Oldsmobile Aurora

herbert11

I own a 2001 V6. At about 20m the steering developed a groaning noise when the wheel was turned. I took the car to a local dealer for repair. I also brought to him a copy os a TSB I had downloaded which indicated the ISS might be the cause. The service writer looked at the TSB and told me he didn't need any help from me. His service "techs" were the best in the business and they would fix the problem. I picked the car up the following day. The dealer had replaced the tie rod ends. I drove out of the dealers lot onto the highway and the steering groaned and cluncked.

At 37K I took the car to my mechanic who is authorized to perform repairs under a GM extended warranty. He replaced the ISS with the caveat that it might only be a temporary fix. He said that some GM cars were having trouble with the rack and pinion and that could be the problem.

At 41k the noise returned. The rack was replaced
under the GM warranty. I also had the tires replaced with a set of Goodyear Eagles.

Finally the car is performing as smoothly and as quietly as I had expected when I bought it.

I have my fingers crossed that the fix is permanent.

north5

I know all about the ISS. That was one thing I noticed when I test drove my car at the dealer and made my sale conditoned on the repair, which they did with the lube kit. The noises in my car are interior components the seem to rattle with any little bump the car goes over. My guess is there is not much that can be done. However, back the the steering problem for a sec. What a shame we as buyers can go out and spend 10..20..30 thousand dollars on a GM product, have on going probelms that is WELL KNOWN to GM and they turn a blind eye to thier product and customer!! I see no reason why they should be able to see these cars with known probelems they won t stand behind. It seems their goal is a temp fix, such as lubing the ISS shaft until your out of warranty. In the mean time thousands of customers spend thousands of dollars trying to describe whats happening to the steering in thier car to a shop that ofen takes a shot at a repair such a tie rods, tires, etc the car does not need. Oh well,,I could go on,it's just not right that this is allowed to go on

sda

north5, I agree. You couldn't have said it better. Hopefully we can both find a permanent fix and enjoy our cars to the max. Keep us posted to the progress. In all fairness, I did not buy either my 00 Intrigue or the 01 Aurora, new. So I can only speculate how they were cared for. But this still seems to be all too common of a problem.

rjs200240

I don't think all Auroras have that problem, and it may be that they did correct it on the assembly line once it was known (doesn't seem to happen until about 20-30k miles into the car's life). It sounds like herbert did in fact get it fixed under GM warranty. The fact that his local dealership is full of jerks is what seemed to be the main problem.

As far as interior components, you may just want to take a look at that yourself. The stuff that seems to be squeaking, try to tighten up the fasteners. Maybe yours just wasn't tightened up very well...

sda

I found this in USA Today 2/4/2000, a review on the O1 Aurora. Some highlights:
Time for a tonic. Olds hopes the wholly redone Aurora is it.

If not, don't blame the car. It's terrific, another fine take on parent General Motors' best car platform, the one that underpins Cadillac Seville, Buick LeSabre, Pontiac Bonneville. The 2001 Aurora might be best-looking, best-balanced, just plain best of the bunch. While not as potent as the Caddy with the Northstar V-8, Aurora is plenty peppy. It is the least adorned, thus most elegant, of the GM sedans. Firm ride and responsive handling give it a pleasing European flavor missing from the others. The 4-liter V-8 generates 250 horsepower. It's a smoother-running, less-polluting version of the previous Aurora's same-size engine. The V-8 howls with the blended voice of old-days Detroit and nowadays Euro-tech, a lovely harmony. It snaps the sedan from rest to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds, vs. 8.2 seconds for the previous Aurora. The new-to-Aurora 3.5-liter V-6, from the smaller Olds Intrigue, has 215 hp. Less thrilling than the V-8, it nevertheless supplies lively performance and sonic reward. Overall: Compelling. Tasteful, powerful, pleasant and comparatively low-priced. Ofcourse the entire article can be read in the USA TestDrive Archives. But I couldn't help smiling when I read this, and thought you would too.

rjs200240

Thanks for the link (well, I found the link, but thanks for making me aware of the review). Those clips you posted sum up my feelings very nicely.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/healey/0001.htm if anyone wants to read the whole thing.

53rocket

Is anyone having problems with the chrome peeling on the inside portion of the chrome rims on the new style Aurora? Mine has been doing it for about a year on my '01. Any idea if this will be covered by the warranty?

