I put 7.5 quarts in both my '95 and '97. The '95 dip stick reads 3/4 qt low, the '97 read 1/2 qt low. For a $36K vehicle this is a very poor dipstick. I wish they would bring out a replacement for them or at least one that would read accurately.
Yeah, I know its 7.5 but I see no reason to drive around with a 1/2 quart of oil in the truck so I said it was okay to put in a full 8. The extra 1/2 quart does not hurt the engine.
By the way, I had to stop the mechanic from puting in another quart. He said at 9 quarts the dip stick would read max. But at 9 quarts I would be way way over.
I wonder how many north stars are hurt by too much oil. 1 1/2 quarts of extra oil is a lot of oil.
My 95 is an early build (6/94) and I can find no documentation of it receiving the new dipstick under the recall (some of you may remember the earlier 95's dipstick was actually too long).
I've found that if I fill it to 1/2 way in the "ok" area, it will blow out the 1/2 quart and go to the Add one quart line pretty quick. So I fill mine to a 1/2 quart UNDER the add mark and it seems to do fine.
...putting in too much oil can lead to the dreaded Northstar "rear crankshaft main seal" oil leak.
Before having anyone do an oil change, I tell them to put exactly 7 1/2 quarts in, and to ignore the dipstick. As long as the oil filter and drain plug aren't leaking, I think I'm OK (I do check my oil at least once a week, and I must have the only Northstar that doesn't burn/consume oil, as I never have to add, except when my crankshaft seal was leaking :-)
I put in 8 quarts of Mobil 1 syn. It hit the 2/3 to 3/4 Full mark. That way it can take what it wants and leave the rest. I ran 9K on my Mobil 1, 9% on oil life monitor and it was down at the 1/3 to 1/2 full mark at change time. Hardly any loss of oil.
My car also burns very little. I wouldn't have to add oil between changes if I didn't really want to. Like I said, it will get down to the "add" line from where 7.5 quarts is, but this is only like 1/4 qt. down, so on an appropriately marked dipstick, this would still be well into the full range. But I'm too wimpy to let it be below the add line, so I'll pour the 1/4 quart in...
I get about 7k or so between changes, but I don't think the oil life monitor has ever gotten below about 20%. I guess I'm wimpy there too.
As an aside, I used up my last Ultraguard Gold filter. I'll call a few dealerships and see if they have any, otherwise it's back to the Duraguard.
I need to replace the rear air shocks on my '97. GM part numbers for them are 22064664 (left) and 22064665 (right). List prices are $151.72 and $145.84, respectively. Several discount internet dealers sell them for $113.79 and $109.38; Van Chevrolet's prices are $106.20 and $102.09.
RockAuto lists two ACDelco products for my application: 504-547 and 504-96; these are sold in pairs for $82.79 and $89.79 respectively. RockAuto's description for 504547 is "absorber,rr lvlg shk silver roadresponse {pkg of 2 #88946635}." For 50496 it is "absorber,rr shk(w/upr mt){pkg of 2 #22064810}." Neither description mentions "air adjustable"; I assume that 504547 is an air shock because of the "lvlg" = leveling entry. I don't know about 50496.
Does anyone know the difference(s) between the two Delco units? What about difference between the Delcos and GM part numbers? There's more than a 2 to 1 difference in price. Also, the stock units are differentiated left and right, while the ACDelcos appear to be ambidexterous; is this correct?
I have tried without success to find answers to my questions on the web and with a few phone calls.
You may want to check out Monroe for rear airshocks too. I replaced the factory shocks in my 95 with the Monroes last year. They attach to the stock air lines. I don't know if they're better than new OEM ones (since I bought my car with 50K miles), but they are more than acceptable. They're probably cheaper than OEM, also.
Have you priced replacements? If you are removing them anyway, it might be better to replace them. Then the retractors and stuff would work like new again, plus seatbelts usually aren't overly expensive.
You are not actually supposed to clean seatbelts with anything but water. Detergents and cleaning agents can slowly break down the fibers (they do this to your clothes too), and in a seatbelt, especially one that may have to last way more years than your shirt does, this can be a very bad thing. It might be better to play it safe. Just a thought.
blk97aurora - There is a place online where I've been ordering all my AC Delco parts from. You can find it at www.yoursource-autoparts.com. They sold me a pair of the 504-96 shocks for $94.32. You have found an even better price from reading your posting. The 504-96 shocks are load leveling and looked exactly like what was on from the factory. The air lines hooked up perfectly. Swapping the shocks out was a very simple job. The ride with the new shocks was just incredible. My left rear one started leaking oil, that's the reason I changed them. I also put the KYBs up front around the same time.
