I just thought I would give this advice to anyone looking for an Extended Service Contract for thier Auroras. In case you havent noticed the Auroras dont have the best resale value which leads me to my point: The maximum payout for an extended warranty is the "value" of your car. Some EW companies rate this value from retail and others rate this value from wholesale. So if you buy an EW for your Aurora for lets say $2000 and the "value" determined by your EW company is only $3500 for the car, your maximum payout is $3500. If anyone here has paid for an Aurora transmission the cost is about $4000 - $4500. so for a $4500 tranny you only really saved yourself $2000 and the contract after that payout is null and void. That is if they pay the claim. So it might be best to pocket the money in a savings account and draw interest. Oh I forgot we drive Auroras ... that money wont be in the bank for very long!
It isnt hooked up straight to plastic. It just bolts right to that piece. There are two bolts that hold it on. If you take off the center piece the lock comes off with it.
I just mentioned changing the lock because it only takes two seconds to do and it would suck if one day that remote release doesnt work for some crazy reason and you cant get in your trunk. It is so easy to change that it just makes sense to do it.
Seth,I agree with Aurora 500, you should take your Aurora to a trustworthy Radiator shop, they can check the actual temperature of the coolant running in your hoses with a laser tester that I saw my A/C guy use. A Chrysler that I had was showing high temperature on the gague but it turned out to be an in-accurate dashboard gague and that the water temperature was actually a lot cooler than it showed on the gague. Also make sure the fans are coming on. Also the transmission may be getting too hot therefore the coolant is getting too hot. Hopefully you don't have a cracked head which will cause overheating. whatever you do, don't keep driving like that and get it to a shop, goodluck.
thanks ramou,, my car only overheats during the day when it is hot as fire so I dont think that it is the head .I started my car up last night and drove to the stop sign and the car sputtered and died / it would crank but as soon as i meshed the gas the car would die. I think that it is the FPR which is a common prob. any feedback. I know that the cheapest place I can get this is autzone for like 70 bucks .
Seth, sounds like you really need to get your Aurora to a shop, my advice to you is don't start buying parts, especially electrical parts, if you're not sure what the problem is, because a lot of places will not refund your money, $70 I'm sure is probably cheaper than the dealer but if it's not the FPR then you may be $70 out of pocket, if I were you, i would take that $70 and go to the dealer or someone that has a code reader for the Aurora, at least they can pin point what it is, Auroras have so many things that could be causing the car to act a certain way, it could be just a bad wire or a bad connection that's cheap to fix, and it's hard to figure out exactly what it is without putting it on a scanner, at least that's what I did when mine started slipping out of 2nd gear, I thought that my transmission went out but it turned out to be a $90 shift selenoid, that cost me $300 in labor at the dealer to fix. So becarefull about guess work, it maybe worth it to hook it up to a computer, let me know how you do and good luck.
Looking for an opinion here: I have had a recurring problem with the "Traction Off" light coming on and staying on during normal driving. I noticed last winter that on slippery sufaces it made my brakes nearly useless because the ABS would come on for a second or two then disengage, only to come back on and quit every few seconds. (NOT the usual ABS "pulse" -- definately a malfunction) This condition usually lasts for a few weeks before going away. It will then come back after a month or two. According to the dealer, it's a sensor of some sort in the ABS system and can be fixed to the tune of $900. Now, I have been driving for 20 years without ABS and Traction Control so I'm wondering what all your opinion is on just pulling the fuse for the ABS. I have no problem going "old school" and reverting back to threshold braking when necessary. Anyway -- pulling the fuse: Good Idea or Bad Idea?
Not sure if pulling the fuse is a good idea because you might have a wheel bearing problem. 99% of the time the ABS/Traction problem your talking about is because a speed sensor in the wheel bearing assy. is faulty. Through the dealer it will be about $700-$900 to fix because the factory bearings are around $300 a pop. I bought some [non-permissible content removed] bearings from global4autoparts.com for $126 a piece and Im having them installed tomorrow by my mechanic for $140. So my total cost for replacing both bearings is around $400 instead of the outrageous dealer price. Just a suggestion for you.
