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The fog lights will come on with either the parking lights or the low-beam headlights. They are turned off w/ the high beams.
Enjoy your car!
Larryfl--Did replacing your shocks make much of a difference? Perhaps I should take it to have the front end inspected.
The shocks made a significant difference in the ride. I replaced all four w/ Monroe Sensa-tracs (rear-air adjustable). But the washboard "shuffle" didn't change much. I really think it's just the way the front end's designed.
According to Consumer Reports, 1997 was the reliable year for the classic edition. It gets a red check (versus a black "average" check for the 1999 and below average for all the others). That alone makes me still slightly interested.
A flash flame erupted from the valve cover grommet adjacent to the oil-filler cap. It melted, shredded, and scattered about 1.5 square feet of the hood insulator. I was lucky as the flame self extinguished. I didn't even have the opportunity to use my Halon fire extinguisher. There appears to be no other damage. I reinserted the plastic PCV pipe back into the grommet and the engine runs fine. I will not restart it until I replace the FPR and blow excess gasoline fumes out of the crankcase.
BTW, I removed the engine cover long ago as an appearance only, weight-adding item. Had it been in place, it and its foam rubber padding would probably have absorbed the brunt of the explosion, instead of the hood insulator. Would this have been better or worse? I don't know.
The main reason for moving from the 95 Aurora was the mileage and the repair cost associated with a luxury car with 108,000 miles. I wanted a bit more acceleration, too.
I don't consider the repair cost excessive, but OTOH, I felt I could be driving a new or newer car for the same cost of ownership.
Over 2.5 years I spent about $6,000 including tires, battery, brakes, etc - the typical stuff. The price I paid was about $12,000. It is now worth about $6,000 - I hope. I am not, btw, addressing gas, oil change, or insurance which would be true with any car (But is not irrelevant to true cost of ownership - as opposed to riding a bicycle). Any car depreciates, I know.. and its all part of cost of ownership. So in the 2.5 years of ownership - I am within 5 days of exactly 2 years, 6 months, the car has cost me $12K, which works out to a little under $5K per year.
I really loved the Aurora; I consider the STS a big brother. There are many similarities. There are areas where the Aurora has an advantage. I had hoped to compile some of these differences, and I may get around to it (I would need to take notes for a week)
I will state that the acceleration is not 'night and day' faster, but it is a nice perk. The handling with its sensors on all wheels is notable. Its trunk space, while smaller in cubic feet, is actually more usable for certain things.
It does not display the date, which I miss. The STS, btw had to wait until 98 to get the Aurora chassis, not found on older STSs.
I am checking into some of the performance enhancements. If I get the new exhaust, intake, or K & N oil filter, I'll let you know, as it has been an area of interest for many readers here.
Aurorabill (at least for now!)
What's an LXE® and why should you care?
LXE® is only found in LUBEGARD products.
The Problem: Automatic transmission failures went from less than a million units in 1972 to over eight million units a year by 1975.
The Reason: The 1972 ban on whaling ended the supply of Sperm Whale LXEs® (Liquid Wax Esters), which were used in fine lubricants and in transmission additives. Cheaper and readlily available lipid oils from lard were not nearly as stable or effective as additive replacements.
The Solution: LUBEGARD®…Vegetable sourced synthetic LXE® additives to replace the characteristics lost with the whales. These products were born of the genius of Dr. Philip Landis, distinguished former head of Mobil's applied research department. In 1988 LUBEGARD® was under way.
LXEs® are not like your typical cooking oil. They are not lipids. They are a specific family of straight chain esters that have a high molecular weight with only one ester link per molecule, not three like a lipid has. They transfer heat better, they dissove the varnishes and deposits other transmission fluid components leave behind; when properly derivatized they correct the low sliding speed clutch engagement where most shudder occurs, without extending engagement cycle times. They simply make the fluid perform better and last longer, extending the life of your transmission.