53rocket

I don't know if any of you are aware of this site but they are developing a turbo and performance chip for the Auroras.

http://www.domesticperformance.com/default.php?cPath=26

Just click on the Aurora logo.

rocketman71

I purchased a 2002 Intrigue GLS with chrome rims recently as a slightly used car - only 15,000km (9,300 miles) and I noticed several areas on the backside of the wheels that blistered. I haven't done anything about them, as the wheels are aluminum and you don't see the blisters very easily. I just put a little silver paint on them and wiped some grease on. However, if you look at the Intrigue forum, "meet the members" message 37 of 52, someone indicated the same problem and obtained new wheels under warranty. Perhaps you could make a claim - I would be interested in the outcome.

53rocket

Thanks for the heads-up. I have to schedule the car again at the dealer for the blasted ISS. I'll ask them about the rims as well and post the response. I might have less luck since I have to use a Buick dealer for service. My Olds guy dropped the brand.

bgiliberti

With a 4.6L Northstar, 18 in wheels, front strut tower barckets and lavishly equipped for $36,000, Pontiac Bonnevilles 04 GXP looks like the would have been 04 Aurora, had GM let Olds survive. It's just arriving now. It's a clean design exterior, a bit Pontiac goofy on the dash, but seems to have it all, including red painted calipers. Check it out!

rjs200240

The Aurora is stylish... And if the Aurora came with a Pontiac red dash I never would have bought one.

oth89

Does the overall diameter greatly affect the computer (plus or minus 1/2")? If so, what is the better way to go as far as the computer is concerned? (tire clearance noted)

The sizes I am looking at are slightly smaller or larger in diameter....plus or minus 1/2 inch overall. (245/45zr/18 or 245/50zr/18 . There is one that is almost bang-on (235/50zr/18) , but I'd like to go 10mm's wider if poosible

THX - 99 - black

blk97aurora

oth89,

I don't know the answer to how much of a difference in diameter will affect the computer. I suspect that as long as all four tires are nearly identical, there would not be a problem; after all, how would the computer know? The speedo and odometer would be off, but +/-0.5 inch is less than 2% difference. If the diameters are staggered, then ABS and traction control would complain.

Have you looked at 255/45-18? That diameter is 27.0" compared to 27.1" stock Classic. The 20mm wider than stock is not a problem. I am running 255/50-17 on my '97 and javidogg has 255/35-20 on his Classic.

javidogg

On the tire size if you want to run 18's, with the 255/45-18, should be fine if not perfect.

I run tire size 20, but you should be fine.

Peace.

Henry

I wish to share an observation.

Today I watched a (bad) Harrison Ford film where he played a cop that also had a real estate practice on the side. The high points of the movie were Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and a few other recording artists that had cameo roles.

Anyway, the point I am making is that there were a number of Aurora Classics in the movie. Actually, on closer examination, I think its the same Classic over and over again in different scenes.

We now have the Matrix - part 2, Harrison Ford, Lethal Weapon part??, and a few other movies using Classics in the background of highway and street scences.

I cant believe this was GM's idea of product placement. What was GM's slogan?

                "AURORA - THE CAR IN THE BACKGROUND!"

I think someone said that it was a 3rd party company that supplies cars on films. If that is the case, the guy at this company LOVED
aROARa. Too bad he was not in charge at GM.

Henri

95mushroom

I saw yesterday a classic on a "Candid-Camera" bit where they put pieces of at least 4"x4"s in as speed bumps on this busy one lane road. They showed a few cars going through them. They had a guy out there talking to them as well. A new tahoe, the classic and a metro (the coralla one). The high point was that they spaced the bumps at about the standard car wheelbase length. It was just amazing that how the Aurora easily pulled itself over the bumps (all 4 wheels had to be pulled over the bumps). The metro got stuck and had to back up and build up speed.

Also I noticed, the size of the tires looked HUGE! They looked like rear viper tires mounted up. There was an Lincoln LS behind the Aurora and its tires looked like spares. lol

oth89

Thanks javidogg and blk97aurora, I may go with the 17", not sure yet.

blk97aurora - What brand of tire are you using with your 255/50/17? This doesn't seem to be a very popular tire (exept toyota supra).

THX. - black 99 -

blk97aurora

oth89,

You're right, 255/50-17 is not a common size. Mine are Continental ContiExtremeContact 100W; I think they are awesome. They are rated 2 out of 18 in Tire Rack's survey for ultra high performance all-season tires. Their speed rating is W (168 mph). Tread life rating is 400 (all the Goodyears I looked at were <300). They are not cheap, but less expensive than Michelin Pilots and other similar tires.

My experience after 8000 miles has been excellent. Dry, wet, and snow traction are excellent. They are no harsher than the 235/60-16 100H ContiTouringContact tires they replaced. I have noticed no increased noise. They are uni-directional. I have experienced no high-speed vibration problems, even though I did not get road force balancing.

