Oldsmobile Aurora

hammen2 · December 2003

Henry, let me know what Corsa says about continued availability of the system for our Classics. I am intending to purchase the system, but want to wait until May or so until I actually have the $$$ (I don't believe in financing purchases through credit cards :-).

Have you looked through auto.com, autotrader.com, getauto.com, wwwheels.com, et. al. for Classics? What's your "mileage limit" on a '99?

--Robert

rjs200240 · December 2003

I checked out a new 2003 Aurora at a (somewhat) local dealership last weekend. I finally got a chance to pop the trunk and feel how it feels. That steel trunk definitely feels more solid and substantial when closing it. That cheap, plastic feel that the aluminum trunk has is gone. I wonder how much more it actually weighs than the aluminum one? It did feel noticeably heavier, so maybe 30 pounds or more? The insert does give a different look to the rear. It buldges out which changes the character a bit. I like the look of it.

I think there were two pieces that differed on the 3.5 and 4.0, and I think the hood was the other. I assume the 2003 would have the aluminum hood, as there was no styling difference. Though, I wonder if they had a lot of steel trunks left and that's why they put them on the '03s?

They wanted $35k for it (sticker was $38k), which I was a bit surprised by, as it was built back in February. Maybe there are so few of them that they can sell reasonably close to the MSRP. Also, that price was before the GM $3,500 cash back.

blk97aurora · December 2003

Robert,

Thanks for the report. I wonder if Olds specified a different (higher) curb weight for 2003 vs. 2002. Another possible reason for steel in 2003 -- there was little reason to incur the higher cost of production with Olds going out of business.

I don't like the look of the two-piece trunk, because I prefer a very clean design -- the extra piece adds unnecessary lines.

A third part different 3.5 vs 4.0 is the wheels.

Henry · December 2003

for a 1997 Aurora wih 50k miles in good condition?

rjs200240 · December 2003

seems to say between $9,000 and $9,600 depending on how it is equipped. I assume it is black and you are buying it from a dealer?

Henry · December 2003

the car is black and an autobahn. I dont think I am willing to pay $9,000 for it. I am closer to $5,500.

sda · December 2003

Happy and safe holidays to everyone! One advantage of having the newer generation of Aurora is you don't see many of them. In the month of ownership of mine, I think I've only seen 5 or 6 running around town, and it is a medium size area of 1 million+. On the other hand, I see my wife's white Honda Odyssey on every street corner! Enjoy.

rjs200240 · December 2003

Well, I went shopping for an Aurora again yesterday. My dad is interested in replacing his Regal GS with one, and that's why I went to look at the undelivered 2003 the other week (and commented about the trunk).

A little background: We have searched ads for quite a while, and there are surprisingly few 2002's that are for sale. I suspect because they are incredible cars, have low resale, and are still likely under warranty (5 yr/60,000 miles). Most of the 2001's are off-lease cars and tend to have mileage in the 40-50,000+ mile range. That time I looked at the 2003 trunk, we also saw a loaded '01 with 56k miles (asking $21k) and a 2003 stripper model with pimpy aftermarket wheels, diamond white paint, and the gold package (and nothing else... It was the first Aurora I've ever seen with a manual passenger seat).

So, when we saw a 2001 with Bose, sunroof, heated seats, and the gold package (pretty impartial to that) with only 36k miles and an internet price of $16,900 only 8 miles from my Dad's house we had to go check it out. The car was black with a gold pinstripe (why??) and was in decent shape on the exterior. It had a few dings and scratches, but nothing major (though not amazing either). The interior was a bit abused and the wood had this thick haze on it. The carpets were ok, but the mats were trash. The drivers side mat had a hole all the way through it, and the lens on the driver's side door light was missing. The kicker, though, was when I pulled the spare tire cover to find the well contained about 3-4" of water. It turned out to be a March 2000 build (the very start of production) and it's service history wasn't real pretty. It had the crank position sensor replaced twice, the PCM replaced (not reprogrammed) twice, the power steering pump replaced, and several "could not duplicate"s. In my opinion, not a bad car, but I would have kept looking for better. I'm sure they could fix the trunk leak and such, but the early build date coupled with all the parts replacing just gave me a feeling that this wasn't the car for him. However, my dad liked it (it was still a nice car) and the price was reasonable plus it had all the features (which to that point few cars had had). Anyway, he was interested enough to take the car home overnight to give it a whirl (at the salesman's insistence).

