By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
http://mattwindsurfs.wordpress.com/2007/12/30/gm-pass-key-ill-pass/
The wires on my 99 are white, they are in a black casing that runs from the ignition switch over the steering column and back into a bundle of wires that connect to harness on the left side of the firewall on the drivers side. Good luck
Can you hear the starter attempt to engage? GM had three engines that were highly effected with blown gaskets in connection with DexCool, the 3.0, 3.?, & 3.8. You may have blown gasket, flooding combustion chamber, and water will not compress thus you can not get it to turn over. Pull spark plugs and try it. You could still have a seized up engine if everything in the start circuit is working.
Any help would be appreciated!!!!
Dan
You didn't say where you live (outdoor temperatures) or the situations where the overheating occurs (stop and go).
Is the coolant level in the overflow tank.correct? Do you have to keep adding coolant? If so, there is a leak...... somewhere.
Is the coolant fresh/functional? Antifreeze (fresh) keeps water from freezing but it also raises the boiling temperature. The mixture in the engine coolant system optimally should be 50%.
Is there any coolant on the ground, visible under the car after you left it parked overnight?
Some folks with 1999 and prior Auroras find they are missing the rubber air deflector under the front fascia (bumper) which provides adequate air flow up and through the radiator to cool the coolant.
Or steam under the hood? Check in the dark with a flashlight when the engine is hot and running, especially around hoses, hose connections and the water pump. Don't reach in and get your hand chopped off!
Is the overflow tube between the radiator and the overflow tank blocked, not allowing the coolant in the overflow tank to replenish the radiator? Sometimes the coolant level in the overflow tank appears correct but the radiator is low on coolant! There may be some blockage.
Is your overflow tank cracked and leaking? Some have had this problem.
Do you smell antifreeze burning but get no leakage on the ground? This could indicate a head gasket leak.. You might find coolant in the motor oil.....discoloration and smell of the oil.
And you are right, a failing thermostat stuck in the closed or partially closed position could cause the overheating because the the engine is not getting enough cooler coolant from the radiator. It is one of the less expensive starting points if you come up blank with the more obvious stuff.
I have had a leaking radiator where the top radiator hose connects to the radiator which no one could find for 6 months until the system was pressure tested. I also had a slightly seeping/failing water pump which was discovered at the same time. Mechanic found these using the "in the dark with a flashlight" approach and a simple system pressure test.
Have your mechanic check this stuff before jumping in to any repairs. I am fortunate to have a long and positve relationship of 15 years with a private mechanic who actually diagnoses the problem from the symptoms, starting with the most obvious and cheapest stuff first.. He doesn't just start throwing my money up against the wall with replacement parts, hoping some of that money sticks and the problem is solved. He is not the cheapest, but I have never had a "bring back, it ain't fixed."
Good luck!
.
And if you are going as far as to replace thermostat, consider doing a flush and fill since you will lose much of the fluid anyway. To do it properly you will need to remove thermostat and run water through system until it is clear. Add flush and run without thermostat and I prefer to do this on hotter days since it gets radiator hotter allowing chemicals to work better.
Some say to never flush because it causes leaks. In truth these were likely impending failures that the antifreezes antileak properties were hiding. And if you have a weak water pump, it will likely show up as well because water does not lubricate as well as antifreeze. Weak heater cores will show up as well.
Also I've found that the crud created with Dexcool is rather stubborn and might take extra effort to remove from radiator. I talked with a radiator shop and they say they can get it out and it was only about $25 if I took the radiator to them. A very small price compared to a new one.
And don't forget hoses. Yours being an '01, you may have some life left in them if they are originals. Too often they get replaced with cheap hoses and I made such a mistake. It blew when it was one year old. My past experience on Olds and Pontiac was that V-8, non-serpentine belts and hoses were good for about 10 years. The OEM was of higher quality than base available. Belts were often DayCo and I suspect the hoses were too. So, either by OEM or find a parts place that has access to all models. Example, I found one that handles full DayCo line and moving one step up from OEM was a cogged belt. The next step up was a Top-Cog.
Remember, no belt will last if pulley alignment is wrong. I had an OEM belt that I changed at 120K because it was starting to crack.
You did not post mileage on vehicle. Most seem to love the vehicle, 95-99 especially, but hate repairs, so you will have to look at it as an investment if you wish to keep. And I'd look around for the info on bonding the radiator, etc. to ground to stop galvanic corrosion.
Does it matter?
Should I drain it and replace with DEX COOL?