On a side note, I am in need of doing plugs and wires. They quoted me $41.68 for 8 plugs and $86.16 for the complete set of wires, everything AC Delco. I'm not sure how those prices compare to other places.
Let me know if you need any more information. Pete
Okay finally yesterday I finished the mini tune up to my Aurora, well not me but my bro-in-law did.
I found one thing very interesting while watching my bro-in-law doing my trans tune up, I did not know that my 1999 Aurora had a reusable gasket in there, I always thought that you had to replace the gasket, since the trans kit when you buy one comes with a new gasket, while taking down the trans pan I noticed the black hard plastic gasket, my bother-in-law told me that some Buick's and Cadillac's had these type of gaskets, so I was like nice, he recommend that I use the original gasket since it was reusable, so I did.
I told him that a lot of transmission pans had a magnet that catches all micro particles that tend to flow inside the transmission after so many months without having to change the trans oil in there, and yup there was a square magnet, he he took a sample from there and there was some residue, meaning it was time for a trans tune up.
At the end the fuel filter was also replaced, my the fuel filter was due for a replacement, one way to check to see if you need one is to blow air form one end and the other end should be flowing without any problem, my old one was kind of clogged in a way since there wasn't that much air flowing through like the new one.
Also replaced my PVC valve, that was okay I guess, that was easy to do. It really did not need to be replaced, but it looked old and I like the new one, so it was replaced either way.
So I should be cool for this summer, knock on wood, (knock,knock).
I had a hard time finding ACDelco parts locally, so I went with a FRAM Fuel Filter and a Fram PVC Valve, they should perform alright.
Just watch out for there oil filters. A few years ago I had one where the cardboard (unlike some others with metal) tube in the filter collapsed turning on the oil pressure light on my Eclipse. I have no idea if they're stil lmade the same way as I usually use NAPA silver, now that the gold series has been discontinued.
My 95 had a rubber gasket as well. I still got a new one when I replaced my shift solenoids, but at that time, my old gasket was years old and I needed the new filter set as well, so I got the whole pack from the dealer. Funny thing was that it was the most expensive part of that repair. Just under 70 bucks for the trans pan filter/gasket set...the two solenoids were 30 bucks.
I am wondering if I should buy a NEW ECM for the 95. I dont need one, but folks have said that remanfactutred ones do not work in the Classics. What do you guys think??
stickking1, dang $70 bucks for the trans kit, which includes the gasket and filters, yeah I found out that the Aurora or at least mine has 2 filters in there, sounds like a lot, I paid for mine $24.99, I forgot what brand it was but dang.
I sure have seen a lot of posts for the Classic and the Caddys where the people have said the re-manufactored ones just don't work, on three different boards just as you seem to have heard.
An injector has gone bad on the 98. It took a lonng time to start and the gas mileage the last few days dropped like a rock. The oil was actually slightly higher in level and smelled like raw gas. I took out and looked at the plugs and one of the rear bank was soaked with gas. Starting the car and shutting it off after pulling the injector fuel squirted out until the pressure dropped off to nothing.
Get that injector fixed ASAP . If it is leaking it will flood your engine something aweful.
Happened to me a few months ago. Got some bad gas and it blew out 4 of my injectors at the same time. Wierd I know , but it happened. I was so worried about my engine that I got an oil change 5 times in 1 week to make sure I got as much crap out of there as possible.
Yup...round 70 bucks. Picked it up at the dealer when I was there for the solenoids. That was my shop price too, I think the retail is closer to 100 but it has been a while since I did the work.
Mine was looking a little off-color as I approach 25,000 miles. So I stopped off at the local Olds dealer and picked up a replacement. It was $32! What the heck?
I also picked up a roll of 3M 233+ masking tape (the green stuff) for masking trim and such while detailing. It was almost $10... I was surprised by that too...
Robert!! You didn't tell me that you were going to Cali for the Autopia day at Meguiars! Lucky dog, you...are you flying there? I saw that Scott(wax) is making the trip as well.
Sorry Brian! I didn't want to make you jealous! Yeah, I'm flying out there. It should be a good time.
