Oldsmobile Aurora

zinc1

First, thanks etharmon. I'm thinking you're right, or the ABS pump is stuck on, as fdion suggested on the Forum board.

I use WarrantyByNet - American Guardian - located in Brick, NJ. Took the 2yr/30,000 for $1,192.00. For the investment I've saved over $4,000 in repair work - including a new transmission - in a matter of 5 months. More to come I'm sure...

BTW, the Cadillac dealer who serviced my car mailed me a tape with explanations from 5 technicians describing what each did on the car. A nice touch.

tpken

Sounds like you found a super deal on a gorgeous car! The used market has some great buys and the Aurora has to be one of the best around. My 2000 Bonneville SE was another. Best wishes to you - hope the car treats you to many miles and years of driving pleasure.

Ken

trails

69 years, 96 Aurora, Dark Metalic Maroon, 40,000.

Runs about 190 at 80mph and 195 at 65mph.
Increases to 220 when in stop and go traffic. And more when the outside temp is high.

Small coolant leak, but no apparent drop in the reservoir.

Vibration @ 70mph, smooth above 80mph.

Have had it about 15 months starting with 25,000 miles.

Get about 24.5 to 25 mph driving @ 80mph.

Any thoughts on the vibration. Believe this came up some time ago.

zinc1

trails - Cad dealer said mine should be vibrating but they're not. I have Michelin H rated tires that they tested for 'road resistance'. The ideal is roughly 024 to 038, mine's at 065 and they say that will cause vibration. No balancing will fix this.

I've looked back through Edmunds archives and can't find any definitive fix. Some NHTSA references, but no specific numbers. One person made some difference by replacing the transmission mount bushings and replacing a warped brake rotor. Another fixed it by buying a new set of Michelin Vs when balancing failed.

Hope it helps.

BTW, the thermostat is 190, fans come on at 220. So 200-220,30 should be normal.

lobsterman

to trails, my 97 also leaks antifreeze but level never changes. had dealer pressure check system and found no leaks.
to hammen2, i got my warranty gold plan when i had 47.5k miles. cost me $1999 for 5years and 150k miles. my 97 now has 62.7k miles.
does any one know where the thermostat is located and is it easy to replaced? i'm in so. fla. where it's always on the warm side. also, has anyone ever used store bought fuel injector cleaner like gumout, in their classic?

trails

zinc1 - Thanks for info. I changed the original equipment Michelins at 38,000 as one had a bead separation. Was told this was not unusual. Had the vibration before the change. Was a long way from home, so put a set of KUMHO H tires on. Much to my chagrin, vibration still there. So, I try to avoid sustained driving between 65 and 75.
lobsterman - I'm getting ready to have the 5 year flush and change of coolant, so will have mechanic take a good hard look to see if he can pinpoint the drip.

Henry

ZINC - How would YOU know what the car drives like between 65 - 75mph? You are only in that range twice during your trips (on the way up and on the way down). ((SMILE))

Personally I have the Toyo "Z" rated tires on the car and have never noticed a vibration in my 95 in this range.

Also, just took the car on a 1,021 mile trip after it sat for 2 1/2 weeks. No problems at all! The only thing I did not understand was the fact that the battery was dead when I went to start the car. ??????? Battery did not go dead again after the first jump. It is a 95 and I believe it is the original battery. Have any of you 95-96 owners changed the battery yet?

By the way, I did Zinc the car a few times on the trip. I had four people in the car, including my mom. Mom does not like speed (what mother does?), but I realized that I was over 100mph on a few occassions and she did not even utter a peep. (I just Zinced the car to pass a few times.) That is a testiment to the ride the Classic can give when it is loaded with four folks and luggage.

My only regret was the fact that at one point during the trip back I had an opportunity to join the 139 club. Obviously, I did not take it with MOM in the car. :=(

Temp - I looked at my temp during the trip and I actually averaged about 150 degrees. The temp outside was around 44 degrees. The cold damp air plus my having the heat on kept the engine on the cool side.

