Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair

blk97aurora

Paul,

The gas gauge behavior you describe is not normal, but it is fairly common in Classics. The sender and fuel pump are a single module located inside the gas tank. The sender may be available as a separate part. List for sender and pump together is about $500; best price I found is Rock Auto. Tank does not have to be dropped for replacing the sender/pump module as there is an access panel in the floor of the trunk. However, it is far forward and not easy to reach AND you will need a special tool for removing the locking ring. At least I did.

I replaced the module last month in my '97. The fuel pump was working OK, but given 115,000 miles on my Classic and Henry's experience in the Lincoln Tunnel, I decided it would be penny wise and pound foolish to replace the sender without also replacing the fuel pump. The Kent-Moore J-39765 lock nut wrench cost me about $80 from SPX Corporation. I'd be willing to loan this tool to list members who want to do the job themselves. I'll be needing the special water-pump tool sometime in the future and I hope someone might make me a similar offer.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Les

lobsterman

hello all. have not posted for a long time. have 131798 miles now. strange things have happened over the past year. ses light came on intermitantly throughout the year and finally stayed on all the time. brought in for fuel rail replacement and dealer changed the pcm module, but ses light came on again. dealer said it might be a vaccum hose. any way drove around with ses light on. then about 3 months ago, as i'm coming to a stop or slowing down at about 25 mph, the car would just stall out. no other surging or anything. car would start up again. sometimes 2 to 3 times, sometimes only in the morning, but car would start up right away. then last month got into a fender bender, my fault, and car was at dealer body shop for a few weeks. got car back and noticed oil pressure reading on the dic shows at startup to be around 70-80 psi and while driving between 25-40 psi. is this normal? this weekend, started to fool around in the engine bay with the electrical connections. beleive it or not the ses light went out and have not stalled yet. possible? please repond if you ever experienced this. thanks, lobsterman

dr_turbo

Thanks Les, I appreciate the offer. If I decide to do it I will keep you in mind. Are there hoses that have to come off or are they threaded fittings? Sometimes those fittings can be a real bear.
My car has 130,000 on it and I'm not sure of the status of the pump.

paul

95mushroom

Any word yet? They replaced just my chassis rails too and I am dissatified with the service as well. They said I could come in on Sat. I get there and they tell me "we only do recalls mon-fri." They took the car and said they'll search around for the part and if anything happens they'll call me. They said they got everything and its ready to go. Apparently not.

Let me know if you find anything out.

kayaman420

CLeaning it is usually all that nees to be done. Once you get it off as long as the valve inside moves cleaning should do it. the only time it really needs to be replaced is if that valve inside is not moving at all.

blk97aurora

Paul,

I was concerned about the fittings, too. Turns out they were easy; they are quick-connect fittings with small clips (latches) that need to be pressed to allow the two halves of the connector to be pulled apart. There was a fair amount of dirt and grit on top of the tank around the locking ring, so I used my shop vac to clean up the area. It would probably be a good idea to replace your fuel filter if it hasn't been replaced.

Les

ottoracefan

Sold our '95 a year ago - - miles getting high and it had most of the chronic Classic problems (fixed most myself). I was tired of wondering what was going to happen next.

But the Lesabre replacement doesn't have the personality of the Aurora and I'm thinking about a '99.

Were some of the problems solved by '99, or are the later Classics starting to experience the same problems now that they are getting up in age/mileage?

Thanks for any replies, this was one of my favorite resources when I owned the '95.

ramou

Shawn, according to my dealer and the Oldsmobile 1-800 number, they installed an upgraded nylon fuel rail already when I paid for it last december, before the recal came out. However, the recal letter never said anything about an upgraded Nylon tubbing, it only stated that the dealer will replace it free of charge if needed after inspecting it with a Stainless steel rail. I told them that I still have Nylon tubbing on it which was causing the cracking and the leaking in the first place, eventhough it's a brand new rail, and they said that I have an upgraded Nylon tubbing, better than the original one. It really doesn't make sense to me, Nylon is nylon. what I'm guessing happened is that Oldsmobile maybe used a better nylon after they started getting complains about the original rail, so everyone that got it repaired before the recall, ended up with the upgraded nylon. But they decided to go to the Stainless steel rail when the recal came out. I'm sure this rail will be ok for at least another 100k even if it's not the upgraded one, but I'm still not comfortable with the nylon issue, I've seen the fuel spray out of that tube and I didn't like it. So I called another dealership and they told me to bring it in and they'll look at the part and see if it is an upgraded nylon, I may try talking them into installing a stainless steel one, we'll see.

