Oldsmobile Aurora

blk97aurora · August 2005

Niko,

Whoever suggested using the oil life monitor for oil level gave you bad advice. There is no connection between the two.

Measure the oil level with the dipstick (admittedly an imprecise and frustrating exercise). My '97 has an oil-level sensor that activates a Driver Information Center (DIC) message at two quarts low; something like "OIL LEVEL LOW." I assume your '99 is the same.

The oil life monitor is an entirely different concept. Instead of recommending changing oil at fixed intervals (like 3000 miles, or whatever), GM is using the oil life monitor to make a better-informed decision based on operating conditions. The oil life monitoring is done by the PCM using only two inputs: engine revolutions and oil temperature. GM does not divulge the exact algorithm; believe me, I've tried. Several articles on the OLM system talk about "combustion events," which I assume to be spark plugs firing; divide by four gives the PCM the number of engine revolutions. I suspect that coolant temperature is used as a surrogate for oil temperature since I have never found a component labeled "oil temp sensor."

My experience with my '97 is about 1 point reduction in 2 to 3 days when driving 10-15 miles per day. Faster reduction in the winter with cold temps.

Hope this helps.

Les

korcari · August 2005

Thanks Les

It makes sense what you just said.

I guess I will have to failover to the dipstick and see if the oil level is drastically changing

Hope not..

Take care, Niko

97andholdingon · September 2005

well, my 97 has been getting hotter and hotter. finally had the thermostat changed yesterday, and now boiling over, even with AC off. did you ever get a solution?

sls002 · September 2005

I found that on long trips the oil life decayed at a reduced rate. Winter time driving would speed it up. The new northstars are set for the newer oils, or at least my 2002 SLS is, so oil changes are near 10,000 mile intervals.

imidazol97 · September 2005

Has the waterpump been changed recently? When car is hot, and radiator cap is taken off (carefully) and th engine accelerated do you see flow through the radiator like the water pump is actually moving the water?

sls002 · September 2005

I am not sure that you can take the radiator cap off, or at least on my Seville the radiator is under a plastic cover. My 98 Aurora's overflow reservoir was where the radiator cap was anyway. But the water pump is located on the drivers side of the engine and there should be a small belt that runs it. So you should check that out and can watch if the belt is turning when the engine is running.

imidazol97 · September 2005

My hope was that like the radiators I have in Buicks I can let the engine warm up, cool a few minutes, remove the radiator cap, start motor, let idle a minute or two, and when I accelerate the motor I can see the surge of coolant flowing across the radiator. I can tell there's a good push from the water pump.

Have there been problems recently with water pumps having the blades corroded away and not being able to push water well enough to maintain cool under high heat loads?

sls002 · September 2005

The northstar water pumps tend to need a repair kit periodically, usually when they start leaking. Usually, the owner does not notice anything until the water pump fails and the engine overheats. However, I monitor my coolent level and if it starts to drop for no good reason, then its time for someone to check things out. My service manager said that the northstar pumps last from 25,000 miles on up to over 100,000. My 98 started leaking at a bit over 50,000.

97andholdingon · September 2005

the water pump was changed a couple of years ago. Withthe configurarion, I cannot determie if the pump is operating, but the last check by the garge told me it was indeed operating after the new thermostat was installed.

oddly, the car is overheating on the highway but not in town. Also, it was near the redline when I got home. I carefully opened the cap and it did not boil over. Coolant was present. I turned off the engine and the coolant erupted. I restarted the engine but it would not stop the eruption. The gauge did not show a significant creep after the engines was turned off and the eruption commenced.

I really love the 97 and am hoping to keep it a couple more years... any help is appreciated.

korcari · September 2005

Hi

I recently change the oil level on my '99 aurora. Once 1000 miles were, an alarm was triggered in the monitor: Low Oil level. I see it every morning after 10-15 minutes of driving. Then when I step out for lunch about noon it doesn't come out anymore..

