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Oldsmobile Aurora

1959698100101112

Comments

  • stickking1stickking1 Member Posts: 247
    I put my report on the Olds send-off in the Photo Gallery guys....check it out!

    -Brian
  • stickking1stickking1 Member Posts: 247
    Hey guys, I bought a couple extra posters at the Olds event to send out to whoever wants one. I already have one set aside for Bob, since he's gonna send me a bunch of detailing stuff to try out, but I have two more that I'll send out to the first two that E-mail me with their address. Just click on my forum name and it'll show my E-mail, then tell me where to mail it.

    The extras I have are of the Indy engine shot. The poster is about 12x36 and looks like this.
    image

    They go to the first two in my E-mail, just let me know. I'll be heading back to the museum this Sunday to check out a few things, and if they have more posters I'll pick em up.

    -Brian
  • stickking1stickking1 Member Posts: 247
    Les has claimed one...who's got the last one?
  • huskerfan_21huskerfan_21 Member Posts: 27
    Hey everyone-

    I need some help in deciding what to look for in Auroras. I fell in love with them and really want to buy one. I'm 21 and looking for a car to last me the next 5 years of grad school.

    Currently, I am looking at one at a Lexus dealership here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
    It has 113,000 miles, that diamond white exterior, tan interior, heated seats/mirrors, moonroof, Bose sound and 12 CD changer, traction control, etc. Regular rims (not aluminum). The only exterior flaws I found were the weatherstripping on top of the back window appeared to be starting to go, and there were the usual paint marks on a rear fender, mirrors. Two/three rock chips, looks like it has been driven on highway/cement its whole life. 1 owner bought it new. When driving, it seems like the front shocks maybe are getting old, and the tach is flying all over the place. The dealer said he was going to fix the tach and service/inspect it, he had just got it in off a trade. He sounded really desperate to get rid of it. He told me that he thought it was priced at 7995. I laughed at that and said I couldnt pay that much, and suddenly he said, how about 5700? I said I'd think on it. I'm thinking I could pay 4500-5300 cash.

    What kinds of questions do I need to ask when I go back there?
    What mechanical problems do I need to expect on this in the next few years?
    Should I ask him to replace any parts now before I would buy it? Injectors? Pumps? etc.
    I've read about how they pretty much have to pull the engines to fix anything on these, and that would suck.

    Please help and tell me a good price for the automobile. I love the options.

    I thought the Bose stereo wasnt as high end as I figured, but I want to get Sirius or XM radio if I get this car anyways.

    Thanks for your help.

    Greg

    email: mustangee@hotmail.com
  • jonbgoodjonbgood Member Posts: 157
    Hi to all. I have a 99 classic autobahn with 34K miles. Car was placed in service 3/99 - so just over 60 months ago. Runs like new. Took it in for the 3000 mile oil change and the gm dealer suggested I change transmission fluid and filter, flush coolant, and change fuel filter. They want $47 for fuel filter, $109 for transmission service (not flushed - pan dropped and drained) and $84 for coolant service. I'm curious what everyone's opinion is on these services with such few miles - but with 61 months on the clock. Thanks and BTW - I love this car!!!!
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    The recommended coolent change is every 5 years, although my dealership service department said that the coolent was still good. They did recommend transmission service at 30000 mile intervals. My aurora was a 98. Do keep an eye on the coolent level and watch for leaks. The water pump on my car started a small leak after 50,000 miles.
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Jon,

    Coolant change at 5 years is correct, although the mile limit is 150,000. The price doesn't seem exhorbitant. Be sure you get 50% mixture of Dex-Cool (orange) AND the sealant tablets. There has been a lot of misinformation that the sealant tabs are no longer specified by GM; that is not true for our Auroras.

    Seems early for changing the fuel filter. GM list for the filter is $19; I guess the rest of the price is labor. The filter is easily accessible and probably shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

    I just paid similar price for the same transmission service from STS, although I did pay an extra $30 for Mobil 1 synthetic fluid. Olds recommendation for transmission fluid change is that it never needs to be done for cars in non-severe service. I know of no one who has reported less than 100% on their Aurora's transmission oil life display. Still, I'm uncomfortable with never changing the fluid. My personal opinion is that it should be changed every 50,000 miles if you plan to keep you car over 100,000 miles.
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Henri,

    I know you asked about a '98, but I believe all '96-99s are the same in this respect. The spare cover of my '97 is (sort of) held in place by several velcro strips around the perimeter of the cover. The reason I added "sort of" is that the glue holding the velcro to the cover looses its grip in hot weather.

