Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair

nne3jxc

All,
I dont know if this will help solve the problem or not, but I posted Robs Aurora Tips document on my website as a mirror.
Hopefully, those of you have trouble viewing it on his site will be able to see it on mine.
Aurora Tips

Regards,
Jim

kayaman420

I posted a short while ago about my SES light coming on. At that time there was not really any problems it was just coming on and the car ran fine. Now theres a problem and maybe one of you guys have had this before.

When the SES light comes on my car shifts very hard. It slams into and out of gear say if Im in a parking lot or something where I am shifting a in and out of gears a lot. Then when Im driving as I accelerate it jumps every time it shifts to the next gear. But the light only comes on sparatically and when the light isnt on my car shifts smooth as silk. Any ideas???

Thanks for the help Auororians

mike98c

Hmm, ses light with no symptoms at first and now light comes on with hard shift? My guess would be a faulty shift solenoid. There will be a code set for that very thing if that's the problem.

mike98c

I was looking at Caddyinfo.com and a brand new post calle "diagram valve body" might be useful for you as well as the post down a little further "removing shift solenoid".

garnes

Thanks for the link. It looks like a good thing to have - and thanks Rob for all that work,

blkboyinaz

I know there was slight discussion abut this before, but here goes:
1996 Olds Aurora.
Got an oil change about 2 weeks ago now. Was going fine, until yesterday, the DIC starting showing..'Low Oil Pressure' or 'Check Oil'. I pulled over, checked the oil, and even added about 1/2 quart. But...the level is fine.
Today..same thing, i'm sitting at a stop light, and the pressure starts falling from 14, until finally the oillight starts blinking, and the 'Low Oil Pressure' blinks on the DIC.
     I had the dealership check the oil pressure gauge just abut a week ago, and they said no problems.
   Anything else it could be? Or should I take it back to the dealership and demand they replace the pressure gauge?

Please email me if you hvae any ideas to: shkir@cableone.net
I've been in thehosp. recently with my son.

kayaman420

I guarantee you that if they change the oil pressure guage( oil sending unit) this will solve the problem. I had this exact same problem. Sitting at stop lights is when it happens most often. Demand they change it.

blk97aurora

blkboyinaz:
I'm interested to know what you find out. My '97 has had what I consider extremely low oil pressure at idle at normal operating temp. since I bought the car at 37,000 miles. It drops to 8psi (ocassionally 7). Pressure at 2000+ rpm seems fine. My dealer has said it's normal. And, the service manual specifies 5psi as minimum at idle -- doesn't give me much comfort. I will eventually change the sender, but I am still bothered by the 5psi in the service manual.

mike98c

The Northstar has a very high volume oil pump, as opposed to a high pressure (but usually) moderate to low volume pump. The high volume of oil moved is very effective at carrying away heat.

kayaman420

Before I changed my sending unit I had your same problem. Whenever I stopped at a light or was going through a drive through my oil pressure dropped to 8 or lower. If the temperature outside was above 70 it would drop all the way to 5 then I would get the alarm. I assume the hot weather made the oil thinner. But since I changed my sending unit I havent noticed it drop below 10 yet. In fact it actually stays at about 14 .

larryfl

My '95 also had the problem. On a recent oil change, the mechanic noticed the oil sending unit was leaking and replaced it. The next day I was sitting at a long light and the oil light / DIC message came on.

The short version of the story is that the aftermarket oil sending unit the shop installed (don't know what kind. Probably whatever his local parts house delivered) was apparently calibrated wrong. They even replaced it with another -- same problem. They then replaced it w/ the GM/Delco brand and I haven't had a problem since.

mike98c

On a Caddy board there were several posts a little while back that said the same thing. EVERYONE who posted on replacing oil pressure sending unit with an aftermarket unit had problems.

gisom

I have the exact problem for my 95 classic. When the ses light is on and you put it in gear, wham sounds light the tran just slams into gear. The light appears after doing about 30 to 40 mph and you start slowing down but if you gun the engine the light goes out and everything is smooth. Everyone I talk to says it is the trans but I don't know. Mine has been doing this for about a year.

Greg

mike98c

I replaced the serpimtine belt with ~120,000 miles on it. the belt was starting to show the cords on top but wasn't frayed and the ribs wern't cracked. Everything must have lined up pretty good on this car because I looked at cars with sixty and seventyfive thousand miles on them, where the belt was frayed, when I went comparison shopping before I picked up the silver bullet. Figured I better replace the belt while I had the wheel off that side to replace the front brake pads. I went with PPG@ pads this time because Autozone was out of the carbon ceramic pads I used last time I changed the front pads. Time to do the rears also but I think I'll go with the organic pads because the semi-metallic and others don't seem to get enough load back there to heat up and bite properly.

kayaman420

MIKE-I recently replaced front and rear with Raybestos Quite Stop pads. They are a ceramic pad and I am very pleased with them. I was getting a horrible amount of brake dust on my rims from regular pads and after I put these new ones on it has virtually eliminated this problem. And I dont have to scrub my wheels evertime I get a car wash. Also the braking distance was signifigantly reduced. On the other hand I put Raybestos Raymold rotors all around and I am not too happy with those. They work just fine, but they are getting very rusty very fast. Next time i will be sure to purchase rotors that dont rust like this.

