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Oldsmobile Aurora

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Comments

  • cwiley1cwiley1 Member Posts: 82
    The A/C doesn't come on until the outside temp. is above the upper 40's. I had a manual switch put on my cooling fan on the '95 along with a light that tells me when the switch is on. What I discovered is anytime the cooling fans come on the light comes on. When the A/C runs the fans automatically come on, my light comes on also. I've noticed when I start the car in the garage and the outside temp. is in the 20's or 30's the outside temp. on the dash will usually read about 54, and the light comes on. Once I start driving the temp. on the dash starts to fall, usually about 48 deg. or thereabouts the light goes off. I've opened my hood before and the A/C was not running.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    When the A/C compressor is running, it is compressing the A/C gas to a liquid which causes heat that must be removed from the fluid before it will cool. This is done in the A/C radiator which is located in front of the engines radiator. So the fans run when the compressor runs. Otherwise, the fans only run if the coolant temperature exceeds normal. Generally if you are cruising, there is enough air flow through the radiator to keep the engine from overheating.
  • matrixfrogmatrixfrog Member Posts: 180
    Yesterday after I got out of work I started my car and noticed that the temperature display was blinking the temp. I've never seen it do that before. It did it for about 5-8 seconds and it stopped.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    Maybe its the Spirit of Zinc's old Aurora?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Brain power is the fuel that keeps the Town Hall running!

    :-)

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans Message Board
  • dragon6dragon6 Member Posts: 2
    has anyone replaced cd player in the classic, what can I expect. My cd player skips after about 45 minutes of play, gets real hot, also what will it cost me to replace front rotors .
  • campo57campo57 Member Posts: 94
    I had a '92 Bonneville SSE that did that. It turned out to be an indicator that something was wrong with the HVAC system.

    Might want to get that checked out. It could also be a bad temperature sensor.

    Campo57
  • matrixfrogmatrixfrog Member Posts: 180
    Henry - Do you know a good exorcist? If it is zincs old aurora spirit I really don't want it.

    Campo57 - Thanks for the info. I reall dont need another problem with my car right now. :o(
  • autobahn95autobahn95 Member Posts: 62
    i have an answer to your question about front rotors. i have a '95 Aurora, and i do all the maintanance myself. plain front rotors from Autozone will cost you $19.95 each. rears are only $21.99.
    right now i have 4 vented and cross-drilled high performance rotors sitting here ready to bolt on once the weather warms up. i am also going to put Grizzly brake pads on all 4 corners of the car to have the ultimate in stopping power.
    they are very simple to change by the way.
  • cwiley1cwiley1 Member Posts: 82
    matrixfrog--My '97 Aurora did the same thing. They replaced the HVAC control and it still did it. They traced it back to the passenger side 'warm/cold' switch and replaced it. It has been okay since. When they found the problem they could move the control from one side to the other and the temp. control would blink. It works fine now.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    A major newspaper is looking to interview folks who learned how to drive stick in their adulthood, and either fell in love or hated it. Also welcome is any input on why people love to drive stick, and any unusual anecdotes about how you learned etc.

    Hope to hear from you before Feb 22 via the Talk to the Press discussion or at jfallon@edmunds.com with your thoughts and contact information.

    Thanks as always,

    Jeannine Fallon
    PR Director, Edmunds.com
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    It happened again today. I park in the mall's parking lot and have a breakfest meeting with a new client at the IHOP in the mall. I walk out of the IHOP . . . .

    NO AURORA!!!!!

    To make a long story short. Turns out they towed the car because they said I left the mall after parking the car. After having the IHOP host talk to the towing company, they brought the car to back to me. The tow truck driver had the nerve to be mad at me cause he was not going to get paid for the tow. I guess it was my fault that I legally parking my car.

    I carefully maintain the car (remember me - -the SHOP KING). There has not been any reason for the car to be on THE HOOK but yet it has been there twice thanks to over eager towing companies.

    My one regret is that I can not think of a way to sue the towing company since I did not see body damage and the tranny seems fine for now. Any suggestions on causes of action? I really want my pound of flesh.

    I am calling on the Aurora Collective.

