well the compressor was replaced on my 95 with 98k miles on it about 5 month ago and everything was fine. the A/C shop told me that if one side is blowing colder then it's a charge problem which means low on freon. Well it started doing that the other day and took it back, he checked and said that the system was full at 40psi and that the driver side A/C door is not closing all the way therefore allowing some warm air to come in, but the passenger side was fine. Estimate cost to fix is $238. Has anyone had this happen to them and is it easy to fix or is there a quick fix to it, I already spent $800 for an A/C job.
Hey guys. I know this might fit in better on the acceleration board but it seems to be a wasteland over there. Not to mention that I think this might be a small problem.
I'm just looking for everyones input on acceleration. When I kick my car in from a dead stop I don't get the V8 power I would expect. I know its a heavy car but what seems to happen is that the car stays in 1st I believe. You can feel that it should shift about 2/3's through the climb but it doesn't. It seems like a very smooth endless climb to speed. Is this the way these cars are geared? I would compare my power off the line to my old 3800 V6. A respectable amount. The car still has excellent V8 passing power and will do well when downshifting from 3rd (mashing the gas). I thought it could be my throttle off but wouldn't I be able to see it in how the car runs? It idles at about 750RPM.
I'm not sure I understand your question. It's certainly normal for the car to run to the redline before shifting at Wide Open Throttle. Nothing to worry about there.
As far as the off-the-line power, if you're comparing it to a pushrod V8, you're absolutely right about it being a little slower. Today's DOHC V8's tend to have more torque/horsepower higher in the rev range than the corvette-type or older pushrod designs (BTW, the 3800 V6 you mentioned is a pushrod design so it has more low-end torque, but is not as strong at the high end, relatively speaking. We also own a Impala w/ the Series II 3800 so I know exactly what you're talking about). Having said that, the Aurora's 4.0 has generally more low-end torque that most DOHC engines, even though the max horsepower is still at higher rpms. When you go to pass at speed, the engine is probably more toward the mid-rev range and right at the power band, so you get a strong pull when passing.
The car's weight, combined with less low-end torque than what you may have experienced with a pushrod V8 does make it a little slow off the line. But once you get it to 2000-2500RPMs you ought to see the redline coming up FAST!
Also Ive learned that from the line start with a gradual pressing of the gas peadal. Dont just mash it down. What I do is smoothly press the gas till its about 1/2 way down and the RPM's get closer to the 3000 range. Then I mash it hard. This seems to work best for me. I think the Auroras best power band is between the high 2000 and mid 3000 range. Conversly when Im on the highway I just drop the hammer at any time as hard as I can, to the floor. I love that V8 growl and the top end torque is awesome on these suckers. Plus the Northstars need WOT. Im not kidding, if your Aurora is running a little rough take it on the highway and give it 3 or 4 WOT's. It will run better. Northstars create a lot of carbon and the WOT knocks it out. So everyone be sure to give their Roras a regular diet of WOT. And if you baby your Rora and have never given it some WOT. It needs it, so try it. I have heard from a lot of the Caddy guys that buy used Caddys from older people. Most of them are literally Sunday drivers. So when they buy a Caddy that has been babied one of the first things they do is take it on the highway and give some WOT. They say if the car has never been driven hard black dust will actually shoot out the exhaust knocking all the carbon out. And the car rides much smoother afterwards.
P.S. nice to see the board so active again. its been a while since Ive seen this much activity.
well, the acceleration board wouldn't have been a wasteland anymore if you'd posted there... :P
Like everyone said, the car should run to redline before shifting out of 3rd if you floor it. Not sure why you'd want it to shift into 2nd 2/3's of the way through the band. This would result in worse acceleration.
The Aurora is a big car, and the engine is pretty torquey, but the power really comes on at around 3000 rpm as was said. You really should feel that when you launch the car. Do you notice it really start to come on the boil there? Your idle speed seems right on.
RJS: Well I posted there too actually. I just knew it had a better chance of being seen here. Lets light the accel board back up :P
Larry: Thanks for the input. I guess I am used to pushrod engines. It honestly never dawned on me. I used to love my old 3800 II. I had a 96 black buick regal. it was a rare custom beautiful car but then I started having all these fuel delivery problems and after replacing about $500 in parts I finally gave up and traded it for the Aurora...Wish i'd have kept both. Those 3800II's are impressive off the line. I just wanted to make sure my acceleration was comparable to everyone elses.
Kayaman: I'll give it a little more WOT. specifically in the 2000-3000 range.
Funny problem - kind of. A furry critter just ripped a big hole in my hood insulator. I hope that fiberglass gets the little bugger itching. In fact this chipmunk on the back porch is scratching all the time - that's probably why. Serves him right.
So i'm giving the car some WOT on the way home tonight and my abs traction light come on together. I got home and turned the car off and they went off and stayed off... Please don't tell me this is the start of my wheel bearing saga. /
Great holiday pictures for you guys today. Had to replace the AC Compressor on my 95 as well as change the plugs.
