Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair

e_net_rider

You are saying these codes existed before they worked on the tranny?
If so, you got ripped.
The wiring problem may have existed prior to work if that is case, or it might have been just a dead computer, far less than what you paid. But this does not make a lot of sense. Did the vehicle actually have torque converter lock after they worked on it?
You need to clarify some of these points and I would start by writing down what you can remember of order of events as soon as possible. Then get the vehicle to someone that will inspect the wiring visibly for a crush problem. Maybe take some pictures of it.
I ran into a situation that had me ready to kill someone, afterall they almost killed me and my wife. I bought a used vehicle and it had a braking problem that was unknown to us. She had two incidents, one of which had her skid off road, over curb and barely missed a power pole, coming into her side. I was on a three lane bridge, center lane controlled by lights. As I approached the top, here comes someone in the middle lane. When I hit the brakes the car also skid sideways on me, again putting the driver side to the impending danger. I was back at the dealer and mighty irate. The claimed they fixed the problem, but I later learned they had not. I talked to a lawyer, I wanted to sue them till their doors slammed shut. What the lawyer told me is that basically, "no harm, no foul". If we had gotten killed then our kids could have sued them. So there is a large loop hole allowing shoddy workmanship. That is you have to catch them and prove damage. I got rid of the car because no one could find the problem, but several months later I learned the problem because of a picture in Chilton manual. The picture showed the tool in place on the brake diverter valve for bleeding brakes. And having learned that the previous owner had crunched a rear quarter panel, it was very certain that the tool got left in place at the Ford plant.

So why the blog? It just occurred to me that you may have had a specific warranty on the transmission rebuild, but is there any place in the contract that says they are not responsible for damage they cause. I'd bet not, afterall, who would take their vehicle to someone that says that. They'd be saying they could damage all sorts of stuff and you'd have to pay to get it fixed.
So if it is a damaged wire bundle that had to be gotten at while work was being performed, I'd say you have a case. Maybe not big enough to get an attorney to look at, not enough money. But you could handle through small claims.

BTW, that wire bundle segment I mentioned previously, it also goes to EGR and O2 on the left bank (front side of vehicle). Depending upon year, you could have as many as four O2 sensors. Left bank, right bank, combined pre catalytic, and aft catalytic. The code should tell you which one.

ndeysayau95

Thank you very much for all the input, you have been a great help. Just wanted to let you know that I have decided to let her go... I'm simply tired of putting so much money into her, and still not getting her to run right. She has done me well, and I am truly sad but sometimes we have to know when enough is enough.
Thanks again for all your info!

d_stenulson

well I looked... and i reallized that the wheels do turn just to the right... but when i go to turn it back to the left i just feel a click and they don't want to move back. He said it was bolts that broke between the tires and steering wheel... and when that occurred it messerd up the rack b/c it wasn't stable

BruceStrong

Does anybody know the procedure for tightening and torquing down the head bolts ? What parts have to be removed first ? Are the heads hard to reach ? How many ft/lb of torque to each bolt ? What pattern should you use to torque them down ?

txshadow12

Q-1 Is replacing the plugs and wires a project that an individual with average mechanical skills accomplish on his own? Once I start the task, are all plugs accessible or must one take off/remove components to get at the plugs.
Q-2 Any special tools needed?
Thanks.
Skeeter in Texas

blk97aurora

Skeeter,

1 - The front bank of plugs is a piece of cake. The rear bank is an entirely different story. I found replacement much easier by removing the ignition module (flat plate to which the four coils mount). The engine cover is easy to remove. Patience is key. It will take a while for you to figure out how to get to the rear plugs. Expect the boots to be difficult to pull off.

2 - gapping tool, spark plug socket, ratchet with extensions, universal joint may help, torque wrench

Use only ACDelco replacement parts.

Les

spiders1

Have a 97 120,000 miles. She just started to miss real bad one day.
Had tune up, got better, had to replace injector and a coil.
Runs like a rapped ape again.
This is first money had to feed it in year I've had it.
Great car in weather, live in Chicago area.Drive 130 miles for work each day.

