Oldsmobile Aurora

silotwo · January 2002

I have a 95 I purchased with 60k miles for $9,100 in July. Previous owner was meticulous with maintenance inside and out. No major problems here, but I only drive 20 miles round trip to the office and an occassional 200 mile highway cruise to visit the in-laws. And as others have said, the car is so technically sophisticated, that one should expect some problems. I have been annoyed with a power window that works on and off, always works when I drop it off at the dealer though. They pretty much have an attitude that electronic and electrical ghosts in these cars aren't surprising, and when it finally breaks completely they are confident they will be able to fix it.

Fortunately for me, I knew nothing about the Aurora when I bought mine. Just stumbled across it when I was picking up a Silohoutte for my wife. Test drove it over a weekend and it just seemed like a natural fit. Two months later I got the dealer to accept my cash offer and I am just as thrilled driving it today as I was the day I brought it home.

I must say that $5,850 at 111K does NOT sound like a good deal, especially sight unseen. There is a 95 with 73k miles on the local dealers lot, super clean, listed at $7,900 (actual market price will probably be around $6,500 when it sells). So I'd agree with the others that a much better deal can be found and I strongly suggest you look very closely, in person, at any car you are considering. I live in the Northeast andin general, Aurora's don't sell quickly here. I am watching a 98 with 38k miles as it sits on a dealers lot for five months now, price gets better every month.

I'll also share my experience with the 2001/2002 model. Test drove an 02 with the 4.0 and although impressed, was still content when I got back in my 95. Rented a 2001 and 2002 on my last Florida trips, only the 3.5 is available as a rental. Both cars were fine in stop and go and in highway cruises at 75+ MPH. If the 3.5 sounded less stressed under acceleration I'd be content with one.

Both the 01 and 02 had the front wheel vibration I heard others mention at around 65MPH. My 95 is smooth as silk at any speed, and surprisingly gets almost the same average MPG as the 3.5.

The olds dealer said the 3.5 goes away entirely after 2002 because it does not meet new emmission standards for 2003; they say that is the reason the Intrigue goes out of production and the Aurora can only be had with the 4.0 after 2002.

Happy hunting, take your time, look closely, get the service history and a new gas card with a zero balance, and you just might experience the ROAR for real.

cwiley1 · January 2002

garnes--The top of the air box for the '95 is identical to the '97 without the liner. You can see the whole filter when you look through the air intake outlet. Olds may have put that liner in to detune the Aurora since it was competing so close to the Seville in '95.

Both my '95 and '97 Aurora's have the autobahn package with the 3.71 rear end. Both speedometers read about 63-64 at 2000 rpm. Both get extremely good gas mileage, from 25-27 mpg consistently at highway speed limits or a little over. I have taken several long trips in both, over 4000 miles, and they are a dream to drive on long trips. The '95 has about 86k and the '97 has about 43k. Aurora's aren't to hard to find in Kansas.

woodranch1 · January 2002

Has anyone changed out their original headlights (classic version) with either the real HID kits costing hundreds of dollars or knock off versions like Philips Blue Vision? I have put the Philips lights in but I am disappointed in the only slight improvement. Has anyone used eurolights? Thanks.

garnes · January 2002

cwiley1 - thanks for the info. Interesting. As you describe it, the opened up top on the 95 is good for a little more power, and after looking at my dyno curves again, seems to be mostly responsible for adding considerable power from 4600 to 4800 rpm. But by itself, this difference is not big enough to feel. It's not a matter of detuning really. It was done to reduce sound I believe. That big open box without the liner can amplify the induction noise.

There could be a lot of little reasons that would make one of the cars a bit more responsive though. Who knows.

rjs200240 · January 2002

Garnes, I meant to answer your Cd question on Friday, but had some trouble with my internet connection. Now there are about 10 posts after it, so just pretend this post follows yours...

I think when the '96 Taurus (the freaky one) debuted, it was .30. The 84-96 Corvette was .34 and the current Corvette is .29 (the lowest of any gasoline powered car when it debuted in 97). The Honda Insight is .25. The GM EV1 is .19. The current Aurora's is a decent, low Cd, but nothing incredible. The classic Aurora's might be lower, and was probably more remarkable compared to other vehicles in 1995.