I'll give you one guess to tell me which is the old compressor and which is the new....
We initially thought that just the clutch was bad, but after inspecting the compressor, you could see it leaking oil all around the case...so we changed the whole thing out. It really wasn't a bad job, maybe 2 hours work. And half of that was reclaiming the old refridgerant and putting new in..not the actual install.
Oh by the way, you know how my windows weren't working? Well, we finally got to dig into it, and look what we found in the wire pack that passes through the door. Two wires split, and a bunch more on the way. I like the big gauge wire that GM uses on this stuff, but after 10 years its gotten a bit stiff. No problem, a little extra wire and a soldering iron and we were in business again. All in all, it was a good weekend, but thank god for the extra day!
Stickking- My 95 just went out. I am also suspecting that the clutch is gone. Where did you get compressor? Do I have to get anything but that? I am taking a week off to work on this and put in new hub bearings because my ab lights stay on and prepare for the winters of chicago. I am still searching for a battery (8 yrs old) and no luck.
Hey Greg, I got the compressor at Murray's here in Lansing. I got a remanufactured unit, I was just not going to pay for a new one. The clutch and compressor come as one unit, just get a can of AC oil and a couple cans of refridgerant and you should be all set.
Gee, it's getting to the point where I hate to take my car into the dealer for an oil change.
Back in March, they discovered the infamous "crankshaft oil leak".
Today, they noted that my left front wheel bearing is shot (the tire definitely jiggles when it's up on the lift). Also, my stearing gear assembly is leaking. Their estimates are $450 and $850 (GMPartsDirect shows the part prices at $200 and $450, so figure the rest for markup + labor).
I think my extended warranty company (not WarrantyGold) is going to kill me, or at least my car... Henry, how much did you get out of your warranty? If they approve these (I expect the entire "send out an inspector and provide all of your service receipts" routine), I think I'm in the $4700-$4800 range, for an $1100 investment. Yikes!
--Robert whose Aurora is scheduled to go under the knife on Monday.
I was wondering what this part controls, and also where it is located. The chime on my 95' is no longer sounding. (IE works when you leave keys in ignition.) My dealer told me that it is my BCM. Also, my park brake indicator light remains lit regardless of the pedal's actual position. I was wondering what could be the cause of that. I want to fix this problem because the whole time my car is in drive, my DIC reads "Park Brake Set." I checked the sensor by the park brake pedal, and it seems to be in working condition. Thanks for the help.
I rarely set my '97's parking brake. Wnen I do and then try to release it, I sometimes have the problem you describe. I found that I could turn of the light by grabbing the parking brake pedal with my hand and pulling it back/up.
Stickking, Did you put a new accumulator or a expansion valve on when you did the compressor? Seems like they recommend it. Also Murrays says they can get me the delco battery by the next day for $100. Greg
Keep us informed on what you have to do, I to have a noise comming from that area. It don't appear to be a problem yet but I do see a day comming that I will have to do the same job on my '95/167,000 miles on her.
Just wondering if my '98's DIC may be faulty. The transmission fluid life always says 100%. It never drops in percentage. Regardless of what it tells me, I always have the trans serviced every 20k miles. It monitors everything else quite fine though.
Here's another mystery, what could this strange noise be? When the temp gauge reaches about 160, I hear 3 rapid light knocks coming from somewhere near the steering column under the hood. It's always a count of 3, never more or less. It doesn't seem to be hurting anything.
It always says 100% for the tranny fluid. Sometimes it will go down very slightly at high mileage if you never reset it. But nothing is wrong with yours.
Problem 1: I have a 2001 Aurora. My ac was leaking the mechanic put die in the system and it was leaking from the low side shrader valve. I replaced the shrader valve charged the system and the ac died again. Checked the valve again and there was die all over the shrader valve again. Problem 2: My power steering started to not work properly to day. It is almost impossible to turn when not moving, but once you move it gets easier to turn. I checked the level and it was low I added some fluid but the engine was hot so I am waiting for the engine to cool so I can fill it up properly, because I don't want to over fill. Can anyone help me out. Thanks.
So my ABS/Traction light has been to coming on intermittently lately. I'm out driving today and it does it usual. Comes on after driving continuously for long periods or multiple short trips in a row. So for the annoyance factor of two lights staring at me I turn the car off and restart it to try to reset the system. Instantly my traction control fires from a dead stop with a strange buzzing sound. If you press the brake it will stop but once you let go there it is again. You can drive on it but it will stay on until you get above about 20mph. Then it would come back on after leaving an intersection. So finally I just turned it off and drove along fine but then when I got home to restart the car I realized that the traction control comes on before you even start the engine in the "ON" position. it just says "traction active" and buzzes along. I found a trick to by passing the system by holding the TC button as you start the engine. This is annoying but it works. However , it some times turns the ABS system off as well. I can still drive its just extremely annoying. Anyone have any input??