I bought a "beater car" to travel to NYC and other defensive driving and parking places. The car is an "87 88" in Olds talk or a 1987 Delta 88 for all others.
The car sat for 2 years before I started to drive it again and it has 114,500 miles on it.
The problem is that after adriving the car for a little bit the service engin soon light comes on. If the car is then turned-off, it will not start again until it cools down.
Any thoughts on what it might be.
And for those wondering about it, I paid $100.00 for the car.
The non-starting thing could be that the starter motor is getting shot. It might get heat-soaked and then not work until it cools. Does the car not crank when hot? Or just not catch?
For the check engine light, find out the code. No offense but why do people post "why did the light come on?" I mean, it will tell you exactly why it came on (though not necessarily exactly what to fix). You'd find a lot more out by reading the code than from us guessing.
I agree with you Ramou. Under normal circumstances, the air in your system after a radiator flush or adding fluid should work its way to the filler tank after a few drives. If you think you are getting air in the cooling system, then it sounds like a cracked head, block,gasket is bad and releasing pressure into your cooling system. Get it to a Shop.Good Luck.
Forgive me if someone else has already posted this but I have a 95 with 27000 miles. When I put the car in reverse I get a loud clunk and then the car jerks backward. Also when I am cruising down the highway and let off the accelerator and coast and then start to accelerate there is a slight delay and then another thump. Reason would tell me this is a broken motor or transmission mount but I'm not sure. I took it into both a local chevy / caddy and an olds dealer and they must think I'm crazy. Anyone have any suggestions?
You might try entering "transmission" in the search this discussion box. It will bring up all previously posted messages in this discussion concerning the transmission.
Or, I'm sure one of the Aurora owners will be along soon. There are quite a few here who are very knowledgeable.
The thump into reverse is something that quite a few Aurora owners expierience. I also get it but only on cold days. I have heard of some people solving this by replacing the PCM. But like you it is hard to get it to thump for a mechanic so they never get to see the problem. Maybe someone who has fixed this problem will post soon.
WOW! Tell me that your car has 127,000 miles, not the 27,000 that you posted....sorry, that just caught my eye as I scanned your message. That would be 3,000 miles per year...pretty good dave!! :-)
Ditto on my experience. I have the same thumping going into reverse, but none while coasting to a stop. Happens mostly when the car is cold, and it doesn't do it enough for me to warrant a new PCM.
Hey Kayaman, check out my post coming up next....I just want to give you a heads up before your Aurora starts. Does anyone rememeber the GI Joe cartoon? (if you watched it, or had kids) Remember the twins that felt eachother's pain? Tomaz & Zamot...that's what we should call our cars. Now, which one do you want to be Kayaman? :-)
Hey guys...I guess I'm up next, eh? I was taking the Aurora over to my parent's to work on my mom's new Bonneville. Everything was fine on the way over there, and I got a good meal out of the deal. When I got in my car to go home, none of my windows would go down. I had no control on the driver's panel and none of the individual window controls on the other doors worked either. I haven't looked at it yet, but I'm assuming that I have just lost power to the driver's control, and I believe that all of the other windows tap from that source. BTW, the light that you usually see on the actual driver's window switch is no longer lighting up...so I have a good feeling about this guess. Anyone had the same problem before? Just wondering if there is a recurring problem with Auroras, and maybe get an idea of where I should check first. Thanks ahead!
Brian sounds like your problem is defenitely electrical and not mechanical since all the windows went out at once. My biggest guess is that you lost power to your driver door switch which I'm almost positive that the rest of the windows run through it. Mine does that every now and then, I can control all the windows from the driver door but the other windows won't go down unless I bang on the door by the swith a few times. I may have a short or the plug is loose. In your case you may have a bad fuse or relay which maybe located under the back seat. I would check that first before you take the door apart. I also have a tester that I use that lights up, if I wanna see if something is or is not getting power, before I rule out the unit itself. or hopefully you don't have a bad switch, but I would imagine that the little light should still come on unless the entire swith burned out. Good luck and let us know how u make out.