    Think like a LAWYER???
  • dragon6dragon6 Member Posts: 2
    thanks autobahn, I didnt have any problems until I had the front pads replaced
  • autobahn95autobahn95 Member Posts: 62
    Henry- - i admire your patience, considering that you're Aurora has been towed twice now for no reason. i know if it were me and someone with a tow truck got within 25 feet of my Aurora, there would be trouble. especially since everything was legal!
    After reading your post again, it sounds like the person to blame works at the mall, not the towing company.
    what kind of mall has such a policy? i have met up with friends at a mall and parked my car(of course not my Aurora however)and totally left the county for 5 or 6 hours without any trouble.

    just my two cents worth.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I always keep the Aurora washed (hand wash only) and waxed. In fact I'm pretty fastidious about it. So, I was pretty bummed to find some water spots on the car that have literally burned through. They are on the flattest portions of the top and at the front of the hood and trunk lid - where the water drops hang around longest - of course.

    They don't wash off. So, I got out the Meguires mirror glaze No. 7 and used an orbital buffer on them. I've used the glaze before to literally smooth out some bad scratches and remove the generally scratchyness (I love that stuff), and it did quite a bit of good on the water spots and they are barely noticeable now. In fact, in the daylight, you really can't see them at all. You have to know where and how to look under the right lighting conditions, but it still drives my crazy.

    The detail shop said that you could wet-sand them out. I'm not going to do that. That cure sounds worse than the problem.

    So what happened??? It seems like the paint was literally burned by the water drops like you see described on some of those car wax commercials. I always thought that was a little extreme, but it seems to have happened to me.

    If anybody knows of a cure (I doubt it) let me know. The car is black so that just makes this imperfection noticeable. I guess if I had a silver metallic car, I'd never notice a thing.

    I've used the Meguires gold class - good, but doesn't seem to last long, and started using the Zymol. It's just as nice as the Meguires and seems to last longer. I kind of doubt any wax would have prevented this. Perhaps the wax was fading when this happened.

    A good wax on the car does seem to make those water drops bead very strongly. Maybe the strong beading action actually contributed to making a perfect prism to make the sunlight burn the paint.

    Any thoughts? I've never seen this before.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    rjs and fjk - thanks again for the wheel lug nut advise. You may have saved me from a disaster.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Garnes, you might try one of Meguiar's (or others) paint cleaning products instead of the polish. If #7 helped, then it is probably because the spots are mild. A cleaner might help a lot more. I am going to try their Medallion paint cleaner once it arrives. I don't have any water marks, but I do have some slight swirls from the dealer (they washed/waxed my car when it arrived even though I asked them to touch it as little as possible). I'll let you know how it works, but I think a cleaner would work better than #7 did.

    My Corvette always had water spots that I couldn't even begin to remove. However, I got the feeling that they were there from when the car was repainted (before I owned it). It really seemed like the water spots were under the clearcoat. So I don't know if water spots can etch in permanently, or if it was just the result of a lazy painter. The car had a great shine, but those water spots were always there.

    I think you are right to steer clear of wet-sanding them out. I'm sure the beading of water isn't the best, but that is just how it goes. Any protection that is preventing anything from bonding with it will probably make water bead up.

    P.S. You might consider Meguiars Medallion Paint Protection. It is their longest lasting protectant product. Gold Class has some polishes in with it, so it is more of a compromise protectant in order to shine more. If you use #7 anyways, you might see better/longer lasting results with Medallion because it is just a protectant. What kind of Zymol? It seems too expensive to me. Let us know what works when you get the spots out.
  • shucknetshucknet Member Posts: 98
    Where did you get the cross drilled rotors and how much were they? Do you have any pictures of them?
  • matrixfrogmatrixfrog Member Posts: 180
    My dark green 98 has the same spots I think you are refering too. If I remember right they are right near where the rear windows meets the trunk lid in both corners. Last summer I used a meguiars 3 step system on my car. I worked all day on it and did one heck of a job and it still looks as if it was waxed just yesterday. The only thing is it brought out all flaws in the paint. For instance you can see darker/lighter spots in the hood. I asked my friend who is taking autobody and auto painting classes and he said it from GM not putting the same ammount of paint on the surface in all areas. He also told me wesanding would probably get the watermarks off my trunk.

    ps I noticed while waxing my car that above the muffler tips I have what looks like my clear coat coming off from the heat out of those tips. Anyone else have this?
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    I waxed the car on Saturday. I noticed that my door edge molding and the plastic bumper covers are taking hits. The paint is off the door guards in s few places from the molding doing its job in stopping car door dings and the bumpers from the road pebbles. It is times like this that I wish I had a black car. That way at least the bumpe pits would not show.