3 Questions..
I was thinking of just pulling the TC(traction control) Relay or fuse... I'm wondering what I can mess up screwing w/ relays. I'm sure pulling the fuse wouldn't do much. I can live w/o TC for awhile...psh besides what do i need something slowing me down for ;-)
Also, anyone know a ballpark for how ridiculously expensive an Electronic Brake Traction Control Module (EBTCM) is? The one thing that sucks is that I have no clue if thats even it, is it the wheel speed sensor? A bad relay? A bad module? Something else? Who knows..
Third, I was thinking about pulling off the wheels and seeing what I see. By just pulling the wheels can I run into the whole 70 mph shaking problem? Or was this problem created by changing tires and wheels only? Somehow I don't see how just removing a wheel could off balance it??
Eric, it sounds like you will have to change your hub wheel bearings. I had the same problem with my 95. Eventually the traction control will just stop buzzing but you will have both abs and traction lights stay on forever. I been driving with these lights on for a year and got tired of looking at the lights. Bought the hub bearings from Murray auto parts for $100 each. Will put them on next tuesday.
this sounds like the wheel speed sensors exactly. Go back to the posts where I helped out buckdog. Instead of messing with a fuse just turn the TC button off everytime you get in. That is what I did until I replaced the wheel bearings and sensors. Funny you mentioned the EBTCM. Thats what I thought my problem originally was so I wasted $450 on a part that is sitting on my garage shelf. At least I have a spare one if I ever need it. If thats any consolation.
Cool, well you guys haven't been wrong yet. So there is no reason for me not to trust you now. I just didn't recall reading about the EBTCM buzzing. I'll just turn it off until I can get around to fixing it.
Kayaman, I heard you say that you got yours fixed for around 350. Was this with the labor and on how many wheels? Just the front? Is the problem usually in the front?
Thanks again guys. Its reassuring that the problem is a regular.
Yes it always seems to be the front. At least in any case ive ever seen. The problem is that for some reason this problem doesnt show up in scans all the time. So it leaves it a guesssing game. I have never seen this situation be anything but the front wheel bearings. I replaced both the fronts becasuse I wasnt sure what side was faulty. I found the bearings at global4autoparts.com for $126 a piece. And had a mechanic put them on for around $100 bucks. The dealer will charge you between $700-$900 to fix this. AC delco bearings cost around $250, but lots of people use aftermarkets for the bearings. I havent heard a problem yet and people have used lots of different brands. The ones I used are [non-permissible content removed].
Can anyone help me please? Previous post message#1154. There is more to the steering problem. The steering gets harder to turn when the engine is at normal rpm (when parking). When I take the rpm's up the steering is easy to turn. Anyone with any ideas?
The problem you are describing is definately your front wheel speed sensor/bearing assemblies. I replaced both on my '95. They are very simple to change, anyone with hand tools should be able to handle the job fairly easily. You could replace them both yourself in two hours. I strongly suggest that you replace them both at the same time. I learned the hard way, by replacing only the bad bearing/wheel speed sensor. The old one and the new one did not get along with each other, so I ended up replacing both - problem solved! Besides, if one goes bad, the other one is not too far behind. I can give you a list of tools you'll need and step-by-step instructions if you'd like.
Thanks for the help again. Its always appreciated. I thought I read before that the wheel speed sensors also affected your cruise control... Mine still works. Just wondering.
Autobahn,
Yes that would be awesome, I would be very grateful for a list tools and instructions.
Guys I just want to thank you again for all your help. Its very appreciated. I don't think I'm alone when I say these cars are awesome once you get past the common problems, but if we all didn't know these problems are common we'd probably be driving our cars through the dealers front windows ;P By the way I picked up a TSB on what could be causing our wheel speed sensors to fail. Might be worth checking into. I'll post it next.
For those with wheel speed sensor / traction control problems. I ran across this in GM service bulletins. I thought I'd let you know so that we don't blow our sensors and EBTCM's again. Might want to check to see if you have this harness installed.
Note: this bulletin was offered with illustrations. If you'd like the illustrations just e-mail me. I'm working on putting it all online.
(ericmf@digiclipse.com)
Here is the bulletin:
AMBER ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT/TRACTION STAYS ON #43-50-07 - (09/12/1994) SUBJECT: AMBER ANTILOCK WARNING LIGHT AND (IF EQUIPPED) AMBER TRACTION OFF WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON (INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS)
SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON AN INOPERATIVE ANTILOCK BRAKE AND (IF EQUIPPED) TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. AS A RESULT, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR:
- AMBER ANTILOCK WARNING LIGHT AND (IF EQUIPPED) AMBER TRACTION OFF WARNING LIGHT TURN(S) ON AND STAY(S) ON. THE RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT REMAINS OFF.
- ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES MAY BE SET: 45, 51 OR NO CODE.
NOTE: THIS CONDITION DOES NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE POWER BRAKES.
CAUSE:
NORMAL OPERATION OF THE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN MAY CAUSE VOLTAGE SURGES WHICH DAMAGE THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE (AND TRACTION) CONTROL MODULE (EBCM/EBTCM). FAILURE OF THIS MODULE RESULTS IN AN INOPERATIVE ANTILOCK BRAKE AND (IF EQUIPPED) TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM.