1oldude

Probably too late to be a help. Just saw this on my 1st visit. The slamming into fwd or reverse may be from an erroneous signal from the speed sensor in the tranny causing the computer to hunt. Before spending big labor bucks to replace the 40 buck sensor by dropping the tranny have a good honest mechanic check the wiring for shorts and bad connections. Easing the shift lever at idle speed sometimes helps reduce the slam. certainly don't shift before the speed is at idle. I drove around with an erratic engine warning light for thousands of miles before we could even find a speed signal code. GM wanted over $2000 to replace the sensor and couldn't guarantee it was the problem. If the light goes on intermittently, it may be a similar problem. Does it happen when the engine is cold or only when at temp? When does the warning light go on /go off?

donnapaca

I found that the slamming into forward or reverse was being caused by a faulty
main computer. The dealership was former olds dealer and the tech was experienced with the aurora. He replaced the main computer with 3 or 4 factory rebuilds which gave erroneous codes saying bad transmission. The tech put the old one back in and got different code reading. I did not have to pay for all the extra work since it was a GM dealer using GM parts. They spend considerable time consulting with Aurora factory engineers who finally sent new (not rebuilt) computer. I have posted complete details including codes previously to this site. I don't have file handy now, but if you need I can get it out of storage.
I researched the issue a lot and found a lot of people were having the transmissions rebuilt because transmission shops like ammco (sp?) and even GM dealers were advising transmission was bad, when it was only computer-and the codes the computers give are not always correct. Some cases I have read spent over $5,000 for the transmission rebuild and it did not fix the problem. The transmission shops would tell them to read the fine print and they are not responsible if the problem is computer related, even if they made a misdiagnose.

e_net_rider

Knowing which bolts broke will let you know if it was the previous mechanic's fault.
From what I remember of the way the unit is connected, I'd guess it was the bolts holding the rack in place. Did they break or did they back out?
Either way, I'd bet the bolts were not properly torqued.

1oldude

Outside air temp (OAT) reads 125F and heater hot air available only at 90F setting. Without manuals my guess is that bad OAT gage is causing a/c control to limit hot air mix and not provide desired cabin temp. Does anyone agree? How do I confirm my guess and fix the problem?

coreyg1

TO those who have tackled this job of replacing a headlight bulb (passenger side). I first looked at my manual then here. Between the two sources it sounded like a project that might be troublesome. I must say that getting to the bulbs was quite the task. Unless you have child size hands. I couldn't get the assembly to move forward until I removed 4 or was it 6 bolts. Either way it was a pain!!!! Is there any one out there that wants to jump in on this. Was I missing something? I find it hard to believe that this task really is that difficult. I have done this on all my previous vehicles in a matter of minutes. Whats the deal olds?

tylutki

ok My 2001 aurora headlights donot work i cheacked the fuses and even changed them all that works is the high beams what could be wrong?

brinwood

It could be the multi-function switch on the turn signal arm. Search for my blog about fixing troubles with the switch..

blk97aurora

Could be that both low-beam filaments are toast.

Les

01aurora1

I also have an 01 with 122k/ miles. Just replaced the ignition relay.... located underneath the back seat... $20.00 part. I was also told that there can be a problem in the actual ignition where you insert the key... that plastic bits can disrupt contact, requiring replacement. So far, I haven't needed that replaced. Have you had any probs with the headlamps 'flickering' while driving?????

mastecutor

The contacts for the light switch may be gunked up. pull the rubber housing back from the headlight handle on your steering wheel and spray some contact cleaner over the contacts. If you can get a q-tip inside to wipe it down and clean it up and then spray another shot in there. Check to see if this fixes your problem. This is the simple fix first. If it doesnt I would look at my sentinel switch and then the light switch itself. Those are going to get expensive.

d_stenulson

i would agree... and the fact that the guy that fixed it before is refusing to fix it again plus is saying that there was no warranty on the parts makes me think that it is his fault and he does not want to own up to his own mistakes...

mike1256

car is running rough only at operating temp so changed the plugs and wires but still rough....in reading through this forum i am getting all sorts of advice about egr valves, o2sensors, and fuel relays could be causing the problem. I had a mechanic look at it and he says its a leaking seal at the back of the intake manifold??? The cars surges at idle and park and at 50kpm it feels like its accellerating and then decellerating but goes away past that. I also hear a strange noise like air whenever I step on the gas pedal...
Has anyone else had these problems
thanks MIke

e_net_rider

Or relays or fuses. DTR is accomplished by a big resistor in series and when the lights are turned on, a relay jumpers that. And I think there is more than one fuse or circuit breaker involved. And at least another relay for hi, lo beam switching.

