Oldsmobile Aurora

rjs200240 · October 2003

that I've had the Aurora now. Wow, it sure flies by. I did the annual check-up and rotated the tires today (about 1,000 miles early, but I had to pull them all anyway). What a great car. The underbody is still quite clean, and the only trace of oil is the thin film around the drain plug from when I wipe it after changing it (I guess I should start wiping it and then after the plug is back, wipe it down with some cleaner). I love seeing all the aluminum in the suspension, and the aluminum block, pan, and tranny case. I almost wish the calipers weren't powder-coated so I could see that aluminum staring at me too. I've been having second thoughts about painting the "AURORA" logo on them because it would be so small. I think it might look weird.

Two years and 21,500 miles later and I'm still in love with it.

orpheus428 · October 2003

Was drving my 95 Aurora home this evening and as i get a few blocks within my house I start to smell a nasty odor like burned rubber or plastic. then it seemed obvious even in the dark the cabin filled with smoke, seemed to be coming from the driver side area or maybe thats all i saw. i pulled into my driveway and turned the key off and pulled it out. to my astonishment the engine was still on! it eventually turned off and saw smoke coming from the corner of the hood closest the driver.
I havent gone back to investigate but am wondering if this has happened to anyone else and if so, What might it be?? just bought the car a month ago and has 145k miles. any clues? thanks

rjs200240 · October 2003

My first guess would be a belt burning. Perhaps a pulley seized. Did your alternator light come on?

No idea why the car wouldn't shut off...

larryfl · October 2003

rjs may be right. The burning rubber smell does sound like a burning belt. The waterpump is on the drivers side of the engine and runs on a separate belt. That would be my first choice.

Good luck.

orpheus428 · October 2003

i looked it over as best as possible this morning. the belt to the right of the motor that can be seen at the top was intact and turning. i assume that was the water pump since it was the right side and on a seperate system alltogether than the front belt. the motor started up fine and turned off fine. one question though,, does the door chime sound when you open the door and there is No key in the ignition? i dont remember. it was doing that and i didnt think it did that before until i put the key in. there were no alternator lights or anything like that. the only light that stays on is the traction control but that was on for a long time before this happened and its assumed its a wheel speed sensor. ididnt run the motor long or drive it anywhere. there was no smoke in the few minutes i had it running. when i called the Olds dealer who was but 40 miles and a $150 tow away which Id simply like to avoid both... he said it could be a number of things which is what i expected to here and am hesitant to go indulge Olds shop hours and OEM parts prices. i guess i will try a local mechanic and have him stick it on the rack and see if he can find anything that was melted underneath as something was sure burning last night. i am beginning to remember why i used to have a car that had a factory warranty. sure there was a car payment back then but the warranty was sure nice.

orpheus428 · October 2003

the burning was apparently some electrical wires or component as the following things have now occured:
door chime goes off without the key being in ignition. previously the key had to be in the ignition for the warning chime to go off.

interior dash lights are out. the warning light indicators and temp and radio light still is on, but the gauge illumination lights are all out.

AND the headlights will not go on! the signals work fine.

does anyone know what may have burned up to cause this? thanks for any help!

stickking1 · October 2003

Well, it is getting very close to the time where I have to store my 2001 wheels. I am getting really depressed about it, as I have grown quite attached to the look. It doesn't help that this weekend I have to go through the unfourtunate task of emptying out my "car care locker" and moving all of the contents inside. I just have too much money wrapped up in all that stuff to let it sit in the garage and take the chance that it might freeze....(sigh)

Sometimes is does not pay to live in Michigan. Anyone down south want to adopt me for the next 3 or 4 months? :-)

orpheus428 · October 2003

the burning was apparently some electrical wires or component as the following things have now occured:
door chime goes off without the key being in ignition. previously the key had to be in the ignition for the warning chime to go off.

interior dash lights are out. the warning light indicators and temp and radio light still is on, but the gauge illumination lights are all out.

AND the headlights will not go on! the signals work fine.

does anyone know what may have burned up to cause this? thanks for any help!