Lobsterman - If I recall correctly, the owners manual for the Classic specifically states that you should not use commercial fuel injector cleaners in the car. I think the dealer only charged me $50.00 to clean the injectors. If you are thinkig of cleaning the injectors, you should have the dealer do it becuase he can also clean the throttle body. I am not comfortable under the hood of my Classic, if you are, then maybe you can do these things yourself. IMHO

kernick

I just had to comment on your statement that your car leaks antifreeze, but the level never changes. Now if that car would only do that with gasoline - not leak, but use with the level never changing - then you've got the best damn car in the world. :-)

wingnut396

I had a mustang where the fuel level did not change...... at least according the gas gauge :P

zinc1

Always with the typos... that should have been Z rated, not V.
Henry, I pay close attention to sounds and vibrations during the 0.5 milliseconds between 65 and 75mph...

andyl2

Does GM discount the extended warranties on new Auroras now that they include a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty?

mordecai24

Ding!!!

Round one of the fight of the century Mordecai vs. Towson Dodge...

Mordecai came out fighting with a series of low blows aimed at getting a remote for his newly purchased Aurora... Towson Dodge retaliated with a series of mis-aimed punches directed towards making Mordecai pay for the remote and the programming... Mordecai stood his ground and valiantly fought off attack after attack... Finally Mordecai resorted to telling Towson Dodges' mother (The customer service department)... And with the help of a little outside interferience (The Oldsmobile Divisions Service Manager) Mordecai wins round one!!!

Stay tuned to this channel...

Round two: Mordecai fights to get the crack in the dash fixed also at no charge...

Mordecai

zinc1

I'm impressed Mordecai! Just make sure you don't get it serviced there - they'll surely get you back.

Henry

MORDICAI24 - Remember to "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."

AURORIANS - CLASSIC OWNERS - Have any of you noticed that the wire that goes into the top of the trunk is getting stuck in the lip of the trunk when you close it. My wire has a kink in it and I am concerned that the car may eventually get a short in this wire.

OPINIONS???

lobsterman

could it be possible that antifreeze is actually leaking but the level in the reservior always stays the same? CAN THE HOSE FROM THE RESERVIOR BE CLOGGED? is there a good old fashion radiator cap where one can actually look down into to see the level on the classic? this is driving me crazy. please help, anyone.

tpken

On Sunday April 22, several of us over in the Bonneville forum plan to meet in central NJ off Rt 80 exit 35 in the early afternoon. Details are not set yet but it would be great to see some classic and 01 Auroras there. If interested, come on over to Bonneville forum and speak up or else email me (see my profile).

I enjoy your forum here - and am definitely an Auroraphile!

Ken

mordecai24

Greetings!!!

I have an idea as to why the anti-freeze is leaking but the level is not going down... My idea is that it may be a condensation build up in the resevoir (sp) and it is leaking from around the cap of the bottle... But if the leak seems to be large we are back to the drawing board... My first car had that problem... Check around the lip of the bottle to see if there are any stains from the anti-freeze around it...

Just an idea...

Mordecai

matrixfrog

My 98 Aurora has been idling rough lately. When I take off I can feel it move jumpy like and it back fires every once in a great while. I notice the the RPM gauge is a lil rough too when I take off. I thought this was because I put some regular instead of premium in it but I got all that gas out and it is still doing it. My next logical thought was maybe it is the spark plug wires. They look like they are the original ones and the plugs look like they might be the original ones too. My car has 59k on it now so I am thinking is it time to replace them anyways. I was wondering if anyone has had this problem before? It look like a pain to change the plugs an wires but I dont want to have to pay a fortune for a mechanic to do it. (It was $135 on my 98 Dodge Avenger and it was a 4 cylender and the plugs were only 2-3 inches long!) How long did it take for one of you guys to do it yourself? Does the engine have to be tilted to do this? I am going to get a Chiltons on my car first chance I get.