e_net_rider

If you have not had the fuel rail change out, then pulling the intake manifold is not hard. When they went to that stainless steel tube, it is in the way of a couple of bolts, or you could remove the manifold with it in place. A couple of mechanic tricks are to spray oil at the suspected leak and see if it gets sucked in. Also a propane torch, not lit, pointed along the area of suspected leak. It will make the mixture richer when it sucks the gas in.
That gasket under the intake is easily replaced if you don't have to deal with fuel rail. Also you need a torque wrench that works with in-lbs. You are dealing with plastic manifold and improper torqueing can damage or crack it. The manifold is very high priced. I would regret letting a mechanic do it, manifold cracks later, and he says it is not his fault.
Also at the front end of motor is a valve in the manifold. It is actually a flapper door for back-fire. There is a seal under the flapper, but I think you have to change the whole valve instead of replacing just that seal. It is not real expensive, but it might be difficult to get out. The whole valve assembly is released by about a 1/4 turn, but might be difficult to extract because of build up inside the manifold. And mine had a lot. I used a couple of cans of oven cleaner to eat the gunk and flushed with water. Brake clean may also be useful, but it can be rough on rubber such as the O-ring sealing the flapper valve assembly and the seal under the flapper, so try to remove it before using solvent.
You did not link this message to other posts so I am not sure if you are the guy who mentioned having a bunch of codes.
And the fact that it only starts acting up when the car is warm, closed loop, is a hint as to the trouble. But, interpreting it can be difficult, and one of the first steps is ensuring there are no leaks.
Warming of the engine might cause a leak and it seems unlikely that it would be exactly at the temp of change -over to closed loop.

mike1256

thks for the info, I'll keep you posted...was yours doing the same things, and did you manage to fix it?

lwescott

my car has changed from miles to km how do i change it back

kenharw

Has anyone tried raising the front end of their Aurora by fabricating spacers and placing them at the top of the struts? Or, has anyone raised their front end by any means?

Ken

smartass1

I need the fastest possible way to change the alternator on a 1995 oldsmobile aurora

smartass1

I need to know how to change an alternator on a 1995 aurora

Mr_Shiftright

REMOVE OR DISCONNECT

1. Rear seat cushion.
2. Negative battery cable.
3. Upper radiator shroud.
4. Right and left cooling fans.
5. Accessory drive belt from P/S pulley then generator.
6. Top alternator bolts, disconnect cable and regulator connector.
7. Ground strap and P/S line bracket to gain access.
8. Lower generator bolts (raise vehicle).
9. Lower radiator hose (drain radiator).
10. Air inlet duct.
11. Generator through top left side of engine compartment.

INSTALL OR CONNECT

1. Generator through top left side of engine compartment.
2. Air inlet duct.
3. Lower radiator hose.
4. Lower generator bolts.
5. Ground strap and P/S line bracket.
6. Generator Mounting Bolts. Tighten

o Front Studs to 38 N.m (28 lb. ft.) .
o Rear Bolts to 47 N.m (35 lb. ft.) .

7. Generator Output Terminal Nut. Tighten

o Nut to 20 N.m (15 lb. ft.) .

8. Voltage regulator connection.
9. Accessory drive belt.
10. Right and left cooling fans.
11. Upper radiator shroud.
12. Negative battery cable.
13. Rear seat cushion.
14. Fill cooling system.

cadillacraig

I just bought this car and the drivers outside door handle doesnt work. I realize that the door panel needs to be removed and I would like to know exactly how to do this.

Mr_Shiftright

REMOVE OR DISCONNECT

1. Bezel finish cover from door handle bezel by unsnapping upper tab with thin-bladed tool.
2. Door handle bezel by removing one screw, unsnapping bezel and lifting it off and over door handle.
3. Two screws from lower door under map pocket.
4. Trim panel by lifting up on trim panel to disengage hooks on backside of panel.
5. Electrical connectors.

INSTALL OR CONNECT

1. Electrical connectors.
2. Trim panel by engaging hooks on backside of panel into door inner panel.
3. Two screws under map pocket.
4. Door handle bezel by snapping into position and one screw.
5. Bezel finish cover.

cadillacraig

Thank you very nuch for the help. I managed to get apart because of you. I found the plastic handle broken and tried to repair it with super glue to no avail. So it seems that i need to find a replacement handle. any suggestions? Craig

Mr_Shiftright

Ah, but will you be able to get it back TOGETHER because of me? :P

Of course you will.