While home, I told him again that while it wasn't a bad car, I personally would wait for the perfect one as I was sure it would be along shortly. He again mentioned he liked that it was loaded, and that the price was good, miles low, and that it was black, his 3rd favorite color for it... Now I got intrigued... 3rd favorite? What was his second favorite (his first, of course, is Cherry Metallic...

)? He said he really liked the dark blue, having seen it a few times on our trips to Cleveland (the only time I'd seen them either, and it is a very nice color on the car). Then I remembered, of the many dozens of cars I'd sent him links to, one was a loaded 2001 with 33,000 miles in Dark Blue Metallic. I'd even noted in my email that it looked especially promising, but the problem was it was 120 miles away in Deleware. Since he'd never responded to the email with an interest to see it, I'd sort of forgotten about it. But, I thought, 120 miles isn't all that far for the car you like, I didn't like the thought of him buying that black one, I'd already spent half the day with him shopping for a car, what's the other half? I told him we should call them, find out when the car was built, find out if they were flexible on the price (I didn't expect much, but he told them he wouldn't drive all the way there just to pay $19,450 for it). It turned out it was built in Sept. 2000, so 6 months into the model run, the service history consisted of new rotors a door trim replaced at initial delivery, and a new sensor. Much better... We got there around 6pm and the car was beautiful. Dark blue metallic, chrome wheels, sunroof, Bose, heated seats, and the gold package. A few dings in the doors, but way better than the black one. The interior was spotless, and a nicer color (the black one had the light two-tone, but the light part was browner and looked dirty, though it was an even brown, so maybe it was the mocha interior vs. dirt, but either way, not as nice). The car drove perfectly, and we were both quite impressed. He put a deposit down and got the car for $16,800. It is certified, so it has a 3,000 mile warranty, and the dealership was very friendly and seemed very honest (which I've usually found to be more true as you get away from cities).

rjs200240 · December 2003

The black 2001 with the March 2000 build date was interesting. It was before OnStar was on the car, so it had a different rear-view mirror with the rain-sensor mounted on the side of it. It was also equipped with the original suspension. A few months into the model year, the suspension was changed to firm it up and make it more sporty with minimal effect on comfort. So this was the car that the magazines drove. The difference was very noticeable to me (I drove it around a lot as it's a used car, what do they care about a few extra miles?) It feels about half-way between the later 2001 suspension and the 1999 suspension. It feels firmer than the Regal (the 1999 felt similarly soft to the GS) and had nice ride motions, but it did float a bit more over broken pavement, and it leaned noticeably more in quick turns. It was still a nice ride, but I'm quite glad they firmed it up. The Sept 2000 car had the updated suspension and OnStar, which also made it more desirable IMO. It felt just like my car.

The 3/00 car also had a strange throttle tip-in. It was really really sensitive and the lightest press of the gas really opened it up. However, a heavy press of the gas wasn't any stronger than my car or anything. It was like it was artificially opening the throttle too much to give a more powerful feel in light driving. It wasn't bad, but it was a tad annoying as it was hard to gently accelerate from a stop.

Driving both of them again underscored how my 1-2 and 2-1 shifts are a tad harsher than usual. In those cars you can barely feel the shift, and in mine you can (though it isn't terribly abrupt, but it is noticeable, moreso as the tranny gets hot). I took it in once just to have the mechanic tell me "yeah, those 4T80's shift hard, that's how they are supposed to work". Needless to say, I use a different dealer now, but still hate taking my car in to anyone. Also, it does the 1-2 shift really fast, and a bit firm, which can be pretty sweet when you want to tear it up...

Oh, heh, forgot to mention about that pimpy 2003 model. It had about 1,200 miles on it and was back on the lot for sale... I was checking the weatherstripping on the door for signs of being peeled back. Any Leslie Nielsen fans here? What was that spoof of the Exorcist he was in? Oh yeah... REPOSSESSED! =O

rjs200240 · December 2003

Once we'd seen the Aurora and he'd put down his deposit, it was time to head home. It was about 7:30 pm, was pitch black, and we had to drive through all this flat open expanse of Delware and the eastern shore of Maryland. So I was pretty eager to start doing some distance, and the Aurora is a very willing companion (as is my dad). Several times we had to pass cars and such doing 50-55 on these long straight two-lanes. A flooring of the gas presses you back into the seat, and by the time you are past the car you are doing 90 mph... Quite impressive. And the car, even while doing 85+ and accelerating, is unflappable.

Then there is a truck that turns out in front of a pack of traffic up ahead. He's doing maybe 20 mph and those cars ahead are slowing down. I let off the gas and eventually coast up to them, and still have to brake a bit as by then the truck is only up to about 30 mph. A few passing stretches go by as we work up to about 35-40 mph, and I notice none of the 4-5 cars in front of me bother to try to pass the truck. I didn't want to be a jerk punching it from 5 cars back, but hell, if those guys aren't passing, screw them. The next passing area opens up, and I floor it around them. The passing lane runs out before I get to the truck, so I get on the brake and tuck in behind him (though there were no cars coming). By now he's maybe doing 50 mph. The next pass opens, and I'd been watching around him as best I could, the road looks clear, but it almost looks like there is a dip and rise in the road where you wouldn't be able to see a vehicle. It's hard to tell as the road is unlit. It is far enough off that I'd have time to tell and back off, so I go for it. The car is up to about 85 mph and we are about halfway around the truck. Then it's noticeable there is a dip and rise, and there is also a car there. Still plenty of time to react, but passing the truck would be incredibly dangerous. On the brakes hard at about 85 mph, and amazingly they lock the tires and the abs kicks in... It hauls down to about 40 in a blink and I tuck back in behind the truck. A pass at the next break goes flawlessly (though in another mile, we are on Rt. 50 with it's 4-6 lanes where I could easily have passed everyone).

I was impressed with the Aurora's accelerative showing, but also with that braking. Locking up the tires at 85 mph is an impressive feat. Those 12" rotors up front are doing a pretty commendable job. The Aurora proved comfortable, fast, smooth, and agile all while returning 24.5 mpg. What a car!!

Henry · December 2003

stickking1 · December 2003

The man gets no respect.

Cool story, I'll remember to take you with me when I go shopping for a new Aurora

mrdubya · December 2003

whats that about the weather stripping? so if its been peeled back that means someone had to jimmy it open (like they would in a repo)?? never heard of that

53rocket · December 2003

Thought I might jump in with some facts on my '01 4.0. First, to say that I love the car is an understatement. With the good said, here we go....

My car was built in Sept or Oct of 2000. I had the crank sensors reprogrammed right after I got the car. Last month, they replaced them both with less than 25,000 miles. I even had to replace both tie rods with less than 20,000 miles on them. Lots of annoying issues but this one is the worst. I have had recurring noises in the steering. I had it lubed once and it was good for a while. Not it is making all kinds of noise and I can feel the vibration in the wheel. Dealer claimed they found nothing. I'll second RJS' opinion on dealers.

The weather is beautiful in NJ this weekend and I'll look at it tomorrow. I'll post the issue when it is fixed.

rjs200240 · December 2003

There is a TSB about the steering noises. It is basically the lube. There are some Intrigue folks with similar repeating issues. It seems like the lube works for some, but for others it is a temporary fix at best. Seems like some that had the lube done several times eventually got the ISS replaced. I thought someone here with a 2001 3.5 mentioned having the ISS lube done as well. I hope you get yours straightened out, as the car is sheer delight when it's running strong.

MrDubya, I was sort of kidding about looking at the weatherstripping. But yeah, to jimmy the door the stripping is peeled back, and if done roughly it will mess it up so it doesn't sit flush with the window anymore. I guess most cars just get towed, but that isn't always the case. Some repo people drive the car away. Another trick is to pop the trunk, which is often easier, and then kick down the back seat and crawl through. A friend of mine used to work for a financing/repo company. I strongly suspect that pimpy '03 was repo'd.

53rocket · December 2003

Can you tell me what ISS stands for? My guess is that it is the "universal" like thing down at the floor board (actually , there are two in the Aurora due to the steep angle the steering needs to make to get to the steering). I can never remember the name of this part.

It's certainly MUCH easier to fix my '53 than the Aurora.

I may have been the one that discussed the lube earlier. I did mention it here or in the "Problems" area.

Thanks

53rocket · December 2003

Ok, I've recovered from my brain fart.

ISS is Intermediate Steering Shaft and is located between the two whachamacallits? I'll look at it today.

Thanks again RJS.

north5 · December 2003

I am interested in buying an 01 Aurora. It has the steering shaft noise many have talked about. Does anyone know of a permanent FIX for this? I had the same problem on my 99 Intrigue. No long lasting fixes and it really bothered me. Also, if the car has 41k miles on it and it is an 01 should the warranty still cover it? It was put in service in May 00
Thanks for any info!

sda · December 2003

My 01 4.0 was a 9/00 manufacture. Throttle tip in is very sensitive. Glad to hear they fixed that, but you get used to it. My steering is noisy, ISS lube in the future, I guess. My 00 Intrigue did the same, and a lube would quiet it for 20k miles or so. Check engine light just reared its ugly head. Took car to AutoZone to do check engine light test. It indicated crank sensor (1 of 3?). Any idea how involved how much this will cost to replace? Car out of warranty. I also have a slightly harsh shift from 1-2. Seems to get firmer as the car gets hot. Not really bad, but not expected from GM's generally great shifting transmissions. My car has the Onstar, and middle rear shoulder belt.
Rides nicely, but very sensitive to perfect tire matching and balance. Stick with the Michelins at replacement. They're the best at providing a vibration free ride.

sda · December 2003

As most of you know, I just bought my 01 4.0 in November with 53K. I immediately changed the oil, thou it looked fine. Rotated/balanced tires. Thorough cleaning inside/out. Clay,polish, wax. Touch up paint on a few minor paint chips. (White,easy match) Looks great. Any suggestions on service I should have done? Power steering flush/transmission service/other? Or should I just go by the book? Thanks! Oh...Happy New Year!!

rjs200240 · December 2003

That is exactly what my tranny is like. It is perfect until it starts to warm up. That's when it gets to be a bit firm. After long trips it is the worst, though still not real bad. It is a bit annoying, but I suspect getting anyone to fix it will be more annoying given that it drives fine when first started.

As far as maintenance, I think the crank sensors are an easy replacement. I thought I remembered reading that there was a newer part that shouldn't have the problems anymore, but maybe I'm confused. At 50k, I plan on flushing the radiator, tranny, and checking the plugs. 50k for the radiator and tranny is still an extended interval, and I would really be hesitant to wait until 100k.

I changed the 100k fluid on my dad's 1997 Regal GS (now my wife's Regal GS as he bought the 2001 Aurora) at about 90k. It was a real pain to remove the filter because the snorkle part was really bonded to the tranny. It ended up cracking but coming out (it gets replaced so no biggie, though I was afraid a shard would stay attached and I'd have to chisel or dremel it out...). The fluid was quite dirty, though not at all burnt. I just wouldn't wait that long with my car. 50k is long enough...

I am in the middle of doing a very thorough cleaning of the GS for my wife, so I hear ya. I spent about 5 hours on just the front half of the interior, and I swear it looks brand new now. I think my dad will be shocked when he sees it. I'll eventually break out the wash, maybe some clay, some Meg's Dual Action Cleaner/Polish, and probably some Medallion Premium Paint Protectant to finish it off. One day I'll touch up the chips, but one thing at a time...

She's thrilled with the car, and man does the S/C 3800 have more punch than the Aurora down low. And the mod market is excellent. I've been checking out regalgs.org and there are many cars with light to medium mods (some that don't open the engine, not even the valve covers) that run mid to low 13's, and some that run 12's, though those are more heavily modded (but still not a lot of monetary investment all things considered).

53rocket · December 2003

When I had my crank sensors (2 according to the RO)replaced, they said it would be 2.5 hours just to get at the sensors. Since my '01 with a 5/60 warranty was still valid, there was no real indication of the labor hours they spent on it.

I don't know how accurate that info was because I have to bring the car to a Buick dealer for work. The Olds dealer stopped supporting Olds about 9 months after I bought the car and there is no Olds dealer even close to me now. I don't think it matters too much since many of the components on the LeSabre are the exact same ones as the Aurora (except for the engine of course).

rjs200240 · January 2004

http://www.chevrolet.com/library/commercials/index_yahoo.html

That C6 is absolutely incredible!! It's like all the amazing handling, refinement, and power of the C5, but with styling that says "CORVETTE" (which I never felt the C5 did)! I love the return of fixed headlights, and the return of the 60's fenders and rear!

Yeah, I know it's not an Olds... :P

mike98c · January 2004

If everyone will get together and buy me one, I suppose I'll have to take it. Ohh, and could you have it delivered by tomorrow, no wait what time is it 11:30, by 11:35 or so pleease!

herbv · January 2004

I own a 2001 3.5 built in March of 2000. The creaking and groaning noise in the steering developed at about 20k miles. I took it to a local dealer for repair because the car was under warranty. ( I don't trust new car dealer service shops. I never found any that was either competent or professional.) The dealer claimed to have replaced the tie rod ends to fix the steering noise. As I left the dealer and turned onto the highway the steering groaned. I went immediately to a good friend who is an excellent mechanic. He put the car on a lift and it was clear that no work had been done on the steering assembly. I complained to GM but nothing was ever done.
When the car was out of the original warranty at 37k I took it to my mechanic who replaced the intermediate steering shaft. The noise dissapeared. Now at 45k the steering once again creaks and groans. I took it back to my mechanic who this time found nothing wrong and said I would probably have to live with it. In addition there is a serious vibration in the wheel at speeds in excess of 70mph. I have had the tires force balanced (Hunter) and computer balanced with no improvement. At a list price of just about $35M this is a poorly built automobile. It is absolutely no surprise that Olds is history. On thier best day they could not compete with the Japanese on thier worst day.

rjs200240 · January 2004

If you paid $35,000,000 for your Aurora, you got ripped... :P

So you've had a problem with the steering, and that makes Olds junk? Your closing statement is one of the more ignorant things I've read on Edmunds.

Henry · January 2004

Do folks insult the Aurora on this board? Us Aurorians are a Proud Folk.

garnes · January 2004

I guess if the car is that bad and it's a systemic thing with Olds, then you aren't very bright for buying the car. Either that or you are coming to a lot of conclusions about Oldsmobile based on the steering shaft and a wheel vibration which isn't very bright either.

Anyway - just because you had if forced balanced doesn't mean that it was done right or done very well. Here is the deal - they give that tire and wheel a test spin and if it comes out 15 or 16 lbs. of force it PASSES and they don't do a darn thing other than dynamically balance as usual. You have to insist that they break all the tire down and place them in the optimum position. Don't settle for "pass". If it comes up 12 lbs and the machine says it can get to 7 or 8 - make them do it. Stand there and watch them. Really.
Give it another try. I've had good luck at Discount Tire. The worst would be $15 for each wheel.

By the way - go check out the Lexus board and check out their troubles. I remember some people with the LS having problems with the HVAC system. The problem was related to condensation being trapped in the system and then making the owner sick with all the crap growing in it. I don't think an Oldsmobile ever poisoned the driver.

rjs200240 · January 2004

I drove my dad out to Delaware to pick up his 2001 4.0. He was out of town this last week, so that's why he's just picking it up. That dark blue is really a stunning color. If I didn't get mine in red, that would be my next choice. The chromes look really nice on it as well.

On the way back, I drove behind him until I got to where I split off to Virginia, and him to continue on in Maryland. It was really neat to be behind it for such a long time. The car is really gorgeous. The rear looks sort of plain and flat in pictures, but in real life it is quite attractive. The way the taillamps pull back into the body crease, and the way the trunk ridge flows into the light housing, and the curve along the trunk. Everything about it is really very handsome. It looks lowish and wide and powerful. The lights even look nicer than on other cars. They have sort of a bright, faceted look when the blinkers come on. And they seem yellower than the housing. Olds really did an excellent job. I think I'll be keeping the car for a while, it'd be hard to find a replacement as elegantly styled...

95mushroom · January 2004

I think the only other car that comes close is the 911's (996) back end. I was behind one the another day and when I got home I stared at mine for awhile and noticed how similar it is to the classics styling wise. Same bulging fenders and sloping glass.

Henry · January 2004

Sounds like you guys are in Love.

53rocket · January 2004

I have to agree with the others. Although I've had my share of problems with my '01 4.0, I don't bash Olds.

Let's remember, you bought the car used for the lower 20s not $35,000. Shouldn't you be comparing your car with another $20,000 car? So does a Taurus compare (it won't be fully loaded at $20,000)? Try to buy a comparable Altima or Camry for that amount.

If you're that unhappy, use a four letter word - "sell".

mike98c · January 2004

There's a tsb on how to fix the groaning noise. Also some of the Nissans are just as sensitive to balance issues.
It seems to me the DEALER should be replaced.
Try a main stream Caddy dealer which should be more receptive and competent since the Aurora is the same platform and powertrain as the Seville.

rjs200240 · January 2004

In 2003, Olds sold 3,161 Aurora's. In 2002 they sold 8,878. In 2001 they sold 24,928, and in 2000 they sold 28,250. This is by calendar year, not model year.

That's 65,217 new-style Aurora's sold. Not a whole lot. I'd bet that at least 40,000 of those are V6 models, if not more. I wonder how many of them were silver or cappuchino? Man, they are like all that color... Seems like most of the ones I see are one of those two colors.

I think there were somewhere around 110,000 classic Aurora's sold, right?

rjs200240 · January 2004

1999 calendar Aurora sales: 16,321. Aurora's in 1998: 21,374. 1997: 25,404. I couldn't find past that... I bow to the superior searching skills of he who can.

Also, in 1999 Olds sold 352,197 vehicles. In 2003, Buick sold 336,788, and of course Saturn only moved 271,157 vehicles...

rjs200240 · January 2004

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3651421698- &category=10777

I have one like that, but with an Indy car in it also, and it is tall, not wide.

sda · January 2004

Almost every 01 I see for sale is a 3.5 and bronze mist. I can certainly understand why someone would buy a 3.5, thou. Besides the obvious $$ savings compared to a V-8, it is still a strong running, spirited car. But why so many bronze mist?

sda · January 2004

Oh, I'm having fun now. The right headlight on my 01 (low beam, not the driving light) is not working. This is the projector beam lamp. Who knows how much that will cost if its bad... The owner's manual indicates there is a separate fuse for both the left and right low beams. Unfortunately, the manual is not much help in saying where the fuse is located. It says there are two fuse boxes, one under hood, and the other under the rear seat. The fuse box under the hood/and schematic is not clear. Has anyone had to change this fuse? If so, where can I find it? I dread having to take it to the dealer and be asked to 'assume the position'. A little humor. ha ha. Thanks!

rjs200240 · January 2004

You probably did, but you didn't mention it. The projectors still use halogen bulbs. It takes a 9006 bulb.

The fuse box under the hood is on the left under a black cover. I expect they are labelled on the box or cover... Or just look for a blown one.

53rocket · January 2004

RJS - I have been looking for the production #s you posted. Where did you get the info from?

sda · January 2004

I didn't realize the projector beam took a halogen bulb. I thought is was a sealed/complete unit. I jumped to conclusion and feared the worst, that I had an expensive replacement ahead. My only glimmer of hope was I thought I might have blown a fuse, so I was going to look there first. I will go to the parts store today and buy a bulb. Hopefully that's the answer. Many thanks, rjs200240!

rjs200240 · January 2004

That seems the most likely. They are Sylvania Halogen Plus (the long-life) bulbs if you want the exact replacement. You might want to get two, since they tend to burn out at similar rates.

To remove the light housing, there are two silver-colored bolts that go down towards the ground. I think they were 10mm heads. Just pull them out. There is also a ball-socket the light pushs into on the outermost side of it (the side of the light that is closest to the side of the car). When you put it back in, I push mine back as far as they go to ensure the aiming doesn't get messed up. One of mine was not mounted that way apparently from the factory, because I had to reaim it after the first time I removed it. But I have removed it several times since and the aiming has always been spot on by just pushing it back as far as it goes.

Advance Auto Parts has a buy one, get one 1/2 price for SilverStars. Plus, Sylvania has a $6 mail-in for two XtraVision, CoolBlue, or SilverStar bulbs. I'd recommend the XtraVisions as a nice, not expensive upgrade from the Halogen Pluses. The SilverStars are nice too, but a bit more money.

FYI, I also posted a bit back in the Accessories & Mods about a 9005 to 9006 modification I did. Just in case you are interested...