    QUESTION - CALL ME GULLIBLE BUT -- I polished my car with this stuff I brought at an auto show. At the show, the guy sprayed paint on the car and took it off with this polish. When I tried to take off bug splats and other "barnicles" no luck. I guess I am a little disappointed because I was the guy that took the spray paint off the car at the auto show and the stuff he used came out of a Regular bottle he was selling. ---
    -- Which way did he go George? --- Which way did he go??
  • matrixfrogmatrixfrog Member Posts: 180
    Put some elbow grease into you wuss!

    Haha just kidding.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    rjs - thanks. I don't think I've seen the Medallion paint cleaner on the shelves. Have you? Heck, I'll try it. You are probably right about the cleaner/wax compromise. The Zymol I've used is the cheap stuff at wall-mart or Auto Zone. I read a thing on the internet where a guy took a car hood and divided it up into sections and used various products. After one month the cheap Zymol did very well. So I spent the 10 bucks or so to try it, and sure enough it does seem to last, and gives the car an incredible look.

    I've also ordered the "Dura-Shine" that is supposed to make the water sheet off. It has not come in yet. Yeah - for about $10, I'll try a lot of stuff.

    One thing for sure, I swear by the Meguires mirror glaze No.7 for getting rid of swirls and light scratches. You can get rid of bigger scratches too if you rub your arm off (get an orbital buffer - very cool). It is indeed very gentle and I think it is almost impossible to hurt the finish with the stuff, but it will do almost anything with a little muscle applied.

    I do have a tougher cleaner/glazing product that has a little more bite. It's Car-Brites "Power Pak". It really moves that clear coat around (doesn't remove any) to get rid of tough scratches. Maybe I'll try that a little. I would not use the Power Pak on the whole car though. It will leave the paint looking a little strange. I consider it strictly a spot fix for really bad stuff.

    What's left of the spots is just the outline that has burned in. It's not really that bad I guess when the rest of the water spot mess is removed from the glaze.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I looked at a CTS this weekend. Very nice car and nicely appointed. The fit and finish were great. The seat was really comfortable too. I don't understand all the bashing I read on other boards. It wasn't that bad looking either. No matter what GM makes, there are those that have a compulsion to bash it I guess. Oh well. Overall, I'd say I'm hooked on the big car feel of the Aurora though. The CTS is a little small. I grew up driving tanks, then drove some $%@& box cars,and now I've got an Aurora. It's good to be back home again in a truly full sized car.

    Anyway, the guy at the dealer said the Seville replacement might be out spring/summer 2003 as an early 2004. I can't wait to see it, but I'll be waiting to get a nice used one for many many years. If it doesn't look at least half as cool an an Aurora, then I might be driving this one for a very long time.

    I wonder if the car did not rust, and for some reason the engine had to go, if one of the new VVT Northstars could be dropped in the Aurora.