Ah, door handle parts--that could be very tough. I'd say google the internet for Oldsmobile parts, then try eBay search, then see if someone on your local craigslist is parting out an Aurora, then try a large wrecking yard in your area, or a "Pick a Part".

cadillacraig

Thanks again. I know I can get it back together...because I still have some super glue left over, lol . Now for the shopping of the door handle. and a pearl white one at that. Hey..what do ya think of changinging the air intake to a aftermarket type? or adding a performance chip? There are these parts on eBay and i feel tempted to bid!? Craig

Mr_Shiftright

You mean cold air intake? Yeah that might gain you a few HP and some nice noise. As for chips, that's trickier, because some chips a) don't work at all; b) they work but they do things that are not necessarily good for your car or c) are honest and do what they claim.

With chips, I think it's always a good idea to talk to someone who has installed that very same chip in their car.

With CAI, you have to be careful of how low they place the air intake, since there is the danger of sucking water into the engine from a deep puddle, etc. So placement of the air filter is an important engineering feature for you to investigate.

If your engine inhales water from a puddle, it'll seize up in a red hot minute.

cadillacraig

Ahhhh yes...air intake ...there are two differant ones about 25.00 apart on ebay, one has a shield that they claim is a heat shield but I think it may be more for water as you mentioned. I did look around as you suggested for used Olds aurora parts and have a couple of inquiries with auto wreckers/dismantlers for the door handle. The whole chip thing is new to me as iam old school with my two cadillacs a 66 and a 69. simple raw power and lots of US steel around me! very little plastic!! I bought this Aurora from a tranny shop with a repair bill of 3200.00 for rebuilding the trans. The previous owners didnt pay the bill so I got a good deal. Now it is the door handle,minor detailing etc. Might be a keeper too early to tell. i will keep you posted on my progress and ask for more help when needed. Iam always open to suggestions/postive criticisum and or a spelling totor! LOL

e_net_rider

Assuming fuel is not a concern since you seem to seek raw power, you might be interested in that there are indications the very first ones off the line had the Cadillac 4.6 Aurora engine. They may have been for test purposes only.
If you are willing to do that consideration, you will gain a lot of torque at lower RPM because the 4.0 seems to be a down-stroked twin. You will have to carefully research such things as weight and physical size to see if it is do-able. Any great weight changes would need to be considered with suspension. A heavier, longer through crankshaft would add weight, but partly offset with shorter connecting rods, I'm assuming. They might even use the same heads? But then I would not be surprised if the 4.6 had bigger valves or a different valve timing. Also cooling capabilities need a close look. If you have the one with oil cooler, you might consider a radiator w/o one and a way to mount the current oil cooler in front of radiator.
Then learn the intracacies of wiring. There might not be any differences due to the similarity, other than computer programming. That is they may use the same computer, but then there may be differences to programming for non-powertrain items. You could overcome this by knowing someone who has the programming equipment and changing the parameters coded in.
Also there is a final drive issue to look at, comparing to the Cadillac with the 4.6. The Aurora came in a autobahn version. As near as I could find, the only differences were the requirement for V rated tires and the final drive ratio was different, allowing more RPM per MPH. It seems the standard setup did not have enough torque or HP to push it 150+MPH. And of course the RPM limiter was either removed or raised to a much higher point.
I'm not saying the final drive of the standard Aurora 4.0 is the same as the Cadillac with 4.6, or even the autobahn version. Something to consider and weigh according to your end desire. That is I can't even say if the fuel mix parameters were the same for the autobahn version or if the computer automatically took care of that and certainly something to consider if you start swapping final drive ratio.

Good Luck.

e_net_rider

"If your engine inhales water from a puddle, it'll seize up in a red hot minute. "

I'll go one further and say it will come apart. Water does not compress so you will likely have one of the following.
Busted piston or broken rings.
Broken connecting rod.
Broken Crankshaft.
Damaged cylinder wall.
At least damaged bearings.
Cold water sucked through intake might yield:
Warped or cracked heads.
Cracked valves.
Cracked block.

pscheid

My driver's side door handle recently broke too (1998). My mechanic got one within a day or two, so they are readily available retail. Don't know if he got it through Cadillac or what. About $85 for the part, and they only come in one color, dark grey metallic. Has to be painted by you or the mechanic to match your car color before installation. Don't forget to lube all of the window, latch, and lock mechanisms while you have everything exposed.