I know what you mean about gearing. Short gearing can make for jackrabbit acceleration, but it ruins economy, is tough on an engine, and doesn't help when the speed picks up. Plus, it can make a car rather annoying to drive. The car will tend to shift an awful lot. The comparison isn't just between final-drive ratios though because transmission ratios matter too (although they tend to be somewhat similar between cars). However, a car with a 4.43 final-drive is probably way short on gearing. I doubt any transmission is tall enough to need that. If you remember the Buick Grand National in the 80's, that was a car that had crazy gearing too. It was faster in the 1/4 mile than a Corvette due mainly to it's 4.11 rear end compared to a Corvette's 2.73-3.02 rear. This was a big bragging point for Buick, but the Corvette was a much better sports car (the GN still had rear drums) and was much faster at higher speeds.

The K&N filters I mentioned for the classic are listed for the 95-97 Aurora. There doesn't appear to be a K&N for the 98-99.

flk57702, I know the 3.5 is based on the Northstar. Still, I think it is a shame to get rid of it. Especially given the persistence of the 3800. The 3800 is a nice engine, but it is a bit rough around the edges, especially compared to the 3.5. The 3800 seems too rough for cars like the Park Avenue and LeSabre and even the Regal.

I too have heard about GM's new V-6's. Certainly a 60 degree V-6 would be a better starting point than the 90 degree design of the 3.5 and 3800. However, the 3.5 already exists, and is quite refined. I just hate to see it fade so soon. Hopefully, though, the new V-6's will be more exciting. The I-6 in the Envoy/Bravada/TrailBlazer is pretty neat, and makes an impressive amount of power. Hopefully the V-6's will follow suit.

fjk57702 · January 2002

As I understand it, the new 60 deg engines will be more versitile and will fit into a broader range of vehiles. I kind of think that the 3.5 would not fit into the CTS because of its 90 deg design. Plus there may have been a problem in meeting the 2004 emissions standards, which the 3800 has done already. I suspect that the new V6's may be designed much like the cien's V12 with the middle 6 cylinders cut out.

rjs200240 · January 2002

I thought the Cien's V-12 was based on the Northstar (or the "next-generation Northstar"). Many of the Caddy prototypes are based on the Northstar. If the Cien's V-12 is from the Northstar, I would have guessed it would be 90 degrees too. The engine in the CTS seems more "european" in that it makes more horsepower than torque (although the premium Northstar does that as well). The current 3.5 is more of a torquer, like the Aurora V-8. However, I've heard it's disappearing for emissions reasons too. That seems strange, though. Perhaps they just don't want to update it since no one but Olds will use it. I believe the 3.5 qualifies as an LEV. I imagine it would fit in most any car that can fit the 90 degree 3800... Oh well...

garnes · January 2002

rjs - thanks. That .32 is pretty darn good I guess. It might be significantly better than a lot of the box shaped luxury/sports out there.

I haven't read the C&D article yet on the future caddies. I just glanced it over. They seemed to talk a lot about the 7.5 V12 and mentioned it will find its way into future caddies. I thought the 4.2 was.

With Olds gone, I'm looking to Cadillac to produce something along the Aurora theme for the next car. GM seems to have done a great job with the CTS handling. If this transfers over to the other new cars, and they are powered up by some great new northstar engines, then they are going to have some incredible cars. I just hope they don't look too knife-edge like.

rjs200240 · January 2002

According to a site I found (although it is pretty simple/hoaky) the '95 Aurora was also .32. This is the same as the Acura NSX until this year's facelift dropped it to .30 (this data I found elsewhere too, so I'm sure it's correct). The STS in 93 was .33. Here is the link, so you can evaluate the credibility of the data...

http://www.teknett.com/pwp/drmayf/tbls.htm

Keep in mind that Cd in combination with frontal area is what determines the resistance to movement. A car with a higher Cd but much smaller frontal area might have less drag than a bigger sleeker car. Indy style cars have Cds in the range of .6-1.2 depending on how the wings are configured, but have very small frontal areas.

I believe the Cadillac XLR (to be produced in Bowling Green) will use a higher-output version of the 4.6L Northstar in a rear-drive configuration. I don't think the Northstar (name at least, as it has already been completely revised) will be going anywhere anytime soon.

fjk57702 · January 2002

The cien's engine is a showcase for GM/cadillac's engine technology. The V12 is a 60 degree design. I am speculating that the new V6's might be based on the V12 design (or maybe the V12 shares some of the V6 design?). I do know that the cien's V12 is for show and is not intended for production. However, there is some thought of a production V12.

blk97aurora · January 2002

The illumination for my '97 Aurora's trunk release switch went out. My GM Delco store tells me the bulbs are only available by buying the entire switch assembly ($38); this seems ridiculous. The bulb is very small -- about the size of grain-of-wheat bulbs I used to use for HO model trains. It is mounted in a round, black plastic base that is 5/16" in diameter. The overall length is 5/16". Too small for a part number to be stamped on it.

