Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair

jimr97

I had this problem. It is a short in the manual light switch cause by too much grease. Drop the two panels under the dash, remove the shroud from around the steering column. This exposes the light switch on the right side of the column. Turn the light switch. You can see the contact through the holes in the switch. Get some electrical contact cleaner (aka brake cleaner) and spray it on the contacts while you rotate the switch. That should take care of it.

jimr97

Oops. The switch is on the left side of the column.

bullsender

Thanks a bunch Jim! Dealer wanted $600 to install new light switch...I did the cleaning thing yesterday and parking lights are fixed! The crazy
type screws on the steering shroud gave me a fit
however I bought a 3/16ths. nut driver and got them out ok...yea left side..no problem...figured you were facing car ha ha! On a different note...I installed a Amsoil oil wetted foam air
filter (which flows a bit more air than a K&N - a filters a lot better) and noticed my service engine soon light on afterwards...then it went off for a day and has come back on...seems like
I read where the extra air flow from using this type of filter will cause this until things re-adjust to the extra air??? Ever heard of such!
I still have a miss going on and I think it is the plug wire carbon tracking thing...AutoZone
told me they can get (2 days) Bosch plug wire set
for $69 and I am ordering them today and want to also order (on-line) Denso iridium plugs and
try and install this week...hope I can get to the back 4! Again....thanks...I owe you one!

Bullsender

rjs200240

Hmm, that sounds a bit fishy. At low rpm (as in regular driving, at least for some of us), the paper air filter will flow as much air as the engine can pull in. So a lower restriction air filter isn't going to cram extra, or too much, air in. Plus, the car can sense how much air is going in it. That's what the MAF does. The lower-restriction air filter isn't going to sneak extra air by it.

I mean, maybe it's some OBD-II thing that I've just never heard of, but I find that hard to believe. Even if you removed the filter altogether (which is certainly less restrictive than an Amsoil filter), I don't think the "SES" light would come on.

bullsender

Yea Robert...you are probally right...the SES light is off today...the missing still there...even spits back through intake several times under light throttle...full throttle just
surges or even runs fine at times???? Hope the new plug wires and Iridium plugs help! Seems i should not even be having to do this stuff at 41,000 mi. I hear some folks have had to replace
a coil and should all 4 be replaced when 1 is bad??? Thanks! Bullsender

javidogg

My sunroof is acting up for the first time, It opens some what, but it won't close all the way, and the glass won't go up to lock mode or pop up mode without a couple of hand pushes. Anyone here had any problems with their sunroofs? And do you guys think it's covered under warranty? I took it to my some what local OLDS (if you can believe that in the Chicagoland Area there is only 2 local dealers close to me which are the Park Ridge and Highland Park OLDS) they stated that if it's not covered under my warranty it would cost me $90 dollars for them to take a look at it, that's wack though, will see what happens. I'll keep you guys post it.

rjs200240

under the regular car warranty as long as the roof was from Olds. If the car is under an aftermarket or extended warranty, then you'd have to look at what that warranty says about it.

You don't go to an Olds dealer in Aurora??

javidogg

I did not know there was a OLDS dealer in Aurora ILL. To far for me to go to a dealer in Aurora since I live in Chicago's Northside of town.

jlhartnett

Can anyone tell me how to go about replacing the FPR in my 95 Classic? I have the replacement part from GP Sorenson (p/n 800-335) that I ordered from a local Auto-Zone for $77.99 but it did not come with any instructions.

It has only one connection for a vacuum line. The other end looks like it must plug into a receptacle somewhere....??

rjs200240

I was just trying to be funny. I have no idea if there's an Olds dealer in Aurora.

javidogg

D'oh, did not get it hehe.

mike98c

IF you take off the cover with the olds aurora script on top of the engine (four bolts), you will see a small vacuum line running to a valve that looks like what you bought with a shiny black fuel line running underneath. The valve is held on by a spring clip. Wrap a rag around the old valve. When I replaced the old valve a small amount of fuel squirted out. Cool engine please. The old valve will lift out. The old screen or rubber o ring may stay in the bore where the valve is seated. You may have to carefully remove them. Don't get dirt in there! Just seat the new valve and re-connect the line. Ten to fifteen minute job maybe. Garnes, anyone did I miss anything?

javidogg

Just wanted to let you guys know that finally the problem with my sunroof will be fixed on Wednesday 6.19.02, I took my Aurora to the dealer today at 8:00am, waited about 2 hours so they can look at it, and they said that they are placing an order of parts for my sunroof, they mention that there going to replace the lining inside of the sunroof, the outer gasket (the black mask outside which has been peeling on it's own , exposing the aluminum trim, and something about wires) and some other stuff on it, sounds like a mini tune-up that's needed. And yes it's all covered under my GM warranty. I will let you guys know the outcome once it all gets fixed Wednesday.

bullsender

Well...installed new NGK Iridium Spark Plugs (from rockauto.com - $6.24 each)and installed new
Standard Plug Wires ($74.00 - from Walker Automotive)also a new Amsoil Air Filter (better
than K&N for air flow and filteration). All the missing is gone and SES light went out and runs better than ever. Thanks for all the help folks!

javidogg

Well an update on the problem with my sunroof, It's now Thursday and my car is back home all fixed. I was suppose to have my Aurora fixed & ready by Wednesday, but according to the Olds Dealer they had a light & phone problem so they were a day behind. They found the sunroof "module binding internally" (what ever that means), Also on the outside the glass molding was peeling (which I've seen on other Auroras), and they also replaced the whole sunroof glass too, this is what they replaced on my sunroof because it would not close all the way. Under parts description this is what they listed.....

QTY FP Number Description
1. 01 12536822 TRAC S/RF WARRANTY
2. 01 12371672 WDO SUNRF WARRANTY

Overall I'm quite please with the outcome, a quick note, it looks like my extended warranty it's starting to pay for itself, I know this job would of been about $1000.00 dollars, thank goodness for the GM warranty. Peace.

isuamy

I BOUGHT MY 95 AURORA USED AND HAVE PROBLEMS THAT THE LOCAL DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT. WHEN ACCELERATING SLOWLY MY CAR WILL SURGE. MY RPM'S FLUXUATES, BUT IT ONLY DOES THIS AFTER WARMING UP. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, SO I REPLACED THOSE. IT TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE BUT NOT COMPLETELY, I TOOK IT BACK IN AND REPLACED THE COIL AND IT STILL HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN COMPLIENT BUT NOT PRODUCTIVE. PLEASE HELP!

mike98c

Not to sound like a one topic person BUT check the Fuel Pressure Regulator. SEE PREVIOUS FPR POSTS FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE on this and AURORA SEDANS board. Low speed surging for first month followed by stalling at idle in following month after car was warm was completely and instantly cured in my case at least by taking fifteen minutes to replace the FPR. If this is the problem don't delay to long. I could tell the FPR was dumping raw gas through the vacuum line into the intake manifold (began backfiring) and cranking times began to get longer and looonger as the monthes passed by. I also replaced the wires and plugs first and things improved for a couple weeks. I think the new wires and plugs led to a better spark which masked the excess fuel dumped into the intake tract. By the way I think the 100,00 mile tune-up is ill for these cars. If i'm correct these engines are loss spark engines wich means the ignition system fires on the intake as well as the exhaust stroke, TWICE the wear and tear on the plugs and wires. anyone disagree?

jimpp77

I have a '95 with about 64,000 miles. At about 63,000 the tranny started slipping while going from 1st to second. This usually happens only when I get on the gas a little bit.
Also, while driving (coasting to a stop)if my speed drops around 20 mph and I go to accelerate, I get a slight delay and then the tranny hits hard into gear.
Has anyone experienced this type of problem? Is the tranny done or is there a fix?

rjs200240

You are right about the classic having the spark plug fire twice. Although, the plug on the exhaust stroke only fires with about 30% of the voltage from the coil pack. The other 70% goes to the cylinder on the compression stroke.

This doesn't happen on the new Aurora. The coil-on-plug is pretty neat. It fires with less voltage on light-throttle to reduce RFI and power consumption, and can crank out over twice (130% more) the voltage on full-throttle than the old system. Plus, there are no wires to replace.

aurora5000

Have you kept the fluid changed? My suggestion is you get a can of "Lubeguard" for the transmission. You can get it at any NAPA Auto stores for $10-$12. I have it in my new Aurora and will continue to use it.

Edmunds has a category on "Lubeguard" explaining it and its properties. If you want, you can write me direct.

Good luck,

pizza442

I have had this same problem for a year and a half. Mine does do it when cold, too, so yours might be the beginning of a fuel press. reg.. I have replaced that along with EGR, plugs and wires, fuel filter, cleaned throttle body, decarboned engine and moved a new coil around to each of the four coil positions incase one was bad; no dice. These turkeys should be able to "see" the surge in either the fuel pressure psi or in the timing or as a vacuum leak. I have the aftermarket warranty now so I might try to get an Olds dealer that handles alot of Auroras to diag. it. Keep us posted on your results.

Henry

See i would have guessed that you had a computer problem with a relay or module or something. I had this problem on my 95 with the tranny slaming hard into gear.

My 2 cents

jimpp77

I changed the tranny fluid at 64,000 miles. The book calls for 60,000. What is the quantity of this "Lubeguard"...I don't want to over fill.

Henry... what was the fix to your tranny problem?

mariposarosada

I'm getting a thunk, thunk, thunk sound when going around a left hand turn on my 95 Aurora. Do you all think this is a CV joint? If so, is it a problem with the left or right joint?

Also, should I go ahead and replace both cv joints or both axles (and cv joints) while I'm at it? What will these replacements cost?

Any ideas? Thanks.

aurora5000

I think that it is a pint.

oldsman2

Has anyone encountered any problems with their A/C system? Mine is not putting out cold air at low speeds, and even at higher speeds it is not ice cold. I just had the system inspected for leaks, and they found none, and it is fully charged. I am waiting on a return phone call from the mechanic who looked at it (he was gone when I picked the car up late last night)..he did scribble some notes on the work order stating a "clogged or blocked" line?? Make sense??

mike98c

Actually it is in the 90's right now. Do you get cold air for the first few minutes after it hase'nt been on for a while? There is a drain line that can get clogged. It drains the water condensed out of the humid air, If it clogs AND the (condenser)? ices up, no or little air flows through the unit (looks like a little radiator) and lukewarm air is the result. It can take surprisingly long for the ice to melt if this occurs! I'm not familar enough with the systems high and low pressure return lines for the refrigerant to make any comment about them.

mike98c

AND the (condenser)? LETS TRY COIL.

blk97aurora

rjs200240;

The 30%-70% split in coil energy between the two cylinders is interesting. Do you know how that happens?

oldsman2

It is warma t first, then gets cooler as the engine speed increases. It was just suggested to me that the "orphus" tube is clogged, and that is causing a restriction. I will try to clean that out and let you know...

rjs200240

There are only four coil-packs on your car. Two wires from each one. The two cylinders on any given coil pack are 180 degrees out of phase, so while one is on the compression upstroke, the other is on the exhaust upstroke (I'm pretty sure of this). Anyway, the coil packs don't fire one plug or the other, they fire both wires at the same time. Basically it's one coil with two wires on it. Apparently the cylinder on the exhaust stroke has more resistance because of the exhaust in the cylinder, enough so that 70% of the current goes to the compression stroke plug while 30% will spark in the exhausting plug.

For comparison the new engine has eight coil packs, one on each plug.

nne3jxc

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Recently my "traction Off" light has been coming on by itself. I first noticed it on a trip of about 100 miles on a very hot day (96-98 degrees). I had been cruising on the highway for about 30 minutes when it came on. Pushing the button on/off made no difference. On the trip back, it came on a again, but not for an hour or so -- and it was a much cooler day.
Now it seems to come on even on a short commute. (my usual work commute is only 7 miles.)

Anyone seen this on their Auroras? Is this a side effect of something else, or is the Traction Control going?

Thanks,
Jim
95 Autobahn

rjs200240

And yes, it meant the traction control crapped out. When the light is on, the system didn't work. It was easily (although not necessarily easy on the wallet) repaired by a GM dealership, though.

Henry

The problem was in the antilock breaking system. Because the ABS and the traction control are part of the same system, the ABS failure showed up as a failure of the traction system.

What year is your car?
If its a 95 you also need to check to see if you have a special harness upgrade.

You need to check the build date on the car if you have a 95.

nne3jxc

Yes, I have a 95 -- what is the "special harness upgrade?" Is it a recall?

musclecar97

After changing the plugs and plugwires, I've noticed the engine rpms drop slightly right after startup, like a couple of slight hesitations for about 5 seconds if I put it into reverse right away. Also if I turn the steering wheel with the car in gear but not moving the steering wheel kind of surges in my hands as I hold it in a turned position. After the car has run for awhile I don't notice the hesitation and it seems to rev just fine without cutting out.

Did I not get a plug in right?, wire hooked up wrong?, pinched a fuel line when I was working on the engine?, or is it just a coincidence and it was doing this before and I just didn't notice it? Anybody?

Henry

What is the build date of the car?

If it is in the fall you should already have the upgrade.

nne3jxc

Henry,
I'm not sure of the build date. The build sticker appears to be missing from my car. (Should be under the spare tire cover, right?)
The vin code isn't detailed enough -- just shows sequence number. Is there another build date indicator that I'm not aware of?

Thanks,
Jim

Henry

nne3jxc

Yes, it was, thanks Henry.
I should know that -- I must have been having a bad case of brain lock.
Anyway -- mine was built in Feb 1995.
What do I need to know about the harness upgrade, and is it a recall or warranty item?

Thanks
Jim

Henry

As I said before, if your car was built in or after the fall you are fine. My car was built Dec 1994 and it had the upgrade when it came from the factory. Because you are Feb 1995, I would not worry about it. I dont remember the specifics of the harness upgrade but if you acroll back under this topic you will find the discussion about the TSB that came out around July 1994 that discussed the harness and traction control issue.

musclecar97

Seeing as how nobody dared venture a guess, I had the oil changed at the dealer and told them of the hesitation after changing the plugs and they checked it out. Turns out the grounding wire to the coils wasn't tight and that in turn fried a coil and burned up one of the new spark plugs. All I can say is be careful out there. They did fix her up and once again she runs great.

blk97aurora

My '97 with 78k miles has excessive (in my view) oil consumption and low (in my view) oil pressure. I bought it at 37k miles and both oil problems have been fairly consistent in the intervening 2.75 years. I know that these conditions are fairly common for Auroras and Cadillac Northstars, so I haven't been overly concerned. Yet, I have never seen an explanation of why relatively low-mileage motors should exhibit these characteristics. There are no external oil leaks, the cooloing system is clean, and I see no white smoke out of the tailpipes.

Oil consumption averages about 1100 miles per quart. The service manual states that anything over 2000 miles per 2 quarts (why don't they say 1000 miles per 1 quart?) is OK. Minimum oil pressure at idle is 5 psi per the service manual. My display usually shows 7 or 8 psi when at operating temperature; I once saw it at 6 psi. These numbers would be quite alarming in other cars I have owned, but they seem to be the norm for Auroras.

I am considering going to Mobil 1 15W-50 instead of the M1 10W-30 I have been using since I bought the car. Does anyone have experience or opinions about using the heavier-weight oil?

rjs200240

For my car 10-W30 is only suggested if 5-W30 can't be obtained. 15-W50 is quite a bit thicker. I wouldn't try it if I were you. It would cause a lot of excessive drag as it would build up more on the cams and crank. This might cause higher pressures to be exerted on these components. Also, there is a possibility of starvation because more oil will stay in the heads (although with 8 quarts this probably isn't a problem).

Even if 15-W50 increased the idle oil pressure, I don't think it would mean more oil is circulating. I think the higher pressure would only be because it is a harder oil to move around. So it isn't like the oil pump would be pumping more protection. It just means you would be more satisfied with the DIC display.

If it were my car that were burning a quart every 1100 miles, I'd just put in an extra quart that often and make sure I used a high quality oil. If it isn't leaking on the ground and it isn't in the coolant, then I'm sure it must be burning up. It could burn up that much without smoking. If the oil is burning that much then there is probably more combustion by-product that is making it into the oil too. So I'd want to ensure the oil could handle it.

cwiley1

bkj97aurora

My '95 started burning oil at 1 qt./1000miles. It started around 80k. I recently tried RISLONE concentrate in it, it was approx 2500 miles for the next qt. to be burned. I too use a synthetic oil. It had approx. 5k on it when I added the additive. I recently changed oil and added two bottles of this additive. It comes in a 15oz. bottle. If you get the regular RISLONE it comes in 1 qt. bottles, but it is half reg. oil and half RISLONE. I will let you know how the oil consumption is with new oil and additive in it. I just took a 300 mile trip today but haven't checked the oil yet. Before the additive I was using almost half a quart on this trip that I make twice a month. Someone talked about a vegetable oil additive that cleans the rings and cylinders also. It is called Auto-Rx.

Let me know it you try either of these additives, if mine isn't working I'll try the other.

My '97 also uses the synthetic oil but has not started using any. It only has 49K.

hammen2

Hi folks,

Dropped my Aurora off at my Olds dealership today for an oil change/tire rotation. When I picked it up tonight, and started it up (right at 5:30 when everyone was leaving), the car bucked/surged/dieseled right away. I shut it off immediately, and shifted into Neutral (the car was on a slight incline, nose down) to let it roll horizontal. Restarted the car, it was fine. I dismissed it as some anomalous glitch and drove to the grocery store. Was there for about 15 minutes, and, when I came out and started the car up, it bucked/surged/dieseled again.

Turned it off, waited 5-10 seconds, then turned the car back on and it was fine. I drove the car home (about 2 miles total from the dealership - 1 to the grocery store, and 1 home) and will let it sit for a about an hour before trying to start it up again. No, the oil light's not on, but I'll double-check the level as well.

Fuel Pressure Regulator? EGR valve? I know these are common failure points, though I'm not sure the symptoms I'm having match those failures (the car runs fine when driving - driveability is not affected). Looking for your advice and suggestions here.

Thanks in advance,

--Robert

hammen2

Checked the oil level this morning - it seemed high (did it 3 times - does anyone else despise the plastic-ended, wire-brush dipstick as much as I do?). The oil also did not seem golden in color - it was more golden brown. Funny, the oil was supposed to have been changed yesterday!

Started the car - it bucks for about 10 seconds, then runs fine (only from a cold start). The RPMs stay pretty even around 1000. I looked at the oil pressure, and it stays at 71 psi. Gas the engine a little, 80 psi, but never lower than 71.

I called AAA and had it towed to the dealership - their techs will look at it first thing on Monday.

My suspicion is some junior tech-in-training never changed the oil, or didn't let it drain out before pumping in 7 quarts. Oops. Hope the 2-3 miles I drove didn't do any long-term damage.

Sheesh, on a different car, I once had one of the quick-change oil places forget to tighten the filter, and I lost a quart of oil by the time I got home (saw the trail of oil in my driveway - had the car towed). I stopped going to those places and trusted the dealership to do it right (esp. w/the Aurora V-8). Now I'm nervous about even doing that. Maybe I need to get some ramps and a pan and start doing my own...

*sigh*

--Robert

musclecar97

Bummer, it always seems to happen over the weekend too doesn't it. Good luck with the dealer.

blk97aurora

rjs:

My '97 owners' manual and service manual are consistent that 10W-30 oil is the recommended, preferred weight for temperatures above 0 degrees F. 5W-30 is OK if temperatures will not be above 60 degrees F. And 0W-30 or synthetic is recommended at temps below 0 degrees F.

The recommendation for 10W-30 surprised me since GM has been specifying 5W-30 since 1986 or earlier in order to boost fuel mileage.

blk97aurora

The driver's seat on my '97 will not move forward. All other seat controls work, except maybe moving back (it's already back as far as it can go on the seat track). I cannot find the diagnostic connector even though I move the seat to its highest position. Normally in a situation like this I would remove the seat from the car to check it out, but since it is at its extreme rear position, I cannot access the nuts to free the track at the rear. I have checked the wiring between the body and door, and all seems OK.

I suspect the problem may be with the switch or wiring in the door. Even though I have studied the service manual, I have not figured out how to remove the inner door panel to access the switch and wiring.

Any suggestions?