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explorer. The only way an explorer could break 20 mpg. is to push it off a cliff.
Need info on the SLP cat-back exhaust system on whether the Regal GS cataloged system will fit the 3.5 engine w/o modifications.. The 3.8 and 3.5 exhaust aft of the converter carry a different part number but that really doesn't tell much.. Somebody on an old archived Intrigue board had one done on an Intrigue; the 3.8 Intrigue is the same as the 3.8 SC or 3.8 normal in the Regal.
Any help would be nice!!!!
one2one, I found the K&N that fits my 98 Intrigue at Advance Auto parts. I looked at Pep Boys and Auto Zone as well and nobody has a very big selection of K&N filters. Advance's selection was no bigger, they just had the size that fits mine. I too noticed the books didn't have the Intrigue listed, but they did have the Regal and Grand Prix listed and I cross referenced the AC/Delco filter for those two and it was the same as the Intrigue so I knew it would fit. And memory seemed to tell me that the cold box was in the same location on all three. Anyone know if a K&N is available for the 3.5 liter engine?
There are also Century Customs for 12.5K and Impala base models for $13.5K The Grand Prix SEs go for the least - no more than 11K. Aleros are priced at $10.5K
I sure wish they would get the 99 Aurora in and price it around 16K - would be a sweet deal
Ken
Ken
So i don't see how the bravada could be any worse.
I think they will definitely be more fuel efficient than the explorer. The question is, how much more?
You can bet any magazine test will report a lower mpg figure because they beat on their test vehicles pretty hard.
My intrigue is rated at 19 city and 27 hwy. My normal is 21-22 city and 29hwy. I believe that the bravada has the capability of beating the 21 mpg hwy figure.
Of course that is dependent on whether you have the 3.42, 3.73 or 4.10 rearend.
There is a strut-made boot kit with jounce bumper for these struts and are sold separately. This should eliminate the Intrigue jounce noise issue?
Board is quiet today!!!!
The SLP Detroit is busy doing Camaro conversions and not able to tackle a simple exhaust changeover.
Interesting article in Det Free Press on the "NET Cash Positions" of the Big 3 and Toyota. Net cash is cash plus overfunded pensions minus debt.
Ford $ 8.1 Billion
GM 3.4
Chry 0.0
Toyota 14.6
Free trade is a great thing--I see where Saturn is giving up in Japan after 3 yrs and some 4000 cars sold. Ford is the only healthly domestic and GM will be on the hurt list next and will start selling more assets to enhance cash.
Thanks for the thought.. It's alot of money for a piece of 2 1/2" bent tubing with a stubby muffler.
Maybe it will sound like a screaming Ferrari???
I know the Mobil 1 oil filter is highly recommended and K-mart sells them for under $10, but are there other brands just as good?
Advance Auto Parts has the K & M air filter P/N #332057 @ $49.95 plus a 'recharge' kit for around $10, but are there other brands just as good?
And if I use the Mobil 1 or equivalent oil filter, what's the best 5W30 oil to use?
It seems in past posts someone mentioned that any good brand of oil is OK if regularly changed with a premium oil filter.
Any advicefrom out there would surely be appreciated.
I read where Honda has had seven straight quarters of declining profits; due to discounting and currency exchange rates. They get whacked when they trade the dollars into yen to keep the home fires burning..The Canadian economy is sheltered more against the Big 3 slowdown because of the Asian invasion is heavy in Canada..
Also FYI.. Asian cars have a bigger market share in the U.S. than they do in Canada. GM still has a 33% market share here. In the U.S. it's only 28-29%.
The mech and service rep at the local Olds dealership claim that these symptoms indicate that the tires weren't rotated frequently enough. I don't buy their explanation, the mech suggested rotation more frequently than specified (like every 6000 mi) and to accept the tire noise as normal.
Any comments?
I assumed that the struts were stiff enough on the Intrigue to prevent cupping. I also assume that the outboard edge of the tread is tore up??
Never heard of 7700 from new cupping unless something major is out of whack. It the car unevenly loaded??? Tell me more!!!!
JR
There is something seriously wrong with that rear suspension.
The only wear that i have experienced is the outside edges of the front tires because i corner hard, and have lowered the pressure somewhat in hopes of lessening the impact harshness.