I checked the dipstick (which, according to some sources is not accurate) and it is one bar above the ADD line (but if I turn the dipstick around it is slightly above the ADD line)

Below I have provided a simple diagram that indicates oil level in different point of time. See for the X mark

Right After changing the oil:

____ADD|__|__x|__|__|MAX___

1000 Miles after changing the oil:

____ADD|__x|__|__|__|MAX___

Is it normal that am getting the low oil level alarm. Has anybody has gone thru this problem before/

Thanks Niko

hammen2 · September 2005

Well, a couple of options here:

1) Your car may be either burning or leaking oil. Suggest checking more often.
2) Your sending unit may be defective. I want to say I paid $25 for mine from the local Buick dealer (I'd be sure to use only the GM part, as it's calibrated for the Northstar/Aurora)... and, if you did your own oil change, you can change your sending unit. It looks like a black roll of quarters and it's right next to the filter...

--Robert

blk97aurora · September 2005

That is similar to my experience with my '97. On a long trip at highway speeds I have observed the oil-life monitor decay slowly (at the rate of 10,000 miles, i.e. 100 miles per 1% reduction in the monitor display). Overall the monitor drops to 0% in 4000 to 6500 miles.

Les

blk97aurora · September 2005

Niko,

When I got the low oil level alarm on my '97, it took two quarts to get the level to appear on the dipstick. So it appears that you are getting an erroneous alarm. The oil level sensor is somewhere in the oil pan. Note that this is a different sensor than the one for oil pressure that is located near the oil filter.

Something just occurred to me. When you write "low oil level alarm," do you mean a message displayed on the DIC or the red idiot light to the right of the fuel gauge? I believe, but have not confirmed yet, that the idiot light can be set by two conditions: low oil pressure or low oil level. If your indication is indeed low oil pressure, then the sensor (sender) next to the oil filter is probably the culprit.

Les

korcari · September 2005

Hi Les

Thanks for the input.

The Low Oil Level alarm is displayed in the DIC (the device that displays the date, mileage, oil presure parametes as well)

-Niko

korcari · September 2005

Very interesting observation.

I had noticed that i loose 1% every 100 miles.

It is good to know that the monitor decay slows down on a long trip.

korcari · September 2005

Thanks Rob

Well actually I don' t seem to be able to find and leaking. I don't have white fumes when I drive 60-70 miles/h in the highway. I'm not sure where the oil goes if it is not leaking or burning...

I probably have to check to a garage the seals in the back to make sure that there is no leak at all.

sls002 · September 2005

If you park on a slope, you can get an low oil level message, even though there is plenty of oil.

rjs200240 · September 2005

that when you checked the oil level, it was above the "add" line? To me that would indicate the light is in error, possibly due to the sensor.

Karen_S · September 2005

Edmunds.com Owners' Spotlight

cehsr8033 · November 2005

It has been almost three years since I have posted on this forum, primarily because my experience with my 2001 4.0 has been so uneventful that posting seemed unecessary. However, it occurs to me that many folks might be reading these forums looking for owner experience and my almost four years with an Aurora might be helpful.
I have had the pleasure of driving my Aurora for just under 80,000 miles, on several long trips, and for daily use and I can report that this car has been as trouble free as any luxury automobile that I have owned in my 63 years.
The car is an absolute no-brainer, get in, turn the ignition and go. Go quietly, comfortably, safely, and, if it is your bent, quickly.
Other than the prior posts where I reported that the dash air vents were replaced, one at a time, under warranty, nothing has been a real problem. Oh yes, one vent is still broken, this problem seemingly the fault of the over use of plastics in the vent controls.
My only other problem involved a monitor on the crankshaft that failed, causing the car to die when I was deaccelerating, usually around corners. The replacement was, as I remember, something around $250.00 and represents the only maintenance I have done on my car except regular oil changes (3000 miles).
I am on my second set of OEM tires, Michelins, the first set, with two rotations, going fully 68,000 miles before I replaced them.
The car has not stuttered or failed me once in all the driving in the sometimes harsh Intermountain West environment. I have learned that in damp weather I can expect to get some warning lights, especially the "low tire pressure" warning. I learned after checking the pressure to simply reset the monitor and all was well.
The fit and finish has been superb--the seats have held up well as have the headliner and carpets.
My only complaint with the car and I knew it going in, is that the trunk space is limited--two golf bags do take up alot of space but we have managed by packing with some care.
All the car's systems still function as when I bought the car, it is still as quiet as always, the mileage has not changed--this car gets a steady 24mpg when driven on the interstates and I usually drive between 75-85MPH when traveling. Mountain driving is no problem, the car is stable and predictable. I only had one incident, on a city street, at about 30 below zero, driving on sheet ice, when the car did a 360--fortunately I was only going 5MPH when it happened but when the car became unstuck, it was gone--no control.
Otherwise, thru rain, sleet, heavy, and light snow conditions the car has been very confident--brakes well (love those brakes!).
The question is, "Would I buy another 2001 Aurora?" In a minute! In fact, considering the resale of these cars is so low, I think they are probably the best bargin on the used car market today. You can get a hell of a car for under $10000 with this car. I do not mind that the value of my car has dropped so dramatically because in the four years I have owned this Aurora I do not believe the car owes me a thing--it has performed better in every way than I expected when I bought it.
Thanks for your time, hope this helps you in a buying decision.