I cant belive you actually remember those guys names. Sad thing is so do I. Didnt they have scars on their face or something? Regarding the window switch I do believe all the windows do run off of that. I just recenctly read a post where a guy fixed that exact same problem by replacing the driver door switch. (bet you could get one for $10 bucks at a salvage yard.) I read it on the gmforums.com site. You should check it out if you havent yet.
I actually have not had one electrical problem yet on this car except blown bulbs. Everything that should light up does. And all switches work perfectly. Im sure not for long since I said that.
Thanks guys, I'll get around to opening her up this weekend...might be a good excuse to go to the junkyard too. I'd love it if it was just the fuse, but my sunroof still operates and I think they share the same fuse. I'll get in there and start poking wires with the voltage tester and hopefully come up with it.
kayaman-Good memory, they did have scars on their faces...One of them had it on the left side of their face and the other, on the right...can't remember which was which though.
The car will not shift out of second gear. Just I was entering the New Jersey Turnpike the car drops to second gear in the acceleration lane. (Yes, I had images of the Holland Tunnel flash before my eyes.)
However, I got the car home and just parked it. Acording to previous posts, it the shift solenoid at the bottom of the transmission. I hope this is not expensive. From what I hear my warranty gold coverage is useless.
Hey Henri, sorry to hear about you catching the "flu" now...it was a pretty cheap fix for me. I think I got both solenoids and a nice new trans pan gasket and filter set from the dealer for $110.00 total. Took me about 3 hours to do the work, nothing too extreme, but I always get nervous when opening up the transmission. I did replace both, even though only the "A" solenoid was faulting. Just because once you get to one, you might as well do the other....besides, the dealer sells them as a pack of two. Let us know how it turns out.
My 95 Aurora did that about a month ago, it happened right in front of the dealer, it's like they waited till I drove by and they zapped my Trany, so I just pulled in, very convenient. My check engine light was on. They scanned it and said it was a shift selenoid. they said a $90 for parts and $300 labor. I called my mechanic buddy to get a second opinion while waiting in the waiting room. he said to ask if they're changing both selenoids because you might as well do so. I asked the service writter and he said that there was only one selenoid so I just believed him. or maybe the tech changed both but the service writter wasn't aware. it was fixed in one hour and I was back on my way. It's not a good feeling though especially when you're entering the Turnpike. I'm like Stickking1, I get nervous opening stuff I'm not familiar with especially the Trany on an Aurora, I'm not that mechanically inclined plus I would've never guessed what it was unless it was on a scanner, thank god for code readers because I thought I needed a new transmission and from what I hear it's around a $2000 job to rebuild.
Hey Stickking, what was your part number for that selenoid? you mentioned that it came in a pack of 2. I was going to compare it to my part number on the receipt. They gave me a 12 month warranty, but if it breaks down either during or after the warranty and I find out that it was the second selenoid then I'm raising hell to why they didn't change the other one too while they were in there, especially if it comes in a pack of 2.
Well, I didn't save the package they came in but I called the dealer back to get the part number. It's part # 24211355...that should include both solenoids and everything needed for the install. He didn't have any option on the computer for just one solenoid. Cost was $44.72, which is correct because I spent $110.00 with the trans-pan filter and gasket set(another $65.00). Hope this helps!
New to this list. I've read most all of the postings to this entire list over the past weekend and have learned quite a lot. I have owned a 98 classic for about 2 years. Bought it as a lease return. Fortunately I had a year left on the full factory warranty and have had most common bugs fixed. Roof weather strip, serious oil-leaking engine, theft deterrent module, ignition switch, trunk lifter welds and a new windshield after goober cracked the original while getting repaired for one of the mentioned items.
I hear a lot about the tranny thumping in reverse. Mine does this occasionally just as I start the engine while still in park. In fact, the car slightly jerks forwards when it thumps and only does this when it's cold. Could I also have solenoid problems? I've got 47k miles on it.
I replaced the plugs and wires on Saturday. Without your helpful tips and gapping advice, I'd have been out there for several hours. Mine is missing the under hood sticker the defines the gap. My dealer said 60 thousandths. I checked the gaps on all the old plugs and they were 50 thousandths. I gapped at 50. One old plug was 75 thousandths! The slight missing is gone. Did I do the right thing?