    You should be able to tell if the cover is OEM if the Service Parts Identification (SPI) label is there. It includes the VIN. I think this is a stupid place to stick the SPI as the entire cover can easily be separated from the vehicle it describes.

    Les
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    huskerfan_21,

    Welcome to the wonderful world of Auroras!

    First, I cannot help you with price as I have not kept up to date. I suggest you try Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book if you haven't already.

    What follows is purely my experience/opinion based on owning a '97 for 4.7 years and 73,000 miles, and reading 1000s of messages on this discussion group. Auroras can be expensive to maintain. Looks like you have done some due diligence in reading past posts; read them all.

    You don't say what model year you are looking at. I recommend going for '97 or later; the '95s and '96s seem to have more start-up problems. Try to get a service history for the car, although I expect that might be difficult from a Lexus dealership. Also, try to get some kind of warranty.

    At 113,000 miles the original struts (front) and shocks (rear) are shot. You might try to get them replaced if they haven't already been replaced (service history). How are the tires? BTW, the regular rims are aluminum, painted metallic gray; optional wheels are the exact same wheels chrome-plated.

    Many Aurora owners experience water pump failures between 50,000 and 100,000 miles. The fuel pressure regulator (FPR) starts leaking about this same miles or earlier; don't accept anything but an ACDelco replacement. I don't remember anyone reporting a problem with fuel injectors.

    How old is the battery? It is located under the rear seat and has special venting requirements. ACDelco replacement is about $110 discounted; at 57 pounds it is the heaviest car battery ACDelco makes.

    A frequent problem is air conditioning compressors. The earlier cars have experienced transaxle shift solenoid failures. At 113,000 miles the trans fluid should have been changed and screens replaced at least once.

    I hope I haven't scared you away from Auroras. I and many others have had excellent experience, but a few owners have had significant problems. That's not any different from other makes/models.

    Good luck!

    Les
  • mike98cmike98c Member Posts: 293
    Not all the 96 models have the velcro style lid. I looked at an early build date 96 that had the latch style cover.
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    All of these maintenance services sound reasonable to me (I am a huge fan of preventative maintenance, be it on a car or a computer). The prices don't necessarily sound reasonable :-)

    Remember, oil changes are suggested every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first. At 20k mi/yr., I usually stretch my oil changes out to nearly 4000 miles as my third-party warranty company has a problem if I exceed that number, and I tend to drive a lot of highway miles, especially during football season :-)

    Tranny fluid flush and filter change: I wouldn't go by the maximums here. I know a number of people who have 200+k on their cars/trannies generally seem to follow a 2 year, 30k mi PM schedule.

    Due to the aluminum engine and the chance of head gasket issues, I'd personally make sure the coolant is flushed and refilled along those same guidelines (2 years/30k mi.).

    The fuel filter is supposed to last 30k mi. If you're at 31k, you're already beyond that. The fuel filter is approximately $12 through your dealer's parts desk, and it's located under the car, in front of the left rear tire, so this is a do-it-yourself project for me ($35 for a 5-minute job seems steep).

    I'd also suggest having the level of R134A in your AC system checked. Auroras are known for expensive AC compressor repairs, usually when the coolant gets low (system works extra hard trying to compensate = grenaded AC compressor). I'd try to find an automotive cooling service specialist and bypass the dealer here, if you're not comfortable with refilling the system yourself.

    My recommendation is to find a non-GM dealer with a good reputation for repairs (ask around with friends/co-workers). Make sure they have the proper equipment to do the tranny and coolant flushing (not just drain-and-refill). You'll probably get cheaper labor rates as well.

    Hope this helps,

    --Robert
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    For oil changes, I always went with the oil monitor, which, in city driving tended to run about 3000 miles in the winter and 4000 miles in the summer for city driving. Highway miles would run upward of 7000. My 2002 SLS is doing much longer than that (9000 miles).

    I think that the transmission service monitor is not functional. My 98 Aurora never indicated any change in the status (it was either 99 or 100%). My current SLS also shows a constant 99%.
  • mike98cmike98c Member Posts: 293
    The only people I've ever seen posting that the oil monitor dipped below 99% were the ones where the trannys had gotten hotter than normal from either towing or having a shift solenoid fail and thus forced to drive the car for a period of time in second gear.

    p.s.
    Henry didn't you have one of those occurences?
  • 95mushroom95mushroom Member Posts: 230
    I saw that earlier and was going to post something on it. Its just funny how once high priced-cars near the ends of their lives turn into cars like that.

