Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
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VAN-Chevrolet- (www.gmpartscenter.net/) -1-800-477-9233. Shipping was only $9 to Minneapolis. Below I will list the items I purchased today and the comparisson to my dealer. These are unbelievable prices or my dealer has been raping me.
PART**********DEALER*****VAN-CHEV
EGR valve*****$275*******$143
Coils(ea)******$80********$38
O2 Sensor(ea)*$98********$46
I purchased the EGR valve, 4 coils and 2 sensors. My total savings was $404 unbelievable dollars.
These prices are real and they are AC Delco. I ordered these a few hours ago. Make sure that you check their website first because what ever the price is there is what you pay even if they have raised the price when you call them. The EGR valve on the website said $143, when I called they said $198. They gave me the website price no hassle at all(their suggestion even). I found this site by accident and it looks like a god sent to me. I hope it helps all my fellow Aurorians that are getting the shaft from the dealers.
It's supposed to be possible to program it using a fused jumper - I've seen the technique described on another forum which Edmunds would not like me to mention here. Before I read that, my dealer charged me $20 to program my remotes (car only came with one, did as you did and bought another on eBay).
--Robert
The tech didn't add the GM coolant sys sealant tablets that I had for him. Any opinions on this? I hear the tablets come with the flush package for the Northstars.
I'm interested to know others' experience and/or opinions about the coolant sealing tabs. They were definitely specified in the contemporary service manuals of our cars (Classics; I don't know about Gen 2). I have seen references that GM later rescinded the advice to use the sealing tabs, but I have never actually seen anything official on the subject. Bars Leak sells the same product, and I'd be surprised if they aren't the source for the GM package.
I always said the car, especially the Classic, looks better at night.
You can't see all the car's lines during the day.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
My 1997's battery failed about 18 months ago at about 67 000 miles. I bought an AC Delco replacement at a discount distributor for $110 and installed it myself. It is the largest passengar car battery sold by AC Delco -- 56 pounds. The venting arrangement required because of the location makes it (almost) unique. After I purchased the AC Delco, I did see a couple of references to sealed batteries that may work as an alternative.
As for the Aurora, I wish the tech would have put them in while he had direct access to the radiator as there is no traditional radiator cap on the radiator; its on the plastic overflow deal'y and they say NOT to put it in there, only directly into the radiator. Oh poo.
I just ordered one myself. Battery is 8 yrs old but is starting to feel the strain now.
Greg
Have now had the fuel gauge go gunnybags. It was the sensor in the tank. Replaced under warranty, but now when the tank is full I'm smelling gas when the car's parked in the garage. Guess I'll have to take it back in, I imagine they didn't tighten some fitting or something.
Taylor, Glad you came to your senses.
Still waiting for somebody to go to the track again.
Henri, glad to hear you've been shop free lately.
I'm cramming alot into one posting, it seems to take me awhile to get back here to post. I do keep up with the reading though.
Howdy Garnes...did I forget anyone else?
See you all in another month.
GM did not have the hydrogen powered car in New York, but it was in Detroit and Chicago.
Olds was not there at all (as I suspected it would not be). GM has no class! It shold have sent Olda out with a bang at the show by bringing in all the Olds Classics throughout the years (ending with the Auora of course). The Toronando, the 442, etc.
But that would have required too much foresight for the general. And GM has never been accused of foresight and vision.
The Caddi CTS V looks nice. The XLR could use some work in the looks department. The XLR looks like they took the back of the Deville and the front of the CTS and said "abbra cadabra" convertible.
snorzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Henri
What color did your friend get?
I sat in one before, but driving it is the real thing. That was the first drive in the new one. Wow was it nice. Your description of the sound difference is what I think too.
The problem is trying to justify such a large capital outlay when my '95 continues to propel me with much of the style and performance of the '03. Our family income puts cars in this price range well within reach, but I stick with my '95 valued at less than $4K as a trade-in.
I guess it's what the marketing folks refer to as your "market basket", but until the '95 actually becomes a basket case I don't see any point in trading. Mine is a Florida car. I just went through the Kentucky emissions inspection, where the technicians initially recorded it as a '99. They were astonished at its condition and appearance. It easily passed the '99 emissions standard.
When you are driving a $4K car, all kinds of economies show up -- no collision insurance (why bother), no car payments -- yet the Classic draws all kinds of approving glances and remarks from neighbors that my late-model Buick never got.
My '95 looks and drives like a dream. I have 98K miles on her, a new quality paint job, everything works and no marks or blemishes on the inside. No rattles or squeaks AT ALL. She looks and drives brand new. I have the dual power seats, moon roof, bose, etc. -every thing except autobaun. Add the dynomax mufflers' incredible sound and there's no way I can see trading her.
Having said that, of course, I'm still staring the engine block oil gasket leak in the face ($1500+) and I'm sure I'll have sporadic, $$ repairs, but I was just telling my wife this weekend that I see no reason to trade. Other than the oil leak, the engine / tranny are in great shape (knocking wood) and I know have tens of thousands of miles left in them. I actually think I'd take more of a bath on a trade-in now than all the repair bills combined over the next 40-50K miles.
I love the car, the way it drives, and plan on keeping her for at least 2+ more years.