One last question, should I have put an anti-seize compound on the new plug threads? The old ones were almost impossible to remove.
The solenoid problems that you have been reading so much about lately is entirely different from the "slamming" into reverse also mentioned. I get the hard shift into reverse occasionally, and have found that shifting to drive, then going to reverse to back out of my parking spot virtually ended this problem for me (if you've ever driven stick, you might be familiar with this process already). Or with a little forethought, I would just back into my spot, as my car only shifted hard in the morning when cold.
You will know when you have solenoid problems, that's a whole different beast. Basically, one of the two solenoids in the trans go bad...I think I can safely say that everyone that has had problems, had it with the shift solenoid "A". These two guys control fluid passage through the valve body and when one goes bad, the Aurora's computer takes over and forces the car into 2nd gear, and only 2nd gear (When the car is in 2nd, the solenoids are not active)...At least, that's how I understand it to work. This is just the computer protecting the tranny, and allows you to limp home. Not a difficult fix, but it's a little scary if it happens to you while entering the highway, right guys? I usually don't hit redline in my Aurora, but when you're going 70mph and she drops to 2nd....WOW!
And last, I never put anti-seize on the plugs, but I change them once a year religiously...so I don't have much of a problem with getting them out. I try to be extra careful working with that aluminum block, make sure that the plugs thread correctly, and don't force them too much...don't want to strip it out.
You can always tell when I'm at work..my messages get very long-winded! Nothing to do but type :-)
Ditto on what stickking1 told you regarding the tranny and plugs, if you change the plugs regularly (maybe not as regular as stickking1) you will be fine. Just be carefull of the aluminum block.
I dont think anyone has ever had the thump in reverse thing totally figured out. I know some people who have fixed it by replacing the PCM ,but usually you have other problems if it is the PCM. i just have the tranny thump in reverse when its cold ,but I have no other problems so Im not changing the PCM yet. One tip is if you let your car warm up really good before you shift into gear on a cold day it wont thump either.
Yes you read the post correct. The car only had about 26,000 miles. Well now it has about 28000. I was at a gas station yesterday and a fellow Aroura owner asked what year the car was. I lied and said it was a 99. I just wanted to feel cool, you know? OK, I will ignore the reverse thumping but the other problem is not when I am slowing to a stop but when I am cruising and I let off the gas momentaily and then accellerate again it feels like the tranny is taking too long to engage and it thunks! I have also noticed this when I am at a stop light when I start to accelerate. Its almost like I have to be very gentle with the gas pedal or it will lurch on me. Also, does the 95 model have the air suspension? I noticed sometimes with the key on I hear the most awful noise from underneath the car. It almost sounds like a very loud fuel pump. I know the car is in great shape but all of these noises and stuff just bother me... Thanks for the help!!
I have a 95 Aurora and yes it makes that aweful noise in the rear wheather the engine is running or not, I believe it's the self leveling system, that's normal, it usually does it if I enter the car or if it's on a steep driveway or when I fill it up with people.
Yup. I agree w/ ramou. The 95's air pump for the load leveling system makes a lot more noise than the '96 and aboves. I own a 95 and hear the same noise occasionally. It will happen whether the key's on or not. It's just the car leveling itself.
One of the best "features" of my '95 to me is the lack of squeaks and rattles -- I HATE squeaks and rattles. At 9 years old and more than 100K miles the car is as tight, solid, and rattle free as it must have been brand new. I have to attribute that to the super-strong 25 Hz. chassis (new at the time) these cars are built on. It really is phenomenal -- especially comparing it to my '91 firebird w/ T-tops. I'd have to say this is the tightest GM car I've ever owned.
My question: Is it just my car or are all Auroras the same?