ramou

I cleaned the EGR valve today according to the direction on http://home.achilles.net/~howardm/aurora/underhood.php. (thank you march94aurora). All I did was replacing the gasket for $5 and a can of carburator cleaner $2, and it seems to be working ok. Test drove it and gave it some heavy acceleration a few times as that's usually what causes the "Check Engine light" to come on, and it hasn't come on so far. The valve was not sticking so I guess the valve is still good. If that's all I needed to do to clean it, then it was worth it, other wise I was looking at a $158 for a new valve. Hopefully the light doesn't come on again. just too bad I paid the dealer $98 to put it on a scanner to tell me what's wrong with it. I'll post again if the light comes on.

jay800

Thanks 5000 - I am down in sunny but cool San Diego this week (beats the weather in Ottawa) and I will pull the v hose as you suggested when I return. I did pull it while the engine was stopped to check for fuel but I will leave it idling this time...

I will be runiing the code reader at the dealer on Monday to see if #3 is still the culprit, if so the coil pack, injector will be the next step.
Thanks again....

95mushroom

ramy, I looked the receipt thing again and its does say a "visual" on the fuel rail. This makes no sense to me either. I dunno if I have the upgraded nylon rail, pretty sure not as mine really didn't visit the dealer much according to the previous owner.

So basically what they're saying if the actually see a crack in the rail them they'll replace it. But I thought the point of a recall was to PREVENT a problem, not wait till there's one.

If you can talk them into a steel rail, I will give it a shot here. LMK.

march94aurora

The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation site has a link to a PDF file that may clarify this. Go here:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/results.cfm

click on the box titled "document search" which will call up a listing of about 7 or 8 documents related to the fuel rail recall. Click on the 2nd document from the top which contains the official 25 pages of instructions that the dealers are to follow. Step #1 is to inspect if the rail has been replaced by a service rail. If the rail reads "GM 213M TYPE F" or "M-BOND" then it is a nylon service rail and is OK. Also if the rail is constructed of stainless then it too is a service rail and is OK to close the recall and submit for inspect only. You will also note that on page 22, GM will reimburse dealers 0.2 hrs just to inspect the fuel rail with no replacement needed. I think this is being misinterpreted by some dealers as meaning they are to inspect and see if leaking and if not leaking then do not replace. That is nonsense. If your existing rail is not stainless and you cannot see the letters GM 213M TYPE F or M-BOND then you are definitely entitled to a replacement.

march94aurora

Apparently that link only gets you part of the way there. Click on "Recalls" and do a search by vehicle make & year. Both the seatbelt and fuel rail recalls will come up for the 95. Then click on "Document Search". Note there are two sets of instructions. The second from the top are the latest ones dated Sep 04 revised to show the addition of the 95 roara.

ramou

you'd think this rail recall thing would be cut and dry, but no, leave it to Oldsmobile to leave us Aurora owners confused...I'm gona try to fight with the dealer again about getting a stainless steel rail. I think they closed my recall but I'm calling the 1-800 number back if I'm not satisfied, I need to check with another dealership to see what tey say..then I'll try to attack the problem with my local dealer...if someone else is going thru the same ordeal and got a resolution, then please let us know..thanks.

95mushroom

march, on pg. 11 (pg 13 on acrobat) the paragraph under #54:

The following procedure is for replacing the fuel lines from the fuel rail on the engine back to and including the fuel filter under the vehicle. The new fuel lines come complete with all necessary retainers. **It applies only to the 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora and is based on the fuel rail being replaced at the same time.** Therefore the steps or procedures for relieving fuel pressure, disconnecting the lines from the fuel rail, etc. can be found in the fuel rail replacement section of this recall bulletin.