Also I talked to a friend who has another friend and used to own a classic aurora. He said his friend could squeal the tires in every gear. When I try on my aurora I bearly hear a chirp. My car is running very doggy cause of the wires but before it still wouldnt peal out. I think this might be because of the new tires and cause of the wires. I am starting to think my car needs a tune up badly. Maybe I am expecting too much from a car that weighs as much as it does. I would like to get my aurora over 300hp and stay NA. I am thinking about getting an air intake, superchip and a performace exhaust. anything else I could do to boost the hp?

ps. What is that plastic black thing connected to the air intake hose? looks like all it is doing is decreasing air-flow. I thought maybe it is there to cool the air down but seems like they would of made it metal for that.

Henry

Now that you mention it, I have the same question.

matrixfrog

When I accelerate really fast I hear a belt squel right after it shifts. Is this normal or do I need a new belt or something else? Maybe the black box is for the EMTs to come and scrap us off the pavement when we crash )

matrixfrog

Lets start an aurora club already. I used to be a member at www.asog.net when I had my Dodge Avenger and I find it depressing that there is no true club for the Auroras. check out that webpage for a real car club. There message board has a couple post every couple minutes.

pat

Town Hall can offer you an Owners Club if you are interested. Take a look at some of the existing ones to see how they are set up and what kinds of things they are talking about. Let me know what questions you have.

Here is a link to the main board - Owners Clubs Board - from there you can navigate your way to specific clubs to check them out.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

zinc1

This looks like a great idea. If I read it right all of the Olds clubs would be in subfolders of Oldsmobile. That would make it a lot easier to find them, or any make/model combo, than it is now. My vote goes to Henry to moderate

mordecai24

Greetings Aurorians!!!

I may have committed the ultimate Oooops... I may have committed a crime against nature... I may have insulted the God Of The Auroras!!! I am truly doomed or truly blessed!!!

I was sitting at a light here in Baltimore when what should pull up next to me, a brand new white 2001 Aurora... And the gentleman in the drivers seat looked as if he was ready for a little down and dirty light to light fun... He kept edging up and edging up waiting for the light to change... Me I just sat there with the button pushed in anticipating the light myself... When the light turned green my "98 Classic" screamed down the road... I had the jump on the 2001 in a major sort of way... And there we both were at the next light with him not looking at me... Then he blew his horn and the only thing Mister Origionality could come up with was to shoot me the "bird"...

Damn that is the last time I piss off an Aurora Owner they are mean and did I say origional... I will stick with pissing off import owners from this point on...

Mordecai

etharmon

Pissing off import drivers is much more fun than pissing off fellow Aurora drivers:) I do the same thing in my Intrigue. I just love sitting at a light when some chump in a four banger Honda or Toyota with fart pipes pulls up next to me. He'll sit there with the bass thumping so loud you can hear the body panels on his car rattle, baseball cap on backwards, revving his little engine up. Me, I just sit there calmly until the light changes then BAM! I turn on the juice and leave him in the wake. I did this to a guy in a V6 Camry when I was in route to the local car wash and he must have been going to same place as he followed me there and while our cars were being washed, he asks me what kind of engine and mods I had done. Stock 3800 V6 and a K&N drop-in replacement filter is what I tell him. He seemed kind of shocked.

matrixfrog, you may have a bad plug wire. My father has a 95 Aurora and several years ago in warm weather he began to experience some a sluggish feel when accelerating. Turns out one of the plugs wires was bad. It was replaced under warranty. As for the cost to replace them all, I don't know. Probably a bit pricey, but with 59K it may need one of more replaced. Dad's had about 50K when the plug wire was replaced. As for getting 300 hp, try NOS. Borla(the exhaust guru) did a trick Aurora several years back and he used NOS along with a Borla(of coarse) customer exhaust for well over 300 hp and a 0-60 time of about 5.9 seconds. It was in the December 1996 issue of MT. I'll try to dig that one out and post the numbers soon.

joeolds

You should check back in some earlier posts. It seems some type of fuel regulator was mentioned causing rough idle and poor acceleration. A plug or a wire could also be problem.