Hey larry, nice to hear from another 95 owner like me, I think the first 3 years on the Aurora were all the same, and in 98&99 something was changed but I can't remember what it is, untill the new body style came out in 2000, they all come with the same exact options, except my 95 didn't have the built in digital compass in the rear view mirror and I don't have a choice button between inside or outside circulating A/C, it seems like they forgot to put it so they added it to the 96 and replaced the A/C button with the Passenger Side button that I have on my 95, also I still can't tell if mine is an Autobahn package or not. I looked at the door sticker and it shows V rated tires and there was a Bose stamp under the trunk ledge, which is how someone mentioned that it's how u can tell if the car is an Autobahn package or not.
just wanted to remind everyone with Auroras not to forget the schedule maintenance stuff, it's extreemly important in our car, such as Transmission service, radiator and engine block flush(especially as hot as the engine runs), PCV valve, belts and hoses, (water pump runs on a seperate belt), air filter, fuel filter. refer to your owner manual for additional stuff.
Larry- My 95 is pretty tight as well. I get a little noise from the engine area , but as far as the frame it is still very solid. I totally agree that for a 9 year old car nothing rattles as I would suspect it should for its age. I was getting some thing from the front end that sounded like a CV joint or something , but that has seemed to fix itself and disapear. Mechanic couldnt find anything either.
Ramou- If your car requires v rated tires you have the autobahn. That way it is safe to go 130MPH. Just see if you can get your car over 108 or 112 (cant remember).
Yesterday I was sitting at a light and my RPM started surging up and down. When I got home the first thing I checked was the FPR. None of the tests showed it was bad. No gas in the line or anything. I had the FPR fixed about 2 years ago and the surging felt the same, but there is nothing that looks like the FPR is bad. With in the last year I have put in a new TPS,MAP,EGR Valve,ISC Motor and recently cleaned the TB. So my question is can a FPR be faulty without the gasoline being present or is this more than likely an EGR problem. While it was doing the surging I put it in park and looked under the hood. The only thing I saw was the ISC plunger pushing the throttle lever back and forth. Is something telling the ISC to do this? I turned off the car and drove it again 10 minutes later with no problems at all. And no problems today either. I am thinking my EGR tubes may be dirty since the EGR Valve is new so it shouldnt be the valve itself. Any suggestions greatly appreciated
Larry--- My '95 @ 100K+ is still tighter than my '97 with 59K. It runs better and has less problems. Both have the QQX(Autobahn) option. I do have a problem when I turn the corner in the '95 a screeching noise appears. I had the rear cradle bushings replaced about 2 months ago, that helped but didn't cure it. Next week I take it in to see if the front cradle bushings are bad or what could be causing the screeching noise.
To all of you that write in I really enjoy reading your comments. I read all the comments but seldom write in.
If anyone knows all the option codes or where I can obtain them I would appreciate getting the information. I thought there was a post sometime back showing a list of them. Thanks.
check out my new discussion topic under the Aurora care & Maintenacce at the bottom of the main Aurora discussion topics page. It's called "Find out when and where your Aurora was made". let me know if you have any questions, thanks.
I decided to create this discussion for all Aurora owners who may wish to track down where their Aurora was Manufactured. It will also help other Aurora owners compare notes and see if they can associate their problems with the specific Assembly plant.I also posted this topic under the Care and Maintenace section but I thought maybe some of you may not read that board.
For example maybe 4 Aurora owners are having problems with their Transmission and it just happened that all 4 Auroras were built the same month or year and at the same plant. So all you need for this is the 1st, 2nd, and 11th positions on your VIN. Also the manufacture date should be on your driver door in month/year format.
Position 1:NATION OF ORIGIN
1= USA 2= CANADA 3= MEXICO 4= USA J= JAPAN(FOR OTHER GENERAL MOTORS CARS)
Position #2: MANUFACTURER
C= GM OF CANADA/SUZUKI G= GENERAL MOTORS G= SUZUKI Y= NUMMI 8= SUZUKI L= DAEWOO
YOU MAY WANT TO POST YOUR RESPONSE WITH THE MONTH, YEAR AND MANUFACTURED LOCATION AND PLANT THEN LIST YOUR COMMON PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS OUT AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
Every single Aurora was made in the Lake Orion plant in Michigan. That is the only place Aurora's were ever made.