BTW, I'll located in Clearwater. Where are you?
Larry
With my mother-in-law's GMS discount, plus my $2k in GM Card dollars, and with all of the incentives (GM owner discount) going on in March, the car (which stickered at $39k) would have gone for $29k + tax (not including selling/trading my Classic) - a pretty good deal.
Except I wasn't ready to buy a new car (with my wife off work for 9 months, I didn't have a lot of cash laying around for a down payment); I have 11 months of payments left on my Classic, and would have just received what I owed on trade; and my car payment would have gone up by $100/mo., and I'd have 4 more years of payments, just to have basically what I have today. And, the resale hit one would take on the 2003, even considering the discounts, is huge (face it, everyone thinks Olds is dead already/few people want to buy their cars). This is a consideration if, say, the car was totaled, and the insurance company paid the book value (you'd be upside down almost immediately).
I still have a warranty (for another 3 years and 39k miles, which is likely to happen sooner) on my Classic, so that's not really an issue. Bottom line, it just didn't make sense to me to pull the trigger on the new Aurora (a car that, despite its improved reliability and refinement, just doesn't give me the same thrill as the Classic).
Now, in two years, when my Classic is long paid for, my warranty is up (I'll have 100k+ miles on her), Olds is long dead, and (the few) 2002/2003's are on the used market for a song, then I'll probably pull the trigger (and probably not trade my Classic in). I like the CTS and the Bonneville GXP, but can't see buying a $40k car when I can get a good/better value like the Aurora for less than half that (only, adding a decent third-party warranty).
--Robert
Dear Edmunds, I never thought anything like this could happen to me......
This I will tell you. It has a V-6 and had 13.5 k on it and now has 28k. Bought on 07/04/02, thought dealer was closed and wasn't expecting to buy. Gotta go.
Since having my '95 seals and gaskets replaced it has not used a quart of oil in 3k miles. It was using a quart every 1200 miles. I never did see any oil on the floor in my garage. You would think using that much oil it would surely drip some. I could see oil on the pan and the side of the engine but that was all. I hope they do as good of a job on my '97. Both cars are running excellent, knock on wood. I have 57k on my '97 and the shocks seem to be getting really weak. My '95 has 100k and still has the original front shocks, I replaced the rear shock with OE at 88k from the Olds dealer.
I will let you all know how the '97 turns out.
It is unlikely that GM would turn to an outside company for an automatic tranny, as GM pretty much rules in this area. Even BMW buys automatics (for the 5 series) from GM.
I just thought I'd drop a line to make those with the chronic Aurora clinks and clanks feel better (you know, the back-firing, oil leaks, freaky electricals, $2k/yr maintenance costs, etc.)
It's been about a year since I traded in the '96 Aurora for $6k (a steal) and bought the '02 Sonata (for the warranty and gadgets - it's a good car!) and now have 20k/mi on it. So far it's been hit in the front (replaced the hood, bumper, one headlight assy under insurance) bent the antenna pulling into the garage ($40, not covered). My wife backed into something and scratched the rear bumper's paint, which revealed black plastic under the white paint. The front newly painted, newly replaced, bumper and hood began losing paint to reveal black plastic under the white bumper paint (the shop redid the bumper, but wouldn't do the hood - said it was normal road wear). I noticed a new baby oil leak which goes away for a few weeks after an oil change. And the air bag light has been on for two weeks now.
Actually it sounds worse than it is. This car runs great after taking out the resonator and putting in a K&N air filter. It's amazingly fast and reliable (bumper to bumper 100k warranty!!!). But... if the Aurora was half as reliable I'd have kept her. She looked soooo nice, and was fun to drive.
Take care and good luck!
Oh, I haven't touched the Classic site for years but it crashed so I reloaded an old backup which lost some good stuff, like the Polish Aurora and the IMSA pics (Fortunecity messed up the top frame anyway). If you noticed it, sorry bout that.
The Auroras, as you all know, are some of the best looking American cars made over the last 30 years. I got my first close-up look at the new ones today, one of the last of the 03s and last of the Oldsmobiles, when I went in to pick up a part for my Olds 98 at the dealer. It was a really sweet looking car, in and out. I was filled with some saddness, yet again, for the death of Oldsmobile, as I looked at this $38k list price machine. Olds really was heading in the right direction with their styling, although from some of the posts here it seems like reliabity was so bad on the Aurora it was almost time to let the brand die... Rest in peace, Oldsmobile--although please make sure my 98 keeps running for many more years to come!
Look at the Lexus ES300 board. They have their share too and it looks like the new 300's have some nightmare-like problems with the transmission that are not being addressed.
The chrome wheels on an Aurora don't necessarily mean that you have the autobahn package or not. Mine came without chrome wheels but i do have the autobahn package. The one way to tell for sure, is to check your option code sticker. On my '95, it was located inside the trunk, on the inner right rear fender. You have to pull out some of the trunk liner and stick your head way inside and look upwards to see it. The codes you want to look for are FV4 and QQX. The FV4 means you have the 3.71 ratio in the transmission. The QQX code means you have the speed limiter raised to 139 miles an hour.
I hope this helps clear things up.
Pete