rjs200240 · November 2005

Great to hear about your ownership experience! I hope you enjoy many more miles to come with it.

Henry · November 2005

On Friday my car turned 110. I am really into it because I purchased the car with about 13k miles on it. This means that I am but a few miles away from personally putting 100,000 mules on the olds girl.

However, it is was made clear to me that very same day and on the very same trip, that the Olds girl ain't what she used to be. Granted, my 95 like Ali, Jordan, et al. had its day in the spotlight but it is no longer center stage. I was pulling onto a highway when an Acura already on the highway pulled up along side me. I kept my foot on the gas saying to myself "No act cure ah" was going to pull ahead of aROARa. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

The Acura TL driver decided SHE wanted to be in front of me and kicked it. The car passed me like I was standing still. I have since rationalized the situation by saying: 1) I was still accelarating while the Acura wa on the road, 2) I did not have the performance button puched in, 3) We were going up hill, 4) I did have Gulf gas in the car; 5)the sun was in my eyes; 6) Yeah I could have taken her 100,000 miles ago.

While my 95 may no longer be top dog. It still looks better at 110 than that "Act CURE AH" looked straight off the assembly line. Can I get an amen anyone?

hammen2 · November 2005

Amen! (Henri, I was wondering where you were lately :-)

I put 1000 miles on my overhauled '98 (new shocks, struts, rear rotors, front and rear pads) this weekend (trip to Michigan for my wife's uncle's funeral). Wow, it's amazing how great the car rides with the new parts (my right front strut could be compressed with one finger; it stayed compressed for 5 minutes, only decompressing when layed sideways :-)

The car does not have the neck-snapping acceleration of my GTO, but it is still pretty quick/surprises people. Thanks to some boneheaded road construction in Michigan (whose idea was it to completely shut down I-96 west of Detroit?), I got behind and needed to make up some time. Spent a fair amount of time approaching triple-digit speeds on rural interstates, going into 30-40 mph headwinds, and the old girl just kept humming along and offering me more.

Only problem I had was that the plastic piece on the outside of each B-pillar, between the windows, was "bowing out" - also had a ton of wind noise. At my next gas stop, I looked, and the 3 plastic tabs that hold that piece in were broken on each side! A little ghetto repair (electrical tape wrapped a couple of times around each B-pillar at the top and the bottom) fixed that right up and reduced the wind noise. I'll be ordering the new parts tomorrow :-)

--Robert
96k on his '98 (27k when I got it over 4 1/2 years ago), and still rolling...

Henry · November 2005

Maybe NOT as dethroned as I thought! My mechanic tells me that the car is not operating at full power because of a skip or stutter in its performance. I may need a tune up or something done to the car. So the "A CHOO AH" may have beat a wounded warrior, SO IT DOES NOT COUNT!

Whew

53rocket · November 2005

WOW! What a great email. Thanks for sharing your good experiences with an American car. Now I'm even sadder that I had to sell my second one (a Final 500). Oh well, hopefully, there's a Hemi in my future.