    Apparently, the 4.6 will drop right in if you ever wanted to do so.
  • onlyinajeeponlyinajeep Member Posts: 46
    Hello,
    I recently traded my 2000 Jeep Wrangler in on a 98 Aurora with 33,000 miles and factory warranty left on it. I just have to say, I love this car. It is White Diamond, with all the options, chrome wheels, power moonroof, autobahn, Bose stereo with 12/disc changer, heated seats, all the goodies. :) This is very dramatic change from my Wrangler, and very welcomed. I was just wondering, do they make touch up White Diamond paint? My inlaws had a 97 and 99 Aurora, and just traded in the 99 for a spankin new 2002 Aurora, I hope to drive it soon. They had very good luck with their cars, so I took the chance and bought a used one. I like the looks of the old Aurora better than the new, I mean no offense to anyone that owns the new ones, it is just a personal preferrence. Anyway, I look forward to chatting with you folks and learning more about my new car. Have a Good Day.
  • kevinsmith22kevinsmith22 Member Posts: 2
    I recently purchased a '95 that had not been driven much during the past 6 months. Shortly thereafter, the engine began to run roughly and backfiring. I suspect that the fuel tank was probably dirty with old gas. I have changed the spark plugs and fuel filter (fuel filter was filthy) and it runs much better but I still feel some hesitation when driving, it idles beautifully. I'm going to try to clean the injectors. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - Kevin
  • autobahn95autobahn95 Member Posts: 62
    Shucknet -
    you were asking about the cross-drilled and vented rotors that i just bought. I found them at Hutchins Automotive here in Lockport,NY. they were VERY reasonable in price. the rear rotors were 26.95 each, and the fronts were 40.95 each. Not bad considering plain rotors are 19.95 for the fronts and 21.99 each for the rears.

    Before i buy anything for my Aurora, i do my homework and research my options to make sure i get the best part at a good price. All 4 rotors are directional, and they are also blanchard ground on both friction surfaces, which means they are absolutely the same thickness all the way around. this is great especially in getting rid of small vibrations while driving, along with totally eliminating any pulsation in the brake pedal during braking. they claim that brake rotor temperatures can be reduced by up to 200 degrees when vented and cross-drilled, which will greatly reduce brake-fade under repeated stops. another benefit is that there is virtually no loss in stopping power under wet and rainy driving conditions, where with normal rotors the water could act as a lubricant between the rotors and brake pads.

    if you post your email address, i have a digital camera and i could send you pictures of the rotors within a few days. if you have any other questions about the rotors, don't hesitate to ask. right now i am trying to match up a good set of brake pads for my Aurora so i can install the entire package once the weather warms up and i start driving the car again.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    How do you know the Caddie 4.6 will drop right in? This has been teh topic of debate on this board before. What is the source of your statement? Do you know someone that has done it???
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I was talking to Cadillac Hotrod Fabricators. I can't remember who I talked to, but when I asked of the possibility of modifying the 4.0 to be a 4.6 (which can be done - just not practical) they said you are just better off dropping in a 4.6. According to them, the engines have the same footprint. Perhaps a slight modification or two would be necessary. I'd guess the computer would have to be changed out too.

    I guess this would be an option if your engine was blown or ready to go for some reason and the body and interior were still good and you loved the car. I doubt it's anything I'll remotely consider - ever, but its fun to talk about.

    If you really wanted to do it, I'll bet these guys would know more about it, or know others that could give you more details. I linked to their site through caddyinfo.com. Here is the link.

    http://www.chrfab.com
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    I am sure that the aurora's 4 liter V8 is the same block that the cadillac's 4.6 is. The basic difference is that the bore is smaller. There may be some differences in how they bolt into the cars, but size wise, the 4.6 should fit because they are I think exactly the same engine with two different bore sizes. The transmissions are also exactly the same, so that is not a problem either. I think that it might be better to just buy the Cadillac though.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    The Northstar and Aurora are the same block as fjk said. The bore on the Aurora is 87mm compared to the Northstar's 93mm. Both have an 84mm stroke (so the Aurora is closer to being "square"). I would imagine that there are some other internal differences that would't prevent swapping (i.e. the Northstar's internals might be a bit more robust to handle the larger power, which would make the Aurora cheaper to manufacture. If the Aurora wasn't cheaper, then why bother making it? Just use the 4.6) I would think that there might be some trouble with the computer since it is programmed for a smaller engine. Perhaps it would all work out, though as the computer can monitor and adjust, plus everything like injectors and such are bigger. It would be interesting, that's for sure. A 275 or 300hp Aurora. I'd probably want the 275 (and I know others of you would) because I really use the low-end torque much more frequently than I nail the throttle up in the 5000s.

    That reminds me... Do the classics shift shy of the redline when you floor them? Mine shifts right at 5800 every time. Car & Driver noticed that it happened to them until 3rd gear. I haven't driven that fast to see, nor have I held the shifter in 1st or 2nd to see what happens (from what I understand, the tranny is intelligent and won't actually downshift, or it will upshift despite where you put the gear selector).