Not to make you more jealous, but they actually invited me out for a three-day thing, one day of which is the Autopia Detail Day. I think they will also have some classroom/training stuff. I believe Scott(wax) is also there for the three-day thing. I have no idea why they picked me, though!
I wonder if I'll get any free stuff? If so, I don't know how I'll get it back home... My brother lives out in LA, so maybe he can ship stuff to me if necessary (it seems like Meguiar's gives away a lot of free stuff at those things).
Was just poking through Scottwax's photo site (linked in his sig at Autopia)...he's got a 95 Aurora in there that he detailed. Surprised me to see it in there.
The air pump for the shocks started hissing and not holding pressure now. I took the pump with the attached dryer off and suprise, the plastic nipple coming off the box on the compressor head has cracked in half. It doesn't look repairable so I'll rig up something for now with a shraeder valve attached to a tee until I can get another pump!
I'm sure it would make some difference, but hard to predict if the amount would be worth the effort and expense.
The '97 lower control arms are different than '95-96; that could make a difference in fitting '97 springs and struts. Also, the '97 front anti-sway bar is 29mm vs. 27mm for the earlier cars. Rear shocks for all Auroras 1995-2003 are the same.
what would be involved in changing the sway-bars out? Also if anyone has info or knows where the info is, about changing out the rear bar to the STS one it would be appreciated.
I replaced my '97 stock rear 17mm bar with the 1997-2004 STS FE3 sport suspension 22mm bar two days ago. The GM part number is 25666234; list price is $115. The two bars are exactly the same dimensions except for diameter. I used Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings and end links; the grease they sell is the stickiest stuff I have ever encountered. I tried to be careful with it, but ended up with it all over my gloves (inside and out), hands, and tools. The problem with polyurethane bushings is that they can squeak -- that's the reason for the special grease. I may regret going the polyurethane route; time will tell.
So far I'm pleased with the results. Although not dramatic, I perceive that my Aurora leans less in moderate turns. It's been wet around here, so I haven't tried pushing it hard.
Installation was not too bad. I did run into a problem when reinserting one of the bushing bracket bolts. It took a lot of torque; I removed and reinserted it numerous times, thinking that I was cross threading it. I tried a tap but couldn't get it to start. Never did understand what the problem was, but I seated the bolt.
Thank you to Henri and everyone else who provided input on this modification.
Let me know if there are any other questions you have.
The Autozone poly brakets I ended up getting also have a grease fitting on the u bracket so you can reload with grease. When I do the grease fittings for the ball joints I do those also which is once a year.
The Energy Suspension bushings came with u brackets with zerk fittings. But I saw no way to use those brackets as the original brackets on my '97 were P shaped with only one mounting hole (as opposed to two mounting holes with the u brackets).
Senility at my age! the bushing bracket was for the Aurora and the Seville 98 and up and was P shaped not u (just looked under the car) I'll try and find the application as I THINK it was Energy Systems.
I just recently purchased my '96 Aurora and wondered what things I should be doing right now if anything for maintenance.
I wondered if it would be smart to go to a GM dealer and have him print off the GM maintenance records on my vehicle. I kind of wonder if the trans has ever been changed and replaced, if the AC has ever been checked and refilled, etc.
The car also has 105k on it, and I dont think the original shocks/struts have ever been replaced. It seems to ride quite well though.
Would a GM service history answer all my questions?
Also, I know this is probably somewhere else on this site, but does the 87 octane really hurt the car? I've only put 91-93 in my car so far, and dont plan on changing, but I was just curious?
I was forced to put 87 octane in the tank in Wisc. on a holiday a few years ago when all other grades had run out at both the stations I stopped at to try and get decent gas. I noticed I seemed to get about three to four miles to the gallon less. I assume this is because the computer retards the timing to avoid detonation. The weather was cool at the time, so I don't know what the results would have been if the temperatures had been higher. The hotter the weather the more prone to detonation and pinging within an engine.
All GM dealers have access to the warranty service history of any GM car (I think their internal site is called "DealerWorld" but I'm not sure - something with "World" in the title).
Regular maintenance outside of warranty may not be recorded there. If the car you bought was sold and serviced by that dealer (i.e. they didn't buy it at auction) you'll probably be in luck, otherwise you may not get the maintenance history.