As far as squealing tires you will need to disengage traction control, as this feature uses the brakes to decrease tire spin. My 98 will burn the tires (new Michelins) clear across an intersection-no problem.

matrixfrog

Thanks joeolds, I will check in some older posts.

By the way, I do shut off traction control. I also push in power and shift into second. Even when I do all this the tires barley even squeal, the dont even squeal they just make a chirp. I think something is wrong with my aurora. I need to get that fuel regulator thing checked out and some new plugs and wires. Hopefully then I will be down to no tread in no time.

If anybody has any suggestions please help.

-matrixfrog 98 Green Aurora

tpken

Matrixfrog - someone near where I work has a classic in green with beige leather and I see it just about every day on my walk during lunch. The first time I noticed this car the color really struck me - it's a wonderful shade. I don't know what year the car is and perhaps there have been several greens, but judging from the headlights this is not an early model. It's a great looking car - I'm sure you're enjoying it.

Best wishes from an Auroraphile.

Ken

matrixfrog

Thanks tpken, I do love the color of my car. In the sun you really notice the metallic flakes in the paint and the whole car just dazzles. The interior of my car is charcoal, kind of a grey-black color. I really do love me car but I am in desperate need of help determining the problem on my car. Yesterday I looked at the spark plug wires and noticed one that looked a little bad and might be gapping onto the valve cover. I put some electrical tape around each plug wire in that area on the front 4 cylenders. I thought this might help but it didnt at all and it seems the more I drive me car the worse it gets. I have been searching old posts all day in relation to the fuel regulator but have come up with nothing. I notcied in a very old post Henry posted that his aurora seemed to hesitate and he heard of a row of cylenders that went bad on onther aurora. I hope this is not what happened to my car.

Recap- My car idles very rough. When accelerating it is almost a jerky motion. It backfires rarely. I am hoping it is just the wires because the fuel regulator sounds expensive to replace. Has anyone expereinced syptoms like mine??? Has anyone ever had to replace the spark plug wires on thier 98 around 59k? or at all? I will be putting new plug wires on it very soon even if they arnt bad. Need to get some performance plugs and wires. Any reccomendations?

I have decided to make an Aurora Club webpage w/ message board. I'll post it's URL when it is up.

Henry

Interesting, I always thought of Zinc's website as being that function.

Am I the only aROARian going to the Rockaway Mall in New Jersey on April 22nd for the GM gathering?

redskin024

my dad had his changed on his 95... they fouled early, they are supposed to last 100,000 miles. it wasnt extremely expensive from what i remember.

rocket95

FYI --------

My 95 (Dark green--53k) ran rough below 1000 RAMs and would stall when coming to a stop--"service engine soon" light stayed on. Dealer had to replace EAR valve (code 36) --Parts $230--Labor $66.---Probably not your problem since light is not on.

rocket95

I guess I just learned not to use spellcheck--RPMs and EGR not in the Edmonds dictionary.

zinc1

I had a similar problem with hesitating and occasional backfiring. According to the dealer it was a shorted plug wire. Didn't do it myself so I can't add to that. Cost me $120.

There's an easier-to-read Edmunds archive on the Classic site as well as my own experiences, which are becoming rather extensive, on the main page.

Henry

Zinc are you coming to the gathering in New Jersey on April 22nd?

I realize that it is a full two hour drive for you.

nathaniel2

I've experienced the same symptoms. When I lift the hood in the dark I can see a rear plug wire that appears to be shorting out to a bracket or the block! 98 Aurora silver, picked up from a broker with flood damage. Water line was just enough to neccesitate replacing carpet one seat motor, that was it! 40,000 miles on the silver bullet, 14,600 total sunk in it, now at 63.000 miles one year later no other problems. FYI I REMOVED the black plastic piece from the base of the air cleaner housing, possibly some kind of resonate? Black piece on top maybe to quiet intake noise? haven't touched that yet. caddy STS sway bar on back, anyone recommend performance tires? I don't need all season, I put snows on in Minnesota winter. Performance shocks without destroying ride?