Henry · October 2003

I took the Classic to Pittsburgh and back to Newark this weekend. Averaged 23.4MPG give or take a few tenths. I was surprised at the low milage since I had just changed the plugs wires, etc.

However, the road is very hilly as you are driving through the mountains of Pa.

I think that affected my milage. I also noticed tahtthe car was not as agressive while in Pittsburgh. Dont know if the elevation had anything to do with it. Of course the other explaination is the extra four people and luggage in the car.

rjs200240 · October 2003

I live in Virginia, and I keep my products indoors all year round. Heat isn't really good for them either. Plus, I have a feeling they will be around a long time, as I have more than I could possibly use. So the longer they stay good, the better.

So the 17's are summer-only wheels ehh? I thought you got some MXV4+'s for them. You could've gone with some summer tires. Did you put snows on your 16's? Or just all-seasons?

Henri, 5 people, luggage, and hills means 23.4 mpg is actually pretty good. It also depends on how you drive, and what speed you tend to go. Mileage at 70 mph is typically worse than at 60 mph. Maybe it is the light antelope color? You might want to trade it in for a newer black Aurora. You'll make the money back in gas savings once you get that slick black paint. (Hey, I'm telling you what you want to hear. And besides, you once believed a salesman that told you the wheels on the 1995 pivoted to reduce the turning radius over the 1996 model.)

Henry · October 2003

AM I GOING TO LIVE THAT ONE DOWN???

95mushroom · October 2003

Here's you car Henry, except, diamond white and they want 13k. Lemme know, they live in my community.

http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/vdetail.jtmpl?car_id=146395281- &dealer_id=&car_year=1999&make=OLDS&distance=75&a- mp;max_price=&model=AURORA&end_year=1999&advcd_on=n&a- mp;min_price=&address=33442&search_type=used&advanced- =n&start_year=1999&color=&cardist=0

marsha7 · October 2003

a used Caddy DTS or Jag XJ8L (I know, they are nothing alike), it was mentioned to me to consider the 2002 or 2003 Aurora V8...it was put to me as 90% of the DTS for 70% of the price...any quick comments on the car, any problem with Olds disappearing, is the car really that good (compared with "standard" GM quality, which often leaves much to be desired), who can repair it with no more Olds dealers, and what should a used 2002 or 2003 cost me, with, say, 15000 to 25000 miles???...long shot question...do Olds dealers still have new, leftover 2003 models, or are they all gone with the 2004s out now?...thanks

rjs200240 · October 2003

My 2002 has been flawless. If you read through the past posts, you will find I absolutely love my Aurora.

You may be able to find some 2003's, and maybe even 2002's still on the lot new. Any GM can repair/service the car (like your local Caddy dealer). You can go to GMBuyPower.com and search for cars on the lot. You used to be able to search really wide areas, but not anymore. Though you can plug it different zip codes to see what is available further away (or just talk to your local Olds dealer...)

There is no 2004 model out for the Aurora. 2003 was the last model year.

stickking1 · October 2003

Yeah, they are just summer wheels. I know first hand what the Michigan winters have done to my 16" aluminums, even with dilligent maintenance. I went with the Dunlop Sport A2's for the 2001's. They will tell you that they are "High Performance All-Season", but I don't think they would be my first choice for a winter tire. I did entertain the thought of putting a set of snow tires on the 16" rims, but I just bought that set of Turanzas a year ago. They worked very well for me last winter, so I didn't see the need to replace them. (BTW, I love the Dunlops for a 3 season tire)

My garage at home does really well with staying cool in the summer, but for some reason it gets really cold in the winter. So my products get to live out there for 8 months out of the year, which is nice, but once the outside temp starts to dip below 50 degrees on a frequent basis, I have to haul it all in. I think I get disgruntled about it because it signifies the end of summer for me, and the end of car-washing season too. I've got nothing against winter, but I hate having a dirty car!