    On a different note, I just installed the homelink on my car and need to know how to program it.

    Shawn
  • chstr1000chstr1000 Member Posts: 32
    I've been looking through some past postings about the rear air shocks. Mine are starting to leak oil. It looks like the ac delco 504-96 is the correct replacement. So I assume these do hook up to the airlines the same.? I've priced these at rockauto.com, just under $90 a pair plus shipping.
    I was wondering how hard and how big a job this would be to do myself.
    Any info and help greatly appreciated.

    Thanks, David
  • javidoggjavidogg Member Posts: 366
    Just go to the Home Link website, they have instructions on how to program the homelink remote.

    Okay I went ahead and found the site for you,
    http://www.homelink.com/program/programming.tml

    There it shows you how to program the in your Aurora remote.
    If you have the rolling codes for your garage door unit, they also have instructions on that one too, it can be a little tricky.

    Peace.
    Javi.
  • mike98cmike98c Member Posts: 293
    Not difficult at all. The top nut is behind felt in trunk and bottom is held on by two easily removed and accesible bolts.
  • 95mushroom95mushroom Member Posts: 230
    thanks javi, just programmed it and works great. I live in a gated community and its nice not to have 2 openers hanging off both visors (the lack of a big center console cubby). No more using a clicker like some savage. lol.
  • chstr1000chstr1000 Member Posts: 32
    Thanks for the help. I'm going to order the shocks first chance I get. Hopefully by next week maybe. I'll post again after installation.

    Thanks again.
  • javidoggjavidogg Member Posts: 366
    No prob, that's were I went when I first bought my Aurora, found out there was a homelink website.

    Peace.
    Javi.
  • cwiley1cwiley1 Member Posts: 82
    I just had new struts and shocks installed in the '97. Both were AC Delco's. What a difference it makes. I can't believe it is the same car. At 66k both struts and shocks were shot. My '95 had to have shocks at around 70k but I still have the original front struts with 110k. They appear to be okay. A little weak but nothing like the '97 felt. I haven't felt the '95 bottom out on bad roads. I guess I will have to do the struts next on the '95.
  • kayaman420kayaman420 Member Posts: 207
    The tach jumping around can be a lot of different things. Make sure they fix the problem before you purchase it so that the first month you own this car it isnt back at the dealer every other day getting fixed. Heres what it could be:

    Fuel pressure regulator( every Aurora goes through atleast 2 of these in a lifetime).about $100 to repair. Extremely easy to do yourself for around $50.

    ISC motor. It attaches to your throttle body and controls the idle. aBout $100 to repair. Kind of involved to do yourself. But it may just need to be adjusted.

    Plugs/wires/coil packs. ANy of which could be the problem. SInce the car has 100000 it may need new plugs and wires. The coil packs usually go one at a time.ALWAYS USE AC DELCO PLUGS AND WIRES!!!!
    Trust me. People have been ok with some aftermarket plugs and wires, but MANY people have had problems. Just be safe and use AC Delco.

    Probably needs new front struts. About $400. ANd the rear window thing happens all the time.

    Just wanted you yto have some ammo when you have them fix this car for you. ALso the price seems a little high. You shuld be able to get that car with them repairing it for atleast somewhere in the high $3000's. If they dont go that low shop around. You can find an Aurora without any problems for $4500 easy.And lower miles.
  • beachlover333beachlover333 Member Posts: 6
    kayaman420....need your help....you posted idle learn procedure for 95 Aurora and said to hold over 1500 RPM for a short time ....yet you posted later on Aug 25,2003 to bring RPM to 3500 a few times.....Which procedure and RPM is correct? By the way posting this stuff was a great service to us fellow Aurora owners....my dealer wanted $230 to do this......I owe you one....
  • 95mushroom95mushroom Member Posts: 230
    yea huskerfan, I would not pay more then 3k for an Aurora with problems. I bought mine for $4950 from a local place with 86k miles and its ran almost flawless since (just the minor problems as described as before).
  • kayaman420kayaman420 Member Posts: 207
    Ill recheck my manual. One of those was a typo Im sure. Even if you went to the 3500 though it will still work. The manual said to just hold it over that RPM so if you used 3500 youd still be ok since that is still over 1500. But ill check to be sure. I think its 3500 off hand.
  • harleyharley Member Posts: 8
    I have had my 1997 aurora for about 4 years with no problems until now. I blew a head gasket and had it replaced--big job!!!--Anyway I asked the mechanic if I should sell it or keep it--it has 95000 miles now. He said sell it since the engine will never see 150000 miles. Has anyone had a similar experience. Thanks in advance.
  • harleyharley Member Posts: 8
    I have had this Aurora for about 4 years with no problems until recently when I had the head gasket changed. The mechanic said I should sell it since the engine will never see 150,000 miles--it has 95,000 now. has anyone had a similar experince. Thanks in advance.
  • beachlover333beachlover333 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks....I tried it both ways....but I still got the ratcheting....pulled off the ISC,and opened it up, and found a small broken piece inside....so I'll be picking up one of those to try soon.
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    I hate when that happens.