Does anyone know a source for these bulbs? I think there was a post several months ago by someone who had replaced one of these bulbs. I have looked through the messages back to August without finding the reference I am looking for.

garnes · January 2002

rjs - thanks, very cool. Did not know that stuff about drag.

Fjk - thanks too. It's may be many years away before I consider a new "used" car. I'm really hoping for something exciting from Cadillac. The imports in this segment are too darn expensive and the styling on most is boring. I'm watching Lincoln too. The LS is great too. I hope Ford's troubles don't slow them from future improvement on the LS.

matrixfrog · January 2002

I let my girlfriend drive my car. Big mistake. She turned into a parking lot that hadn't been plowed and slid right into a curb doing about 25mph? The driver side rim hit the curb and we sorta bounced off it. No flat tire and the rims appears to be fine except for where the tire bead meets the rim and that is just scratched up. I pretty sure she damaged something underneeth though. I can tell my alignment is goofed up(it is absoloutley horrible to drive on snow now)but I'm afraid she might of did more then mess up my alignment. Anybody in here ever hit a curb in thier aurora? Would I have to tell my insurance company that I hit the curb? I have a feeling this is gonna be costly to fix if I dont use my insurance.

woodranch1- I replaced my headlights with the "cool blue" ones I found a Meijers. I notcied a slight improvement and I also noticed when my headlight shined on something the light would have a blue tint to it. I'm satisfied with them. I just wanted something so my friends could distinguish my headlights from others when driving around.

one2one · January 2002

My 98 Intrigue did something similar. In fact, I was swerving to avoid getting hit by and SUV coming out of a stripmall parking lot. I ran up on the curb where the manhole cover is (on the corner). In any case, busted both tires, both rims were done (the lips of the rims were torn like tearing a piece of paper). Front bearings were shot and there was a suspension issue (can't remember what it was). Total cost: over $1,600. I took it to the dealer to whom I explained what happened. He told me the insurance company should have taken care of it. Called State Farm from the dealer and they took care of everything. All I paid was my deductable and my rate didn't go up.

Hope that helps.

Henry · January 2002

Good to see you back. I thought you had gone for the Eclipse afterall.

Sorry to hear about the car. I think I will tell my car what happened to your Aurora so that it can reach out to form the "Great Link" to help your car heal in a timely manner.

LET THE WORD GO OUT TO AURORAS EVERYWHERE "AURORA NEEDS ASSISTANCE!" Feel the connection.

(Hmm. Too many Star Trek references??)

jephjeph · January 2002

I just factory ordered a 2002 V8 Aurora in Sterling. Got everything with it, too, except for the heated seats. My build date is the week of Jan 21st, how's that for a turn around.

I'm trading in a 1998 Trans Am, so I'm sure I'll miss some of the handling and performance, but it'll be _much_ nicer for my commute. And the savings in insurance is a whole car payment a year, so it works out.

Poor Oldsmobile, here I am a younger target demographic buying the car they so desperately were marketing to us younger folks, and they don't even get to see if they stay around.

Three questions for this board:

1. It already comes with GM Major Guard for 5year/60,000 miles. It seems to me it should be much cheaper to add on to that warranty to get extended time/milage than for a vehicle with a lesser warranty. What's the best place on the net to buy this type of Major Guard upgrade? Do I get a break for already having the longer warranty, or do I have to eat it?

2. What modifications are available for this car? Specifically I'd like to see an chip or the like to get more power out of the engine.

3. I'm planning on de-badging it, at least in the rear. What's the best way to go about it, a heat gun? How hot is too hot for the paint?

I test drove the DTS and the STS, and for my money, the Aurora was a better value. The other car in the comparison set was the Audi S4 Avanti, which while quite nice, and remarkably quick, didn't have the luxury car feel to it as much, and I can't really bring myself to buy a foreign car. My wife has a '01 Subaru LL Bean, and it's an almost ideal wagon, the back seats of the S4 were so much less comfortable.

Any other good boards for 2002 Aurora's? It seems I'll be missing "ls1.com" quite a bit.

Buy American!

hardesty · January 2002

When the car is brand new, the only thing you need is a warm car, no more than 70 degrees with the sun on the area for a while. I would shy away from a heat gun, maybe just a bright light to warm the area a little. The best way to remove the badges is to just pull them off slowly by hand. Start at one side and go very slow, the backing sticks to the badge better than the paint. This method is slow, but you can save the badges for posterity (just put some plastic wrap on the back to preserve the stick).

For older badges, or to absolutely avoid any possibility of paint damage, try some waxed dental floss. Use it to slice through the backing, then after the badge is removed, use fingers followed by bug and tar remover to get all of the sticky stuff off the car.