The purchasing dealer should be able to tell you what they did before they sold the vehicle. As anyone who reads my posts here knows, I am a huge fan of preventative maintenance (in my profession, IT, lack of PM on a regular basis is directly attributable to later system problems). I would start with an inspection of the plug wires - are the valve covers marked where the wires have been laying across them? Pull a spark plug or two and see what they look like. Get under the car behind the driver's side rear door and visually inspect the fuel filter. Pull the air filter. Check the PCV valve. Inspect the color of the coolant, check the tranny fluid, check the oil. Watch where the car is parked (hopefully concrete) for any kind of leaks. Have someone check the pressure on the AC system. Visually inspect the "underside" of the serpentine belt (and don't forget the water pump belt on the Aurora). Check the tires while you are at it. Pop the back seat and visually inspect the battery, making sure it's not leaking and that the vent tubes are hooked up.
If something doesn't look right, take the safe bet and do the maintenance. Your car will thank you for it.
--Robert who was never a Boy Scout, but probably should have been
Like Robert said inspect the vent tubes for the battery. The tubes crack easily. If the battery vents hydrogen sulfide and the hydrogen builds up under the seat, you could have your very own James Bond style mother-in-law ejection seat, if a spark sets the hydrogen off.
Is this only if you're running the AC Delco battery? I have a Wal-Mart-brand EverStart Extreme Start. It doesn't have a vent and the vent tubes are long gone. Should I buy an Ac Delco one now or just wait till this one dies?
If it's an external vent battery (the Application book at Wal-mart will say) you have a potentially dangerous situation. Is it likely to vent gas and lead to a catastrophic problem? I don't know but are you comfortable with that situation? You're other option is a battery like the Optima gel battery which doesn't vent, unfortunately I don't remember if its the blue or yellow top but the measurements and posts would make it obvious which one.
well arent we all (95-97) riding around with a potential problem? what's one more? no one smokes in my car or even have hot food/drinks in there. So I guess I'll just look at what the book at wally-world says.
I need to add a small amount of power steering fluid to my car. The owner's manual specifies fluid #1052884/1050017 (different sizes, same stuff). I can't find anything with that number. My local dealer had #89020661 (quart sized). Anyone have any info on the part numbers? I think the stuff I bought should be fine, but I thought it was odd.
I inadvertantly filled up my near empty Classic the other day with 87 octane. I have always used mid-grade with no problems. I've used about 3/4 of a tank of the 87 and have not even noticed any difference. There is no pinging and no noticeable difference in acceleration. Just curious on what everyone's take is on this for those of us who aren't into racing our Auroras. I am interested in taking good care of this car (the best I've ever owned) and not doing anything that will harm it. Thanks for any feedback.
Comments
By the way, I had to stop the mechanic from puting in another quart. He said at 9 quarts the dip stick would read max. But at 9 quarts I would be way way over.
I wonder how many north stars are hurt by too much oil. 1 1/2 quarts of extra oil is a lot of oil.
I've found that if I fill it to 1/2 way in the "ok" area, it will blow out the 1/2 quart and go to the Add one quart line pretty quick. So I fill mine to a 1/2 quart UNDER the add mark and it seems to do fine.
Before having anyone do an oil change, I tell them to put exactly 7 1/2 quarts in, and to ignore the dipstick. As long as the oil filter and drain plug aren't leaking, I think I'm OK (I do check my oil at least once a week, and I must have the only Northstar that doesn't burn/consume oil, as I never have to add, except when my crankshaft seal was leaking :-)
--Robert
I get about 7k or so between changes, but I don't think the oil life monitor has ever gotten below about 20%. I guess I'm wimpy there too.
As an aside, I used up my last Ultraguard Gold filter. I'll call a few dealerships and see if they have any, otherwise it's back to the Duraguard.
I like to clean or wash them.
Any help is always appreciated.
Javi
Http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg
I need to replace the rear air shocks on my '97. GM part numbers for them are 22064664 (left) and 22064665 (right). List prices are $151.72 and $145.84, respectively. Several discount internet dealers sell them for $113.79 and $109.38; Van Chevrolet's prices are $106.20 and $102.09.
RockAuto lists two ACDelco products for my application: 504-547 and 504-96; these are sold in pairs for $82.79 and $89.79 respectively. RockAuto's description for 504547 is "absorber,rr lvlg shk silver roadresponse {pkg of 2 #88946635}." For 50496 it is "absorber,rr shk(w/upr mt){pkg of 2 #22064810}." Neither description mentions "air adjustable"; I assume that 504547 is an air shock because of the "lvlg" = leveling entry. I don't know about 50496.
