Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair

gisom

Does this mean that I should replace hub assemblies to correct this?

Thanks

sinatra2

It could be one of the 4 hub speed sensors is acting up. I recommend you have it scanned for trouble codes first. If it is a speed sensor it will be indicated.

Roger

seth042280

Please tell me how I can know which is failing . the water pump or the radiator ...My car is overheating like crazy

ramou

How is it overheating..? is it spilling out anti-freeze or smoking from the radiator, or are you just going by the temperature gauge in the dash..? if you're going by the gauge then that's normal as long as it's not in the red area. The engine in that car has to run at 220 degrees for it to run right..hopefully you don't have a cracked head..are your fans coming on..?

larryfl

I agree with remou, you should be able to tell pretty easily if you have a leak - if only by the smell. When my waterpump went out, there was a strong coolant odor from the driver side of the engine, where the waterpump is located.

If it's overheating into the red, the car's running decently and you don't see any overt signs of a leak, your thermostat may be stuck.

Henry

My 95 Classic has a starting problem. The car starts just fine. However, all of the electronics are dead. The antilock break light and the service engine light both come on. The lights on the instrument cluster, all guages, the DIC, the A/C, and the power steering are all dead, but the cars still runs. In fact, much to my surprise, the headlights come on and work just fine. Other times I will start the car and all is well.

What a time for the car to break when Warranty Gold is suppose to be having trouble paying claims.

Any guesses??

ramou

I'm not sure what u mean by starting problems, sounds like your car starts fine but you're having electrical problems...is that what it is..? if you have too many lights coming on at once then something definitely needs to be changed or reset, usually only one light comes on if there's a problem with that particular component, but if they all started coming on at once then definitely electrical of some sort, which a scanner may have to get involved.

ramou

I was told by my mechanic that the small belt toward the front of the motor is the water pump belt, it's located to the right of the last spark plug wire. I just changed the serpentine belt in my 95 Aurora with 97k miles, but I didn't change the water pump belt, it looks good still.To the guy with the over heating problem: make sure this belt is still there and not loose, other wise it will cause your water pump to dis-function and it could cause overheating.

garnes

I'll bet your 95 is partly responsible for Warranty Gold's administrator going under.

Because I bought a WG for my 98, I am extremely concerned. Thanks man.

sephroth

I have a 1997 Aurora with 75,000 miles. 3 weeks ago I had the power steering pump and alternator replaced.
1)For about 5 months it takes the car about 10 seconds to start and sometimes shorter when the gas pedal is pumped during a start. I have gotten a new battery and alternator and still have the same problem. Any suggestions?

2) Recently when the A/C is on and making turns at idle when you let go of the gas the RPM drops to below 500 and the car would stall. Even sitting in the driveway it seems the car keeps searching for the proper idle revving about 1000 and below 500. Plus the cooling fans do not start until the car almost reaches 240F. Any suggestions to what may be the problem. Because three weeks ago I had a diagnostic done with no problems noted?

Thanks!

kayaman420

If you have to pump the gas to start it this sounds like the Fuel Pressure Regulator. This will also make your call stall and rev very irradically. You can replace this yourself for about $100 It is a very easy repair. The dealer will charge you around $300 though. Start with the FPR Iam confident this is your problem. They are infamous for failing on the Aurora.

P.S. Are you smelling gas ? That is another sign of the FPR going bad.

sinatra2

well it sounds like the PCM is gone. You could try the reset mode by turning your key on but not starting the car and leave on for 30 sec. then turn off wait 30 sec and restrt the car.

autobahn95

I replaced the front right side lower control arm bushings on my '95 today. It had been making a slight clunking noise after straightening out from a left hand turn. It's not too complicated of a job as long as you have the proper tools on hand. I will be doing the left sides once the parts store gets them in. They are around $26 per side.
If anyone else's Aurora is making a noise while turning, it might be a good idea to look at the control arm bushings.

stickking1

Hey autobahn, you and me are in the same boat. I replaced the entire lower control arm on both sides about 2 years ago, and I'm due for a new bushing set now. I guess I'll get those done in the next week or two. Let me know if you see any big change in the clunking noise. There are a lot of ideas floating around on how to fix that, and it'd be great if the bushings were the answer...they're about the cheapest idea out there.

kayaman420

What tools are needed to do the bushings? I have the clunking noise also after straightening out. I would like to change them because the dealer culdnt find the problem so maybe this is a cheap fix. Im a novice mechanic so should I even try this myself.