BTW, I am running stock 2001 Aurora 17x7.5 wheels.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

sda

Where are you? I am missing your enthusiastic and informative posts!

javidogg

Hey People here are some significant dates in Oldsmobile History:

1864: Ransom Eli Olds is born in Geneva, Ohio.

1900: The name Oldsmobile is adopted after R.E. Olds ran a "Name the Car" contest, won by his timekeeper.

1904: The first Oldsmobile to have a steering wheel instead of a filter rod.

1908: Oldsmobile becomes a part of General Motors Corp.

1924: Olds makes steel wheels an option.

1934: Oldsmobile makes hydraulic brakes and independent front-wheel suspension available for the first time in the industry.

1950: Ransom Eli Olds dies.

1955: Olds makes the industry's first four door hardtop.

1966: Oldsmobile leads the industry with the introduction of a front-wheel drive vehicle.

1974: The industry's first air bag appears in an Olds Toronado.

1987: A.J. Foyt sets closed-course world speed record of 257 mph in an Oldsmobile Aerotech.

2000: GM announces that the 2004 Olds will be the last.

Source:Histomobile
This was an article I happen to run into.

Http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg

Peace.

rjs200240

I'm still around. I've been ridiculously busy at work, plus we are buying a house.

I haven't driven the Aurora too much. Now with the Regal, I drive the Nissan my wife used to drive when it is salty and yucky out. I drove the 'Roara the other day just to enjoy it a bit. What an awesome car! But I cringe about all the sand and salt on the road impacting the bumper and dusting on everything. Hopefully it will rain really hard and remove all the salt and the last traces of snow.

Hey Javi, that thing should mention the 1st hydraulic automatic in like 1944? Also, the first onboard navigation system in like 1995 (called GuideStar).

95mushroom

Just out of curiosity, I'm really starting to think my car was towed(behind a RV) for most of its 97k. The front of my car has a ton of nicks and the windshield is fine except at like sunset I can see a ton of fine marks. Also, the rear tires are worn more then the front and the rear supension was covered in road grime. Lastly, I raced again (I need to stop lol) left an Audi TT behind. He was to busy shifting, the Roara just rode 2nd gear and he eat my dust. So my engine feels like it has more power then the 97k shows.

So, my question is how does the odometer work? If it is in a front wheel type trailers, will the rear tires spinning build up the miles?

sda

I had finally got to take a road trip with my '01 4.0. What a great highway car. Drove 65-70 mph in nasty rain. It just tracked down the road so confidently. It was a pleasure. Seats fit me just right, and wife was enjoying her heated seat and many adjustments. Two year old in back seat just excited because she was riding in "daddy's car" instead of our minivan. Got 25.8 mpg according to the DIC. Can't wait to do it again. In the meantime, a thorough washing would be nice.

sbeaupre

Everytime I've seen an RV towing a car, they've had all 4 wheels on the ground. I know the drive wheels are supposed to be off ground when towing but I've never seen it that way on an RV. Always wondered...

rjs200240

Yeah, the Aurora is an incredible highway cruiser. Yet still so enjoyable on the twisties. My dad was commenting yesterday on his '01 4.0. He was amazed at how much better it handled than the Regal, even though it rides as nicely. He said he was really tossing it into turns on the way to church the last few Sundays, and taking a different way there so he can hit more twisties...

I think towing an automatic with the drive wheels on the ground can ruin the tranny, as no fluid gets circulated to lube it. I'd bet the 4.0 still runs strong with 100k miles on it. It's a very solid, precise engine.

oth89

The photo's you posted a while back with the beauty tips....is that a full stainless sytem or just wicked tips.

What kind are they? Wow...

stickking1

Ah...you're talking about the much-coveted CORSA system. But I'll have to let Rjs tell you about them.

I am currently only able to live vicariously through him and the other guys with it on their Auroras.

rjs200240

Those are the CORSA tips... And the whole CORSA system. It is stainless steel from the cat back. The factory exhaust is also stainless, but the cheapy kind that stains with a light rust color.

You can search around here for some reviews and such. Bottom line, everyone who got it absolutely loves it. Greg also has it on his classic, and Taylor had it on his Aurora before he sold it for the SSEi. I don't think anyone else here has it, but I could be forgetting someone (sorry if I am).

You can hear my car here, and see it from the interior here (no doppler shift or anything that way).

95mushroom

I was just talking about the rear wheels spinning. Like those U-Haul trailers for cars for the moving truck.

Then again at 97k thats only 10.7k a year. Way under the 15k a year.

rjs200240

Well, the rear tires rolling would not increment the odometer. Also, the front of most cars is nicked up. I'd bet your car just hasn't lost a step in 100k miles. Our motors are really something.