    Garnes: I ordered my Medallion products directly from Meguiars. I've bought car-care products from local stores that didn't perform well. I got the impression that they were stored improperly (probably too hot). If I order from the factory, especially in winter months, I have much more confidence the product I receive will work as intended. I think that you would definitely have more luck with a cleaning product than with #7. #7 is just a polish and isn't really supposed to remove contamination. The cleaners are made to do that, so they might be just the thing to remove the water spots. A clay bar might work too, although I've never used one before.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    fjk - just buy the Caddy - yeah, but the the Aurora is just so much better looking than a Seville. Nothing against the Caddy, but I love the classic and would still take the new Aurora over a Seville any day for styling. Just MHO. I just love the style.

    rjs, fjk - in addition to the bore, the caddy hot rod guy said that the heads, valves, and cam are different. No surprise there I guess. But yeah, they are virtually identical engines.

    rjs - yes, I think the 275 would be the one to get. Looking at the power curves of both engines on caddyinfo.com, the 275 has more HP all the way up to 5,000 rpm +/- and way more torque all over as well as producing the peak torque down lower. I think the 275 HP engine with the 3.71 that the STS has would be a faster car to 60 and in the 1/4 mile. But 300 HP sounds so much better.

    My 98 goes to 6,200 rpm +/- in all 3 gears when hammering it. Never been there in OD, don't plan too, maybe not possible if the drag limited you. Actually, 3rd was experienced on the dyno and I took it to about 6000 or so before I took the foot off.

    rjs - I'll look into getting the cleaner. Perhaps I should try the clay too. Thanks. Somehow I think the damage is done though.

    That clay stuff is cool. When I got my car, it had a lot of light "overspray" on it. I had a detail shop clay the whole car and it removed all of it. I was impressed.

    Why GM made a 4.0? - It has to be more effort just to make two versions of the same engine. I really think the reason for the 4.0 is to leave something exclusive to Cadillac. Same reasoning for no V8 in the Buick luxury cars. I doubt there is anything significantly cheaper in the production of the 4.0.
  • hardestyhardesty Member Posts: 166
    The heads (I think) are naturally different because of the different bore, but the 4.0 and 275hp 4.6 share the same cams (at least in the current revision, 2000+), and probably the same valves. It would be very hard to increase a 4.0 to 4.6 because the cast in place iron cylinder linings probably don't have enough room to allow that kind of bore increase. I would consider the swap (if I had that kind of money) as long as the Olds intake cover would fit on the 4.6L. I just would not want to open the hood of the Aurora and have to look at the Cadillac logo.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    hardesty - it's funny you mention that, because the guy at CHF mentioned the same thing and thought it would probably fit. It would be nice to still have everything look stock. Somebody else might actually want the changes to be obvious.

    I think it's kind of nice that with the my modified air box, filter, and mass air flow sensor, everything looks normal under the hood. The MAF is a modified unit from the factory, so it's a totally stock fit. Under full throttle though, the car behaves a little differently.
  • jephjephjephjeph Member Posts: 17
    Just took delivery of my 2002 Aurora 4.0 with everything except heated seats (here in california).

    Now I need to get through the 500 mile break in period, and test the PCS...

    The GPS is pretty darn cool, and the car is overall very nice and comfy.

    I'm surprised how well it really handles for its size.
  • jephjephjephjeph Member Posts: 17
    122 miles, and I love the car. But there are some bad features:

    1) the audio quality of the navigation radio is below the standard I expect. GM has excellent audio systems on tap from the Monsoon systems, which are excellent. If this is Bose, then my already low opinion of bose is reinforced.

    2) man this car handles well. I can make it corner harder and at faster speeds than my Trans Am, and I'm not kidding. I think it's because on the TA I was mostly worried about the rear end kicking out, and the Aurora doesn't have that kind of steering problem.

    3) the GPS system is overall good, but it's really annoying that it is so bright when driving at night. I have to turn the brightness all the way down, and it doesn't appear to save the brightness settings between "daytime" and "nighttime" modes (at least when you have "auto" selected).