CORRECTION:
INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS, P/N 12165487, IN THE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN HARNESS. THIS JUMPER HARNESS CONTAINS AN INTEGRAL SURGE SUPPRESSION DIODE. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 1 FOR THE ELECTRICAL DIAGRAM OF THE FAN WITH INSTALLED JUMPER HARNESS.
INSPECTION - BUICK RIVIERA:
BEFORE INSTALLING A JUMPER HARNESS, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING INSPECTION/TEST PROCEDURE.
1. LOCATE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR. (FOR RIVIERA, IT IS ON THE FAN).
2. EXAMINE THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN HARNESS TO DETERMINE IF A JUMPER HARNESS HAS ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED. DO NOT INSTALL A NEW JUMPER HARNESS IF ONE IS ALREADY PRESENT.
3. ON SOME VEHICLES, A SURGE PROTECTION DIODE MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED DURING SERVICE. IN THIS CASE, THERE IS A DIODE SPLICE IN THE MAIN BODY HARNESS NEAR THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN. PERFORM STEP 4 BELOW TO CHECK FOR THE PRESENCE OF THIS DIODE. IF STEP 4 VERIFIES THE PRESENCE OF A DIODE, NO JUMPER HARNESS IS NEEDED. DO NOT INSTALL A JUMPER HARNESS.
4. TEST FOR THE PRESENCE OF A DIODE IN THE BODY HARNESS AS FOLLOWS:
A. DISCONNECT THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR.
B. USING A J39200 DIGITAL VOLTMETER OR EQUIVALENT, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING CHECK.
- SET THE METER TO THE DIODE SCALE. - MEASURE ACROSS THE TWO PINS ON THE BODY HARNESS SIDE OF THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR. CHECK ONE DIRECTION, THEN REVERSE THE LEADS AND CHECK IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. - IF THE SURGE PROTECTION DIODE IS PRESENT AND GOOD, ONE DIRECTION SHOWS OVERLOAD (OL); THE OTHER DIRECTION SHOWS ABOUT 0.5 VOLT.
NOTE: THE PROCEDURE IN STEP 4 MAY BE USED TO VERIFY THAT THE DIODE IN AN INSTALLED JUMPER HARNESS IS GOOD.
INSTALLATION - BUICK RIVIERA:
INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS AND REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM AS FOLLOWS:
1. DISCONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
2. DISCONNECT LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN MOTOR CONNECTOR.
3. INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS, P/N 12165487, ON CONNECTOR OF LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN MOTOR (1). SEE FIGURE 1.
4. POSITION JUMPER HARNESS ON FAN AT FAN WEB AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 1. INSTALL WIRE TIE AROUND JUMPER HARNESS AND FAN WEB USING EXISTING FAN WEB HOLE (2). POSITION WIRE TIE SO THAT IT IS OFFSET FROM THE CENTER OF THE HARNESS, PROVIDING A MORE SECURE FIT. CUT OFF EXCESS WIRE TIE STRAP.
5. CONNECT JUMPER HARNESS CONNECTOR (3) TO MAIN BODY HARNESS.
6. REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM USING ON-VEHICLE SERVICE PROCEDURES IN SECTION 5E2 OF THE SERVICE MANUAL.
7. RECONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
INSPECTION - OLDSMOBILE AURORA:
BEFORE INSTALLING A JUMPER HARNESS, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING INSPECTION/TEST PROCEDURE.
1. RAISE VEHICLE ON HOIST.
2. REMOVE LOWER AIR DEFLECTOR FROM VEHICLE IN AREA UNDER COOLANT FANS. TO DO SO, REMOVE 11 PUSH-IN RETAINERS WHICH SECURE AIR DEFLECTOR TO VEHICLE UNDERBODY. (REFER TO SERVICE MANUAL, SECTION 10, PARAGRAPH 2-3, ENGINE SPLASH SHIELD REPLACEMENT).
3. LOCATE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR. FOR AURORA, IT IS ON A PIGTAIL HARNESS SEVERAL INCHES FROM THE FAN.
4. PERFORM STEPS 2, 3 AND 4 IN ABOVE "INSPECTION - BUICK RIVIERA" PROCEDURE.
INSTALLATION - OLDSMOBILE AURORA:
INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS AND EBCM/EBTCM AS FOLLOWS:
1. DISCONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
2. OPEN ROSEBUD CLIP (1) ON LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL HARNESS. DO NOT REMOVE CLIP FROM FAN WEB. SEE FIGURE 2.
3. DISCONNECT FAN MOTOR CONNECTOR (2) FROM MAIN BODY HARNESS. SLIDE FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL CONNECTOR OFF OF CHRISTMAS TREE CONNECTOR.