Always follow up with your favorite wax or polish. paying extra attention to the badge area.

Since you are comming off a Trans Am, you might want to put the "4.0" badge on the drivers side up near the engine just for fun.

rjs200240 · January 2002

It's a nice car, and I'm sure you will enjoy it. It isn't as ballsy as an LS-1, but it does make some decent power and is super smooth. One question: Why no heated seats? I love those things on a cold day, and it helps the leather because when the leather is cold, it is more fragile. It was only like $300...

If you were hoping for a vast array of mods, you might be disappointed. There are certainly more manufacturers of after-market parts for your Firebird than you will find for your Aurora. Read through this board for some tips on air-box mods and possible exhaust mods. I would be hesitant of chip mods since the Aurora is a bit more complex than a pushrod LS-1, and also most modern cars are pretty well tuned. Car and Driver did a very complete testing of aftermarket chips a year or so ago, and they found the biggest improvements were in transmission mods because the firmer shifts can speed the car up. For the most part, engine programming just made the car drive worse (knock and vulnerability to hot days), with very little effect on performance. You might not want your luxo Aurora chirping the 1-2 upshift, though... or maybe you do...

Here are some resources to check out that have been posted before:

http://www.chrfab.com/index.htm

http://webhome.idirect.com/~rsm1/

http://www.caddyinfo.com/

http://www.corsaperf.com
http://www.knfilters.com/

You might find more info about mods to the caddy. Many of these will apply in some way as the Aurora V-8 is a Northstar with a narrower bore.

matrixfrog · January 2002

one2one - thanks for the input. Sounds like my problem isnt quite as serious as yours was but I guess I wont know until I take it to the shop. Question - is it possible I could of just knocked my car out of alignment? I mean, I know it is out of alignment but what other parts could I have damaged?

I want to get my car fixed as soon as possible and sell it. I have other prioritys I should have tended to (a house)before buying such a nice car. I need something that is reliable and will get me place to place. Then maybe I will consider an Aurora again. (yes, I would buy an aurora again if the price was right ;o) )However, ever since GM announced the boot for olds, the resale on my car isn't that great. I might be better off keeping it.

/

Henry- Thanks for the aura for my aurora.

)

garnes · January 2002

jephjeph - Congratulations! Yes, certainly a lot of luxury for the money - super smooth northstar V8 and all.

Performance mods - Don't count on a chip. I've talked to superchips a bunch and it just isn't going to happen. I also agree with RJS that these thing are questionable - even superchips gave my some horror stories. In the future, someone may come up with some computer thing - who knows.

However, you can modify the air box and drop in a K&N filter. I've done this and dyno'd it and it works. Check out what I did on http://www.caddyinfo.com It will get you close to 260 HP.

I've been running a Granatelli mass air flow meter as well. It seem to work well. Call Granatelli motor sports and ask for JR. Mine had to be custom made because my 98 has the air flow meter attached directly to the throttle body. http://www.granatellimotorsports.com

In addition, I also recommend visiting the corsaperf.com site. I've talked to Jim Browning Jr. and they can do cat-back exhaust systems for the new Aurora I think without too much trouble. It is apparently almost the same as the STS. They did a new Aurora 4.0 for a dealership down the street from them. Ask for a reference. Call them. You will get a very slight rumble "exhaust note" when highway cruising though.

Let us know what you do. If you do all these, you could be up to perhaps 280 HP. Maybe more.

garnes · January 2002

My pictures of the air box mods have finally made it on the caddyinfo.com site.

Here is a direct link if anybody is interested in the pictures.

http://www.angelfire.com/stars/mycaddy/auroraair.htm

How does it look compared to the stock 95??

jephjeph · January 2002

Re: heated seats I didn't get them because I'm in California and just wouldn't have cause to use them much.

I'm still very surprised they can turn around a factory order so fast.

One more question for the board, with the navigation radio-- does it have an auxilary input?

one2one · January 2002

Don't know the name of the stuff but there is a product you can spray on that will loosen the glue so that the badging comes off clean. Check your local Auto Zone/Pep Boys/R+S Strauss to get the exact name.

hammen2 · January 2002

Hey Matrixfrog,

I hope you didn't have happen what happened to my mother-in-law. She purchased her pearl white '98 Aurora back in October of 2000, and noted an intermittent suspension noise in the front - kind of a popping sound, seemingly more prevalent when turning.