    4) I can't believe the DIC doesn't have a clock.
  • onlyinajeeponlyinajeep Member Posts: 46
    The shift indicator light is burned out and I was wondering if any of you have had the same problem. I am planning on taking the console apart, but was wanting to see if any of you had any advice before I jump in and start taking it apart.
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    onlyinajeep,

    Had the same problem with my '97 -- broken wires. I think I posted a solution several months ago.

    Pat, when will that search feature be available?

    The wiring that powers the shift indicator light is small gauge, solid, with no strain relief. I replaced the wire with very flexible test lead (Radio Shack) and used several tie wraps to provide strain relief at the connection points.

    You will need to remove the console tray; six screws -- four at the top and two at the bottom. At the front of the wood trim remove two screws from the horizontal surface behind the ash tray door. Pull off the black trim panel surrounding the radio -- pull straight back toward shifter. I believe there are two more screws behind this trim panel. The shifter handle comes off by pulling straight up after removing the u-shaped clip that faces the radio. I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

    Good luck.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I had just gone back to your post #1834 (I printed it for future reference) and was about to copy & paste your post again for onlyinajeep. Great timing.

    Good to hear from you.

    How has the 97 been? By the way, when I had the car in for a door handle fix, I did confirm that my 98 has no grease fittings in the front. They said early 98's had them and later 98's did not. I guess 97 would have them like you have mentioned way back some time ago.
  • onlyinajeeponlyinajeep Member Posts: 46
    Thanks for the info folks!!!!! I will try taking it apart tomorrow. I will be sure to post how it all worked out. Again, thank you. :)
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    the plastic pieces on my steering wheel are really starting to show their age (1995). Can you replace the plastic pieces withou replaceing the whole center console of the steering wheel? I am talking about the plastic volume,fan, etc. buttons and the pieces that surround them.

    Am I the only one having this problem?? Basically, the paint is coming off of the plastic.
  • HenryHenry Member Posts: 1,106
    I am finally starting to see the 1999 Auroras for sale as used cars. NOW I just need to find a fully loaded triple Black one (for $12,000) and I will be happy.
  • tpkentpken Member Posts: 1,108
    Hey there buddy - going for another Aurora? Good for you!!

    I've been seeing 2001s lately. In fact the dealer where I bought my Bonneville last year has a 2K1 same color as yours for $17.5K. I sat in it and loved the car. Maybe in a couple years I'll go for a 2K2 4.0 myself.

    Take care

    Ken

    P.S. I may meet Chuck on Sunday Mar 3 on my way home from Pa. Going to be around?

    Ken
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I don't believe the Bose option can be had with the navigation radio. Did you order it with both? I had a Bose stereo in my 1987 Corvette, and I got it in the Aurora and have been very impressed with both. I find the Monsoon systems to be overly bassy. They are loud, but not very clean. The Bose systems sound very clean to me, and higher range sounds really sparkle.

    The DIC doesn't have a clock because there is a very prominent one on the non-navigation radios. The car was not designed with the nav in mind, so this is probably why it seems sort of "add-on" rather than well-integrated. I have to say, for me your comments reinforce my decision not to get the nav system. I don't like trunk cd-changers, I love the Bose system, and nav systems tend to be annoying when you have to use the touch screen for radio or (not in the Aurora) climate control buttons.

    I'm glad you are satisfied with all the rest, though. I really love mine. That exhaust sound is great, and I love the interior. Especially the wood and the two-tone color. My only complaint is that the trunk feels so cheapy when you open and close it.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    I too love the Bose in the 98. I think I did hear something too about the Bose not coming with the navigation.

    From what I've heard about the nav. systems, I don't think I would want it either. Just give me a good map.

    Henry - I'm sure you could order any new interior piece you want. Just call the parts department. I've replaced the lens over the spedo and tach just to get rid of the old scratchy one. I haven't seen any Aurora's with the paint coming off the interior dials. Good luck with a 99. I'll bet there are some great deals to be had. Look for an Autobahn if you can too. I don't know about 12k for a 99 unless it had a lot of miles. I wouldn't use e-bay as a gauge either. Anybody that has gone used car or even house shopping knows you really have to "see it" to know what is going on. Even a scratched up, dinged up car that is getting ratty on the inside will look nice in a photo if it's been washed. I really wonder about some of those e-bay cars. Just for fun, I would run the VIN through carfax (when I got my car) and some of those e-bay cars were indeed restored cars that had a salvage title.