Henry

I DID THE SYB SHOCKS/STRUTS IN THE FRONT AND TOYO PERFORMANCE TIRES ALL AROUND ("Z" RATED). [I HAVE THE ORIGINAL 1995 IN BEIGE a.k.a. CHAMPAIGE a.k.a.LIGHT ANTELOPE] THE MOD DID NOT DESTROY THE RIDE. HOWEVER< I HAD THOUGHT OF GOING TO THE 2001 17" rims and Z tires. However, I thught that might stiffen the ride too much and the michelin 17" Z tires are EX-PEN-SIVE!

I ALSO HAVE THE SAME MODS TO THE SUSPENSION (THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO CHANGE THE SWAY BARS). KYB ALSO MAKES THE SHOCKS FOR THE REAR BUT I WANTED TO KEEP THE LOAD LEVELING SYSTEM IN PLACE, SO I PUT IN NEW GM SHOCKS IN THE REAR.

THAT BEING SAID, I HAD SOMEONE REFERRED BY ZINC E-MAIL ME ABOUT PUTTING IN SHOCKS. IF I RECALL THAT CONVERSATION CORRECTLY, KYB HAD NOT GOTTEN TO THE 97,98,99 YEARS ON THE CLASSIC. THE FRONT SHOCKS CHANGED OVER THE CLASSIC'S YEARS SO THAT ONLY 98 AND 99 ARE THE SAME UP FRONT. THE REAR SHOCKS DID NOT CHANGE FROM 95-99. HOPE THIS HELPS.

WWW.KYB.COM

TURBO AURORA - This turbo thing keeeps coming up. All of my research shows that there was no such thing from the factory. I would be interested in hearing from someone that actually did the modification. first question is where do you fit the turbo under the Classic's hood? Also, I would think that the turbo delayed boost would be a little annoying in the aROARas because they are heavy and smooth accleration are the cars' hallmark. The normal smooth takeoffs are why s many folks complain about hesitation. I can't see introducing the hesitation hat is genetic to tubos into the Classic. IMnsHO
(In My no so Humble Opinion).

<]:^)

Henry

I had to replace a spark plug wire also. I would also like to re-ask my question about the trunk wire on the Classic. Anybody notice the wire getting caught in the trunk lid when you close the trunk??

The belts should not make any noise under hard accleration. Trust me, if there is anything I know about, its hard accleration in a CLASSIC.

zinc1

Henry - I calculated the route and, even with an empty trunk, I just couldn't do better than a 5 1/2 hour round trip L.A.-N.J.-L.A. Just too far man.

btw, scanned some pics from the 1997 brochure. Only missing the 98 now.

tpken

To raise up your car at Rockaway so we can take a good look underneath!

Come on folks - any other NJ, NY or PA Aurorians that would like to join us in Rockaway NJ at the mall on Sunday Apr 22? Give us Bonneville guys a chance to see what a V-8 looks like!!

Ken

fdion

Mordecai, this had to be a v6 with some serious congestion problems. The 01 v6 is almost 1/2 second faster to 60 and the 01 aurora v8 is 1 full second faster to 60 than the classic.
Or maybe his trunk was full of lead

Ciao,
Francois

fdion

Well, it's been almost 3 weeks since I've owned my new 01 aurora (really 3 weeks tomorrow). For the past 300 miles I've noticed a bit more bite at the lower rpms than I had seen initially. I guess 1000 miles or so to fully break in the engine is what it took.

Anyway, I haven't come across anything that I hate. The design also grows on you quite a bit. Every day I drive it (my wife drives it the most) or so I get inquiries. I also notice in my rear view mirror that people are looking hard at the Olds aurora badge. Went in the mountain. Very impressive handling I dont know if any of you classic owners have driven one in the twisties? I'm about to go test it in the blue ridge mountains. Not a squeak noise, everything works like it should and also everything aligns perfectly, something that might have been a problem at some point if I can believe some reviews. The leather is nice, and so is the dual seat memory. I'm still surprised at the level of the fit and finish in this car. It's solid.