#7 of 33 My experience. by mrdetailer Aug 21, 2001 (09:55 am)
I had a manual transmission that was difficult to shift. Believe it or not Subaru's manual recommended never changing the Manual Transmission fluid. At 90,000 it was simply too difficult to move. I replaced the fluid with synthetic. After a while it got noisy and I could feel a definite bounce when shifting into 2nd and 4th. It was most prevalent shifting from 5th back into 4th. I took it into Subaru specialists and they said it would just be a matter of time before the transmission would have to be replaced.
I recently heard about Lubegard at 120,000 miles, and had it installed when I changed the transmission oil at Jiffy Lube. It now shifts in much easier. The bounce and chatter when shifting are gone completely on normal shifts, and are greatly reduced in emergency quick downshifts.
I've also put it into my son's 1997 Mazda with an automatic transmission. If not babied, these transmissions can fail. Both the Mazda mechanic, and the Transmission Specialist recommend draining fluid every 15,000 miles and putting Lubegard in. They both said most transmission problems are eliminated if Lubegard is added when the fluid is changed.
I was checking repair information on the Internet, and found that power steering is subject to heat and stress just like a transmission. I checked the powersteering fluid my cars, and on my son's. All but one smelled burnt. I was impressed by LXE's heat removing abilities and the fact that if mixed with fluid and heated, unlike most other products, it didn't form harmful acid. We had the powersteering flushed and then added their power steering additive. The steering seems a little bit smoother and quieter. But since they were working correctly to begin with I really can't expect a performance change. I feel more comfortable with the additional protection.
The Manual Transmission Fluid was about $10.00, and the power steering was about $7.00 at NAPA auto parts.
Before I put this product in I researched to see if any fraud claims or lawsuits had been brought by the Federal Trade Commission like it has against Duralube, ZMAX, Prolong, and Slick50. They haven't.
#8 of 33 This is one of those rare products by bretfraz Aug 21, 2001 (01:17 pm)
That actually lives up to its claims, so it seems. I have not used it but know several people who have and they all had good things to say about it.
Especially for automatic trannies, Lubegard seems to be an excellent product. And at only $10 a bottle, it ain't gonna bankrupt no one.
There are some real gems in the article too:
Let's take a bit more time on this point, since the personality of a car depends so much on the way it makes its occupants feel. Some four-doors specialize in roominess. Not the Aurora. Instead, it surrounds you in new and exciting architecture. Sitting in the right-front seat, after driving, is a complete change of mood. Since the passenger has no need of dials and switches, the dash changes to smooth padding and recedes into the unthreatening distance. You have the sense of being enclosed, but not encroached upon. Other cars also try to do this, but the contours and spaces inside the Aurora are more interesting, more pleasing, more artful.
Once the motion starts, two things impress the driver. First is the engine’s voice, a nicely muted moan of power as the revs rise under full throttle. The second is the solid feeling of the body.
Subjectively, it feels on par with the very best imports. Nothing quivers, nothing shakes, nothing drones.
Even the counterpoints, which usually include things like "This car bites, I hope the company goes to hell." can be rather easily dismissed. Here is one from Steve Spence:
Mechanically, the Aurora drives and feels like a mid-range luxury car (the Lexus ES300, for one). Does it look like one? I don’t think so. The shortcomings involve seemingly insignificant details, but they add up: the leather could be richer and brighter, the seats more elegant, the dash less proletarian, the carpeting thicker and fitted more expansively—even the flat typeface used on the gauges should be sleeker. It will be interesting to see how the Aurora sells.
That's really not bad for a counterpoint. Much of it is personal taste or just stupid. Brighter leather? What is that? Same thing with more elegant seats. What does that really mean? I assume the carpet being more expansive refers to the mats, as the carpet probably goes everywhere. I doubt there is any exposed floorpan... The proletarian dash... Yeah, what were they thinking... And I suspect most people would rather have legible gauge typefaces than pretty ones. I also suspect that if the 1995 Aurora looked like a 1995 ES300, that none of you would be driving one now.
Here are a few other clips:
Generally, the Aurora feels poised rather than plush, and very competent at enthusiastic speeds.
If traction were the scale on which luxury cars were measured, Aurora, not Rolls-Royce, would be the envy of the masses.
Will Aurora lure all those Oldsmobile defectors back from Munich and Tokyo? No, nothing can bring them all back, because imports supply the boutique variety that affluent buyers seek. But Aurora will add a stop to many car-shopping trips. It's a credible entry in the luxury-car market. Moreover, it brings a two-yard-long list of features at a one-yard price.
Here is their verdict:
Highs: The V-8's sexy moan, the artful interior, what you get for the bucks.
Lows: Too much avoirdupois, (those bastards...) too little trunk.
The Verdict: A credible luxury car at a tempting price.
1. I want to remove the cupholder so I can clean it. How do I get it out?
2. I'd like to replace the head unit. Does anyone have directions on getting the radio out?
3. I'm also replacing the speakers. Is it difficult to get the old ones (front door/rear deck) out? Does anyone have directions on doing this?
4. Where can I find the paint code on the vehicle? The dealer says in the trunk, but I can't find it.
5. Does Oldsmobile make special mudflaps to fit the Aurora?
6. The washer fluid reservior is rusty. Has anyone successfully cleaned or replaced this? If so, was it difficult?
7. The manaul recommends having certain parts of the car lubricated every so often. Exactly what parts need to have this done?
Your suggestions are appreciated.
You might consider buying a service manual for your car. It would answer just about every question you just asked.
Oh yeah, also of note from the C&D article was that they had Michelin MXV4 tires (V-rated) on their Autobahn, and they tested it with 35/35 psi of inflation front/rear. I thought the pressure Olds recommends was 32/30 or 30/30 depending on the year (change between 96 and 97 that probably corresponds to some suspension changes). I wonder if trying 35/35 would result in a bit more bite and a bit firmer ride that some of you wanted from your 95-96 classics.
Also, another similarity I noticed is the way the dash flows into the doors. On both the classic and the new Aurora, the dash flows beautifully right into the passenger side door and armrest. But on the driver's side, it doesn't flow into the door. The dash turns down as part of the "cockpit" thing. On the classic, it does flow into the armrest, though. It doesn't really even do that on the new one. Probably in part because of the location of the door handles, and also the side vents being moved to the dash from the armrest.
Holley has an ajustable FPR that will fit on the Aurora. Is there an advantage to being ajustable on a stock aurora? If I had a differnt exhaust, k&n air filter, and a jetchip then would there be a reason to have this? If so I think Im going to get the Holley.
My 98 has no problems with the steering wheel being loose. I checked it today and it is firmly locked down.
A problem my 98 does have is a gurgle noise that comes from the sunroof. I thought all Aurora did this but Im starting to think they dont. It doesnt leak or anything, just makes an annoying noise.
I am hoping to put on new plugs and wires tonight if a friend of mine has some time to help.
So no one has the Jetchip installed on the Aurora?
Matrixfrog - forget the chip stuff. I used to think it was the the answer, but rjs posted a good article and these things seem to be a waste. I wouldn't believe the claims either. Just help the car breath and you will get lots of power. Exhaust and induction. It's simple and it works. Do both and you will be up to 270 HP easy. I would not be surprised if it was more. These car are really bottled up to keep intake and exhaust noise to zero all the time. You can open this up and still have a quiet cruise, and have an aggressive WOT sound with lots more power. The northstar has a lot of potential.
BLK97 - sorry to hear that. That foam on the cover would have probably burned nicely and would not have helped. Just a guess. How much does the thing weigh?? Maybe I'll lose it too. I thought it was light plastic.
Aftermarket wheels - you can get aftermarket new Aurora 17's for the classic. Don't buy from the dealer - they are 2k. I got a set from a company that strips the non-chrome 17's and then chromes them. I got them for $740. I'll be putting them on with new tires one of these days. I think the new Aurora 17's are great looking and would do the classic well and it's still Olds - kind of cool.