Does anyone know the difference(s) between the two Delco units? What about difference between the Delcos and GM part numbers? There's more than a 2 to 1 difference in price. Also, the stock units are differentiated left and right, while the ACDelcos appear to be ambidexterous; is this correct?
I have tried without success to find answers to my questions on the web and with a few phone calls.
Les
I don't know if they're better than new OEM ones (since I bought my car with 50K miles), but they are more than acceptable. They're probably cheaper than OEM, also.
Jim
(Langod formerly nne3jxc)
What do I need to do to clean my factory chrome wheels??? Products???
You are not actually supposed to clean seatbelts with anything but water. Detergents and cleaning agents can slowly break down the fibers (they do this to your clothes too), and in a seatbelt, especially one that may have to last way more years than your shirt does, this can be a very bad thing. It might be better to play it safe. Just a thought.
Who has them, a place like GMParts.com or something?
I wonder how much them seatbelts would cost also?
I'll see what I end up doing.
There is a place online where I've been ordering all my AC Delco parts from. You can find it at www.yoursource-autoparts.com.
They sold me a pair of the 504-96 shocks for $94.32. You have found an even better price from reading your posting. The 504-96 shocks are load leveling and looked exactly like what was on from the factory. The air lines hooked up perfectly.
Swapping the shocks out was a very simple job. The ride with the new shocks was just incredible. My left rear one started leaking oil, that's the reason I changed them. I also put the KYBs up front around the same time.
On a side note, I am in need of doing plugs and wires. They quoted me $41.68 for 8 plugs and $86.16 for the complete set of wires, everything AC Delco. I'm not sure how those prices compare to other places.
Let me know if you need any more information.
Pete
Thank you for confirming that ACDelco 504-96 are air shocks and same as stock.
I have not seen any prices lower than you show for ACDelco plugs and wires.
Les
I found one thing very interesting while watching my bro-in-law doing my trans tune up, I did not know that my 1999 Aurora had a reusable gasket in there, I always thought that you had to replace the gasket, since the trans kit when you buy one comes with a new gasket, while taking down the trans pan I noticed the black hard plastic gasket, my bother-in-law told me that some Buick's and Cadillac's had these type of gaskets, so I was like nice, he recommend that I use the original gasket since it was reusable, so I did.
I told him that a lot of transmission pans had a magnet that catches all micro particles that tend to flow inside the transmission after so many months without having to change the trans oil in there, and yup there was a square magnet, he he took a sample from there and there was some residue, meaning it was time for a trans tune up.
At the end the fuel filter was also replaced, my the fuel filter was due for a replacement, one way to check to see if you need one is to blow air form one end and the other end should be flowing without any problem, my old one was kind of clogged in a way since there wasn't that much air flowing through like the new one.
Also replaced my PVC valve, that was okay I guess, that was easy to do. It really did not need to be replaced, but it looked old and I like the new one, so it was replaced either way.
So I should be cool for this summer, knock on wood, (knock,knock).
I had a hard time finding ACDelco parts locally, so I went with a FRAM Fuel Filter and a Fram PVC Valve, they should perform alright.
Well that's it for now.
Javi
Http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg
I have no idea if they're stil lmade the same way as I usually use NAPA silver, now that the gold series has been discontinued.
Or is it only found on 1999 Auroras like mine?
As for the FRAM oil filters, I haven't used them just yet.
I like better the AC Delco ones though.
Peace.
Javi
http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg
An injector has gone bad on the 98. It took a lonng time to start and the gas mileage the last few days dropped like a rock. The oil was actually slightly higher in level and smelled like raw gas. I took out and looked at the plugs and one of the rear bank was soaked with gas. Starting the car and shutting it off after pulling the injector fuel squirted out until the pressure dropped off to nothing.
Happened to me a few months ago. Got some bad gas and it blew out 4 of my injectors at the same time. Wierd I know , but it happened. I was so worried about my engine that I got an oil change 5 times in 1 week to make sure I got as much crap out of there as possible.
Peace.
Javi
http://www.cardomain.com/id/javidogg
I also picked up a roll of 3M 233+ masking tape (the green stuff) for masking trim and such while detailing. It was almost $10... I was surprised by that too...
Color me green...with envy.
