mileage.

    I have a 2000 Intrigue program vehicle with 30,000 miles and it is using a little oil, but I have not put enough miles on to have a bench mark. As an estimate it is probably about the same as you report.
  • oscarz2oscarz2 Member Posts: 153
    This was discussed quite a bit in the archives. My 99 3.5 burns about a quart every 3k. According to GM, a quart every 1,500 mi is acceptable. They say about a quart every 1,000 mi warrants concern.

    Popular Mechanics had an article about this a year or so ago and backed up GM's position. It is normal and varies for different reasons in different engines. Many 3.5s may not burn oil, but I bet most of them do.

    If memory serves, a couple of the causes are:
    Newer engines run hotter and the oil may boil and escape thru PCV. Oil on the cylinder wall above piston rings burns and escapes thru exhaust.

    There were 1 or 2 other factors but I can't recall them. I do notice some soot at the tip of my exhaust pipes (lower center) which reappears over time after a wash. I'm not a mechanic but common sense says this is burnt oil. No worries.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    My 3.5L sometimes blows blue smoke upon startup.
    It was using oil when i first bought it, but now uses almost none. I have 28,000 miles on mine.
    From one realtor to another hope your sales in VA.
    are better than they are here in SC.
  • mkcomkco Member Posts: 65
    Thanks for your input!
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    Back on Nov. 9 you posted a problem that I am now experiencing... headlight flicker. I checked all the posts since that date and I can't find any post explaining what happened. Maybe I just missed it, but I would appreciate if you could re-post what the diagnosis was for this problem. We just went out of warranty on our 99 GL (36,000 miles in two years!) so I am not interested in paying Olds to fix this if I don't have to. They replaced a defective battery a couple of weeks ago, as the lights were flickering then and I thought perhaps this was the reason (the battery was leaking from the positive terminal). Any help would be greatly appreciated!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Good luck. Best advice would be to test both cars back to back (same day) and compare. Nothing wrong with the Grand Prix, it's a fantastic car and definitely right up there with Intrigue.

    One other thing I thought that pushed me to Intrigue was the lack of rear split folding seat in the Grand Prix. I really didn't like the small pass-through in the GP as it was really only useful for skis.
  • mkcomkco Member Posts: 65
    I agree. The Intrigue also has some other plusses over the GP...cassette as well as CD in the radio, heated outside rear view mirrors, and automatic temperature control.

    The main reasons I'm probably going to go with the GP is the 3800 supercharged engine in the GTP, which ROCKS. Also, I'm just ready for a different-looking car, although I've loved the looks of the Intrigue and have been really satisfied with it overall. The GTP is also around $1,000 less than the GLS on M.S.R.P., and (although I haven't confirmed this) I suspect GTP lease will be less since it has better resale value.

    Thanks again for your input!
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Ohhh, you are looking at GTP. Didn't realize. Thought you were looking at a GT.

    The GTP does indeed rock. A friend of a friend took me for a ride in his black 2000 GTP and it is VERY fast. I would have loved to get one, but it was too far out of our budget. I have a Intrigue GL which was comparable to a loaded GP GT with no leather.

    Good luck and let me know how you like it when you get one. I can always dream. With a new baby, I'm looking at SUVs next which is depressing.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    Well I might as well post this. What do you think?

  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
  • grbeckgrbeck Member Posts: 2,358
    Very nice...is that the Intrigue that Oldsmobile is showing at the SEMA show?
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    Make mine pearl white, one of those high$ paint jobs. Guess for now the yellow one is my windows background.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Sweet! Much prefer the ducktail spoiler to the current wing. Those big wheels sure do make the front rotors look tiny.
  • one2oneone2one Member Posts: 626
    Forget Aurora... If Olds builds the OSV, just tell me where to sign up.

    BTW, how did you come across that shot?
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