She took her car to her local dealer (not the one she purchased it from, 45 minutes away) multiple times, but, each time, they completely blew her off (it still sucks to be a woman talking to an auto mechanic). Just before her factory warranty was up, not only did they blow her off on this issue again, but they also blew her off on several small things I had found wrong on her car (loose/moisture in front marker lamps, loose rear quarter panels, squeak in dash, sagging headliner - claimed these were fine or "operates as designed").

So, we ended up taking the car to my dealer (an hour and 15 minutes from her house). It took a couple of tries for them to pinpoint the problem, and it turned out to be the suspension crossmember under the engine cradle. Evidently the previous owner of the car must have scraped or hit something very hard, bending/pushing this up, and causing it to actually contact with the engine exhaust sometimes when driving. Total cost to replace this was $860 (and no, she couldn't go back to the dealer of purchase, over a year later. Rather than make something up for her insurance company, she paid for it out of her own pocket).

I'd recommend getting this checked out at a reputable mechanic, and then filing an insurance claim, if necessary. Don't wait...

Otherwise, in general commentary, it's sad to see Zinc go, but it seems his Aurora was cursed. Not sure how much of the problems were due to design or manufacturing flaws (mother-in-law used to work at the Lake Orion plant where Auroras are built, and has many horror stories), and how much was due to the care/abuse it had from his previous owners. From his site, it also seems that some of the folks he had working on his car were less-than-competent, as well.

I feel fortunate that I've owned/driven regularly 8 GM cars in my life (and my wife 3 since we've been married), most being made in the last 10-15 years, and haven't owned a lemon. The biggest recurring problem/expense I've had is brakes on my '91 Grand Prix (caliper design flaw), but, other than that, they've been pretty much gas/oil/tires/brakes, with the occasional alternator, water pump, etc. I've never had a major engine, transmission, or HVAC failure. Maybe I'm lucky?

I'm sure picky about getting minor things fixed under warranty, and fussy about getting maintenance done on a regular basis. My Aurora had some minor issues (mostly trim) when I got it April 4, but, other than a water pump at 34k miles, I've just kept putting the miles on it (over 13,000 so far - many from road-tripping to Green Bay for Packer games this year :-).

Feeling fortunate,

--Robert

blk97aurora · January 2002

On brisk acceleration, which Aurora classic tire breaks loose first -- driver side or passenger side?

On all the rear-wheel-drive cars I have owned that didn't have posi-traction and had enough power, it was the passenger-side tire .

seegirt · January 2002

Here's the deal. I bought a 96 Aurora June 1,1998 it had 18K on it. The repair record goes like this:
-replaced AC compressor-1999(warranty)
-replaced fuel pressure gauge-2001
-replaced EDG valve-2001
-replaced tires 2001(Yokohama Avid V4's...excellent on the Aurora BTW!)
-replaced water pump,radiator and transmission tanks???)2001
total repair $$ excluding tires=$1700

I have 80k on the car now and it seems to be running perfectly. Oh yeah, I get the old 'Service Engine Soon' light for no apparent reason every few weeks, but it goes away as soon as I fill up and drive a few miles.

Tuned it up at the 40k mark.

I look at other cars and drive my share of rentals...none match the ride or power of my Aurora(light Teal Metallic).In fact I got a brand new Sedan de Ville as a loaner from the dealer and it drove great, but honestly not as well as the Aurora and the gas mileage sucked in comparison to my Olds. I drive 36 miles everyday to and from work and this car is every bit a pleasure to drive as it was when we bought it in May of 98. Every accessory works perfectly and it has no leaks or squeaks. It DOES consume oil at a pretty good clip....1qt.every 1000 miles or so.

If I can eak out 100k without sinking any more into repairs I'll be a happy guy. I do like the 2001 but I get the gnawing feeling that I should not press my luck with a car that is as sophisticated and mechanically complex as the Aurora is.

kemo444 · January 2002

i have a 97 with 60k miles. it rides and drives like it did when it was new also. never had any wind noise, squeekes, rattles. the car is still a joy to drive and performs like a new one. the classic's styling is beautiful. i really love the way the drivers compartment seems to surround you and beg you to drive, drive, drive.the car is very unique and i am very happy with my classic. can someone tell me a good product that will condition the leather and keep it soft and supple.

Henry · January 2002

Yes, I too like my car. After so many repairs, it seems to have finally gottem back to being a good car. I think I just went through a heavy repair period with the car, with most of the things concentrated around the transmission glich that was FINALLY fixed.

If all is finally well, I WILL BE a happy camper.

Henri

blk97aurora · January 2002

Greg,

Thanks for the photos. I have not modified mine yet as I want to keep my original original. I located a used one on the internet, but haven't been able to get it yet.

blk97aurora · January 2002

Jeffrey,

Hope you enjoy your new Aurora as much as I've enjoyed my '97.