Can you believe that the service advisor told him that it was his fault because he was 1700 miles past the recommended rotation interval. If i treated my customer's the way oldsmobile treats theirs I would be out of business.........hmmm.
I guess what arnie82 meant was that when the wheels were taken off the car the technicians noticed the uneven wear.
When the car was new, there was a slight noise that was heard in the right rear. When I rotated the tires at 7700 miles (well within the recommended time frame) the right rear shifted up to the left front. As soon as I drove it I could tell it was cupped. I took it in soon after that and the diagnosis was "you didn't rotate the tires". When I explained to the service guy that I had, his reaction was "you hadn't rotated them frequently enough". The Owners manual and the "recommended service frequency flyer" at the dealer differed by 2000 miles.
Mileage is now 12K and the right rear makes a steady low roar/rumble at all speeds.
My wife is the primary driver of this car, so I don't get to drive it every day and do the "road check" on it (turn off the radio and listen to the car).
Anyway, the last trip to the dealer involved the a mechanic taking my car for a test drive (with me along). His advice was more frequent tire rotation (every other oil change) and a four wheel alignment.
My feeling is it's either an alignment or suspension problem at the right rear.
I'm going out to the garage this morning to take a look at the rear and a close look at the tires.
As far as loading the car, it's driven to the office by one average sized adult, no passenger.
Any comments or thoughts?
***** The rest of #1414: Surely someone out there can help with recommendations on oil/filter combinations for a new Intrigue's 3.5 engine. My 1st change will be coming up soon,and I'd like to settle on a good combo.
***** Also, has anyone experience with either the MotorUp or Prolong additives in a new engine? My son seems to believe the TV promos, but I'm not convinced.
Something is amiss with the RH rear suspension like the strut or linkage. To cup a tire in 7000 miles surely warrants the dealer attention and help. All they are trying to do is sell additional services as you build up mileage finally realizing that no one
addressed the problem and the car becomes suspect too late.. Olds is going out of business..
The GM dealer is responsible for handling and resolving the tire problems--your guy is stonewalling this deal. Was this a used or program car???
Find another dealer!!! I've had two Intrigues and the 98 GLS was a prone to high-speed vibration. The Goodyears were balanced 5 times in 20k miles; no cupping, finally the dealer put two new tires on at 21k miles and bingo!!!!it was cured..GM pays the bill. GM bought the car back at 26k miles for other reasons. The 99 GLS has perfect balance and tire/wheel roundness from new to the present 36k miles..
Go after the clowns..If they can't help; then you better call Olds central and start the paper work..
This car was purchased new and before it had 100 miles on it, the engine was pulled to replace the exhaust manifold due to a stripped sensor hole. ("Check Engine" light wouldn't go out). The only other problem has been a leaky seal on a sensor on the oil pan, that was fixed under warranty.
Does anyone know how often the two "O" rings on the oil filter cap should be replaced?
arnie82
I could never figure out why people change their own oil in a $20k+ auto to save 15.00. Let the dealer have the show and you hang the dealer; otherwise the young kid at the quick change place is liable----a laugh...You as an owner couldn't be liable.
Penny wise and a BLAH-BLAH!!!!
JR
I drove a 2001 GL with the Premium package. Very roomy and I'm a tall person. The car had decent power (better than I expected) and handled well. Seemed to take bumps a little hard in the rear, but I had my wife in the front and the 300 pnd salesman in the back. I'd say the Regal was a little softer and quieter in ride. Fit and finish was ok. I did notice that the metal on the rear quarters seemed thin, and looked like it might take parking lot dents at the top of the wheel well. The car did not knock my socks off by any means, but with the price and the low interest financing its seems to be the best deal in town. I dunno. Another thing, the saleman told me Olds is giving a FULL 5yr./60k warranty. Is this correct? The long warranty might be the kicker for me. Oh yeah, apparantly these things run on regular gas, which is huge plus. They didn't have a GLS, so I'm interested in opinions on this package vs. a loaded GL. Any Intrigue owners' opinions are appreciated. I've got to get rid of my Camaro for a more family oriented sedan. Someone please talk me out it
As you can see this a sore subject with me so don't get me started.