-Brian

95mushroom · October 2003

Read this guys post about his 96 sho. Other than the sho having a crappier interior and mucher uglier exterior, I read it and thought, hey, that sounds like us!!!!! esp. when he start's descriping the engine and how's its a sleeper. read on...

http://www.epinions.com/content_69706026628

Henry · October 2003

thanks for posting the information on the white 99 Aurora. However, I have my heart set on the black on black. thanks again for thinking of me.

Henri

aurora5000 · October 2003

http://www.indypacecars.com/2000.html

rjs200240 · October 2003

Yup, I've seen that. Neat stuff. Some of those shots of the rear, you can sort of see the exhaust. It looks like it is a bit different than the Corsa system they sold me. I also saw that pace car in real life at GM's headquarters in Detroit. I peeked under at the mufflers, and they looked a lot different than my Corsa's. They were probably louder so that people in the stands could hear it roar.

rjs200240 · October 2003

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=6894&FS=IMSA

I can't get enough of the IMSA stuff. IRL was cool, but they only competed against Infiniti there. IMSA was world competition.

800wattaurora · October 2003

Hope all is well with everyone. Henry and the pivoting wheels, I remember that one! lol. Just picking on you bud, when's the black on black coming, just go find one already.

Well us being gear heads and all I though I'd tell you how my new 01 ssei did at the track. Performance mods so far are Thrasher CAI, one size smaller supercharger pulley and belt 3.4in, Intense shift kit and 180 thermostat. Best run out of 7 was a 14.736 @ 94.62mph. My 96 aurora non autobaun ran 15.6 with RSM intake and TB. Never got a run with the Corsa's on. I was pretty happy with my times even though wheelspin was a major problem, there was a lite mist of rain right when I got there. I got my 7 runs in fast and it started to rain, got free pass to go back. I know I could of hooked up better at the lauch, oh-well. Next time. Next mod planed is a limited-slip-differential aka=front wheel posi. This should help my traction problems big time and elimante torque steer.

see ya around

rjs200240 · October 2003

Sounds good Taylor! I've heard that the 3.4" is about as small as you want to go on a basically stock engine/supercharger. I think the smaller pulleys probably just suck more power as they have to turn the blower even faster, and there is probably little benefit and great risk to the supercharger. The stock one will only make but so much boost. Spinning it too much faster will just kill it.

You could probably pretty easily go to a higher-lift rocker before contemplating cracking open the engine. On pushrod cars, the rockers are real easy to change.

I notice exhaust work is conspicuously absent from your list of mods. Any plans in that department? You'll have to weigh your choices carefully after having been spoiled by the Corsa's. The way they are still silent while cruising is just so dang impressive. Let me/us know how it goes!

Oh, hey, any 60' times? I'd bet better hookup at launch would put you under 14.5 with no other changes. That trap speed is pretty impressive.

Bob

garnes · November 2003

Thanks for checking in. Those are some impressive times. Yeah - how about some exhaust work?

Keep that torque monster going..........

800wattaurora · November 2003

Well here was my best slip
R/T----.704
60'-----2.321
330'---6.265
1/8----9.548
MPH---75.10
1000--12.363
1/4----14.736
MPH---94.62
I'm sure I could of gotten a 14.5 or lower if the track wasn't slighlty wet, my 60's couldn't hook up. Just roasted the tires down the track. Next time I'm sure I'll do better, thinking about picking up some cheep rims and throw some drag slicks on.

As for exhuast, that's right stock for now. I heard that Corsa is develpoing a system right now for the GTP 3800SC series II. Can't wait, holding out for the sweet, sweet corsa's. Should be available spring time I hear. I just want the mufflers and tips, might leave stock tips on.

Pulley size, your right RJS don't want to go lower than 3.4 untill my mod list gets bigger. Going to get some TOG cermaic plated headers and proabably some 1.91 high lift Intense Rockers, after those two mods I can run a 3.25 pulley. Hope to get this all done by spring time. Think I might be come a track junkie, getting hooked.

rjs200240 · November 2003

It looks like the Bonneville GXP will have 12.7" front rotors with dual-piston calipers. The rears will be 11.7"ers. I wonder if GM will make any sort of performance upgrade kit for the Aurora or other Bonnevilles. I think these would fit fine in the stock 17"s. They are about 3/4" bigger than the stock stuff. Seems like it would be pretty easy to do.

I noticed the GXP still has that variable ratio steering. I'm not sure I'd like that as much as the variable effort/fixed-ratio Magnasteer II of the Aurora. The variable-ratio steering in the new 5-series is of course all the rage with the auto magazines (even AutoWeek who said they had to turn the car off every 10 minutes to reset the system as the wheel no longer centered properly while driving [nice, ehh?]) and is something GM has had for a long time.

hammen2 · November 2003

...on at least the 95-97's, and some Cadillacs:

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0311/04/autos-314583.htm

rjs200240 · November 2003

I love my headlights, and they are very bright with an excellent beam pattern. Plus, I love how projector beams look even when off.

But man, the way the beam is cut off vertically, while great for oncoming traffic, sure as heck makes it hard to see street name signs at night. My wife and I are looking at houses, and sometimes I go to drive by some before we decide whether to look or not, and at night on roads I'm not familiar with, it can be quite difficult to see the little blue street name signs...

The brights light them up like daylight (they are the brightest brights I've ever seen), but I can't always flick the brights at each cross-street... Unfortunately brighter low beams really won't help because the light pattern is still so well-trimmed vertically.

Anyone else have this problem (probably only 2001+ owners)?

stickking1 · November 2003

Hey guys, thought you might find this interesting. A Quad-Turbo 442, check it out!

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/enginemasters/articles/chevrolet- /bigblock/0305em_turbo_bb/

mrdubya · November 2003

hey taylor, did you drop the front tire pressure way down to like 24, and raise the rears to like 40? that woulda helped if you didn't, probably did though. another trick, kinda cheap, put spring blocks in your rear springs at the track, so the rear is super stiff.

l67 aftermarket rocks, i want a ssei someday. i was impressed on there interiors. i know my step moms 93 ssei was horrible inside, but i like the 2k bonnie's more than the 95 aurora's inside.

if you got a 15.6 without your exhaust work, maybe i can get a low 15 if i go to the track, with my exhuast & autobahn advantage.

sda · November 2003

I found an 01 4.0 with 54000 miles for $13995. Car is in nice shape. All options: Bose,12 disc in trunk, Chrome wheels,sunroof, heated seats, build date 9/00. White/neutral interior. Drives great, no squeaks,rattles,everything works except A/C. Dealer says they will fix A/C. Kinda feel funny about considering a car that has relatively high miles, and more miles than my current car. 2000 Intrigue, 38000 mi. But it seems to be a really nice car, and I've been offered $9300 for my car at CarMax...so it makes this look quite reasonable. Thoughts? Areas of concern to look for? Should I get an extended warranty, or just take my chances? Though I'm satisfied with my Intrigue, I like the Aurora better. No that's a surprise...

rjs200240 · November 2003

There haven't been too many issues with the newer Aurora. The early 2001's had a lot of TSB's for small stuff, so you might look at the service history to see what got fixed, and maybe look to see which TSB's might apply to your car. See if you can get all that straight up front.

Mostly small, weird stuff with simple fixes like the vent sucking papers out of the glovebox.

Look at the build date, it's possible that the car is basically a 2000, as the 2001 was a very early release. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Just something to be aware of. Also, 54,000 miles, while more than your Intrigue, isn't really high for a car that's about 3 years old.

There was also a suspension change at some early point in 2001 which firmed up the ride a bit. Look through the archives on http://service.gm.com/index_en-US.html and you'll find it. I can't remember what article it was in, but I remember seeing it.