In short I highly recommend the Quite Stop pads if you dont want any brake dust dirtying up your wheels.

gisom- I belive this is definately a tranny problem. Hopefuly next week I can get my car in the shop to get it fixed. i will let everyone know what it turns out to be. You do the same if you find out first. FYI- Go to a transmission specialist to diagnos the problem, because they wont charge you just for the diagnosis like the dealer will.

kayaman420

I am going to be replacing these soon on my 95. I know where the O2 sensors are, but I would like any info from you guys as to the best way to handle these projects. I figure anyone who has done these on the Aurora before could tell me what to look for and the easiest way to do it. I never done an EGR valve before, is there anything I should know or do I just take the old one off and put the new one on?

Thanks in advance

tim95classic

Hey guys-

I have reviewed the postings on this board, but could not seem to find the answers to a few problems I am having. I have a '95 with 95,000 miles. From what I know, I am the third owner, and there have been no accidents or major repairs. My questions are-

1. This is for "garnes". I saw you have wheels off a 2001. Were these a direct bolt on? Any fitment issues I should be aware of?

2. The trim that runs over the doors and back to under the rear window has pulled away at the corners. Has anyone else experienced this? How did you fix it?

3. When making a turn at speeds over 5 mph (either direction) there is a "clunk/pop" coming from the left (drivers side) front tire area. I had this looked at by a dealer, and they could not find a problem. They tightened all bolts, but it did not fix the problem. Any ideas?

Thanks for all your help. This seems like a very knowledgeable board; maybe some techs should check it out.

Tim
Black '95

mike98c

The egr valve is a simple unbolt the unit (I put a towel down myself in case one of the nuts and bolts falls out of the socket) then clean the old gasket off if it didn't come off cleanly and put egr on with new gasket. wire connector snaps on and off top of valve.
Tim if Tie rods ends and ball joints were checked i'd still check WITH THE CAR LEVEL ON THE GROUND the tie rods by shaking them with the wheels straight as well as the c.v. joints. I'd also try to shake the wheels and see if there is obvious play. A lot of mechanics including dealers will check for play in the suspension with the wheels dangling down in the air, this takes out the slack and makes everything seem tight. I'd also observe and listen to the top of the struts while someone turns the wheel to check the strut bearing plate. Other members probably have more ideas as well as these.

800wattaurora

Well guys my BACKFIRE problem is solved!!! Picked it up form the dealer today and found that Fuel-injector #7 was the culprit. Me so happy now. 94K and runnig strong again. Keeping her till she dies. hopefully I'll get at leats 150K out of her.

kayaman420

Happy to see you solved your problem. I didnt want to see you get rid of the Aurora. Isnt it amazing how good it feels when you make your Aurora feel good and it treats you nice. All of us Aurora owners have to keep these cars alive. These are one of the best American cars ever made (pound for pound)and we all seem to be good owners. If we were to sell our Auroras they might go to a bad home where they will be left dirty,forced to drink 87 octane, or just left for dead once a difficult problem arises. Besides we might as well drive these cars till they die because we can only sell them for a fraction of what there worth.

rjs200240

Glad to hear you got your car fixed. I can't believe you were gonna ditch it for that... for shame.

garnes

The 2001+ 17 inch wheels bolt right on. No difference than stock. You do need to get 235/55/R17 tires to keep the SAME wheel height as the stock 235/60/R16 wheels. If you don't, you will have problems - SES light on, traction control goofed up.

Just a note for anybody considering the 2001 Aurora 17's for the classic. I got these from an aftermarket place. These wheels were actually Aurora 17 inch alloy wheels with the silver finish. They were stripped and then chromed by the place I got them from. All summer, the wheels were fine, but through 50 inches of snow this winter, they did develop some pitting in the "corners" of the 6 spokes as well as some other places. No pitting on any flat surface though and nothing in that lip where you attach weights. They still look great and you really have to get close and inspect it to tell. But ultimately, these wheels will not stand the test of time. Eventually they may look bad. I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of them, but this should not happen and I would not have bought them if I knew this would happen.

The wheels from the "factory" are probably better and do not experience this, but they were 2,000 from the dealer. I got mine including center caps and tax for about 900. Still, this is not so cool. I think the wheels will last me just fine, but they should not be doing this. Taylor got some chromed 16's that were refinished like me. Perhaps his are better, but I would not recommend buying these wheels or at least from the place I got them.

rjs200240

At the worst, you could probaby get them re-chromed by a quality place for less than the $1100 difference. I don't think chroming is that expensive, though I'm not positive.

garnes

True, but the hassle is enormous. I have the originals with the tires still on, so I could swap them out (when current tires are done) send the wheels off, get them back and then go back to a tire place for new tires. Still a big hassle.

Hopefully they will look fine for as long as I have the car. I think they will. I may end up putting the originals back on in the end and just "salvaging" something back from the wheels.

I wonder about the aftermarket wheel industry in general and how they hold up.

mike98c

After radiator replacement when I checked the car the coolant looking through the reservoir was at the right level , Well yesterday with the outside Temp. climbing to 70 here in Minneapolis area, I noticed the Temp. guage climbing to 250 then back to normal rather abruptly several times. I jumped the coolant low lead after double checking the coolant which was'nt low or excessivly hot to make the fans run continously to check the fans and temp. but this just made the temp swing back aand forth even more quickly, BUT I wasn't suprised. When I let the car cool and opened the surge tank, the coolant resembled sludge, obviously from my attempt when the old radiator first started to leak to plug the leak with stop leak (Before I figured out with some dye and a black light where the leak was) so I didn't get enough of the old coolant out when I disconnected the lower rad. hose. even though I replaced the old thermostat when I drained but didn't flush the system! Now it's time for me to do it right! Well at least it's a nice day out!

sinatra2

Hi Mike

Make sure you get a full power flush of your cooling system. Because of the aluminum heads and block GM uses that dextron 2 coolant. You have to watch what additives you put in on top of that. I did it once ( adding that leak stop in my 94 caddy) and the next spring I had cooling problems. However make sure your heater core and circuit is flushed as well. once the flow is restricted it will create a leak over time.

Cheers and good luck

pizza442

I have looked into that popping sound myself and have seen a few TSBs on it. Seems that it may be a strut mount bushing. Ask your dealer if they have done any of these.

nne3jxc

Tim, my 95 does that too. I had the left side strut mount bushing replaced by my mechanic (not a dealer) when he put in my KYB struts and after about 10,000 miles it started the "pop/clunk" sound again. I'm hoping he'll replace it for free or his cost next time it's in for service.

800wattaurora

Thanks for being there for me guys, I can't believe that I even considered getting ride of my Classic. What was I thinking. Running stronger than ever now. I wonder about that #7 fuel injector though, I only run 93. Why could it go bad. I bet it was that previous owner's lack of love catching up, feeding my baby cheep 87 I bet.

Good news is that my new stereo project is in the works. First going to help sound proof the aurora cabin (even more than it is) with 36 sq. feet of dynamate extreme I got for $99 off ebay where retails for $250. First going to start with full front door treatments, than move to the floor boards. This will help the front sound stage tremendiously. Might need to get another bulk pack for the trunk. I'm going all out guys. Going to take pictures of the install, this will also be a good time to FINALLY get my corsa pictures availabe to you guys.

It's funny that while the "wife" hears what I'm doing, she says, "Won't that make your exhuast quietier for us to hear? It's grown on me, I want to hear more muscle car noises than less!" I was LMAO than she asked how can she make her Honda 2.2L sound like my Corsa Aurora. Gotta love that girl!

mike98c

Well I went to turn the air cond. on and no air! The fan doesn't kick in and the clutch won't engage, either with the climate control or with the defrost grrr.

800wattaurora

Sorry to hear about your rims, that stinks. I checked mine out after you metion something and Mine look fine. No problems with AAArims.com and there re-plated alloy wheels. I read that My contract is void If I drive in the snow with mine. That BAD NEWS is that my center caps are all bubbeled up, no rust just the finish is bumpy now. I know that AAA rims uses somebody for as a center cap provider, I'll be writing a few letters this week. ERRR

mcclearyfl

In an earlier posting, which I can't seem to find, the writer described a floppy accelerator pedal caused by the cable stretching. I too found lots of stretch, about 1.5 inches. Upon fixing the problem with a piece of split tubing, as recommended by the original writer, the pedal is closer to the driver and much more comfortable. I also wonder if I had previously been able to open the throttle completely. Thanks for the advice.

garnes

Well, I detailed the Impala this weekend. The stock alloy wheels suffered a bit too under our perpetual salt/slop winter. So maybe that's just the way it is when you can't wash the car forever. The alloy wheels take a beating. I never will use a car wash so with a winter like we had, it can be many months before you actually get a chance to wash it. Actually my Aurora 17's look fine and will probably be fine for years - they just aren't perfect any more.

garnes

I "clayed" both cars this weekend. I just used the "clay magic' or whatever from auto zone. Just so everybody knows, this stuff works well and is REALLY easy. Don't let some detail shop try to tell you this is very hard and charge big money. It's easier than giving the car a wax and you really only need to hit the surfaces like the hood, top, trunk, + and of the fender that faces up. The sides don't get too much bonded crap. After waxing, I was getting that rough feel, so I used the clay. Now it's like glass. You really don't have to rub much either.