This may have changed (I think it did once, and early Aurora powertrain bits came from somewhere else) but the engines were made in Livonia while the tranny is made in Ypsilanti
What is the power button for on the left side of the shifter. The car has no manual. The previous owner didnt have it either. I really dont notice anything with it depressed. Actually I dont notice anything at all... Anyone?
My '97 is also squeak and rattle free -- unlike other vehicles I have owned as the miles piled up. Another reason for the quietness is that many (most?) interior dashboard, console, etc. pieces are secured by cap screws threaded into matching tapped metal sleeves. As opposed to self-tapping screws threaded into plastic bosses that loosen or completely break away after a few years.
That button is intended to change the shifting under partial throttle. It lets the engine rev higher before shifting and is supposed to make the shifts more crisp. There is, howerver, a good possibility of the wires connecting it being broken which would cause it to do nothing at all.
Having 28,000 miles on my 95 I am also suprised at the low amount of noise from the car. When I mention this I am strictly talking about the frame and body. There is a little wind noise from the doors but it is very tolerable. However, I find it mind boggling that GM couldnt do a better job with the tires and suspension. Also does anyone think thier engine is loud? For a graceful car as this I think the engine sounds very loud and it doesnt sound as "crisp" as I would have imagined. At low to medium RPM while accelerating I noticed the engine sounds rough...
An interesting, different perspective! I along with several other contributors to this discussion have modified the intake and/or exhaust of our Auroras to increase the sound level and performance. I never considered quiet to be a virtue for my cars. Obnoxiously loud is a different story. I would not say that my Aurora's engine sounds rough at any time; it's the smoothest running engine I have ever driven.
You are right about suspension and tires. Given your 28 000 miles, I assume your Aurora still has its original tires. What are they? Suspension changes were made in '97 -- called the FE2 sport suspension. I have never been able to determine if the '97s actually handled any better than the '95s and '96s. Some guys have replaced struts and shocks with better aftermarker versions like KYB, Koni and Monroe.
At 86K it is now time to replace my radiator on the car. My question is simple. What are the alternatives to rplacing the raditor with the GM OEM part? Can I repair it? Get an aftermarket? Go with OEM? From what the dealer tells me, The OEM route is the most expensive.
Did someone not post a website for inexpensive GM parts??
I believe the 95's did not have a liner in the top of the air box. The liner was added for 96 and up. I'm pretty sure this will make a difference in the amount of "noise". I removed the liner on my 98 to take advantage of other air box modifications on the bottom.
If you want a quieter engine, I'll bet finding an airbox from a 96 or newer classic will make a noticeable difference. A new one from the dealer will be about $135. Try a junk yard first - but they are hard to find.
Comments
I just mentioned changing the lock because it only takes two seconds to do and it would suck if one day that remote release doesnt work for some crazy reason and you cant get in your trunk. It is so easy to change that it just makes sense to do it.
Looking for an opinion here: I have had a recurring problem with the "Traction Off" light coming on and staying on during normal driving. I noticed last winter that on slippery sufaces it made my brakes nearly useless because the ABS would come on for a second or two then disengage, only to come back on and quit every few seconds. (NOT the usual ABS "pulse" -- definately a malfunction)
This condition usually lasts for a few weeks before going away. It will then come back after a month or two.
According to the dealer, it's a sensor of some sort in the ABS system and can be fixed to the tune of $900.
Now, I have been driving for 20 years without ABS and Traction Control so I'm wondering what all your opinion is on just pulling the fuse for the ABS. I have no problem going "old school" and reverting back to threshold braking when necessary.
Anyway -- pulling the fuse: Good Idea or Bad Idea?
Regards,
Jim
The car sat for 2 years before I started to drive it again and it has 114,500 miles on it.
The problem is that after adriving the car for a little bit the service engin soon light comes on. If the car is then turned-off, it will not start again until it cools down.
Any thoughts on what it might be.
And for those wondering about it, I paid $100.00 for the car.
Henri
2) What do the Fords and Chrylers say?
For the check engine light, find out the code. No offense but why do people post "why did the light come on?" I mean, it will tell you exactly why it came on (though not necessarily exactly what to fix). You'd find a lot more out by reading the code than from us guessing.