4. POSITION FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL HARNESS AT FAN WEB AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3. INSTALL WIRE TIE AROUND PIGTAIL HARNESS AND FAN WEB (3), MAINTAINING A LOOP OF HARNESS ABOVE WIRE TIE. CUT OFF EXCESS WIRE TIE STRAP.
5. INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS, P/N 12165487, TO FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL CONNECTOR (4).
6. ATTACH CENTER OF JUMPER HARNESS TO FAN WEB USING EXISTING ROSEBUD (5). MAKE SURE ROSEBUD IS NOT CLIPPED OVER DIODE.
7. POSITION THE OTHER END OF THE JUMPER HARNESS AT FAN WEB (6) AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3. INSTALL WIRE TIE AROUND JUMPER HARNESS AND FAN WEB. CLIP OFF EXCESS WIRE TIE STRAP.
8. CONNECT JUMPER HARNESS CONNECTOR (6) TO MAIN BODY HARNESS.
9. REINSTALL AIR DEFLECTOR IN AREA BELOW COOLANT FANS. INSTALL 11 PUSH-IN RETAINERS TO SECURE AIR DEFLECTOR TO VEHICLE UNDERBODY.
10. LOWER VEHICLE FROM HOIST.
11. REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM USING ON-VEHICLE SERVICE PROCEDURES IN SECTION 5E2 OF THE SERVICE MANUAL.
12. RECONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
PARTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1994.
WARRANTY INFORMATION:
FOR VEHICLES REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, USE:
LABOR OPERATION NUMBER: H2505 (TO REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM) USE PUBLISHED LABOR OPERATION TIME. (OTHER LABOR HOURS) ADD: 0.1 HR. (TO INSPECT/INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS FOR BUICK RIVIERA) (OTHER LABOR HOURS) ADD: 0.3 HR. (TO INSPECT/INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS FOR OLDSMOBILE AURORA)
Finally, After driving for about a year with the abs and traction control lights looking at me everyday, I finally got around to putting new hub bearings on. Driver side speed sensor was broken apart from sensor. Also saw I needed change oil soon message, grease job for left tie rod end and new brakes. Put everthing in and no lights. What a beautiful thing. The car seems to ride so smooth now. Had no trouble at all removing or putting hub bearings in. Save lots of cash doing it myself. Thanks to all who commented on this job before. Next thing to do this week is replace ac compressor. Greg
My 2002 (3.5) Aurora makes a popping noise that sounds like it comes from the windshied/A pillar on the passenger side. It does this while driving at various speeds and sometimes while I'm stopped. Its worse on hot days.
My friend has a 2003 Aurora (4.0) that does the same thing.
Is any else having this problem? Is there a known fix?
Got a compressor from auto recyclers and was trying to take off refrigerant line and my ratchet broke the oil pressure sensor switch. Of course no auto part store had it in stock. Had to go dealer the next day to get it. Dealer was cheaper than any of the auto stores who would had to order it. Compressor was not so bad once you take the bottom cover and tire off. It was aggravating about stores not carrying parts for a car that has been out since 95. Anyway the air is working fine now but the hot days are just about gone. This is still the best luxury you can get for the money.
I have a chirping type noise on the drivers side. Wondering if it would be something to do with the strut or wheel bearing. Found some discussions on this, but nothing that answers my questions. Any help or advice appreciated.
I just ordered from GM parts the shift solenoids. They always say if it ain't broke don't worry about it. Even though it shifts fine, I thought I should put them in before it really gets cold here in Chi Town. It appears that the classic needs to be pampered from 70 to 110k miles. This forum really does have a lot guys who don't mind tackling a project to save some big bucks.
The temp and hvac lights on my 97 Classic have suddenly started going on and off on their own. Has anyone got any info or suggestions? All of the other lights are just fine.
I have a 95 aurora and the dash fuel door release no longer works. Having to open the trunk to use the emergency release is getting old. Any suggestions on fixing. Also the back passenger door window is not working. Any suggestion on how to diagnose problem? Will not work from drivers control or on back door control. Thank you. Don donnapaca@aol.com
Don, did you pop the panel where the fuel button is? Check to see if switch is still connected. It could have gotten loose. Do you hear if fuel door is clicking when you try to open it?
Window not working from switches usually means the power window regulator (motor) has gone bad. If you know how to take the door panel off, it's a simple fix (parts are $50 or so from online sources), otherwise you'll pay the dealer $250 to do this.
Comments
I'm just looking for everyones input on acceleration. When I kick my car in from a dead stop I don't get the V8 power I would expect. I know its a heavy car but what seems to happen is that the car stays in 1st I believe. You can feel that it should shift about 2/3's through the climb but it doesn't. It seems like a very smooth endless climb to speed. Is this the way these cars are geared? I would compare my power off the line to my old 3800 V6. A respectable amount. The car still has excellent V8 passing power and will do well when downshifting from 3rd (mashing the gas). I thought it could be my throttle off but wouldn't I be able to see it in how the car runs? It idles at about 750RPM.
Your thoughts are very appreciated.
As far as the off-the-line power, if you're comparing it to a pushrod V8, you're absolutely right about it being a little slower. Today's DOHC V8's tend to have more torque/horsepower higher in the rev range than the corvette-type or older pushrod designs (BTW, the 3800 V6 you mentioned is a pushrod design so it has more low-end torque, but is not as strong at the high end, relatively speaking. We also own a Impala w/ the Series II 3800 so I know exactly what you're talking about). Having said that, the Aurora's 4.0 has generally more low-end torque that most DOHC engines, even though the max horsepower is still at higher rpms. When you go to pass at speed, the engine is probably more toward the mid-rev range and right at the power band, so you get a strong pull when passing.
The car's weight, combined with less low-end torque than what you may have experienced with a pushrod V8 does make it a little slow off the line. But once you get it to 2000-2500RPMs you ought to see the redline coming up FAST!
P.S. nice to see the board so active again. its been a while since Ive seen this much activity.
Like everyone said, the car should run to redline before shifting out of 3rd if you floor it. Not sure why you'd want it to shift into 2nd 2/3's of the way through the band. This would result in worse acceleration.
The Aurora is a big car, and the engine is pretty torquey, but the power really comes on at around 3000 rpm as was said. You really should feel that when you launch the car. Do you notice it really start to come on the boil there? Your idle speed seems right on.
Larry: Thanks for the input. I guess I am used to pushrod engines. It honestly never dawned on me. I used to love my old 3800 II. I had a 96 black buick regal. it was a rare custom beautiful car but then I started having all these fuel delivery problems and after replacing about $500 in parts I finally gave up and traded it for the Aurora...Wish i'd have kept both. Those 3800II's are impressive off the line. I just wanted to make sure my acceleration was comparable to everyone elses.
Kayaman: I'll give it a little more WOT. specifically in the 2000-3000 range.
I hate when that happens.
I'll give you one guess to tell me which is the old compressor and which is the new....
We initially thought that just the clutch was bad, but after inspecting the compressor, you could see it leaking oil all around the case...so we changed the whole thing out. It really wasn't a bad job, maybe 2 hours work. And half of that was reclaiming the old refridgerant and putting new in..not the actual install.
Oh by the way, you know how my windows weren't working? Well, we finally got to dig into it, and look what we found in the wire pack that passes through the door.
Two wires split, and a bunch more on the way. I like the big gauge wire that GM uses on this stuff, but after 10 years its gotten a bit stiff. No problem, a little extra wire and a
soldering iron and we were in business again. All in all, it was a good weekend, but thank god for the extra day!
-Brian
Thanks in advance
Greg
-Brian
Back in March, they discovered the infamous "crankshaft oil leak".
Today, they noted that my left front wheel bearing is shot (the tire definitely jiggles when it's up on the lift). Also, my stearing gear assembly is leaking. Their estimates are $450 and $850 (GMPartsDirect shows the part prices at $200 and $450, so figure the rest for markup + labor).
I think my extended warranty company (not WarrantyGold) is going to kill me, or at least my car... Henry, how much did you get out of your warranty? If they approve these (I expect the entire "send out an inspector and provide all of your service receipts" routine), I think I'm in the $4700-$4800 range, for an $1100 investment. Yikes!
--Robert
whose Aurora is scheduled to go under the knife on Monday.
I rarely set my '97's parking brake. Wnen I do and then try to release it, I sometimes have the problem you describe. I found that I could turn of the light by grabbing the parking brake pedal with my hand and pulling it back/up.
Hope this helps.
Greg
,Dan
Here's another mystery, what could this strange noise be? When the temp gauge reaches about 160, I hear 3 rapid light knocks coming from somewhere near the steering column under the hood. It's always a count of 3, never more or less. It doesn't seem to be hurting anything.
Marshall
I'm out driving today and it does it usual. Comes on after driving continuously for long periods or multiple short trips in a row. So for the annoyance factor of two lights staring at me I turn the car off and restart it to try to reset the system. Instantly my traction control fires from a dead stop with a strange buzzing sound. If you press the brake it will stop but once you let go there it is again. You can drive on it but it will stay on until you get above about 20mph. Then it would come back on after leaving an intersection. So finally I just turned it off and drove along fine but then when I got home to restart the car I realized that the traction control comes on before you even start the engine in the "ON" position. it just says "traction active" and buzzes along. I found a trick to by passing the system by holding the TC button as you start the engine. This is annoying but it works. However , it some times turns the ABS system off as well. I can still drive its just extremely annoying. Anyone have any input??
3 Questions..
I was thinking of just pulling the TC(traction control) Relay or fuse... I'm wondering what I can mess up screwing w/ relays. I'm sure pulling the fuse wouldn't do much. I can live w/o TC for awhile...psh besides what do i need something slowing me down for ;-)
Also, anyone know a ballpark for how ridiculously expensive an Electronic Brake Traction Control Module (EBTCM) is? The one thing that sucks is that I have no clue if thats even it, is it the wheel speed sensor? A bad relay? A bad module? Something else? Who knows..
Third, I was thinking about pulling off the wheels and seeing what I see. By just pulling the wheels can I run into the whole 70 mph shaking problem? Or was this problem created by changing tires and wheels only? Somehow I don't see how just removing a wheel could off balance it??
Greg
Kayaman, I heard you say that you got yours fixed for around 350. Was this with the labor and on how many wheels? Just the front? Is the problem usually in the front?
Thanks again guys. Its reassuring that the problem is a regular.
I can give you a list of tools you'll need and step-by-step instructions if you'd like.
Thanks for the help again. Its always appreciated. I thought I read before that the wheel speed sensors also affected your cruise control... Mine still works. Just wondering.
Autobahn,
Yes that would be awesome, I would be very grateful for a list tools and instructions.
Guys I just want to thank you again for all your help. Its very appreciated. I don't think I'm alone when I say these cars are awesome once you get past the common problems, but if we all didn't know these problems are common we'd probably be driving our cars through the dealers front windows ;P By the way I picked up a TSB on what could be causing our wheel speed sensors to fail. Might be worth checking into. I'll post it next.
Note: this bulletin was offered with illustrations. If you'd like the illustrations just e-mail me. I'm working on putting it all online.
(ericmf@digiclipse.com)
Here is the bulletin:
AMBER ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT/TRACTION STAYS ON #43-50-07 - (09/12/1994)
SUBJECT: AMBER ANTILOCK WARNING LIGHT AND (IF EQUIPPED) AMBER TRACTION OFF WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON (INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS)
MODELS: 1995 BUICK RIVIERA (BUILT BEFORE VIN 4708381) 1995 OLDSMOBILE AURORA
CONDITION:
SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON AN INOPERATIVE ANTILOCK BRAKE AND (IF EQUIPPED) TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. AS A RESULT, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR:
- AMBER ANTILOCK WARNING LIGHT AND (IF EQUIPPED) AMBER TRACTION OFF WARNING LIGHT TURN(S) ON AND STAY(S) ON. THE RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT REMAINS OFF.
- ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES MAY BE SET: 45, 51 OR NO CODE.
NOTE: THIS CONDITION DOES NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE POWER BRAKES.
CAUSE:
NORMAL OPERATION OF THE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN MAY CAUSE VOLTAGE SURGES WHICH DAMAGE THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE (AND TRACTION) CONTROL MODULE (EBCM/EBTCM). FAILURE OF THIS MODULE RESULTS IN AN INOPERATIVE ANTILOCK BRAKE AND (IF EQUIPPED) TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM.
CORRECTION:
INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS, P/N 12165487, IN THE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN HARNESS. THIS JUMPER HARNESS CONTAINS AN INTEGRAL SURGE SUPPRESSION DIODE. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 1 FOR THE ELECTRICAL DIAGRAM OF THE FAN WITH INSTALLED JUMPER HARNESS.
INSPECTION - BUICK RIVIERA:
BEFORE INSTALLING A JUMPER HARNESS, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING INSPECTION/TEST PROCEDURE.
1. LOCATE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR. (FOR RIVIERA, IT IS ON THE FAN).
2. EXAMINE THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN HARNESS TO DETERMINE IF A JUMPER HARNESS HAS ALREADY BEEN INSTALLED. DO NOT INSTALL A NEW JUMPER HARNESS IF ONE IS ALREADY PRESENT.
3. ON SOME VEHICLES, A SURGE PROTECTION DIODE MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED DURING SERVICE. IN THIS CASE, THERE IS A DIODE SPLICE IN THE MAIN BODY HARNESS NEAR THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN. PERFORM STEP 4 BELOW TO CHECK FOR THE PRESENCE OF THIS DIODE. IF STEP 4 VERIFIES THE PRESENCE OF A DIODE, NO JUMPER HARNESS IS NEEDED. DO NOT INSTALL A JUMPER HARNESS.
4. TEST FOR THE PRESENCE OF A DIODE IN THE BODY HARNESS AS FOLLOWS:
A. DISCONNECT THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR.
B. USING A J39200 DIGITAL VOLTMETER OR EQUIVALENT, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING CHECK.
- SET THE METER TO THE DIODE SCALE. - MEASURE ACROSS THE TWO PINS ON THE BODY HARNESS SIDE OF THE LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR. CHECK ONE DIRECTION, THEN REVERSE THE LEADS AND CHECK IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. - IF THE SURGE PROTECTION DIODE IS PRESENT AND GOOD, ONE DIRECTION SHOWS OVERLOAD (OL); THE OTHER DIRECTION SHOWS ABOUT 0.5 VOLT.
NOTE: THE PROCEDURE IN STEP 4 MAY BE USED TO VERIFY THAT THE DIODE IN AN INSTALLED JUMPER HARNESS IS GOOD.