Aurorabill - hey, still post here to. You have a ready made exhaust available for your 98 STS from Corsa. I think your air box may be the same as the classic as well - open it up and also use that K&N. Burn rubber! Congrats on the STS! If Corsa's claims are right for the STS, with the exhaust and a better intake, you could be over 330 HP easy.
Garnes, I think the new Camry/ES300 is pretty ugly too. I hate the bug-eyes the most. It has some proportion problem as well. It looks like a car that got squished front to rear and buldges up now. Not to mention the idea of a Camry that can cost over $32K... I wonder what the person who dropped $35K on the Lex would think of someone who spent $18K on a Camry and $50 on Lexus badging...
Personally, a more fair or logical comparison would be the LS 400. These cars are more the same weight and performance. Apples to apples. When factoring price, the Aurora can't be beat there either.
The new 430's are impressive - but still boring and oh so pricey it's ridiculous.
Anyone know what the % of HP loss on our automatics? I imagine it's around 20%? Just curious.
I modified the air box and also put a K&N in and dyno'd the results. The car put out more power. The computer is perfectly able to deal with the additional air flow. Same for exhaust. Corsa, Borla, Magnaflow and all the others have pretty well documented results without requireing any computer changes.
I'd just forget the chip and improve the intake and exhaust and have fun. Your car will perform just fine.
As far as the speakers, the rear ones are a snap, the front ones are a pain. Rear ones are each held in by 2 screws and then slide out of the lazy back. Why they made that thing out of fiberglass is beyond me, though. Make sure you seal the new speakers up against the deck lid or else you'll have poor bass response. I use that caulk on a string stuff that comes in rolls.
For the front speakers, you have to remove the door panels, then remove the map pockets from the door panels. The tweeters just snap out. If you have crossovers to mount for your separates, it's easy to just screw them to the door panel inside the map packet (I can take pics and send them). Mouting the driver is pretty easy, it mostly just screws into the existing location. You'll have to get a little creative with the tweeter depending on how it fits. I ended up placing them in some plastic grommets from a computer desk to get them to fill the factory holes.
Good luck - you can e-mail me privately if you have anymore questions (ryan@shucknet.com)
Ryan
Good luck.
http://www.carstereohelp.com/stereoremovalOldsAurora.htm
When I dyno'd the stock box with a new paper filter I got 189 HP to 192 HP at the wheels. That's .756 and .768 respectively. Just for comparison, I saw a 2000 Corvette dyno'd on "Crank and Chrome". I think they got 265 HP at the wheels with a stock set-up. Even though it's a very different RWD car, it still comes out to be .757 - same as I got for the Aurora.
Yes, it scared me too. I replaced the leaking fuel-pressure regulator tonight -- 15 minute job. List price at Cadillac/Olds dealer was $66.62; got it for $42.47 plus tax. Part number is 17113346; it is used on several GM engines. I do not know if it is available from after market suppliers. I see no need for an adjustable regulator unless higher-flow injectors have been fitted, and that would only make sense with significant intake and exhaust modifications.
My '97 doesn't make the sunroof gurgle sound you mention.
garnes:
Sorry, I should have added a tongue-in-cheek symbol after my mention of weight regarding the engine cover. You're right about light-weight plastic; it doesn't weigh more than two pounds. See my response to rjs below. BTW, Olds lists this part as "shield, upper intake manifold sight."