I debadged mine two years ago, just after I bought it. I used hardesty's technique (except with fishing line instead of waxed dental floss), and it worked like a charm; waxed dental floss may be better -- I didn't think of it. After removing the six individual letters from the red rear deck applique between the tail lights and using bug and tar remover to take off the adhesive, I used plastic polish to finish the job. I also removed the hood emblem; there is a faint "shadow" of the emblem remaining after several waxings if you look at just the right angle. You shouldn't have that with a new car.

I went a step further and covered the chrome strips around the side windows with black-out tape. Now my black Aurora is truly monochrome (except for the trim around the back-up lamps, which I will take care of eventually). I have been de-chroming my cars since my second one, a 1962 Olds Dynamic 88. Sure is a lot easier these days.

hammen2 · January 2002

I use Zaino products (http://www.zainobros.com) on my Aurora, and find them to be excellent/incredible - make my black beauty really "glow". I like their leather cleaner and "Leather in a Bottle" so much, I use them on our leather furniture at home as well. It really helps keep the leather soft and supple, and helps the car retain the "new car" smell (I *still* get comments from people about that :-) It hasn't done anything untoward to my black leather in the Aurora, or the green and blue leather furniture at home :-)

Zaino users can tend to rave about their products, and this has led to some flame wars. If you want to find out more, check out their web site, or the "Zaino Car Polishes/Products" thread going on over in the Maintenance & Repair board. I'll say no more here.

Just a happy customer,

--Robert

rdeschene · January 2002

Well, I just came back from a trip to Chicago with my co-workers, where we rented an Aurora for 3 days. I have to say I don't see the point of it.

It's a nice enough car, but we had previously rented an Intrigue and had about the same interior room and trunk space. I certainly prefer my own Alero for trips with 1 passenger - a bit more maneuverable, well-sprung and good power/weight ratio - and I can see an advantage to the Intrigue when there's multiple passengers, but I don't see any advantage to the Aurora.

Maybe I just don't "get" the luxury segment, because I'm evaluating the Aurora based on practical considerations only. As in, would you get CDN$10-14K more capability from an Aurora than an Intrigue? Of course, Volvo, Saab, Acura, Lexus, etc. would do worse in that comparison. You would only get a re-badged Camry or Accord, or a relatively narrow Saab, Volvo for the Cdn MSRP of an Aurora.

garnes · January 2002

seegirt, kemo444 - yeah, me too - I'm still as happy as the day I got it and I've had my 98 for about 10 months now. I've been in a new STS and it is really nice and all, but the interior isn't as exciting as the Aurora. Of course nothing compares to the curves of the exterior as well.

kemo - A leather conditioner with lanolin is the best. I've tried a lot of them and really like Car Brite's leather conditioner. Unfortunately, they seem to just sell to detail shops and you probably won't find them on the store shelves. Their address is 1910 South State Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana 46203. I don't know their number, but you could probably get it through information. I'm sure you could call and order some. This stuff is great. It seems to get into the leather (that shifter leather becomes soft again too). It also has this great new leather smell - like walking into a leather store. The new leather smell lingers for quite awhile too, so every time you get into the car it has this great smell.

seegrit - 1 qt/1,000 isn't too bad. As soon as I switched to Mobile 1 oil, the consumption went down a lot. M1 doesn't burn off the hot cylinder walls as much. Also, I notice almost no oil consumption for around town driving, but if I run it on the highway at a good speed, it will use some. From what I've read, the higher consumption at higher highway speeds is to be expected.

garnes · January 2002

blk97 - for what it's worth, I've never had a reason (except for warranty work) to put the stock box back on. The modified box works great in all conditions so far. But I don't blame you for wanting a back-up.

Hopefully extreme motor sports x-m-s.com will have the northstar cold air induction this spring like they said. Who knows, but if they do it, and it fits the Aurora, then it should be better than the modified box. I'd hope for at least a solid +10 peak HP at the wheels from it.

kemo444 · January 2002

Woodranch, matrixfrog, ive seen some blueish lamps on other cars that were VERY bright and blue , and they looked great. So i bought some GE "Super Blue" Halogens and they were only a slight improvement. What is the brand name of those very distinct blues? I don't know anybody personally that has got them.

matrixfrog · January 2002

Kemo444 - It's possible the ones you seen were the real HID lights. The ones I installed were the Sylvania Cool Blue lights (http://www.sylvania.com/auto/cool/). I think I paid ~$25 for them. I think they are more noticble in newer cars because the headlight lens are see-through. I've been flashed by someones brights a couple times. A like like them, and the price was right. I suspect they are basically the same thing as the GE ones.

rjs200240 · January 2002

For leather cleaner, and paint care products, I would (again) recommend checking out Meguiars. I have been very satisfied with their products.