Thanks also for the timely reply -- I'm dropping the car of at my mechaninc on Monday, so maybe I'll have him do the bearings too.
Jim
You might try entering "transmission" in the search this discussion box. It will bring up all previously posted messages in this discussion concerning the transmission.
Or, I'm sure one of the Aurora owners will be along soon. There are quite a few here who are very knowledgeable.
Ditto on my experience. I have the same thumping going into reverse, but none while coasting to a stop. Happens mostly when the car is cold, and it doesn't do it enough for me to warrant a new PCM.
Hey Kayaman, check out my post coming up next....I just want to give you a heads up before your Aurora starts. Does anyone rememeber the GI Joe cartoon? (if you watched it, or had kids) Remember the twins that felt eachother's pain? Tomaz & Zamot...that's what we should call our cars. Now, which one do you want to be Kayaman? :-)
-Brian
Regarding the window switch I do believe all the windows do run off of that. I just recenctly read a post where a guy fixed that exact same problem by replacing the driver door switch. (bet you could get one for $10 bucks at a salvage yard.) I read it on the gmforums.com site. You should check it out if you havent yet.
I actually have not had one electrical problem yet on this car except blown bulbs. Everything that should light up does. And all switches work perfectly. Im sure not for long since I said that.
kayaman-Good memory, they did have scars on their faces...One of them had it on the left side of their face and the other, on the right...can't remember which was which though.
However, I got the car home and just parked it. Acording to previous posts, it the shift solenoid at the bottom of the transmission. I hope this is not expensive. From what I hear my warranty gold coverage is useless.
Henri.
-Brian
-Brian
I hear a lot about the tranny thumping in reverse. Mine does this occasionally just as I start the engine while still in park. In fact, the car slightly jerks forwards when it thumps and only does this when it's cold. Could I also have solenoid problems? I've got 47k miles on it.
I replaced the plugs and wires on Saturday. Without your helpful tips and gapping advice, I'd have been out there for several hours. Mine is missing the under hood sticker the defines the gap. My dealer said 60 thousandths. I checked the gaps on all the old plugs and they were 50 thousandths. I gapped at 50. One old plug was 75 thousandths! The slight missing is gone.
Did I do the right thing?
One last question, should I have put an anti-seize compound on the new plug threads? The old ones were almost impossible to remove.
Marshall
The solenoid problems that you have been reading so much about lately is entirely different from the "slamming" into reverse also mentioned. I get the hard shift into reverse occasionally, and have found that shifting to drive, then going to reverse to back out of my parking spot virtually ended this problem for me (if you've ever driven stick, you might be familiar with this process already). Or with a little forethought, I would just back into my spot, as my car only shifted hard in the morning when cold.
You will know when you have solenoid problems, that's a whole different beast. Basically, one of the two solenoids in the trans go bad...I think I can safely say that everyone that has had problems, had it with the shift solenoid "A". These two guys control fluid passage through the valve body and when one goes bad, the Aurora's computer takes over and forces the car into 2nd gear, and only 2nd gear (When the car is in 2nd, the solenoids are not active)...At least, that's how I understand it to work. This is just the computer protecting the tranny, and allows you to limp home. Not a difficult fix, but it's a little scary if it happens to you while entering the highway, right guys? I usually don't hit redline in my Aurora, but when you're going 70mph and she drops to 2nd....WOW!
And last, I never put anti-seize on the plugs, but I change them once a year religiously...so I don't have much of a problem with getting them out. I try to be extra careful working with that aluminum block, make sure that the plugs thread correctly, and don't force them too much...don't want to strip it out.
You can always tell when I'm at work..my messages get very long-winded! Nothing to do but type :-)
I dont think anyone has ever had the thump in reverse thing totally figured out. I know some people who have fixed it by replacing the PCM ,but usually you have other problems if it is the PCM. i just have the tranny thump in reverse when its cold ,but I have no other problems so Im not changing the PCM yet. One tip is if you let your car warm up really good before you shift into gear on a cold day it wont thump either.