You asked about how I liked the airbox mods. The used airbox I acquired from salvage did not have the white plastic insert in the top portion (I think this must have been from a '95). Since removing that restriction was the main modification I wanted to make, I haven't done more, yet. I may open up a larger intake hole, but I am holding out until I figure how to get a cold/forced air intake. I continue to follow your research. I am still considering removing the left fog lamp and using that hole for air intake. My other thought is installing a "scoop" I have from a Firebird; it would have to go under the bumper, and I think it will compromise ground clearance.
rjs200240,
Yes, the manifold cover with its foam insulation is intended to muffle intake noise -- that is the reason I removed it. After removing it, I was able to hear the engine breathe -- sounding like it had more guts than a sewing machine. I guess I'm a 60s hot-rodder who hasn't grown up. The other reasons are that I hate non-functional doo-dads on cars, and the intake manifold is much more interesting to look at than that sterile cover (correction, sight shield). A big part of the reason I love the classic Aurora is its clean, uncluttered design. Of course, I had to go further, removing the hood emblem and the AURORA lettering from the rear deck lid, and blacking out the chrome trim around the side windows.
Apparently those 3 drop tubes of varying length are there to cancel out sound. It's another useless doo-dad (unless you don't want to hear anything at all), and if you like a nice growl or want to add to it, just lose the horn from the bottom. You will get more air and more cool sound. It's silent at cruise. Removing the liner of course added more growl at WOT. Go for both.
Also - you might want to check out the ram air from the headlight some more. There is a nice strong current along the side of the fender at the seam between the top and bottom body panel. My original thought was that there is not enough current there and water might be a problem. If you take the headlight out, I'm sure something could be made to capture that air. If you did, I wonder if having the air horn back in would be better. It's hard to say. The engine is breathing pretty hard at WOT and I doubt you would be pushing air back out the bottom hole. If you take a look at it, give me your thoughts.
Granatelli is calibrating the MAF back to stock. If I ever go back to the dyno, I'll test this thing. It will essentially be a stock unit with the screen removed. I have no expectations at this point, but you never know. It might help a little. It's staying in the box as long as it's not tested though.
Eric
i also have a '95, and the sticker with the codes was located on the inside of the right rear quarter panel, inside the trunk.
what you need to do it pull the carpeting out from the right rear corner and look towards the back of the car. you have to stick your head waaaaaay inside the trunk and really look upwards to see it, it's definately not the most convienent place for a sticker.
My car alarm cherps and the light shines when I unlock it with the remote control.
henri
Interestingly the Intrigue version is based on the GL, not the GLS, so there is no PCS or Bose stereo. Strange. At least they can't base the Aurora Collector's Edition on the 3.5 since it won't be around after the 2002 MY.
http://gmcanada.com/english/vehicles/oldsmobile/aurora/auro_showroom.html
There are flash presentations and all. The American Aurora page really sucks in comparison... How annoying.
On top of that, an Aurora equipped just like mine would only be (MSRP) $32,900 in US dollars compared to about $37,500 for the US MSRP... Man...
For over a year I've been driving around with only the automatic door locks with the shifter. When I unlock w/the remote, the interior lights come on, but that's all. Guess I got some more toys to play with....
Does the classic's procedures involve like pushing the brake pedal x amount of times and such? A lot of the GM cars, especially from the 90's are like that. I thought it was pretty inventive to set those features with the controls that every driver has...
javidogg- thanks for the help. While I'm at it I can clean out the shift display that tells me what gear Im in. That console light has never worked since I bought it.
Does anybody know what the part number for the thin piece of black plastic that the shifter sits in? Mine has had a crack in it since I bought it. Not to mention the time a McDonalds BBQ sauce was sitting on it and I shifted it into park causing it to implode. It got all over but I got that all cleaned out.
The only thing listed was the ability to select having the doors unlock when shifting into park or stay locked.
If someone can post the exact procedure to activate the horn when using the remote, it would be great!
Thanks,
Jim
Also, Jerry, the tech at from Norman Gale Olds (New Jersey), reprogramed his 1995 alarm to do the same toot and flash.
I also mention that the 1995 does have a panic button feature on the alarm. A few posts back, it was incorrectly stated that this option was added in the 1996 model year.
Let the light of truth shine through!
Henri
So you need to have the factory alarm system to toot the horn when using the remote.
Bummer -- I don't have that.
Jim
http://members.fortunecity.com/zincster/96manual/manual2-10.jpg
The manual is for a 1996 Aurora.