Sounds like every 95 Aurora fuel rails should be replaced regardless of the rail type because of the chassis line swap.

Also, do you know where the codes would be on the fuel rails if it was the nylon?

ramy, I'm going to try on Mon. calling the dealer up here. Gonna try playing off the "college-student on loans" role. We'll see

Henry

I just went to my delar in Parsippany, NJ and they did the whole thing. I did not have a problem with them replacing the fuel rails. In fact, I was the first one they did. I saw the difference under the hood, as the new rails stand out.

I think the real issue is finding a reputable and reliable dealer.

Henri

P.S. I got stuck in the Holland Tunnel, not the Lincoln Tunnel.

95mushroom

I went to Coral Cadillac/Hummer. The largest volume Caddy dealers in Ft. Lauderdale. I will try at the Orlando Caddy place Mon.

The only tag of I found on the rail was between the two half on the left side on the metal conntector.

17095144
AC Rochester
94312.2

If that means anything

Henry

Did they use to be an Oldsmobile dealer??

Norman Gale was an Olds dealer. Maybe that is the difference.

ramou

I looked up some documents on the Office of Defect Investigation (ODI), and I copied and pasted the following article reference the fuel rail, which may explain why some dealers are leaving the nylon tubbing on, which my guess would be because it's the upgraded version, however, why would some cars have stainless steel rail and some have the Nylon, and how come they didn't just stick with the upgraded nylon instead of going to stainless steel, I mean if the upgraded nylon is so safe, why go to stainless steel...hummmm..!!! anyway, the following is the article:

NHTSA Action Number : PE03050 NHTSA Recall Campaign Number : N/A
Make : OLDSMOBILE Model: AURORA
Manufacturer : GENERAL MOTORS CORP. Year : 1995
Component : FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
Date Investigation Opened : October 30, 2003
Date Investigation Closed : February 3, 2004
Summary:
 THE FUEL RAIL ASSEMBLIES USED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED BY DANA. THE FUEL RAIL JUMPER TUBES WERE MADE OF MONOLAYER NYLON 12 (PA12). IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998, THE JUMPER TUBE MATERIAL WAS CHANGED FROM PA12 TO M-BOND (A MULTI-LAYER PTFE/PA12). IN ADDITION, ALL SERVICE PARTS PRODUCED SINCE THE END OF PRODUCTION 1997 USE THE M-BOND JUMPER TUBES. MATERIAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED BY DANA ON FAILED FUEL RAILS SHOWED THAT THE MONO-LAYER NYLON 12 JUMPER TUBES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS CRACKING (ESC). GM BELIEVES THE ESC IS A RESULT OF HEAT, TIME, ALCOHOL BLENDED FUEL, FUEL PRESSURE CYCLING, AND DESIGNED IN STRESS. EIGHT OF THE GM COMPLAINTS ARE DUPLICATIVE OF ODI COMPLAINTS. ODI HAS RECEIVED 77 OF IT'S 123 COMPLAINTS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. FUEL RAIL PART SALES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS RANGE FROM 3.0 PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR THE MY 1997 CADILLAC VEHICLES TO 13.1 PERCENT FOR THE MY 1995 AURORAS. AT LEAST ONE OF THE FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITHIN A GARAGE ATTACHED TO THE CONSUMERS HOME. THE FIRE RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE DWELLING AS WELL AS THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.

2k1olds

I know this is probably a stupid question, but what are the signs that your struts are going bad?
Lately, my 97 seems to be making almost what sounds like a grinding noise when going over small dips or bumps in the road. It is coming from the left front of the car. I only notice it at speeds below 35 mph. Car has 79,000 miles on it.