95mushroom

Its just that mine is really nicked, almost to the point that the previous onwer must have had to drive through a rock cory behind a dump truck everyday. If I had a better digi cam and knew how to post here, I gladly post away.

Henry

I was having a conversation and the Chevy Caprice and Impala came up. Does anybody know the differene between the two cars back in the 1970's and 80's?

Henri

rjs200240

In the late 70's and early 80's, the Impala was a lower-cost version of the Caprice. They were on the same platform. I don't know the specifics if there were engine diffs, but there were content and trim diffs. The Caprice was a nicer car. I don't know much more than that.

oth89

Love that interior clip...can hear you getting ready to pounce, then hear your foot hit the pedal area.....and I think you are turning your Traction Control off in the video...

Is that a special order / formed Corsa system. Up here it probably costs a ton. We get ripped here in Canada for things like this. Even good tires are double the price up here

I now have a shortcut to that interior clip!

53rocket

RJS was right as usual. I have a friend with a '75 Caprice convertible wth 40,xxx miles. It sports a 350/2bbl. The optional engine was the 400/4bbl. As far as I know, the engines were the same between Caprice and Impala as far back as '69 which is when I think the model first came out. This is not true of the early Bel Airs, Biscaynes and Impalas where the base engines were different. The Impala had a base engine of a v8 versus sixes for the more stripped down, less chrome, less basic option cars. Enough of that. Back to the rockets........

rjs200240

This one is of the car when it was stock, and is also from the driver's seat. Plus, it's daytime so you can see the interior a bit.

95mushroom

Contact some of the wholesalers on ebay that frequently sell Corsa stuff. The best price I got for the Seville exhaust was $899 plus around 100 for shipping and 3 weeks wait because it would be a special order because almost no one keeps it instock.

That's still more then the best "builder exhaust" I built (all Magnaflow stuff, my friend's and I seem, to like them for some reason). cat, racing muffl. as resonator, y-pipe, and 2 muf. and tips. It was around $550 and I have no idea how much pipes and install would be. Anyone else have an idea? I figured $200, so that would be $750 which is at least 200 cheaper then a Corsa. But you wouldn't be as cool.

golic

Hi all,

I am quickly approaching the end of my 5yr 60K warranty on my 2001 Aurora 6 cyl. I have 45K miles on it along with a new transmission and some other fun stuff.

What can I say, I was overwhelmed after 9/11 so i bought American. I like the car, but I will be lucky to walk away break even if i trade it in.

So I am contemplating getting an extended warranty to take me to 100K. I figure if I keep it 100K which will equate to 5yrs I can consider it not a complete financial loss.

Can anyone here suggest a place to get an extended. And should i get it now? or wait until I approach the 60K end?

Thanks for your help.

rjs200240

I think I paid about $25 in shipping from Corsa. So the total was about $1020. It sounds like from the place you suggested, it would be $995 total but with a less certain delivery date.

mrdubya

is it true that the aurora has a full frame? i thought i heard that on one of these forums, but i thought all gm's were unibody now, or is it somthing else different with the frame vs most cars?

rjs200240

The Aurora is a unibody car. It does have a hydroformed subframe for the suspension/powertrain components. And there are clearly frame pieces that run the length of the car to increase its rigidity. But you can see where the body meets the frame, and where the jacking points are, that it's unibody. I think it's just a better kind of unibody that has a frame to it instead of just welded sheetmetal.

stickking1

Well, I have had enough of winter and it is supposed to be around 50 degrees tomorrow, so I'll be putting the 17" wheels back on. I doubt mother nature will pay much attention to me, but at least she'll know that I'm through with the cold weather and snow.

After looking at the tires that are on my 16" wheels, I think I'll be picking up a set of dedicated snow/ice tires for next year. The Turanzas I have on there are a couple years old now, and it'd be nice to have winter tires to go with the winter wheels.

It's crazy here in Michigan. When my parents heard the forcast for tomorrow, they insisted that I come over and we grill some steaks. I can't pass that up. Heck, 50 degrees is almost shorts/T-shirt weather up here.

-Brian

javidogg

The weather here is going to be like 60 degrees today,

I'm thinking about taking out my 20 inch summer wheels out of hibernation.

With this nicer than usual weather, It's given me time for some projects on the Aurora.

Peace.

rjs200240

Well, we moved to a new house over the weekend, and I parked the Aurora at work in the garage on Tuesday to keep it out of harms way during the move. So I've been driving the Nissan since then. As if driving a car with 1.6L of displacement, and less torque than is required to tighten lugnuts isn't bad enough, the exhaust cracked in front of the muffler so it sounds very buzzy and rattly. It's a sound that would violate your Atkin's diet if you get my drift...