INSTALLATION - BUICK RIVIERA:
INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS AND REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM AS FOLLOWS:
1. DISCONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
2. DISCONNECT LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN MOTOR CONNECTOR.
3. INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS, P/N 12165487, ON CONNECTOR OF LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN MOTOR (1). SEE FIGURE 1.
4. POSITION JUMPER HARNESS ON FAN AT FAN WEB AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 1. INSTALL WIRE TIE AROUND JUMPER HARNESS AND FAN WEB USING EXISTING FAN WEB HOLE (2). POSITION WIRE TIE SO THAT IT IS OFFSET FROM THE CENTER OF THE HARNESS, PROVIDING A MORE SECURE FIT. CUT OFF EXCESS WIRE TIE STRAP.
5. CONNECT JUMPER HARNESS CONNECTOR (3) TO MAIN BODY HARNESS.
6. REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM USING ON-VEHICLE SERVICE PROCEDURES IN SECTION 5E2 OF THE SERVICE MANUAL.
7. RECONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
INSPECTION - OLDSMOBILE AURORA:
BEFORE INSTALLING A JUMPER HARNESS, PERFORM THE FOLLOWING INSPECTION/TEST PROCEDURE.
1. RAISE VEHICLE ON HOIST.
2. REMOVE LOWER AIR DEFLECTOR FROM VEHICLE IN AREA UNDER COOLANT FANS. TO DO SO, REMOVE 11 PUSH-IN RETAINERS WHICH SECURE AIR DEFLECTOR TO VEHICLE UNDERBODY. (REFER TO SERVICE MANUAL, SECTION 10, PARAGRAPH 2-3, ENGINE SPLASH SHIELD REPLACEMENT).
3. LOCATE LEFT-HAND (PRIMARY) COOLANT FAN CONNECTOR. FOR AURORA, IT IS ON A PIGTAIL HARNESS SEVERAL INCHES FROM THE FAN.
4. PERFORM STEPS 2, 3 AND 4 IN ABOVE "INSPECTION - BUICK RIVIERA" PROCEDURE.
INSTALLATION - OLDSMOBILE AURORA:
INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS AND EBCM/EBTCM AS FOLLOWS:
1. DISCONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
2. OPEN ROSEBUD CLIP (1) ON LEFT-HAND COOLANT FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL HARNESS. DO NOT REMOVE CLIP FROM FAN WEB. SEE FIGURE 2.
3. DISCONNECT FAN MOTOR CONNECTOR (2) FROM MAIN BODY HARNESS. SLIDE FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL CONNECTOR OFF OF CHRISTMAS TREE CONNECTOR.
4. POSITION FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL HARNESS AT FAN WEB AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3. INSTALL WIRE TIE AROUND PIGTAIL HARNESS AND FAN WEB (3), MAINTAINING A LOOP OF HARNESS ABOVE WIRE TIE. CUT OFF EXCESS WIRE TIE STRAP.
5. INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS, P/N 12165487, TO FAN MOTOR PIGTAIL CONNECTOR (4).
6. ATTACH CENTER OF JUMPER HARNESS TO FAN WEB USING EXISTING ROSEBUD (5). MAKE SURE ROSEBUD IS NOT CLIPPED OVER DIODE.
7. POSITION THE OTHER END OF THE JUMPER HARNESS AT FAN WEB (6) AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 3. INSTALL WIRE TIE AROUND JUMPER HARNESS AND FAN WEB. CLIP OFF EXCESS WIRE TIE STRAP.
8. CONNECT JUMPER HARNESS CONNECTOR (6) TO MAIN BODY HARNESS.
9. REINSTALL AIR DEFLECTOR IN AREA BELOW COOLANT FANS. INSTALL 11 PUSH-IN RETAINERS TO SECURE AIR DEFLECTOR TO VEHICLE UNDERBODY.
10. LOWER VEHICLE FROM HOIST.
11. REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM USING ON-VEHICLE SERVICE PROCEDURES IN SECTION 5E2 OF THE SERVICE MANUAL.
12. RECONNECT NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE.
PARTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1994.
WARRANTY INFORMATION:
FOR VEHICLES REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, USE:
LABOR OPERATION NUMBER: H2505 (TO REPLACE EBCM/EBTCM) USE PUBLISHED LABOR OPERATION TIME. (OTHER LABOR HOURS) ADD: 0.1 HR. (TO INSPECT/INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS FOR BUICK RIVIERA) (OTHER LABOR HOURS) ADD: 0.3 HR. (TO INSPECT/INSTALL JUMPER HARNESS FOR OLDSMOBILE AURORA)
Greg
Henri
My friend has a 2003 Aurora (4.0) that does the same thing.
Is any else having this problem? Is there a known fix?
Thanks for any input.
Greg
Thanks, David
Or, if the chirping seems to be more tied to suspension movement, I'd agree with rjs.
Greg
Also the back passenger door window is not working. Any suggestion on how to diagnose problem? Will not work from drivers control or on back door control.
Thank you.
Don
donnapaca@aol.com
Greg
--Robert
Henri