If you get a intrigue with PCS that will get you a shorter gear ratio which will help acceleration. Probably something you would want coming from a camaro.
With all the incentives olds is offering i would say go for it.
1415, 32,500 miles on my 98 and tires are still in good condition. I rotate them every 6-9K and have not had a problem with a vibration except once when the guys at NTB didn't balance them correctly. For Eagle LSs, I guess they are pretty good tires. Just curious, what is a good replacement tire for someone who was going to have an Intrigue for a while an still wanted excellent handling, but also wants a smoother and quieter highway ride?
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/touring.jsp
According to the survey, Eagle LS are near the bottom of its class. Worse even than Firestone Affinity. The Regatta 2, X-One, and Avid Touring are on the top.
I had the Affinity as OEM tires with my Malibu, have currently OEM Eagle LS with my Regal, and like the Eagle handling better. Though, it is difficult to compare just tires, across different cars with different suspension.
Personally, I upgraded the Affinity tires to Firehawk SH-30 and like them very much.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/hpas.jsp
But the SH-30 are all-season performance tires, not touring ones. They are quieter than Affinity, but rather stiff.
The handling is head and shoulder better, of course. The wet handling is absolutely outstanding.
Mine rides just fine on Eagles .. more stable, quieter, and tighter overall than the 98 Taurus, and with more 'zip' even without the PCS package which would (someone suggested) give you even more.
1415 ... You make a good point about dealer oil & filter changes during warranty, but most quick-change places advertise their service meet all warranty requirements and do provide detailed receipts to document their service. But to go either route I'd still lean towards using a Mobil 1 filter which the ones I've contacted say they'd gladly install. As for why some of us prefer to be do-it-yourselfer's, I guess it's the comfort of knowing excatly what we're running on, and perhaps a bit of the macho thing from 'knowing how' and periodically getting our hands dirty.
I prefer rear wheel drive to front wheel drive. I could not afford the impala SS when it was out and like the idea of a large car with performance aspirations.
Ford's problems with their transmissions is legendary. I have never owned a ford product and don't think that ford takes care of their customers as well as GM does. What do you say?
I guess that after factoring in my time shopping for supplies doing the work and disposing of the used oil, paying for the service during warranty might be worth it.
The down side is that skeptical look from the service guys when you say you did it yourself.
Tire balancing is an art and very critical to enjoying the performance level of your car. Since 90% of my travel is interstate at 75+; any vibration is maddening and has to be cured. If the original factory balance is smooth: I never let anyone touch it. Wheels once balanced do not change and will only change if a weight falls off or the tire starts to fail. I have driven some original tires 75k miles without any additional care except air.. My current 96 Caddy was glass smooth and only glitch was around 42k when the Fla dealer "X" the tires which changed the rotation and created a slight vibration. The tires had always been done front to back same side. Tires were switched back to rotation same side; vibration stopped!!!My Detroit dealer had done all tire rotations prior. Never touch or try to improve a good tire balance..
My hot button is vibrationless driving; don't mind harsh rides but will not tolerate out of balance tires or shake.. Alignments are often a waste of money and I have never had any Caddy aligned through 70k mis. Unless you have some weird wear pattern its a waste and might even create a problem that didn't exist. Neither the 98 or the 99 Intrigues have been close to needing an alignment.
I am afraid that the dealer will screw something up!!!
Oil leaks were initially due to a loose oil pan and the rubber seals around the filter; but I don't see any oil on the garage floor so it's good until the next change..
Enjoyed the article about tires and will visit my small independently-owned Firestone dealer when the time comes. The Olds/Cadillac Service Mgr is an ex-Tire store jockey so he is pretty adapt at times.
Since my wife is not in Fla my Intrigue is being driven too much by her and she says it is noisy but zippy so that means one foot on the gas and the other on the brake.
Will order the SLP cat-back exhaust system on Monday..Wednesday will be a quick 400 mile day and Thursday or Friday will be a dealer day for the Intrigue to install exhaust and eliminate the front rattle by any means!!!!!They will sent down a rental car..
-6 cyl Camry
-6 cyl Solaria
-ES300
-RX300
-GS300
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Toyota doesn't use any other variant of V-6. Even if they do, their bread-n-butter engine is the 3000 V-6. They tune it differently depending on what it's used in.