Let us know how it goes. One plus of Aurora ownership (besides owning an amazing car) is the awesome board here on Edmunds. I check a fair amount of boards, and this is one of the best (imo)...

sda · November 2003

Took the car home for the wife to OK this evening. Tried to get dealer to let me keep overnite, but they refused. Instead, had salesman follow me in my Intrigue, so I could drive the Aurora to our home (and not drive back). I observed the following: no lighting at shifter, only on dash. Bulb burned out? On the Intrigue, shifter and dash both light and indicate gear selection. Backlighting on steering wheel half there. Top half of buttons dark, bottom half lit. Minor issue. Everything seems to work. Bose sounds nice. Loved the station identification, song identification that scrolls across the dial. Car drives well. But what really astounds me is other than a touchy gas pedal, in real world driving, the Aurora doesn't seem much quicker than my 3.5 Intrigue. Wonderful V-8 sound. 13995 for this car. 9300 for my Intrigue (2000 GL, sunroof, spoiler, 38K). Does this sound like a reasonable deal? Must let dealer know by tomorrow. I'd love to have this car.

nne3jxc · November 2003

I got the title from the bank today!
I bought my 95 in September of 2001 with 64,000 miles for about $9800. Now she has 80,000 miles. And she's all mine.
I was thinking about getting rid of her and buying a new Mustang GT convertable, but you know -- I love the Aurora. Power, luxury and that sexy body.
I think maybe I'll just pick up a late 80's Mustang this summer for a couple grand as a blast-from-the-past car. (my first new car was a '87 GT.)
And keep the Aurora as my "real" car.

anyway.... just rambling.......

rjs200240 · November 2003

Just wanted to post a little note about my trip to the emissions inspection station. Here are my results at 15 mph:

HC ppm (that's Hydrocarbons in parts per million)
Limit: 67 ppm My car: 0 ppm

CO % (that's percentage of carbon-monoxide)
Limit: 0.37% My car: 0.01%

NO ppm (I'm not sure if it's really all NOx's or just NO it measures)
Limit: 524 ppm My car: 1 ppm

So, as you can see, just because the car passes emissions doesn't mean the emissions haven't gotten worse. They could be substantially worse and still pass (like 3000+% worse). Just thought this might be interesting to someone.

rjs200240 · November 2003

To me that sounds like an awesome deal. The Edmund's price is about $17,000 (I put red as the color since you didn't say, but also because who wouldn't buy a red car?

) I assume they will fix the bulbs? Yes, the shift indicator should light up, and there will be blueish light that comes around the actual gate as well, which I think is a nice touch. The same is true of the buttons. They should be evenly lit.

I suspect part of why it doesn't seem quicker is that it isn't really that much quicker. You'll mainly notice it on the highway when passing. But also, the Aurora accelerates very smoothly so it isn't as noticeable (not that the 'trig is rough, but the Aurora is smoother).

You could have lined up at a light next to the salesman. Then you could really see which is quicker...

sda · November 2003

Color is white with neutral interior. Bose, 12 disc changer, heated seats, chrome wheels, gold package (emblems:hood/trunk),sunroof. Didn't mention the burned out bulbs to dealer as A/C repair is more important to me. Do you think the bulbs would be difficult to change? Did Car Fax, and it looks good. Might go thru AAA for extended warranty. I'll let you know what happens. I'm getting more excited by the moment.

rjs200240 · November 2003

The bulbs on the steering wheel... ugh, who knows. Hopefully the buttons pop off or something. Otherwise there is the airbag to worry about.

The shifter bulbs would require the trim removal. This shouldn't be hard, but I have heard several people say the mechanic chipped the wood trim. No problem if the shop does it as they then have to replace it, but if you do it yourself, there is that chance you'll need to buy a $300 trim piece.

It sounds like we can safely say welcome to the board...

tornado25 · November 2003

"Look at the build date, it's possible that the car is basically a 2000, as the 2001 was a very early release. "

I think I just confused myself after thinking about this. If the build date is 9/00 and the 01 was an early release, wouldn't that pretty much guarantee this is an 01? Or am thinking backwards here? (I'm not being a jerk--I'm just wondering if I'm wrong).

Also, the 01 was the first year of the redesign, right? If so, I would guess that would be easiest way to tell for sure.