I think the battery at the rear of the vehicule is a very cool touch. And so is the strut supported hood. The tranny shifts great. In fact, you can barely better in a 0-60 with manual shifting (about 1/10 of a second if you hold 1st to the redline versus shift at 5500). Also, on the road under load, you floor it and it kicksdown and hold to redline. Very nice. And that engine sound... Also, the curved dash and interior layout in general is the best. I dont know of any other car with a layout as good and as clean and none of this austere side (bmw) or wacky (GM on lots of luxury cars).

On the minus side, I am not that big (read wide) and the lateral support, while probably perfect for a football player, is not up to Peugeot standards (the reference in my book in term of car seats), but I've noticed the same even on the Infinity Q45 of a colleague so it might be me... The other thing is why no struts on the trunk? It's using the same mechanical scisor as on the Buick Lesabre.

Anyway, overall, it's a great car, and I would both recommend one and buy another one. In fact, I'm betting that on their last year of production they'll probably be cheaper and I'll get a second one.

Ciao,
Francois

mordecai24

Francois

Hmmm... Maybe his trunk was full of lead... Or maybe My Baby was just 2 seconds hungrier...

Mordecai

matrixfrog

1. Does anyone notice a difference when you hit the power button on the gear shifter? What exactly does it do? I push mine and notice no difference at all. I think my car might not be running good enough to notice it or something is messed up with it.

2. Does anyone know how to replace the bulb in the center console?

3. Do I have to tilt the engine to replace the spark plugs and wires? Has anyone changed them yourself? Any tips for me if I do?

4. To whoever replaced their fuel regulator (zinc I think): My car would start kind of hard sometimes. It would run perfectly fine but start a little hard on occasion. It hasn't been doing it lately (ever since it's idling rough running bad). Does this sound like I need that fuel regulator replaced? I plan on replacing the plugs and wires today if not tomorrow and then if it is still running bad I'll take it to the shop. What are the symtoms(sp?) of the fuel regulator going bad?

Thanks for the help guys I reall do appreciate it.

trails

My 96 Classic normally starts quickly when cold, although it sometimes smells like it comes close to flooding. It starts OK if it has only been shut off for a short period of time. But if it has been shut off for 20-30 minutes, it takes a lot of cranking and definitely gives the impression that it is flooding, i.., raw gas smell, etc.
Anybody else have or had this problem ?

trails

Matrixfrog - I haven't noticed any difference either. Haven't really put it through any severe tests, but, from stop signs, etc., haven't noticed a difference. Maybe the system isn't working or I'm not pushing the pedal to floor hard enough.
Any thoughts?

arcoates

Why is there such animosity towards the new Aurora from the "classic" owners? That story a few posts ago about some guy who drag raced a new aurora in his classic, and beat the crap out of him. The gentleman claims that the driver of the new aurora called him on, but the classic owner was obviously looking for an opportunity to embarass the new aurora.

I doubt in '97 when the new BMW 5 series came out, someone in a '96 would pull up to a new '97 and drag race him. Get over it guys. You may not like the new one, but you don't have to make it out like it is crap. Can't we all live in peace, confident with our aurora's, old or new?~ A.R.

Henry

I do not believe that there is "animosity" among the Aurorians. Call it what it is - Sibling Rivilery.

Henry

There is no stopping the comparisons between the two body styles. There was one comment about the 2K1 posted that I found interesting, i.e., "the sound of that engine." When I test drove the 2K1 I thought the engine was quieter on the 2K1 than on the Classic.

daeven

My 95 Aurora is exhibiting the same hard starting problems. Mostly after it has been sitting for a 20 minute period. Sometimes when it is cold.

Mines the one with 184,000 miles. I've got a couple of other problems I might have to deal with in the short term. My AC seems to have failed suddenly, and the transmission is starting to do some funky things.