It truly is easy. Also, I could see the potential for major damage if the surface wasn't perfectly clean since you are applying more force than when washing. Actually, it's easier than applying wax. Then you just take a damp towel and wipe up the left over spray stuff that lubes the clay.

rjs200240

You need a warm-water hose. If it gets into the upper 30's or low 40's any day in the winter, I'm out there washing the car. Although, maybe out in Indiana you don't get as many days that are even above freezing...

Taylor, the injector could have been damaged just from age or something. I doubt it was 87 octane that did it. It isn't the injectors that require premium. Glad it is running strong now.

blkboyinaz

Anyone ever had to replace their oil pump? My car had an oil leak when I bought it, so the after market warranty won't cover the engine, including the Oil Pump.
     So, I gotta get the replaced. Any ideas on if the engine needs to be pulled for that? I've had different responses from different repair shops as to if it does or does not.
help!!

garnes

Warm water from the hose would be nice. I can brave about anything to wash the car. The trouble is the perpetual slop on the roads. Slush, salt-rich water running across the roads from melting snow. You wash it and it's salt covered in 60 seconds out the drive. The winter before was nothing like this. It's not even so bad if everything stays frozen either.

mike98c

McClearyfl, thats about how much mine had stretched when I made the repair adjustment, the throttle blat was opening a little more than 70% when I measured it. Your right, it felt funny at first because i'd gotten used to the pedal being down that far but now more comftorable on long trips than before. New problem though is I went to turn on air and air doesn't work on auto, manual or defrost. Clutch doesn't engage and fan doesn't come on but I spun the compressor by hand and it's not frozen. I waited until I put the new belt on before trying out the air this spring week.

gisom

I finally got around to putting a new cupholder into the classic. I also had to get a new switch for the passenger side seat on the door, so it could raise and lower the back. Someone had posted a place in arizona to get parts wholesale and man what a difference. Those gm parts were $32 price difference each compared to my dealer. Van Chevrolet in AZ. Check it out for parts.

Greg

javidogg

what was wrong with your original cupholder?

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

musclecar97

You don't have to pull the engine, but... the exhaust needs to be removed followed by the tranny and then access the pump from underneath.

ffreys

Does anyone know if these keyless remotes from a '98 Aurora will work for my "95 Aurora? NUMBER ON THE BACK OF REMOTE IS GM# 25678792, FCC ID:KOBUT1BT, CANADA:1983101393.Would like to know for sure before I buy them. I know the dealer would have to program them at a cost of $35.....thanks for any help

Henry

I had the same question and I called my dealership. They told me you could not used them because it is a different system. I have a 95.

You may want to double check this with the dealership.

kayaman420

This is an update to my post #727. I took my car to the shop and found out what the problem was with the tranny. Turns out it is the input speed sensor. The fun part is that the tranny must be removed for this. So I am looking at at least 15 hrs of labor. So this is going to cost me at least 2K Im sure. I know someone else was having this same problem, I hope this isnt the same for you.

gisom

Javidogg - the cupholders for the 95's had 1 rubber insert to hold the cup and it did not do the job. The updated versions have a double insert to grip better. Then my dog broke one of the popout arms, so that made me really go buy the part.

Kayaman - Input speed circuit problem is the message I got when I scanned it. We do have the exact problem. Mine has been doing it for a year only when the service engine light comes on. I checked the mitchell book at the library for code 56 and it basically said to replace the 20 wire plug if the diagnostics tests did not work.

greg

kayaman420

What book is it that tells you what the codes mean? I have a few codes I need to lookup. Is Mitchel the complete name for the book? or what name should I look for it under?

Thanks

kayaman420

Im glad the wholesaler was able to help you with your cup holder. Your the first person that has responded to my referal of Van Chev. I thought more people would be interested , but maybe you and I are the only guys who get hosed at the dealer for parts.

(i know its a late reply , but I didnt notice that you got your cup-holder from Van Chev till today.)

gisom

In the library reference area, you will find the mitchell books. Look for the gm books and the year you need. The codes are listed with details on how to determine the problem. You can't take these books out but you can take photos of the information you need. Hope this helps you out. I just ordered a new battery from Van Chevy for $74 plus shipping. I had ordered originally from global4 in canada but they said they could not ship to US.

seth042280

kayaman420

My electronic brake traction control module is acting up and giving me a code. What will happen if i dont replace it right away. Will I just lose me Anti-lock and TC . Also my brake booster is bad. Has anyone ever done this themselves? I sure would appreciate some info on the repair.

Thanks