John

Henry

At 80k miles, its safe to say that the struts should be replaced. I changed my shocks/struts when the car developed a float like a boat type ride. The front end would float up and down when going over bumps.

mushey

I have a 95 that won't shift it's stuck in low gear. it's had the solinoids repaired the service engine light is on when the dealer read the codes it came back tps switch I replaced it with no change I am thinking it's a wireing problem is there any way to check voltage at switch connector?

ramou

What's "TPS" for those of us who don't know..?

skeeter95

TPS is throttle position sensor.

taylorb27614

cost est. from $100 - $235 for parts depending on whether you have it rebuilt or purchase on already done. Replaced it myself in about 2 hours. No special tools or skills required. Comes out through the top left side between the rad and engine. Replaced the idler and tensioner pullies first thinking they were the culprits. That was a much bigger job but nothing like what some posts here have described ie: cutting off long bolts etc. I'm at 94500 miles .. nice and quiet now. Love this car.

youngc

My car no longer has a chime at all. My DIC also reads "park brake set" when in gear. What controls the chime, and where is the chime located. I would really like to know when I leave my lights on, or the key in the ignition. Also, what senses the input of the seat belts, park brake, open doors, key in the ignition etc... I was told to replace the body control module, but to no avail. Thanks in advance for the help

bidwell

Help, I'm desperate. Sometimes when trying to start my '96 with 108k miles, nothing happens, the starter doesn't turn, nothing. Then if you turn the ignition switch on and off enough times the headlights come on and some of the idiot lights come back on and I know it will start..and it does. The battery was replaced, the charging system is fine, so it's either the starter or the ignition switch, or something to do with the security sytem. My guess is the starter is fine since the problem appears to be tied into the headlights and some of the idiot lights. If the ignition switch were bad would any lights come on? That possibly leaves something in the security system? Am I way off base...ANY help would be greatly appreciated!

hammen2

There is probably something going wrong with your car's PASS-KEY system. There's a resistor in your ignition key with a certain value, and the car expects to be able to read the value before starting.

 

I'd get some contact cleaner from Radio Shack or wherever, and first clean your key. Then spray the cleaner into the ignition (blow out crud with compressed air first). If you have two keys, does the second key have the problem as well? If so, it's more likely to be the ignition than the key...

 

--Robert

bidwell

Yes I tried the second key and it did the same thing. Also tried cleaning key but only superficially, that will be my next step along with cleaning the ignition switch. Thanks very much.

kayaman420

Is it really that easy to do the alternator Taylor? Ive been reluctant to attempt it myself as so many people on the board have said it was a nightmare to do. That it was hard to get out ? I hope it is that easy because I called the dealer and they estimated like $600 to do the job. OUCH.

aurora

I am having the same problem with my 99 Aurora. How did you resolve the inop movement front to back of the power seat.

blk97aurora

I have not been able to fix the problem yet. Yours is the first response I have received.

 

Les

hammen2

The "angle" adjustment (not the front-to-back seat movement) of my passenger-side seat on my '98 is intermittent. I understand that the gauge of wiring used for the power/heated seat controls is very thin, and, over time, the wiring going from the door tends to stress/break. Have you checked this yet? That's my plan as I have time, but with the temp dropping to between 10 and 0 for the next few days, I don't think I'm going to get to it...

 

--Robert

aurora

I haven't checked the wiring yet. I will wait until after my holiday trip.

 

Darryl

2k1olds

Hey guys,

lately my 97 has started a creaking sound in the dash area at low speed turns. Has anyone had this problem??

 

John

Henry

Hmmm, a 1997? Have you tried Viagra?

hammen2

Nope. My 1998 Aurora, now almost 7 1/2 years from date of manufacture, is still pretty much rattle and squeak-free (except when the cupholders are popped out - then they creak). Try narrowing it down a little (maybe have someone else drive, use a stethoscope, if you can get one, to see where the squeak is coming from).

 

Do check the left-hand corner of the dash (where the top curves down to meet the "middle" - this piece is frequently "caught" or pulled during driver egress and can cause the material to separate from the dash. Seen this on many Auroras.

 

--Robert

jay800

My drivers side power seat has decided to stop working, the passenger side is fine. All other accessories are fine on the driver’s side door panel.