Not to make you more jealous, but they actually invited me out for a three-day thing, one day of which is the Autopia Detail Day. I think they will also have some classroom/training stuff. I believe Scott(wax) is also there for the three-day thing. I have no idea why they picked me, though!
I wonder if I'll get any free stuff? If so, I don't know how I'll get it back home... My brother lives out in LA, so maybe he can ship stuff to me if necessary (it seems like Meguiar's gives away a lot of free stuff at those things).
I'll definitely take a lot of photos.
Mission failed.
;-) Load up on film!
Installation was easy -- I was especially amazed that the upper shock mount nuts were located inside the trunk. Therefore, no dirt and corrosion.
The dry rot on the rubber "balloons" was so bad that I am really surprised they didn't leak.
Les
I'm sure it would make some difference, but hard to predict if the amount would be worth the effort and expense.
The '97 lower control arms are different than '95-96; that could make a difference in fitting '97 springs and struts. Also, the '97 front anti-sway bar is 29mm vs. 27mm for the earlier cars. Rear shocks for all Auroras 1995-2003 are the same.
Les
all the stuff will come up. Be sure to search in the main Auora board and modifications also.
I replaced my '97 stock rear 17mm bar with the 1997-2004 STS FE3 sport suspension 22mm bar two days ago. The GM part number is 25666234; list price is $115. The two bars are exactly the same dimensions except for diameter. I used Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings and end links; the grease they sell is the stickiest stuff I have ever encountered. I tried to be careful with it, but ended up with it all over my gloves (inside and out), hands, and tools. The problem with polyurethane bushings is that they can squeak -- that's the reason for the special grease. I may regret going the polyurethane route; time will tell.
So far I'm pleased with the results. Although not dramatic, I perceive that my Aurora leans less in moderate turns. It's been wet around here, so I haven't tried pushing it hard.
Installation was not too bad. I did run into a problem when reinserting one of the bushing bracket bolts. It took a lot of torque; I removed and reinserted it numerous times, thinking that I was cross threading it. I tried a tap but couldn't get it to start. Never did understand what the problem was, but I seated the bolt.
Thank you to Henri and everyone else who provided input on this modification.
Let me know if there are any other questions you have.
Good luck!
Les
The Energy Suspension bushings came with u brackets with zerk fittings. But I saw no way to use those brackets as the original brackets on my '97 were P shaped with only one mounting hole (as opposed to two mounting holes with the u brackets).
How did you install the u brackets?
Les
I wondered if it would be smart to go to a GM dealer and have him print off the GM maintenance records on my vehicle.
I kind of wonder if the trans has ever been changed and replaced, if the AC has ever been checked and refilled, etc.
The car also has 105k on it, and I dont think the original shocks/struts have ever been replaced. It seems to ride quite well though.
Would a GM service history answer all my questions?
Also, I know this is probably somewhere else on this site, but does the 87 octane really hurt the car? I've only put 91-93 in my car so far, and dont plan on changing, but I was just curious?
Thanks alot-
Greg
'96 Aurora
The weather was cool at the time, so I don't know what the results would have been if the temperatures had been higher. The hotter the weather the more prone to detonation and pinging within an engine.
Regular maintenance outside of warranty may not be recorded there. If the car you bought was sold and serviced by that dealer (i.e. they didn't buy it at auction) you'll probably be in luck, otherwise you may not get the maintenance history.
The purchasing dealer should be able to tell you what they did before they sold the vehicle. As anyone who reads my posts here knows, I am a huge fan of preventative maintenance (in my profession, IT, lack of PM on a regular basis is directly attributable to later system problems). I would start with an inspection of the plug wires - are the valve covers marked where the wires have been laying across them? Pull a spark plug or two and see what they look like. Get under the car behind the driver's side rear door and visually inspect the fuel filter. Pull the air filter. Check the PCV valve. Inspect the color of the coolant, check the tranny fluid, check the oil. Watch where the car is parked (hopefully concrete) for any kind of leaks. Have someone check the pressure on the AC system. Visually inspect the "underside" of the serpentine belt (and don't forget the water pump belt on the Aurora). Check the tires while you are at it. Pop the back seat and visually inspect the battery, making sure it's not leaking and that the vent tubes are hooked up.
If something doesn't look right, take the safe bet and do the maintenance. Your car will thank you for it.
--Robert
who was never a Boy Scout, but probably should have been