As far as brighter, more blue headlights, I wonder if a better (costlier) brand would work better. Also, I wonder how nice the current bulbs are in the car. If they are sufficiently nice, then an aftermarket bulb might not work as well (aftermarket "comparisons" are usually to crappy non-halogen bulbs.) PIAA's Super White bulbs are intriguing me. I am skeptical of many of the claims of brighter lights because I too have tried some of the cheaper ones on other cars and they haven't done much at all.

Some bulbs that burn brighter use more wattage and can burn out the headlight wires and cause other electrical problems. PIAA bulbs claim to be brighter without using any extra wattage. I wonder if they are actually brighter, but I would try to stick with bulbs that use similar to the stock wattage. Also, the bulbs with higher color temperatures (more white) get that from a coating on the bulb. This blocks some of the light output. The brightness is rated without the coatings. Just something to keep in mind.

I really like the projector beam headlights on the 01-02s. The beam pattern is so well-defined.

aurora50 · January 2002

seegirt..I suggest you use a quart of Rislone at each oil change. You can buy at most automotive shops and even at Wal-mart.I have used this in all of my vehicles for over 30 years and have not had any oil burning. It will probably HELP your suitation.

kemo-444 I also suggest you use the Meguilars products for cars. I use the Leather cleaner/conditioner and the top of the line wax for the exterior. It is in a triangle looking box.
My wife was involved in a car accident in which a lady backed up and scraped her rear black bumper along the back driver's side quarter panel as she was parked at the grocery store.
I had just put on the Meguilar's wax the previous week and the other cars's black mark off the bumper down the side of my NEW Aurora just wiped off with windex.

NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR !!!!! I feel like the polymer in the wax helped as a shield. It also helped that the rear lower fender panel on the Aurora was of a pliable form.

garnes · January 2002

OK, I hope this won't tick off the Meguire users, but I used the Meguires leather conditioner. It was good. The Car Bright stuff is really good though. I even called Meguires and talked to one of their chemists to find out what they used and he said they don't use lanolin in the conditioner because "some people are allergic to it". I've always heard that lanolin is important. I'm pretty confident that if anybody called and ordered the Car Brite, they wouldn't use the Meguires any more. I've never tried the Zaino to compare.

andyl2 · January 2002

I use Lexoyl and have for years. I am very happy with it.

shucknet · January 2002

I have been researching putting true Xenon HID lights in my Aurora (not "Xenon HID lights" as advertised on ebay for $35). Some modification will be required (at least on my 98) if you've got a 95, you're in luck - it's plug and play. But any other year and you need to figure out what to do about DRLs and the flashing when you lock and unlock the car.

So, here's what I have come up with. Buy a second LCM (lamp control module) and drill small holes in the very outside of the light fixtures (there's a space there) and put small incandescant lights of some sort in there. Hook them up to the existing LCM. Then, install the new LCM somewhere where it will fit (probably behind the console) and only provide it with inputs to the headlight switch and sunload sensor. Then run a pair of headlight wires to the HID lights. This way, the little lights will get flashed and be used as DRLs and the HID lights will only get used for true headlight situations.

Since the HIDs have warmup time and ballast wear, you don't want to be using them for flashing and DRL, just at night.

I haven't done this yet, but have the wiring all figured out so it will hopefully just be a one day mod.

garnes · January 2002

andyl2 - I had a small leather repair made and the upholstery shop sells the Lexol (Lexoyl? - I have to check the bottle again)you mention. They swear by it. I bought that too and it seems as good as the Car Brite (smells different though) I also got their leather cleaner and it is the best. The Car Brite cleaner didn't seem to do much.

I'm not sure that one is easy to find either. The shop said you can't find it in stores very easily. I'm not sure about that one.

These guys recommend conditioning the seats with every oil change and getting started by applying it once, again the next day, and again in a week and then follow a once per quarter routine as a minimum. I've tried conditioning it a bunch on the drivers side and it seems to make a difference. You can't over-do the leather seats.

rjs200240 · January 2002

Man, that's a lot of leather conditioning... I used to use the Lexol on the Corvette, and it worked fine. However, it seemed to be a bit greasy, and it took much more effort to wipe off (it was hard to get all of it). Sometimes I would find it had discolored my lighter colored clothes when I drove the car; and the steering wheel would have a greasy feel to it for a couple days, like you were getting something on your hands. However, it did give a nice feel to the leather, and seemed to moisturize it. Some of that problem might have been the leather in the Corvette. It was a very slick surface, and not supple like in the Aurora. It had a plasticy-vinyl-like slickness (no, it wasn't vinyl), so maybe that prevented the conditioner from penetrating as much.