    Did your mechanic give you a reason why he thinks the engine will not see 150,000 miles? I'm not disagreeing with him, I just want to understand his reasoning. Is it becuse of the head-gasket failure and replacement? Or does he think no Auroras will go 150,000?

    Were you able to determine the cause of head-gasket failure?

    I'm very interested since my '97 has 110,000 miles and I plan to drive it for many more years.

    Les
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    There are more than a few over 150k Auroras. I would not worry about it if I were you. It is one man's opinon and he probably drives a Lexus 300.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    Lexus 300 "type R"
  • huskerfan_21huskerfan_21 Member Posts: 27
    Les-

    I've recently decided that even though I love the color and body, the mechanical aspects arent what I wanted.

    I recently test drove another '96 with 104k, and it ran perfect. The shocks and struts worked fine, the stereo was great, and all gadgets seemed to work, acceleration was awesome. Only minor rock chipping in a couple areas on the car, and like usual, the weatherstripping around the rear glass has started to shrink.

    The dealer started at $5900, and I'll probably go back and deal with him on this one.

    How low do you think I can get? I'm guessing around $4000, he wants to sell it bad. It doesnt have any issues right now except for someone stole the CD changer sleeve and he is ordering a replacement.
    I've heard many things about things that probably need to be done:

    Plugs and Wires
    Tranny/Radiator fluids flushed/replaced
    Struts/Shocks
    Fuel Regulator
    Mass Air Sensor
    AC condensor/refrig. refill

    What else will need to be done on an Aurora with 95-100k?
    I cant seem to be find a '97 with anything lower than 70k.
    I'll check the carfax on this one, but he said only a few things had been done on it.

    Thanks-

    Greg

    ---------Looking for a '96-'97 Aurora----------------
  • dred98dred98 Member Posts: 16
    http://www.geocities.com/aurorapride/ACNA
    The Aurora Club of North America.
    It's new so we don't have many members yet - why not check it out.
    dred98
  • beachlover333beachlover333 Member Posts: 6
    And Idle relearn. I believe for a 1995 Aurora the fuse for the PCM must be pulled for a few minutes before you can go through the procedures. My ISC went bad and after I changed it, it still "ratcheted" even after procedures. Until I pulled PCM fuse, then did procedures, then it was fine. Another piece of advice....the ISC from a 1985 (yes, 1985) Riviera was the exact same part, and mounted very handily on the top of the motor (easy to take off).
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Greg,

    That's a good list. At 110,000 miles on my '97 I have not had problems with air sensor and a/c or waterpump (not on your list, but several people have reported replacements between 50-100k miles). Plugs, wires, shocks, struts, trans/rad fluids are normal wear items for any car -- not just Auroras. Although the Aurora seems particularly sensitive to the right plugs and wires. The fuel-pressure regulator seems to go leaky much too early; should be replaced with ACDelco. Can be bought for '96-99s at $50 if you shop around, and very simple to install.

    I would add serpentine and water-pump belts (again, normal wear for 100k+ car). Fuel pump is another critical component (just ask Henri). I have one that I bought from RockAuto and plan to install next month. My first introduction to electric fuel pumps in the tank was my '75 Olds Starfire; I replaced that one twice. Replaced the one in my '86 Fiero once. Again, seems like expected failures by 100k miles.

    Hope this helps.

    Les
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Brian,

    Received the poster yesterday. Thank you. Great condition. How much do I owe you?

    Les
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    Great Poster

    Thanks again
  • huskerfan_21huskerfan_21 Member Posts: 27
    Hey everyone-

    Is the only difference between an Aurora ('96) with an Autobahn package vs. regular the absence of a governor?
    Is there any other advantages? (suspension etc?)