Welcome Aboard
Yup. I agree w/ ramou. The 95's air pump for the load leveling system makes a lot more noise than the '96 and aboves. I own a 95 and hear the same noise occasionally. It will happen whether the key's on or not. It's just the car leveling itself.
My question: Is it just my car or are all Auroras the same?
Ramou- If your car requires v rated tires you have the autobahn. That way it is safe to go 130MPH. Just see if you can get your car over 108 or 112 (cant remember).
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My '95 @ 100K+ is still tighter than my '97 with 59K. It runs better and has less problems. Both have the QQX(Autobahn) option. I do have a problem when I turn the corner in the '95 a screeching noise appears. I had the rear cradle bushings replaced about 2 months ago, that helped but didn't cure it. Next week I take it in to see if the front cradle bushings are bad or what could be causing the screeching noise.
To all of you that write in I really enjoy reading your comments. I read all the comments but seldom write in.
If anyone knows all the option codes or where I can obtain them I would appreciate getting the information. I thought there was a post sometime back showing a list of them. Thanks.
"Find out when and where your Aurora was made". let me know if you have any questions, thanks.
For example maybe 4 Aurora owners are having problems with their Transmission and it just happened that all 4 Auroras were built the same month or year and at the same plant. So all you need for this is the 1st, 2nd, and 11th positions on your VIN. Also the manufacture date should be on your driver door in month/year format.
Position 1:NATION OF ORIGIN
1= USA
2= CANADA
3= MEXICO
4= USA
J= JAPAN(FOR OTHER GENERAL MOTORS CARS)
Position #2: MANUFACTURER
C= GM OF CANADA/SUZUKI
G= GENERAL MOTORS
G= SUZUKI
Y= NUMMI
8= SUZUKI
L= DAEWOO
Position 11: ASSEMBLY PLANT
B= LANSING MICHIGAN
C= LANSING MICHIGAN"B"
G= DORAVILLE GEORGIA
F= FAIRFAX KANSAS
H= FLINT MICHIGANM= LANSING MICHIGAN"A"
R= ARLINGTON TEXAS
S= RAMOS ARIZPE MEXICO
U= HAMTRAMCK MICHIGAN
Y= WILMINGTON DELAWARE
Z= SPRING HILL TENNESSEE
1= OSHAWA #2 ONTARIO CANADA
2= STE THERESE QUEBEC CANADA
4= ORION MICHIGAN
5= BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY
6= OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA
6= INGERSOLL ONTARIO CANADA
7= LORDSTOWN OHIO
9= OSHAWA#1 ONTARIO CANADA.
YOU MAY WANT TO POST YOUR RESPONSE WITH THE MONTH, YEAR AND MANUFACTURED LOCATION AND PLANT THEN LIST YOUR COMMON PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS OUT AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
This may have changed (I think it did once, and early Aurora powertrain bits came from somewhere else) but the engines were made in Livonia while the tranny is made in Ypsilanti
My '97 is also squeak and rattle free -- unlike other vehicles I have owned as the miles piled up. Another reason for the quietness is that many (most?) interior dashboard, console, etc. pieces are secured by cap screws threaded into matching tapped metal sleeves. As opposed to self-tapping screws threaded into plastic bosses that loosen or completely break away after a few years.
An interesting, different perspective! I along with several other contributors to this discussion have modified the intake and/or exhaust of our Auroras to increase the sound level and performance. I never considered quiet to be a virtue for my cars. Obnoxiously loud is a different story. I would not say that my Aurora's engine sounds rough at any time; it's the smoothest running engine I have ever driven.
You are right about suspension and tires. Given your 28 000 miles, I assume your Aurora still has its original tires. What are they? Suspension changes were made in '97 -- called the FE2 sport suspension. I have never been able to determine if the '97s actually handled any better than the '95s and '96s. Some guys have replaced struts and shocks with better aftermarker versions like KYB, Koni and Monroe.
Did someone not post a website for inexpensive GM parts??
Henri
If you want a quieter engine, I'll bet finding an airbox from a 96 or newer classic will make a noticeable difference. A new one from the dealer will be about $135. Try a junk yard first - but they are hard to find.