    QUESTION for "new" Aurora owners. What does the owners manual say for the torque on the lug nuts on the 17 inch wheels? Sometime this spring/summer I will be putting my new chrome Aurora 17's on the 98 when I get new tires. It's probably 100 ft-pounds, but I just wanted to check. I believe this will look very cool on the classic.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    The torque rating is 100 lb-ft for the wheel lug nuts on the 2002 4.0. Is that the same as on your classic? Do the wheels have the same offset and bolt pattern? It should look cool with the 17"ers. The only thing that bothers me is that the wheels are directional (although only slightly) but there isn't a different wheel for the left side and right side. I realize that would prevent side-to-side rotation, but it also means that the wheel spokes appear to curve forwards on one side of the vehicle, but backwards on the other side. That bugs me a little bit.

    Jephjeph, I'm pretty certain that the Navigation radio will replace the Bose radio. If you have the Bose, you should have "U1F" listed on the build sheet (under the spare tire cover). If you have the Navigation radio, it will be "UM8" and if you have both, then both should be there. I can *almost* guarantee that you can't have both.

    I thought it was a little weird in a previous post when someone asked how to remove the labels on their new Aurora. However, the more I look at the back, the more I want to remove the "Oldsmobile" label. If it weren't there, the rear would be very symmetric (except for the keyhole). Plus, it looks sort of tacked on and doesn't really match the styling or size of the "Aurora 4.0" or the Aurora symbol. I don't want to pretend it isn't an Olds, but I am starting to think it would look cleaner without the badge.
  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    rjs - yeah, I checked with the dealer first thing. Everything is the same. The classic is 100 lbs as well. I just add an extra 2 to be safe, and if that can hurt anything, then that is some really sensitive equipment. I ask because my buddy has a 95 chevy truck that takes 95 lbs. I guess it can be different from car to car.

    I never thought about the look of the rotation thing, but I think you might have a point. That's a little weird.

    I really think it will look tough on a black classic. They should have come out with those wheels years ago at least as an optional upgrade.
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Henry,

    I've been thinking along the same lines -- '99 with low miles and remaining warranty. My '97 has been good to me so far (73 000 miles), but the price of repairs scares me.

    For an Aurora, what does triple black mean? I understand black exterior and black interior, but what is the third black? I prefer the gray interior because it seems cooler in the summer.
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Greg,

    Interesting about the deletion of front grease fittings during the '98 model year.

    I finally found a used intake airbox ($23 plus shipping) and expect to receive it within a couple of days. Yesterday I looked at my parts microfiche and was surprised to see that the '95 airbox lists for $408, while the '96 to '99 lists for $134. That's one heck of a difference!

    I studied your dyno results on the caddyinfo site. I'm puzzled that the improved hp with the K&N drops to zero at 5800 PM. Do you understand why? I would think the extra airflow would be even more important at higher RPMs. I wonder if there is something about the K&N that reduces airflow at higher speeds.

    Anybody planning to bid on the IRL engine on eBay? :,) Auction starts at $45 000 -- only 375 miles.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    Did you remove the badges from your new car? How did it go? I think I am going to remove the "Oldsmobile" text from the back of mine. I really think it looks out of place. Do you have any tips? Thanks!
  • daevendaeven Member Posts: 28
    I've been slacking lately, but I rolled 199K miles yesterday. I've been working out of my local office, so I'm only putting 12 miles on each day. It may take me a couple of months to hit 200K at this rate.

    For those of you who don't remember, I bought the car with 150K miles. I just called the dealership that serviced it for those 150K miles and asked for a copy of the service records. I'll post next week so you know what parts a 200K Aurora can go through.

    My car also has lost the paint on the steering wheel controls. I'll be interested in replacing the buttons if it is easy and economical.

    Regarding fixing the shift indicator light: be careful when pulling the shift lever off; I managed to break the normal/agressive trans button wiring.

    Dan/Chicago 'burbs
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