Thanks
KPD
I brought this up with my experienced mechanic and he was aware of the issue.. He does not use Dex Cool.
You may want to Google Dex Cool for the details.
Does anyone have any advice before I start this project sometime next week?
It is a 1998 Olds Aurora w/ V8.
Thanks in advance,
Anthony
What you are attempting to do sounds more of a headache than what it is worth. If the compressor is actually engaging, just remove the electrical plug. If it is the bearing you could have just the bearing replaced, maybe. But because you say it has not been working you might be wasting money on bearing if compressor is bad.
The main question would be, "why was AC not working?" Was the problem because of blend doors or control head, or something to do with the freon circuit? That is, did the freon leak out, or possibly a blockage in system?
Still, in either case I would say it is best to change the pump and leave the wires disconnected at the compressor. Often you are required to buy a new accumulator at the same time as compressor to get long term warranty. Just make sure you put the proper amount of oil in system. Leave system sealed until you are ready to finish repair, then disconnect at accumulator and pump, flush lines, reconnect and then finish charging. Or you could get the flush out of the way before installing new pump and accumulator. I would also check the orifice tube while it is apart.
The bearing in the a/c compressor had a lot of play in it at the time but was still functional.
enet knows more than I do about this stuff. But it is not an easy repair the way these items are packed so close to the right fender well and down in there.
Regarding disconnecting the wire to the a/c compressor. Wouldn't that isolate the noise problem between the idler assembly and the compressor? Also, there is a button on the center console by all of the hvac controls that says AC. It is lighted when the a/c is operating automatically and can be pressed to shut off the a/c compressor when you don't want it cycling on and off.
Hope this helps!!!
When the car is hot and it is dark, and with the engine running, take a flashlight and see if you can locate exactly what the source of the steam is. If you are fortunate, you may have a leaky radiator, a bad thermostat, or a failing water pump issue. I had both the radiator and the water pump issues at the same time a year ago about now. I have a 1998 Autobahn with 111K.
The location you mentioned, about 12 inched behind the hood latch......
Well as you are facing the engine in the dark and using your flashlight, you might want to look over to your left (car's right side) under the radiator shroud to see if either the top radiator neck is the source due to a failing hose, a loose hose clamp, or a leak in the radiator at the top neck (common). The leak may be running across the top of the radiator to the center as you described, 12 inches behind the latch.
The water pump is up front too, but off to the right of center as you are facing the engine. Mine was still functioning but was seeping, and you could see steam from that as well as the wetness. By the way, how old is your thermostat? Is it functioning correctly or stuck intermittently? That is right there with the water pump.
Some guys are missing the rubber air dam under the front fascia. Since there is no grill on the car, this air dam is the only thing forcing cooler air up into the engine compartment and assisting the radiator in the cooling process.
Good luck. Let us know how you make out.
Les
Further, the metal fuel pump mounting ring on the top of the plastic gas tank was 80% gonzo, requiring a new tank (drop rear suspension). The repair guy showed me the old tank and pump, and the old fuel pump was essentially attached to virtually nothing.
The good news is that the pump assembly includes a new fuel gauge sender, so now the fuel gauge works properly. The better news is that the check engine light throwing a fuel evaporation code has been resolved with this fix, and the car will pass emissions. And the raw gas fumes I very recently started to get on a full tank, also gone.
Wife bugging me to get rid of the car.......
Apparently to her the dog's safety trumps my argument.
A couple of folks found a leak in the overflow tank.....cracked. Other things discussed. A faulty radiator cap.
Little overlooked things can cause big problems. I just hope you find a simpler and less expensive fix.
I
There are washable and easily removable seat covers, but they are only as good as the fit and effectiveness of the adjustment mechanisms, usually the expandable corners and draw strings. Cheapos......don't waste your time, money, or patience on them. They are as ineffective as the blankets.
Get your dog's nails shortened by a professional groomer. Then keep them short and blunt. You should not be able to hear your dog walking on a hard floor around the house. If the groomer cannot get them short enough because of the location of the nail quick (from being too long), have the vet put the dog out and shorten them, very short. Then keep them short. We do our dogs' nails at least once a week. We use a Dremmel tool and grind them. Fast. Accurate. And good for keeping the edges blunt. If you think all of this is a lot of wasted money, you may find that your dog's natural gait has been altered by the longer nails, and this will show up later while you are writing checks at the vet's office when the dog's hips and other leg joints start acting up due to stress caused by the unnatural gait, even if it is ever so slight and not noticeable to the normal person. Your floors and rugs and couches will last a lot longer and look newer to boot.