So my wife dropped me off at work today so that I could bring the 'Roara home. It turned out to be a beautiful day here, almost up to 70F, so I decided to take a windows-down drive to get lunch. Man, talk about heaven... The smooth operation, the quietness of it all punctuated occasionally by a deep raspy gurgle, the smooth brisk purposeful shifts, everything about it was just incredible. I'm taking the long way home tonight and I can't wait to park the car in its new home for the first time...

It's amazing how much nicer the car drives even than the Regal. The Regal is a nice car with a smooth tranny, but the Aurora's tranny seems so much more in control. And the part-throttle in the Aurora is more satisfying and the throttle is more linear. The Regal is pretty sissy off the line until you give it more and more gas and then it's barking the tires and tearing off. It's hard to just start with medium authority. In addition, the tranny always feels confused when shifting from 1st to 2nd, like it can't decide whether to shift or to stay in 1st a bit longer. Man I love my Aurora...

sda

In the week the DIC on my 01 4.0 flashes a message 'Serv Stabil Sys', and the dash lights for ABS and Trac Off stay lit. If I drive the car a few blocks, shut it off and restart, the lights reset. Sometimes they come back on a couple of miles down the road, other times they stay off for the remainder of the day. I guess I have a wheel sensor getting ready to fail. Suggestions? Currently I have the check engine light on, the AC isn't working and now this. I can hardly wait to take the car in and have it repaired. I will take it in next week for repair and general service (oil change). I just hope the extended warranty company doesn't flat cancel my contract. Even with this, the car runs great. Oh, well. RJS, Congrats on the new house!

pat

Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!

rjs200240

I love my car?? I now have a commute long enough that the car warms up and I get a chance to really enjoy it. Traffic this morning was typical, it was moving well, but the 6-lane divided road (three each way) was full of the usual Virginia roadblocks. Dopes driving in whatever lane they feel like with no intention of ever passing anyone or of ever getting out of that lane.

So I was slicing through the traffic, gunning it a bit every now and then. I love how smooth the car is, so comfortable for just cruising with the pack if you want. But then it's so capable and crisp when you want to leave the pack behind. It handles sharply, accelerates effortlessly, and really works the lanes. It doesn't even seem that large while doing the slice and dice. It really makes the commute enjoyable (though not being in stop and go traffic helps too).

On the way in, I also ended up at a light (on another 6-lane divided road that has much less traffic) next to a black CTS with tinted windows and some 18-19" super flashy wheels. I was looking over at the guy and creeping the car a bit trying to bait him, but the light was close to changing so I didn't gun it at him or anything. The light changed and he didn't take the bait, so I stayed next to him a bit and gunned it forward a little a couple of times. He didn't bite so off I went. I figured if I can't enjoy a good race, I can at least enjoy hearing that sweet motor running through the rpms.

By the time I got to work, the temperature had warmed up to almost 60F, the sun was shining, it's Friday, and I was in a very good mood...

rjs200240

Where the heck are you all? Hey sda, did you get the Aurora looked at yet? It sounds like the stability/trac/abs thing could be a wheel sensor or who knows what. Hopefully just a simple wheel sensor.

I was quick detailing the Regal and the Aurora last night, and the differences are subtle yet very noticeable... There is so much more quality in the Aurora. It's all little stuff, but you see the little stuff when running over each car with a towel.

Like the roof on the Regal is very flat, but the Aurora curves with the body/shape and curves into the glass. The rear glass also curves better, while the Regal glass is flatter and then curves back out at the bottom (which makes for pretty fair distortion at the bottom). Then the trim on the door is so much cleaner on the Aurora. Seems like the panels probably are full size and probably cost more to make, but the result is cleaner and nicer. The bottom half of the Regal is tacked on. The panels around the headlights are nicer too, on the Aurora the panels run up to the housing, while on the Regal the panels go over the housing. All the moldings around windows seem a bit nicer too. I dunno, it's hard to explain, but the Aurora seems a lot nicer. Maybe some Intrigue upgraders have noticed this too?

sda

I plan to take the car in tomorrow to the Cadillac dealer to diagnose the problem(s) and to have the oil changed. I will update everyone with the outcome. Rjs, you are correct. It is in the details. The Aurora seems to reflect better quality and execution than the Intrigue. The way items fit, the texture and softness of the plastics and leather, the teflon door straps,etc. Regal and Intrigue are fine cars in their own standing. I believe the Aurora was meant to be and is a higher caliber of car than the Intrigue.