I like that the Meguiars hardly even needs to be wiped off. Plus, it has some gentle cleaners in it already, so I don't need to make two applications.

garnes · January 2002

rjs - I had the same experience with the Lexol. It was hard to wipe off, but does seem to work well. I've tried a lot except the zaino, and I swear you would love the Car Brite. It has the lanolin, the leather feels great, and the car has this great leather smell when you first get in.

yeah, that might sound like a lot, but I think the drivers seat is key. The upholstery place said that seats not used much will probably look fine without much conditioning. I'm always doing the drivers seat.

I dropped off the 98 for some basic maintenance at the dealer and went and sat in a new 2002 Aurora. The leather was considerably softer than my 98. I don't know if my seats were that good when it was new or the leather has been upgraded somehow. The leather on our new Impala isn't nearly as nice as my 98 and compared to the new Aurora it is a huge difference. I don't expect the Chevy to be on par with the Aurora, but the difference is surprising.

rjs200240 · January 2002

I thought the leather in the 2001 Aurora seemed much nicer than in the Intrigue and Impala that I looked at too (never saw the 2002 until mine arrived). I've seen some pretty sad looking leather in some lower priced cars. Clearly there are different calibers of leather out there. I will look into the Car Brite. I like the Meguiars, but it doesn't smell as leathery as I'd hoped. I suppose they could've used a different type of leather in the new car. Did the classic Aurora have walnut wood trim? I know it had wood, but don't know what type it is.

Has anyone tried their Medallion leather care? Actually, their vinyl protectant has a less than inviting smell. I like the way it goes on and isn't shiny or greasy, but it doesn't smell great (plus it is covering up my new car smell!) I love the way their endurance tire dressing smells (not the high-gloss). It smells like grape gum, and their Gold Class Wax smells awesome. I'm disappointed by the smell of their vinyl protectant...

Anyone know if the insert on the door panels of the 2001-02s is real leather? The more I study it, the more I am convinced it is leatherette (or whatever they call it), but I can't be positive.

garnes · January 2002

rjs - the old Aurora has the real walnut trim in the console and door like the new ones, but it doesn't wrap around the dash components. I really think the new Aurora has got some better leather. It was incredibly soft in the car I sat in. After looking at it again, I don't think the new ones have leather on the door panel either. The steering wheel feels nice though. My 98 steering wheel doesn't feel like leather at all -I'd take the Impala leather wheel any day. Overall, I think the Aurora interior (entire car too) is hard to beat, and when figuring for cost, it is unbeatable - but you still read that the ES 300 is supposedly an "alternative" to it. Give me a break.

tipsicobob · January 2002

Only the actual seating surfaces in the 2001,2 Auroras are leather. The door panels and side trim on seats, armrests are vinyl. It's surprising how difficult it is to tell the difference. Today's leather is so processed and painted that it hardly resembles leather by the time it is done. There are many grades of the final product--and yes the Aurora is much softer than some of the lesser GM models--but not nearly as soft as a Jag or Lexus.

tipsicobob · January 2002

In reply to which wheel will spin under full throttle, on a transverse front wheel drive car. either or both will spin depending on the road surface. On a rear wheel drive, or longitudinal front wheel drive car the story is different. The torque generated by the engine against it's mounting system will tend to torque the entire drivetrain as well which results in one wheel having a significant reduction in traction. Also, most front wheel drive transaxles have enough internal friction in the differential, that under high torque it will actually tend to lock up somewhat promoting both wheels to spin. Higher quality transaxles use needle thrust bearings to reduce that effect as well as reduce torque steer.

oldsman01 · January 2002

A co-worker of mine has a 98 Aurora and I have a 2001 Intrigue GLS. There is no comparison between the seats in the two. I've riden in his Aurora and it is as nice as a Cadillac inside. The Intrigue's leather is pretty nice too and is on par with other cars in it's price range, but the Aurora has it beat. The Aurora seats are softer than the Intrigue seats as well. Not cushy lounger soft, but they have a more relaxed fit than those in the Intrigue.

garnes · January 2002

tipsi - I don't know about the Jag, but I've been in the ES 300 a lot and it is no better than my 98 Aurora. The new Aurora is significantly nicer than my 98 as well. Maybe there is something super special in the Lexus 400 series car. I don't know.

Oldsmobile Aurora

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles