Oldsmobile Aurora

tpken

Henry - sorry to hear you are in week four of what one hopes is not a 12 step (week) program!


I can feel your pain bro!

Take heart - at least mopeds aren't passing you!

Ken

medic132

Hello. I'm looking into buying a 97 'rora with 70K miles. Test driving it was a blast, but I did find one problem that's making me think twice about buying. After 45 mph, there is an annoying wind-whistle coming from either the rear doors or window; can't pinpoint exactly. Could possible be the external cell phone antenna on the rear window. The whistle increase in pitch as speed increases.
Also, I find the amount of road noise to be a bit much for a "luxury" car. Am I expecting too much?Tires are Eagle GA.
Please respond quickly - I need help in deciding whethere to buy it or not. Also, did anyone else find this whistle?
July 20, 01
Jeff

hammen2

Is it a "swirly" antenna which screws onto a mount? If so, unscrew it/remove it, and then drive the car again. I had such an antenna on my '91 Grand Prix and noted the same as you (pitch increased as speed did)...

With wind noise, I've resorted to taking a couple of people along, with one person in the passenger seat and one in the rear. That way I can have someone confirm where the sound is coming from. Opening/closing the windows at speed can also help you pin it down where the sound is coming from.

The Aurora has "frameless" windows which can be susceptible to wind and water leaks. I've had my driver-side window repaired twice in the 4 months I've owned my '98, and it was also on the warranty repair history I saw before I bought the car.



I am unhappy with my Michelin MXV4's squealing when traveling around corners and curves, but they are very quiet during normal driving (as is the Aurora in general, other than the occasional wind leak/whistle :-) How much tread is left on these tires?



Have you had a reputable mechanic look the car over? Is the plastic overhang in front still attached to the car? Parked it in one spot for awhile and checked for oil/fluid leaks? Run the VIN through CarFax to make sure it hasn't been flooded or salvaged? Had a GM dealership service department run the VIN through to get the warranty repair history? Finally, can you afford a warranty on this car? It IS a luxury auto with a big V8 (which is known to leak oil) and lots of gadgets/technology.

I did all of the above and am very happy with my car (leaning towards 1SourceAutoWarranty for my warranty, but I've got 4 months left to make that decision).

Hope this helps,

--Robert

medic132

Robert -
would like to say you helped me, but truth is I found it the same way you said, tried taking it off and it worked. Thanks anyway for the answer.
I've run it through the sites and checked it's history - came up clean. However, crawling under the rear end found a serious bend in the frame on the pass. side, just behind the muffler hanger. Doesn't look like it would affect the alignment, but the rear valance contains a couple broken connection tabs to the 'under-valance'. (love those technical terms!). These look like an easy fix. The frame looks like it had a designed stress absorbing crease made into it, and it did it's job. Whoever repaired it didn't take the time to try and straighten the frame, they simply skimmed the bumper out to alignment with about 4 washers and two nuts. Don't always depend on the history sites. I think that if insurance companies don't pay for it, it doesn't get posted.
Thanks again,
Jeff
7-20-01

zinc1

Just some food for thought: After noticing the chronic AC compressor failures on the Aurora boards, I've decided to lessen the serpentine belt tension after this AC unit is replaced. The initial tension specs sometimes aren't updated after it becomes apparent that bearing failure is high - who knows, maybe the dealers like the money they make changing worn-out AC units. Just an idea - but with about twenty years experience in electromechanical preventative maintenance.

garnes

Danny - The only thing I know of right now that will improve the air intake is a K&N air filter. They will give you a minimum extra 5 horse and 5 torque and more likely 10 for each (see my previous posting.) K&N also makes replacement kits for the entire air intake system (FIPK Kit), but unfortunately not for the Aurora.

Maybe there is a replacement chip out there too.

My understanding is that the exhaust system is not too easily modified because there is not a lot of room down there to be creative. But I'm sure something could be done custom.

9899olds

Somebody said it was a luxury car..based on what??The 3800#s or the small V-8???

The 3.71 axle with autobahn pkg allows somewhere around 135++..

I ordered an 01 and let it go since the car is not up to the old classics specs.. it's a corporate offering w/V-6 or V-8..The V-6 crowd is excited and the V-8 bunch is insulted..So the car doesn't really fit anywhere..As soon as the Intrigue is killed, the V-6 is gone; the V-8 is certainly not a Caddy Northstar..

Since I own a Northstar and a Shortstar V-6; my comment is the V-6 is the stronger one.. The after factory warranty expense of the V-8 Aurora is high; this ain't the old GM V-8s of yore..

My input only; so do what turns you on!!!

pizza442

A few questions:--What tire pressure are you guys running and how does it feel? (I have factory Michelins)--Has anyone had the air conditioning come on full blast by itself? (like from hard breaking or a bump?)--Are our steering wheels (95) supposed to be leather wrapped like the shifteshifter hink the dealer cuts it off when traded in if it shows any wear, just like there are never any floormfloor matsometimes only one set of lightly worn keys because they want the illusion of this being an almost new car.

jwadle

Well I just got my car back from the dealer (after $1,300 for a rack) and I am now realizing that my car bounces much too much (I had a new S-10 pickup as a loner and it bounced less).. I was wondering if anyone here has replaced their struts yet.. there is not a lot out there for a 97 (Monroe and Gabrial make the road sensing type). I have not heard anything good about Monroe, and not much of anything on the Gabrial.. I am not looking to handle better than a Vette, I just don't want to float down the road like the Good ship lolly pop.. you know.. Thanks for any help.

Jim

P.S. Now both my idler Pullies are making noise and need to be replaced.. Yup more money, but I am not getting rid of my Aurora..

pizza442

I know these bulbs burn out quicker than the headlights. Someone on Evil bay is selling Xenon fog lights. Has anyone tried these or any other non-stock replacements?jwadle: I wonder if my bearing noise is not the compressor but just the idler?

jwadle

Just push down on the ideler with a screwdriver (while running)... Either it will stop the noise, or you will "feel" to noise through the screwdriver.. Mine kinda bounces and makes a noise like there is somthing loose in there

lobsterman

i had mentioned a while ago about a oil for older high milage cars. saw it at parts store today, it's valvoline maxlife. it's suppose to prevent wear, leaks, gaskets from hardening, etc. see this @ www. valvoline.com and post your opinions.

redskin024

We bought the foglight bulbs at wal mart and a local auto parts chain (Hutchins) and it made no difference, they still burned out 3 months later on the dot. That was a 95 Aurora though. Our 97 did not need to have the foglight bulbs replaced at all for the 2 1/2 years we had it. When replacing them remember the bulb has to fit the socket so the Xenons probably wont fit your car. There is a certain number that the bulb is called, thats what you need to find.

pizza442

Lobster man: I have the Maxlife oil in my 72 Olds Cutlass Supreme w/factory 455 and 124,000 miles. Since I added it I know for sure it is a little more responsive-snappier , I am monitoring oil consumption-was 1 qt. every 1500-1800 miles and I think it is at 1/2 qt. at 1500 miles now. The oil loss is mostly through the valve guides and when it sits for more than 24 hours I get a little puff of smoke when I fire it up. This didn't happen at all for the first 1500 miles and now is coming back if I let it sit more than 2-3 days. Bottom line, I did notice a difference right away and it may dissipate with time, but this was only the first oil change with it and sometimes these things require use 2-3 times (oil changes) before full benefits are seen.Redskin024; the fog bulbs I saw on ebebay ere being described as being specifically for the fog lights on 95-99 Auroras. He had other auctions for headlights for many different applications. This is the first one to burn out on me in 9 months and I have them on all the time. Dealer warranty history shows that both were replaced once already by the first owner around 30,000 miles (now 57,000).jwadle; As for the idler, if I can get down in there without a lift(!) I will play with it, although slow driving with no blast over 2200 rpm rpm60 mph have actually quieted it up.

fjk57702

I still have the original bulbs. we don't have much fog here.

gisom

Pizza442- If the air condition is set on automatic and the temp is set at 60, the air is going to come on at full blast until it gets the set temp. To take air off auto just press on knob and manually set blower.

redskin024

We also had ours on all the time. Makes the car look sweet at night. I would try the ones on ebay if they are a reasonable price. I think the 95's were notorius for burned out fog lights but was fixed in later models. Like i said our 95 went through them every 3 months and our 97 went the life of the car. They are a PAIN to change too. L8R

Henry

Okay week 4 and no Auroara. I saw one parked on the street and just rubbed against it to get a cheap "feel".

You know, that Maxima down the block is starting to look good. . . .

Henry

Okay week 4 and no Auroara. I saw one parked on the street and just rubbed against it to get a cheap "feel".

You know, that Maxima down the block is starting to look good. . . .

Henry

Okay week 4 and no Auroara. I saw one parked on the street and just rubbed against it to get a cheap "feel".

You know, that Maxima down the block is starting to look good. . . .

hammen2

Henry is so excited he hit the "Post" button 3x :-)

So, ready to launch the tactical nuclear missiles to Warranty Gold's HQ yet?

If you feel like coming to Wisconsin, I've still got a '96 Lumina you can drive :-)

--Robert

hardesty

Mamma don't allow no above ground nuclear testin' 'round here!

Henry

I would fire off my "Russian Cruise Missile"

BUT . . . . . .

It's in the Shop!

(You need to have seen certain postings to get the joke.)

pizza442

gismo: I am talking about the air coming on after driving a while with it set in the off position. It seems to mostly happen when my wife is driving, but when I drive it won't do it to me. But, it did do it twice; once when I made a somewhat hard stop and again when we had a loaded car and were cruising down Coast Highway it would come on and I would push the ac button to turn it off and adjust the knob to off and would watch it and a minute later it would go to auto high ac mode again. Scary! I think something in there is too sensitive and when my wife drives too hard (gas to brake to gas to brake) something jolts it. I know that hitting the knob sends it to auto but no one is touching it, unless we have a ghost. I may have seen a service bul. on this at one of the recall notice sites.Redskin024: The opening bid on the Xenon bulbs is $20 plus shipping, and I am not sure what the OEM replacements are but I will guess about $5-6 per pair.

fjk57702

If this only happens when it's off, then perhaps its that the temp button on the steering wheel is touched. This will turn the auto mode on. If you are in auto mode, touching the temp button will only result in displaying the temp setting or possibly changing it a bit. (I have had this happen to me)

pizza442

Yeah I know there are a lot of absent minded drivers out there, but I am sure I wasn't bumping the steering controls 6 times in a row! I tend to be too observant and hear and feel things that no one else does. Had 4 witnesses that night and I am 34 years old so I am aware of what is going on around me. I hold the wheel at the bottom with one hand most of the time anyway. I have witnessed it happen on a semi quick (non-emergency) stop and figure that the g-force can have something to do with it, too. There is definitely a wire/ground problem or something in the HVAC computer.

Henry

" I am 34 years old so I am aware of what is going on around me."

fjk57702

I generally have both hands on the steering wheel, so one is in the section with the fan/temperature controls. I find that I do hit the temperature button hard enough now and then to set the temperature down (in auto mode). If you have a gremlin in the wireing somewhere, this could trigger the system on if it's off. This could be hard to trace down since it is intermittent.

redskin024

That price for the OEM's is about right for an auto parts store, wal mart is cheaper. hope it all helps.

zinc1

Mine has ghosts too. When I first bought it the dash lights and controls would go blank if the car passed under a bridge. Never fixed, just went away when the techs tore apart the dash to find the problem. It was evidently related to the Twilight Sentinel. Now it sometimes changes radio stations by itself. Always to the next higher increment on the dial, so it's probably related to the seek button. Weird, but minor.

I think this is the first production Aurora pic from Olds.

zinc1

What color is yours? I was confused until I checked the chart (it's '96 Light Beige Metallic/Light Beige Leather). Then, after having some minor paint work done, I check the work sheet and they said they used Champagne(?). That color wasn't offered in '96. Now I'm confused again.

evilgreco

Hi all. I bought a 1995 Purple Aurora back in January (With some discussion and lots of help from all of you). Well, unfortunatley Im haveing some problems, and the guys at Davidson Chevorlet in Malden, Massachusetts can't figure it out (In fact they dont even feel the problem at all!). When driving (70% of the time) I will get this "water in the gass tank" type of hesitation. Almost like an old Holly Carb boggin' down a bit. Ive tried fuel injector cleaner, had it taken to the shop twice, and nothing. Anyone have anyhting similar happen? Anyone know a good & reliable Aurora Mechanic in Massachusetts (or close by)? Ive also had some A/C work done, but I still cant get really cold air! Uggg, still love the car though! Heh Heh.

Thanks,
Mike

redskin024

Try dropping a bottle of dry gas or water remover in your tank.

In 97 my father wanted the "Medium Green/Gray" color, but apparently so did everyone else so he had to settle for his third choice, Light Beige. His second choice was Silver Teal. And WoW does Medium Green/Gray look good on that car....

zinc1

That's a rare color, it was only offered in '95.

First, you should take it to a Cadillac dealer. Theyre the only ones familiar with the Northstar - even if its a detuned one. Ive heard somewhere that its not recommended to use fuel injector cleaner in it, but Id check with Caddy on that too. If, when it bogs down its accelerating and youre feeling an alternating surge then bog, back and forth, mine did that and they found a shorted plug wire. Cost $120 for the dealer to fix it.

The A fell off of the name on the trunk for the second time and I cant find the letters I bought the last time it happened. So, in the meantime I replaced the plastic lettering with a decal that, I think, actually looks a bit better. Some guy on eBay is selling the decals.

one2one

While you're at the dealer, you might also want to consider having them de-carbonize the injectors. Has the same end results that additives are supposed to provide. Costs about $50 but I noticed immediate improvement when I had it done to my Intrigue and wife's Bonniville. I forgot what's involved in the process but it's more than just running stuff thru the gas. After hearing your problem, they might suggest de-carbonization anyway.

redskin024

I like that logo too... the Aurora "a" logo adds a little something... makes it unique.

zinc1

Yeah, I thought so too. And it's a bit cleaner now; the first 'A' was always catching lint and stuff. And it's easy to clean between the letters. The carwash guys knocked the A off. It's the second time they've messed up the car. First time they took paint off the door guard (you can see it on the back passenger side). I was getting lazy, have to start washing it myself again *sigh* - at least it's not in the shop - sorry Henri

autobahn95

hey everyone
i've encountered my first problem since i bought my Aurora 10 months ago. one of my rear shocks seems to be leaking oil. has anyone tried the aftermarket air shocks from RSM racing.com??
i am going to have to buy some new ones real soon, any advice would be appreciated.

i'm also thinking about replacing the front shocks with KYB shocks.
has anyone had any luck with these?
thanks!!

Henry

You might try"upgrading" the shocks to the ones for the Caddie. The seville shocks ar suppose to give a better ride and the parts are still GM.

Henry

Week five - I visited my car today. It didn't say anything at first but I could tell that it was glad to see me. We talked for awhile and then I had to go. I did bring it a get well soon card. I left it on the windsheild where it would be easy for my Aurora to see and read.

Poor baby had her transmission removed. She told me it hurt but that she didn't cry. She was a trooper! I'm so proud of how the car is keeping a postive frame of mind during this difficult multi-operation repair.

If you like I can post the car's mailing address. Better still, don't waste the paper and the postage. Go out and do something nice for your Aurora. Show it that you care. Show it that it is appreciated. Remeber, you still have yours. Think of Henri, a man separated from his Aurora. Think of how lucky you are.

Go . . . Do it Now before you forget

Where is she parked?
Have you seen her ?
Tell me have you seen her?
Oh I hear her roar as the cold winds blow
On the Street
Music on the Radio.

Have you seen her?
Tell me have you seen her?

Henry

Caddie is having a drive off with Motor Trend magazine over at Yonkers Raceway. If anybody is iterested I will post the number and you can call to sign up. This year there will be a Jag on hand to drive.

redskin024

Thats some funny stuff.

Did you whisper sweet nothings to it?? lol

Next time bring her some chocalates and flowers and promise her a nice, long spongebath with some wax when she gets through this ordeal.

Any word on the ailment?

redskin024

ITS 11 O'CLOCK, DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR AURORA IS?

I dont know if this will work for newer model cars, but on my 87 Monte SS i used GM Top Engine Cleaner. For older cars you pour 2/3 of the bottle in the carb and wait, then pour the rest in to intentionally stall it. Let it sit for 15 minutes then run the engine at high RPMS to blow it all out the exhaust. When i did this you would have thought i blew a head gasket. But i guess having a holy exhaust made mine a little more severe because it was blowing out rusted out pipes, which have since been replaced. You can pick up GM's Top Engine Cleaner at any of your local GM dealers parts dept. Im not quite sure how it works for newer cars though.... L8R

evilgreco

Ive tried the gas treatment too, several types, several times. Still no change. I am going to take it to a Caddy dealer this time though, since I cant seem to find anyone in the Boston area that is a "pro" with the Aurora.

zinc1: I love the color, but I gotta say that I've seen 3 other Purple Auroras around here (Boston Area). Not as cool as mine though with the skull & crossbones front plate!! Hahaha.

EvilGreco
- "I Did WHAT last night?!?!"

fjk57702

I'm not sure what you mean (#1275) by detuned. Don't you mean downsized? Here are the numbers:

engine____bore___stroke__cubic cc's
northstar_93mm_____84mm____4565
aurora___89mm_____84mm____3995

The base northstar is tuned for more low speed torque, the HO northstar is tuned for 300HP. The Aurora was tuned for 250HP and the first generation engine had 90% of the torque at 1700RPM's. The second generation engine is tuned for regular gas and the 90% torque is now at 2300RPM's according to Car&Driver. So there is less low end torque in the second generation V8, but the high end is the same.

The northstar (4.6L) engines torque and power curves can be seen on the gm web page (www.gm.com) by looking up the northstar site. Only the V6 aurora engine is there though - no V8.

autobahn95

Henry-
thanks for the advice on the caddie shocks. i haven't made the decision yet what shocks to buy, i'm trying to get as much information as possible.

any other Aurora owners out there with the KYB shocks on their car??
thanks

gisom

by the Chi-Lites. That was good Henry but why did the trans have to come out?

Henry

I had an error dcod that said something was not engaging properly. The code use to come on when I went over 100mph. It is now coming on as low as 70mph.

dishwish

I bet Henry does!

Henry, I think maybe you should just get another Aurora. Then when one or the other gets sent to the hospital again, you will still have one to keep you warm.

I like your messages. They are good for some laughs.

Hope "She" comes back soon.

herbert11

I have my eye on a low mileage 2000 Aurora with the 3.5 V6.

A friend has told me that the 3.5 is vastly inferior to the 4.0 V8. Is this true? I have very little experience in this matter. I am 64 years old and speed and power matter much less than comfort and reliability.