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-Brian
The extras I have are of the Indy engine shot. The poster is about 12x36 and looks like this.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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%.
p.s.
Henry didn't you have one of those occurences?
On a different note, I just installed the homelink on my car and need to know how to program it.
Shawn
I was wondering how hard and how big a job this would be to do myself.
Any info and help greatly appreciated.
Thanks, David
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.
Thanks again.
Peace.
Javi.
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.
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
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----------------
The Aurora Club of North America.
It's new so we don't have many members yet - why not check it out.
dred98
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
Received the poster yesterday. Thank you. Great condition. How much do I owe you?
Les
Thanks again
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
Les
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 :-)
Henri 121 mph
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! ;-)
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?
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.
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
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?