Thanks Guys

stickking1- I think our cars must have been built right behind each other in the assembly line. We seem to share every problem.

Henry

I think the car was adjusting itself after being "repaired". I have noticed that immediately after the car is worked on it feels different. It ususally takes it a couple of days/hours to get back to normal after a repair session.

My mechanic tighten the steering column for me. I should have known at the time he did it the car was going to have a "reaction".

In other words, for now, the car seems to have fixed itself. Stay Tuned Bat Fans.

autobahn95

The clunking has completely stopped since I replaced those two bushings. The car even handles better. I can't wait to replace the right side ones. Even the slight vibration i had around 65 seems less.
You will need some special tools to do the job. An 18mm wrench and a Torx bit-T55 will remove the two bolts. You will also need a pickle fork to break the lower ball joint free, and a 1/2" wrench to remove the sway-bar linkage. Once you get the control arm off, changing the bushings is not too difficult. I have a hydraulic press which helped alot. It took alot of force to remove the rear bushing.
Pressing the new bushings in place was easy, I just put some grease on them and they slid right into place.
My old bushings were worn so bad they were metal-on-metal, so it's no wonder they were making some noise. I think the job took me 3 1/2 hours, but I take my time and clean the bolts and put anti-sieze on them and do everything right.

seth042280

i know this is a common prob but has anyone fixed the steering wheel prob. where it moves up and down . I think that some people had it fixed and said it was a plastic piece in the Steer wheel .

mike98c

Aaand, i'ts Henry to the plate...!

stickking1

Hey Kayaman, check your build date on your 95...mine is 06/94 (Maybe I've got one of the first). They're probably in the same family. Anyone know exactly when they started production? I'd love it if the car came with an easy serial number to tell what number it was off the line.

kayaman420

My build date is 6/95. if the place to look is on the sticker on the driver door.

larryfl

My build date is also 6/94.

It's Champaigne with the tan/beige/whatevertheycalledit interior. Also equipped w/ Bose (cassette only), moonroof, heated seats, pwr passenger seat, etc. And based on Garnes' 62mph at dead-on 2000rpm test, I believe it's an autobaun, although I haven't dug through the trunk yet to check the option codes.

I'd also like to know when they actually started building these things. I think they went on sale in April/May(?) of 94, so they may have begun production in early March or so. Would be interesting to find out. I can tell you my serial number ends in the 5000 range, if that even means anything anymore.

larryfl

Seth042280:

I had the problem where the steering wheel/column loosened and moved up and down - kind of on a diagonal.

I had my local mechanic fix it. It's apparently a pretty simple job of tightening some loose bolts inside the column, supposedly accessible by removing the cover on the bottom of the column. It's a common GM problem and cost me less than $100 for them to do it.

Having said that, I had tried to do it myself and gave up after getting everything so far out of alignment I didn't think I'd EVER get it back together.

Someday I'll learn to leave things alone......

"A man's got to know his limitations."
               - Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry

ramou

My power mirror switch illuminating lights burned out completely. The switch still works but it doesn't light up. About 6 month ago half of it went out but this week all of it did. I took it out before, shook it a few times and it worked fine for about a week. Do I have to replace the entire switch or would I be able to disassemble the unit and change the bulbs? If I remember right from looking at it the first time that it wasn't fixable and it looked like it was sealed.I think the dealer had it for around $45. Has any one had that problem before..I'm guessing that it burns out because the switch is so close to the door everytime I open it and close it it vibrates the circuit inside.

dslay2

I have a 95 classic , while driving yesterday my ac blower came on ,and could not be turned off.I had to remove the fuse .Any suggestions.Even after turning the car off and removing the key.

mike98c

Blower control module.

oldsowner1

My 97 Aurora just became possessed last week with the flashing lights and clicking dash. I didn't notice it until it killed my battery. I saw a few other posts with the same problem and wanted to throw in my solution since it looked pretty expensive going to the dealership to get it fixed. I tried replacing the headlight control module ($150 from Autozone, very easy to replace right underneath the dash behind the knee cover) and that didn't fix the problem. Next I bought a new turn signal/lights/cruise control switch, the whole lever and wiring harness ($191 at Advanced Auto Parts ACDelco part D6329A) and that finally fixed it. It was sort of tough to install, but only took about an hour and a half of work. The dealership was telling me $350 for just the part so probably $500 with labor. Wish I would have tried replacing the switch first since I couldn't return the headlight module, but I still saved at least $100. Hope this helps someone.

dslay2

where is the blower control module located

seth042280

I changed the thermostat and it helped the temp for a few days but now it is running hot again. how can I bleed the air from the coolant.

rjs200240

If there are places air can pocket, there will be a fitting you can remove to get it out. I'll be like a little screw into the block. Otherwise, there's nothing you can do. However, air doesn't tend to stay in the cooling system if it is full.

If your previous thermostat was opening, then there is little a new one will do for running hot. Once it's open, it's open. While it is a good idea to replace so it doesn't fail, it won't help a running hot problem. Nor will a lower-temp one. If it opens at 195 and the car is at 220, then a lower temp one won't do anything different. I mean, at 200 they are both open and the car keeps heating up to 220 or whatever. I'd look at what other problems might be, or maybe adjust your thinking on what "hot" is. Keep in mind that thermostat isn't linear.

sinatra2

I wish you could have listed your problem before you went out and bought parts. A few of us have had this happen and there is a quick fix that was quite easy. You peel back the rubber dust guard on the multi function switch on the steering column. then you spray electronic cleaner into the contacts ( about 5 brass holes that are formed in a aemi circle.) Rotate the headlite switch a few times and the clicking sound ( which is actually shorting to ground) stops. Maybe you can return some of your parts and do this.........will save you more than a hundred bucks. Sorry we could not have helped earlier.

oldsowner1

Thanks for the advice, I did see the earlier post with that solution, but it didn't work for me. I tried spraying it with electrical contact cleaner about 10 times over the course of 2 days and it still wouldn't stop. Oh well, haven't put much into my Aurora and it's been great ever since I got it except for this small problem.

stickking1

Here are a couple snapshots of the manual air shocks that I have on my '95. These were installed before I came into ownership, so I can't tell you too much about them other than I keep them at about 15psi and have never had a problem with the ride. Even under a heavy load (full car and trunkfull of luggage), I have never had any issue.


You can see the tube leading into the top of the assembly here. The pipe is then plumbed all the way to the plastic facia between the exhaust tips. I have to say that the install is pretty clean, whoever did it did a good job.


The two arrows show the lines coming from both wheels and running behind the plastic facia. The fill point (circled) is just like a valve stem on your tire, and it is filled the same way...the air pump at the gas station. Again, nice installation...you have to get low to the ground to see it sticking out from the plastic.

javidogg

I have a 1999 Aurora, I think mine has the shocks with the automatic compressor thing, I really don't have to check my P.S.I. in my shocks right?

I did not even know that some of the Aurora's had that plug in the rear bumper.

That is cool if you wanted a more even ride or if your car sags from the rear, but honestly I have never seen an Aurora sinking form the back.

Also I noticed (on the previous pictures about your caliper painting) that your Aurora has these tubbing that wraps around the Air Filter housing,

In my Aurora that tube/hose is not there,

I guess the desinging for my Aurora had been updated a bit that it did not require for the tube to wrap around my air filter housing.

Keep up the good work,

Peace.

stickking1

Since you still have the automatic shocks in the rear you do not have to worry about keeping them filled to a certain pressure..it's already taken care of for you. In my case, the rear shocks went out and the guy who owned the car before me didn't want to pay for the Delco replacements, so he got these instead. And these are just aftermarket replacements that don't hook up to the compressor, you just have to fill them manually. So unless an Aurora had the same problem as me, they would all have the auto-shocks regardless of the year. If I had a choice, I would prefer the ride-leveling auto shocks, but these have never put up a fuss...so they don't bother me.

dslay2

still looking for the blower control module on my 95 Aurora .Can anyone help.

stickking1

Isn't the module right behind the fan speed control knob? I'm at work now, but I'll check my service manual when I get home and see if I can find it for you.

stickking1

Hey javi...that tubing you see actually is a hose from the radiator to the overflow tank. Attached to my airbox is a little baffle and on the side of that is a small channel for the hose to clip into to keep it in place. Interesting that it has changed by the 99 model....I'll have to go pop the hood on a couple newer Auroras around town and see what else is different.

dslay2-Hang on man...I left my service manuals at the shop, I should be able to go over and get them tomorrow. I'll let you know when I've found anything.

mike98c

was changed in 98 to one tube. The remaining tube goes to the base at the side of the throttle body but the tube to the radiator is no longer there. The radiators themselves must also be different because there is a significant price difference between the 98, 99 version and the less expensive 97 version. The 96, 95 version is in between in price, maybe because of the oil cooler plumbed into the earliest version.

mike98c

Whats wrong with plumbing the Monroe air max sensatrac shocks into the compressor. The level arm on the rear suspension keeps the shocks from being over filled. It doesn't matter what the pressure is going into the shock as long as the minumum pressure is enough to pump up the shock to the desired height at which point the compressor will shut off.

javidogg

That sounds about right, I did noticed that some earlier Auroras had a extra tubbing going to the radiator.

I was just wondering why my 1999 Aurora had only one, I was thinking that by 1999 or evn 1998 models they had changed a bit.

Thanks for the info guys, something new for me.

Peace.

seth042280

I have changed the thermostat . only during sunny days it overheats . and yes it goes over 220 .at the red line and then I shut down . someone said that I could possibly have air in the system but i dont know . How am I supposed to know if it is the water pump or the radiator

larryfl

"Whats wrong with plumbing the Monroe air max sensatrac shocks into the compressor"

Nothing. I replaced mine w/ the monroes in Feb 2002. They are hooked up exactly that way and work perfectly.

aurora5000

I suggest you get to your local radiator shop and let them take a look at it. It sounds like to me that some of your passages in the radiator are clogged up. Sometimes that can be cleaned out by a radiator shop and sometimes it means radiator replacement.

Good Luck,
Steve

seth042280

I think that I will try to flush it out myself and use some kinda radiator flush . crossing fingers...thanks steve

blk97aurora

kayaman240,

Re: #864
Were you able to remove the center "tail light"? I'd be interested to know the secret. Also, did you find a pair of wires going into the "tail light"? My '97 has those wires going into a grommet or plug. I haven't taken it apart yet. I could find no reference to these wires in the Olds service manual or parts microfiche.

Henry

Do the 2001+ guys have the same problem with the rear window seal that the classic owners have?? In other words, do you notice a separation in the wethr stripping on the rear window??

Henri

kayaman420

Yeah I replaced the center applique. It was very easy I just gave the olds dealer $50.
 Honestly it was just too damn hard to get to the 4 bolts. I tried every tool I owned , but I just gave up. Also I lost a crescent wrench in the hole of the trunk trying to get to the bolts. So now I have a wrench stuck in the trunk lid. Not a problem though just kind of funny. Also I did not see any wires at all going into that center applique. If you could get your dealer to do it as cheap as I did I would go that route if I was you. OH, and be sure to change the trunk lock if you replace the applique.

blk97aurora

kayaman420,

You lost me. Why replace the trunk lock? Given the remote release, it is rarely used.

mike98c

I've used the trunk lock a total of... one time since I bought the car three years ago. I used the key to see if it would work! I assume the lock is held by more than the plastic or I'm going to feel very paranoid about my amps and sub.