 

Is the driver’s side on a different circuit/fuse than the passenger?

 

Thx..

hammen2

The wiring going from the switch on the door through the rubber boot and into the body, is a very thin gauge. Over time, it stresses/becomes intermittent, before finally stopping altogether. You may be at that point.

 

I've noticed some recent flakiness in my car (passenger-side seatback wouldn't go back, driver's power door lock switch wouldn't lock yesterday (unlock worked fine) in the -1 degree temps.

 

--Robert

Henry

Yesterday I went out and started the car. It was 12 degrees outside and the car started just fine. However I noticed the SES light was on. Turned the car off to try and reset it, and of course the light stayed on. Because I had all of my running around for the holidays to do and didn't want to drive around with a check engine light I took it to the shop.

 

They told me the light was on because the cold temp caused a part on the car to fall below 23 degrees and abbra caddbra - the SES light came on.

 

What was the fix you ask? He started the car inside the shop where it was warm. Total cost for his technical expertise - $50.00.

 

I don't get it. I have had my 95 since January of 98 and the cold weather has never triggered a code.

 

Has anyone else come across this???????

 

Henri

rjs200240

What was the actual code it set? I find it a little odd that there is an "it's cold" code. I mean, heck, the cars were made up in the Lake Orion plant, I'm sure it's below 23 degrees for months at a time.

 

It could have been something like a heated O2 sensor that isn't heating anymore or is slow to heat. Just guessing.

Henry

There is a page in the 1995 service manual on this. It is page 6E3-A-250.

 

I quote:

 

DTC 121 Will Set When: . . . A/C high side temperature sensor less than -5C (23F) or greater than 215C (419F).

Henry

Because this is the first time the car did it after having the car for 6 years, I wonder if it is not just a sign of age. The car was built December 1994, so it is 10 years old (Happy Birthday).

autobahn95

I also just started my Aurora in the bitter cold yesterday (2 degrees) and the light came on and would not go out. First time I've seen it on, other than the quick flash while starting.

It's a relief to know that it will go out when started in a warmer climate.

Pete

mrdubya

hey everyone! whats up! if you dont remember me, i sold the aurora about 3 months ago, had 150k and everything was just about to start breaking. bought a 01 alero, love it so far (torquey v6!) i even got my girlfriend to replace her 92 accord with a 01 intrigue, but its starting to act up. i posted this on the intrigue forum too, but i thought since its the same drivetrain as the aurora, someone might know whats going on, its a 3.5v6, 4t65

 

today she said it started shifting bad, getting worse and worse, harder and harder. i took it to checkers, did a scan, and its code P0742, "torque convertor clutch circuit stuck on".

  

it started when she was waiting for her dad, he car sat idling in a parking lot for about 3-4 hours. almost imediatly when she started to drive it started shifting hard, and it got harder and harder. she said she got home, and her dad checked the tranny fluid level with the car running, and it was way above the mark. he checked it 3 times, all above the mark. when she met me at checkers, she said it drove 100% ok (had been sitting for about 4 hours), and when i checked the fluid level, it was EXACTLY were it was supposed to be, then back to my house, then home, it drove fine.

  

anyone know whats up? did it just mildly overheat, and the car is really ok? i know it probably built up heat just idleing there for 3-4 hours, but here in minnesota, its about 12* F!!

  

thanks for any help

Henry

That will be $25.00 please. (smile)

95mushroom

I need the ignition coil pack order for the plug wires. I think I got it close but there's still a misfire.

 

On the other hand it managed to light up the space-saver-spare on the driveway with 7 or so cylinders lol.

seth042280

has anyone replaced there computer yet ? I was wondering how much it costs. My warning lights come on and off and my traction control on and off and the transmission jerks and slams into gear when the light are on so I figured it was the computer malfunctioning

sephroth

I pulled the fuel injectors out and cleaned them. Then replaced all the o-rings on each injector. Thinking the constent hesitation and misfire at <2000 rpms in 4th gear would be fixed. It has not. Have any new ideas how to fix it?

alcan

ACDelco plugs and wires if they haven't already been changed.