    I'm currently down to two cars, and one has the package but is light blue, the other is my preferred color creme but doesnt have the package. I know, color is trivial, but that creme stands out!

    Thanks-

    Greg

    Lincoln NE
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    I believe the autobahn has governor also -- about 138 mph vs. 110 mph for non-autobahn. No difference in suspension except for V-rated tires vs. H-rated. The other difference is the axle ratio of 3.71 vs. 3.42 non-autobahn. The effect is slightly better acceleration and higher engine speed. For example, at 2000 rpm a stock Aurora will be traveling at 66 mph with transaxle in 4th and torque-converter clutch locked up. Autobahn at same rpm will be going 62 mph.

    Les
  • 95mushroom95mushroom Member Posts: 230
    yep blk nailed it. The Aurora w/Autobahn has no problem whacking the 140 limiter :D
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    Les pretty much nailed the description, except for a couple more points I'll make.

    The Autobahn-equipped models are a little faster, 0-60 (I believe the rated time was 7.6 seconds, versus 8.1 or 8.2 for the non-Autobahn version - but don't get me started on the fallacies of 0 to 60 times). They also get 1-3 fewer MPG.

    --Robert
    who enjoys the stoplight olympics and is happy he has an Autobahn, even though I've never had it faster than 115 :-)
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    Question - How fast have you driven your aROARa?

    Henri 121 mph
  • 95mushroom95mushroom Member Posts: 230
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Only about 95mph... so far
  • stickking1stickking1 Member Posts: 247
    Henri and Les,

    No worries guys, it's my pleasure. Sorry I've been quiet for the last week or so, I am in the middle of Wisconsin rebuilding a dam....seriously. Great summer job! ;-)
  • nobody_specialnobody_special Member Posts: 4
    Looking at a 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0, 29K mi.
    Any advise from owners or recent buyers? Reliability, etc? SHould I go for the extended warranty? What kind of mileage should I expect from the 4.0 in mixed driving?
  • rocket3_50rocket3_50 Member Posts: 42
    In mixed driving to work during the week and around town on the weekend, I get 21+ mpg. On highway trips I get 24+ mpg in my 2003 Aurora 4.0, same engine, same body as the 2001.

    I got the 60 months/60,000 mile warranty on my 2001, and I think it is worth it.

    My 2001 has 68,000 miles on it now. I'd love to have it back at 29K miles.
  • hammen2hammen2 Member Posts: 1,284
    There are basically two versions of the 2001 Aurora (and I'm not talking about 3.5 versus 4.0). They started building them in early 2000, and then, after the annual 2 week 4th of July shutdown, they resumed building them, with a number of running changes. I don't have a complete list (RJS?) but I know the second version has the OnStar mirror and, if reports here are accurate, better build quality.

    I don't remember seeing a lot of recurring 2001-2003 issues (unlike the Classics). Biggest problem (shared also by the Intrigue, Impala, et. al.) is the Intermediate Steering Shaft - basically if you feel strange vibrations/hear clunking when turning, the ISS needs to be lubed (not replaced). GM has a lube kit for this, and, after some period of time/usage/mileage, it will have to be lubed again.

    Be sure to get the VIN and have a GM dealer run it to see what service/warranty work has been done on the car. It also wouldn't be bad to check out http://www.nhtsa.gov and see what recalls/issues have been reported, if any.

    Hope this helps,

    --Robert
  • rocket3_50rocket3_50 Member Posts: 42
    I think one of the running changes on the 2001 was the addition of a center tether point for a child seat in the rear cabin deck, right hammen?

    I would add the following items under the category of prevalent initial, but minor, problems:

    1. Small bulbs burn out quickly - in the steering wheel, on the console, on the dash, rear fog lamps. In my case, the replacement bulbs have lasted much longer than the original bulbs, and I haven't had to replace any of them again.

    2. The center console storage lid is spring loaded to stay up on a new car, but the plastic hinge has a life expectancy of about three months. The replacement lid and hinge are installed under warranty without the spring, so that you must hold open the lid when you have to open the console storage compartment.

    On a car with 29,000 miles, I think it is likely that the previous owner has already addressed these problems, and I'd be surprised if they recur. It would be worth an evening test drive to check the small bulbs in the cabin. I think I remember that every bulb in the cabin that you would expect to be back-lit is, except curiously, the AC recycle button. Can others confirm?
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