At any rate, the price is phenomenal for what is in the car noted.

sda · November 2003

My current 2000 Intrigue is an '00 Model, yet it has a build date of 9/99. I believe the 01 new body style Aurora came out in late 00 (May?)as an 01, and in 07/01 several revisions were made: Onstar, rear center shoulder belt replaced lap belt,etc. So build date 9/00=01 Model yr. Ironic that both the Intrigue and Aurora were built 1yr apart/same month. I gave the OK to the dealer that I will purchase the car. I will leave a deposit this evening, and pick-up friday.

rjs200240 · November 2003

Yeah, I noticed today that he'd posted the actual build date. Guess I missed that the first time I read it.

A 9/00 would typically be a 2001 model, and usually about the second month of production (they generally start up in August). However, there are definitely some 5/00 and probably 4/00 cars as they went on sale in May of 2000. These would ordinarily be the end of the 2000 model year, but were instead a very early start of the 2001 model year Aurora. So even though they were called 2001's they were about as old as some 2000's. That's all.

Hey sda, did you mean that several changes were made in 07/00, not 01? By July 2001, the 2001 model run had probably stopped and the factory was retooling for 2002's. They typically stop around May to June and start up around August.

sda · November 2003

Sorry. I meant revisions took place in 7/00 for the 01 model yr.

95mushroom · November 2003

that's an awesome price for your Intrigue. They offered my dad's co-worker 8 or 9 for his 2001 STS. He walked straight out of there and said I be damn to sell it to your for 8 grand, I'll sell it to a friend first. Might scoop it up.

sda · November 2003

Still working out final details on my purchase 01/4.0. AAA offers an extended warranty, $100 deductible for the following length and amt:
24mo/24000 mi $1511.00, 36/36000 mi $1950.00. Not much price reduction by increasing the deductible to $200. This is the "Gold" warranty. With the failure of other third party extended warranty companies I've read about, I feel a little more comfortable with AAA. False security, I don't know. Advice: car has 53000 miles, clean Car Fax, but no maint records. A/C currently inoperative, but dealer says they'll fix. Should I buy the extended warranty, or just take my chances as I have in the past? Thanks for your input.

tornado25 · November 2003

"So even though they were called 2001's they were about as old as some 2000's. That's all."

Gotcha!

Henry · November 2003

If you have a mushroom interior and you are thinking of replacing your floor mats, now is the time to order them.

I just got a pair and the dealer had to locate the mats cause GM is not supplying them anymore. YUP, the mushroom interior is going the way of the 442. So if you want OEM matts . . . .

Henri

stickking1 · November 2003

AGH! Where's my paycheck! I've been putting that off for ever, now I have to go get them.

kayaman420 · November 2003

i think henris right. I bought some mats from a comapany called mats4less.com. They are great. They cut them a little bigger than the OEM's so they cover more of the floor. $80 ?. I just checked there site and i dont see the same mats anymore for the Aurora.

sda · November 2003

Bought 01 4.0 $13995, 52875mi. I think it has all options, Bose, 12 disc trunk changer, sunroof, chrome wheels, gold package, heated/memory seats. White (not pearl), neutral interior. Clean CAR FAX. Called dealership where car was bought originally, and got some service history. Decently clean car. No nicks, scratches, or even door dings. Just needs a good detailing in and out. (Soon to happen) I am excited to have this car and hope I won't be disappointed. Wife not as enthusiastic, "Why did you have to sell the Intrigue, it was a fine car..." blah, blah, blah. I guess I will pay for that for a while. :! Horrible sales experience. 'You're getting a great price, don't ask anything from us.' Sales manager didn't even say hello. I will say it wasn't a GM dealer, but DCX 5 star. Hah. But that didn't dampen my desire for the car. Sold the Intrigue to CarMax. 2000GL $9300. I'm happy with that. They were great. Third car I've sold to them. Can't wait for the weekend to play with my new toy. Enjoy!

sda · November 2003

Car only came with one master key w/remote, and valet key. Any suggestions where to get a spare set, other than a GM dealer? Thanks!

etze_ · November 2003

Your wife sounds alot like mine. Anyway try E-bay and search on Aurora parts.
I think you still have to get them programed at a GM dealer but the key and fob is much cheaper.
Good luck with the new toy !

Oldsmobile Aurora

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