Jack

e_net_rider

Also you will find glued in place weather sheeting covering access holes. It is important to put it back in place as it becomes a source of noise flow into the interior. What the best glue is I can not say because it is difficult finding something that will stick to plastic sheeting.
Butyl-rubber might work, but it is messy to work with.
Any ideas?

Mr_Shiftright

Oh yeah, horrible things can happen. At best, it bends all the connecting rods so the pistons seize in the bores. But you're right, you can bust a rod right through the block, or even lift the cylinder head. It's a disaster. Routing a CAI too low is a very reckless thing to do.

blk97aurora

Cad,

Strictly speaking, '95 Auroras are the only ones with a replaceable chip. Later ones could be reprogrammed, but I have yet to see success stories.

I have never seen an advertised "CAI" that I believe could work as claimed. Yes, they bypass the stock airbox, but I believe they pull in hotter air than stock and those heat baffles are a joke. Aurora underhood temps are quite high.

Check the archives back 5 years or so. Several of us experimented with airbox mods plus K&N filter. There are dyno results showing ~10 hp gain.

I wanted to have a true 'CAI' like the late '60s Olds 4-4-2 W30s (either through the grill ('66-'67) or under bumper ('68-'69). I have not been able to find the space. I thought maybe removing the left fog light would provide access -- but not without more sheetmetal mods than I was willing to make. That leaves hood scoop of some kind, but I never wanted to butcher my Aurora.

If you find a solution, let us know.

Les

Mr_Shiftright

I always thought that small twin ducts in the hood with a split plenum for the CAI might work. Kind of a lot of work though for dubious HP gain.

CAI favors larger displacement engines, but only at wide open throttle, since all gas engines have a throttle plate that's in the way anyway during most normal acceleration.

If the air isn't colder than in the stock filter system, it's a waste of time, I agree.

e_net_rider

I would think that installing an efficient fan/blower on the intake might be more worthwhile. Something that would maintain more than one atmosphere of pressure, except maybe limited at the volume of what is needed for the engine at max RPM. Might be bad to strain it at the extreme. At other ranges, it would push more air into the engine. That might allow you to make use of every drop of octane your fuel has. That is the knock sensor would start retarding spark at the extreme. It might be necessary to learn that point and figure pressure accordingly since I'm not sure if the retarding is progressive according to how much knock, or if it is a pre-set number of degrees that would be wasteful. And with enough pressure, you'd likely overcome that point putting you back in a knock condition.
Also it would be necessary to learn how the MAP sensor effects the system when the pressure is higher than normal. Otherwise, other sensors would try to maintain the mixture by adding more fuel because of the extra air.

Mr_Shiftright

No a fan wouldn't work. You could hardly get enough pressure to matter, and the little HP you might generate would be cancelled easily by the energy needed to run the fan.

This is the "perpetual motion" idea. Similar to why HHO generators can't work. It costs more energy to make the teensy bit of hydrogen you might produce than you would gain back.

pscheid

This performance discussion has really covered a lot of ground....engine swap with a larger displacement Northstar 4.6, aftermarket air filters, chip swap, auxiliary blower fan, air intake through the hood, and gearing.

I never saw road tests showing acceleration time differentials between the lower (higher numeric) autobahn vs standard gearing but have to assume the lower autobahn gearing would produce tangible positive results.

Another thought would be on the exhaust end of things to help the breathing (backpressure) while requiring little if any modification. I've been thinking about that since my 98 Autobahn is still on the original exhaust system.

cadillacraig

I recently installed a new battery. When I started the car the info readout said that it is charging at 17.6 volts. Is this a problem?

Mr_Shiftright

Yes that's too much. The alternator will cook it at that voltage.

cadillacraig

The owners manual reads that info panel should read 13.8 volts. So now I dont know to take it out and drive it and see if it changes or to return the new battery I just bought and installed? Maybe I did something when I changed the battery? Seems straight forward with no unpleasant surprises. Suggestions and my next move with this situation? Thanks, Craig

Mr_Shiftright

what happened to the first battery? Maybe it was alternator trouble all along here.

brinwood

have 97 aurora with original battery. is this normal?

Mr_Shiftright

No, that's quite remarkable actually.