Wal-Mart and Target and similar discount places sell collapsible fabric (washable/wipeable) dog crates that fold up and fit in a bag. These can be far less expensive than hitting a pet supply store that charges 2 or 3 times more for essentially the same thing. Some collapsible dog crates zipper on the end for ingress and egress. Some also zipper on the side. And some zipper on top as well. The collapsible dog crate would keep the dog's nails and slobber in check. It is also the safest way to travel with your dog in your car. I figured I didn't need 200 pounds of dogs flying around the inside of the car if I hit something or something hit me. Saves on vet bills too because dog injuries are reduced in the event of a collision. Finally, you can fit these dog crates in the back seat collapsed and then open them up. There isn't a lot of width and height clearance in the back of the Aurora for the non-collapsible dog crates.
One sure-fire method is to pressurize the system and then remove the spark plugs while the system is under pressure, and look for drops of coolant on the plugs, or using a scope, inside the cylinder.
It's a LOT of miles----the engine, and the car, owe you nothing at this point.
The control person can use 'to die for" food to distract the pup while the other is working on the nails. Start out by doing only one or two nails each day for a few weeks. Use a muzzle initially or until the pup reaches the conclusion that resistance and tantrums don't work.
Eventually it can become a one person job and some dogs go from going ballistic nail trimming time to taking a nap during the process.
Most have stripped them out when removing. It sounds like you got lucky and maybe would not have had the problem if you used anti-seize and some engines require new head bolts when assemblying.
Pardon me for being longwinded but here is how I saved over $500 and you can do it too. You will need to gain access to the rotating contact part of the switch that is hidden under the steering wheel covers but you will not have to remove the switch in order to clean it. You will need to buy a can of electrical contact cleaner and a can of compressed air like you use for keyboards. Both can be had at Radio Shack and both come with the red extension tube that fits the spray nozzle. First move the seat all the way back, then disconnect the battery, remove the sound deadeners, remove the two 10mm bolts at bottom of knee bolster, use your fingertips to pry the sentinel/dimmer assembly and trunk/fuel door release assembly from dash (leave harnesses connected and let dangle) to expose the remaining two 10mm bolts securing knee bolster, remove knee bolster, remove 10 amp fuse for Air Bag, disconnect SIR (air bag) yellow connector at lower left corner behind ins panel, tilt wheel up, use 3/16 or 5mm nutdriver to remove 3 screws securing steering wheel top cover (note that 1 screw is accessed thru the opening for the tilt lever while the other 2 are located on either side of the column closest to the lense/guages), remove 3 more of the same small tapping screws securing the lower steering wheel cover to column, remove black ring of text around ignition lock by pulling straight out, upper and lower covers can now be unsnapped and removed. With your left ear against the mirror control looking just forward of where the stalk goes to the column, you will see 5 tiny holes in a semi-circular pattern. When turning the headlamp switch you can see the contacts moving from hole to hole. Spray contact cleaner in the holes and immediately follow up with the compressed air can to flush out the contact cleaner. Move the headlamp switch rapidly thru all the detents and repeat several times with the contact cleaner followed by several bursts of compressed air to flush out the excess cleaner and dry. When finished, wait 30 minutes to make sure contacts are thoroughly dry then reconnect battery and test. Hopefully all is well and like me you just saved some major $
casing they put around the light lever, there are contacts that get caked with grease and dirt. If you take some contact cleaner and a couple long q-tips
you can clean these contacts off. Some times it helps to remove a few of the plastic casings that go around the steering wheel and underneath, but it is not always necessary. Typically you can just pull back the rubber housing on the light lever. Spray a good amount of contact cleaner on the tabs and that some times is enough. I typically clean them up with q-tips as well. You can also then take a can of air spray and blow that in there to clean up any debris. I have a feeling your switch was never bad from the get go. Dont fear the Reeper and dont give into the reeper as well.
While pulling shifter down into neutral or reverse. If this doesnt work your cable to the shifter might have come undone or it broke.
Hope this helps.
Les Young
'97 black Aurora
I have the same issue with my 95. I lubed the cable under the hood and it helped some, it still is hard sometimes. Do not try to force by trying to move to reverse without button pressed in. I found if you put very firm pressure on the release button while you depress on the brake peddle and hold sometimes for a short time, all of the sudden it should release.
Please advise it this works. My wife sometimes had to use two hands to put enough pressure, but it has always released. You might first try the very firm pressure on the button before you try lubing and hold for up to a minute.
Don