The housing itself is a polycarbonate, and is quite expensive to replace. But definitely not a sealed-beam. I got some of that 3M film to cover them (I used Xpel, but there are other suppliers of pre-cut) to prevent pits, chips, and scratches from forming in them from gravel and such. They've been on for about 2 years, and I'm quite satisfied. I wish I could do it over again as I understand the application process better now and they'd look better. But for about $50 for the headlamps and foglights, I consider it money well-spent.

Edit: I'll post up about it on the Accessories & Mods forum, with some links.

rjs200240 · January 2004

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item- =2452987575&category=43989

sda · January 2004

rjs200240, thanks again. Did you find the Xtra-Vision to improve the overall illumination? I've found the standard set up to be dimmer than I would expected with a enhanced set up.

rjs200240 · January 2004

I got XtraVisions for my wife's car. They had nice lighting with good coloring. Her car had some Wagner bulbs that claimed the 20% brighter and whiter light and crap. The XtraVisions were cheaper, and I put one in one side to compare to the Wagners and they seemed brighter, a bit whiter, and seemed to have a better pattern (an indication of better quality control).

I have never compared XtraVisions to HalogenPluses, though. I don't know how much brighter they would be.

I can say that the 9005 to 9006 upgrade will substantially improve the lighting. I used 9005 SilverStar bulbs, but you could use HalogenPluses or whatever if you wanted to lower the cost. I don't believe there is a 9005 XtraVision bulb.

The upgrade took my lighting to an excellent level. They are now much brighter and more useful. They are at the point that I think more light would just be detrimental and annoying to oncomers. They light up the actual road to about the same distance as the high-beams, but they keep the light down low. So the high-beams are still a compliment to the lows. Plus, the lows don't put that extra light in peoples' faces.

If you don't want to do the upgrade, I'd say try the SilverStars in 9006 as they would probably be the most likely to improve your illumination. But the XtraVisions should put out the same amount of light, just not quite as white. I would assume there is some compromise to the HP's to make them last twice as long as the standard bulbs, and thus I'd assume there is some extra light from the XV's, but I've never seen them side-by-side. I'd shop around for Sylvania (in fact, I do shop for them even though some other stuff is closer) because they seem to make quality products.

rjs200240 · January 2004

What's your impression of the low's compared to other cars low beams, though? I didn't find them to be incredible, but they were brighter, and put the light to use better, than any other low beams I've had.

I think the high-beams are pretty incredible. Whenever we're on some dark, unlit roads and I flip the brights on, I'm always impressed. They put out a ton of light. I also like that the low's stay on with the high's.

sda · January 2004

Yes, I have found the low beams to be dimmer than I expected. I had a Mazda Millenia ('96) with projector type headlamps which were brighter, and had a better pattern. The high beams on the Aurora are great, however. How much should I expect to pay for these improved bulbs?

rjs200240 · January 2004

The 9005's? Is that what you meant by the improved bulbs? The 9005 is the standard high-beam bulb on the Aurora. They should cost the same as the 9006 low-beams. You'll have to modify the base a bit because they aren't direct replacements. So you are basically putting a high-beam bulb in the low-beam housing. But the low-beam projector will determine the beam pattern. So it will keep the light down on the road.

The fact that the 9005 and 9006 SilverStars are the same price, but one puts out more light, is what made the SilverStars worth it to me. Otherwise I probably would have just bought XtraVisions since the whiteness doesn't matter that much to me (though it is neat, but doesn't really help yo see any better IMO).

sda · January 2004

I purchased the Xtra-Vision 9006. They claim to put out 20% more light than standard bulb. Took about 20 minutes to change both sides. Owner's manual has clear instructions how to do this, and it wasn't difficult. On the drive in this morning, in rain and sleet,(snow later today?) I could see a noticeable difference in increased brightness. This is a welcome change. RJS, without your help, I'd still be spinning my wheels. Got the rebate, too. Without you mentioning this, I would not have known about it and the sales clerk said nothing. I had to ask.
I really appreciate your interest and help.
Steve

aurora5000 · January 2004

Instead of replacing the low beam bulb with the 9006, you replace with 9005 and do minor modification to the bulb or socket it fits in?

Thanks,
Other Steve

Oldsmobile Aurora

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