GM has done something similar with the 3800 but needs to drop it to compete. That doesn't mean it's bad, just not what's needed to compete. Notice that Wards didn't put the 3.5 on its Ten Best the third year. Notice the timing. GM was determined to shut down Olds, didn't know if they were going to use it in any other division and therefore, was effectively killed because of Olds.
Now some might say, "No, they'll use it elsewhere." But that's speculation. GM hasn't officially promised to use it anywhere else. As a result (and this is also speculation), Wards took it off the list. If GM doesn't see the jewel it has and doesn't know what to do with it, why should Wards keep it on the list? If they promised to use it in, say, the Regal, I bet it would still be there.
In any case, I thought of this topic because of the Rendezvous. The new Toyota mini SUV has WAYYY more power than the Buick. As much as it pains me to say, Toyota has upped the ante. By the time Rendezvous hits, it will already be below the competition. That coupled with the "AARP" stigma of Buick plus the "quality" image of Toyota means that it won't do as well as it is expected. As popular as Tiger is, golf still isn't tops on the list of young folks. I haven't gotten into interiors. The Buick doesn't look "luxurious" at all; the Toyota looks great IMO. But I digress. That's for another topic.
GM needs to drop the other engines it uses, namely the 3.8, 3.4 and 3.1. If they don't because "we can't afford it", they'll be replaying the Oldsmobile song 2 or 3 more times. Put the 3.5 in all GM V-6s. Modify intake manifolds and exhaust systems to change the power ratings for individual cars. At least that will knock down one wall import buyers have put up. Why is it that GM is always the last one to leave the gate with all its resources?
Took the Intrigue to visit the in-laws yesterday; first long drive with the new Goodyear Aquatread III's; they are a definite upgrade from the LS's. Quieter and smoother riding (especially when I deflated from the 36 psi the Goodyear dealer initially set them at to my preferred 30 psi). Cornering seems to be pretty much the same; they are an 80,000 mile tire made to be extra good in the wet stuff and, with spring coming, this part was a high priority. I'm happy with my decision, after all.
mcap42... You need to inform the dealer that there is a replacement for the alternator; Olds knows all about it; if they argue, tell them to call Olds tech assist.
1415... I do all of my own maintenance that I can, primarily for the reason you mentioned: if I let someone else do it, they almost always screw it up! Including a simple oil change! I rotate my own tires so they won't screw up the rotors by overtightening the lugs (or tightening in the wrong pattern). I do understand your point on the warranty stuff; I just would rather not spend a minute I do not absolutely have to at dealership service dept. About 75% are morons; witness my experience with bashing the radiator while replacing an alternator! I really think your Olds service dept. has a lot to do with your rotor warping problems; I've not had a single problem with the brakes on our Intrigue after 39,000 miles and, believe me, my wife is HARD on brakes. I check them every time I rotate the tires (6 - 7,000 miles) and they look hardly used! I think Car and Driver's long term test exterpolated front brake pad life at something like 80,000 miles; mine certainly seem to be bearing this out.
Glad to see Olds is using "real" commercials and advertising during programming that reaches, not just a specific audience, but international as well. I'm including our Canadian amigos.
one2one, from what I have read GM will soon have a new 60 degree DOHC V6 around 3.0-3.2 liters to replace the 3100 and 3400 V6. The 3.5 has a 90 degree angle and from what I have read, will not fit in smaller cars. Even though GM hasn't officially announced it, I'd say the 3.5 will replace the 3800 as that engine is being phased out over the next few years. I'd also expect a supercharged variant of the 3.5 in the future. GM spent way to much developing this engine to just drop it.
In today's paper there was a new Oldsmobile ad. This one was 1/2 page and was not for any particular dealer, but was for Oldsmobile in general. At the top it had all five models like the magazine ads do and says "5 year/60,000 mile General Motors Protection Plan" above them. Then the ad shows each model with the cash back amount under each. $2000 on all but the old Bravada which is $3000. The at the bottom it says "Or 0.9% APR on all new 2001 Oldsmobiles." Reading the fine print for the warranty says "must take delivery from dealer stock by 10/01/02" and on the financing it says 10/01/01. First time I have seen a newspaper ad like that as most of the paper ads are dealer specific ads.