Sorry GM, you just don't cut it anymore.

e_net_rider · November 2005

I'm not sure if it is an imbalance of some sort of poor burn. At around 1500 , most noticeble, you can feel it in the wheel. I've been leaning towards improper burn because milage seems to be down some. The idea of something like harmonic balancer just occurred and I would like some advice on how to approach. It does seem a little better after switching to a tank of Techron supreme.

I really don't want to shotgun this thing and wonder of maybe buying one coil to rotate out for troubleshooting and maybe one injector and doing same. Plugs looked good, AC platinum. Wires, I don't recall what brand. Seems peppy under full acceleration with no miss. I have noted that the exhaust sounds a little strange under cruise sometimes.
Maybe like burn is incomplete before valves open? Not sure what the proper name for the sound is. gurgle?

Need help.
Does anyone know what a complete readout of the OBDII costs? fuel trim and all. And is an ignition analysis considered separate so it is likely I'd have to pay for both, if I take it somewhere?

dr_turbo · November 2005

Hi folks, been awhile since my 96 has been running good but it appears it needs rear rotors, they are very worn. How hard are they to change, pretty straight forward? I have done many a brake job but never on the aurora.

Any ideas on why the front end could be loose? When I go over railroad tracks or multiple bumps there are allot of rattles from underneath. Car has 135,000 and I am not sure of maintenance history on front end.

paul

dr_turbo · November 2005

Any thoughts on this? I was reading where the rear caliper pistons don't push in but screw in? Do these automaticaly adjust when the new pads are installed or do you have to manually adjust? Is there a write-up on this?

paul

blk97aurora · November 2005

Paul,

See #411 in "Care and Maintenance." Yes, you have to screw the pistons into the caliper cylinder until they bottom out to make room for the thickness of the new pads. I was never able to find a tool that fit correctly, but was able to use one of those universal cube-shaped tools that was close enough to work. No adjustment needed.

Les

e_net_rider · December 2005

The self adjuster is part of the parking brake and a good reason to always use it.
Also, and Ford has disseminated this info, when parking without using the parking brake tension in the drive train between the points of transmission parking pawl and the wheel, forces lubricant from between all mating surfaces. Tear down comparisons showed extra wear at specific points that bore the thrust from this tension consistantly. The conclusion was that it was causing a dry start at this points where lubrication was forced out.
So when you brake to put in park, set park brake before releasing foot brake, and the reverse when starting up. Move from park before disengaging brakes.
My conclusion is that if it caused significantly enough wear that Ford wrote about it, they were likely concerned with in warranty issues. So what about all the other wear points, such as CV joints. Under static pressure grease will be forced from contact points.

hammen2 · December 2005

If you have never replaced the front struts, that could be a real reason why your car rattles so much going over bumps. It was amazing the difference in ride quality in my '98 between the worn-out struts and rear air shocks, once they were replaced.

It's also possible some of the suspension bushings are shot (polyurethane replacements, anyone)?

--Robert

dr_turbo · December 2005

I noticed that while driving in colder weather the engine water temps are higher than when the amb is warmer. I also notice a slight increase in overall operating water temp since last year. Does this sound like a thermostat problem or a clogged rad in need of flushing? Is it difficult to change a thermostat if thats what it needs?
This is a 1996 w/130,000 miles.

paul

hammen2 · December 2005

Have you checked your coolant with an antifreeze tester? Flushed your coolant anytime recently? I'd do those things before starting to swap parts... and don't forget to use the sealant tabs if you do the flush and fill...

--Robert

blk97aurora · December 2005

Can someone post the Classic's EPA miles per gallon numbers (city and highway)? Was there a change for 2001+?

Merry Christmas to all!

Les

march94aurora · December 2005

Anyone have the part number for these tablets and how many do you add after a complete flush. I have an early 95 (#471) and it came from the factory with the green antifreeze. It was flushed 2 years ago when I bought the car and have not had to add any water since. Never runs above 210 so no cooling issues at this point. I always warm the car up about 5 to 10 minutes before driving. After warming up lately I notice spots of water on the garage floor beneath the exhaust tips. Not big puddles but only about 2 to 3" diameter. I would think this is normal condensation accept 2 days later the spots have not evaporated which leads me to believe they may contain antifreeze. As a precaution I want to add the seal tabs. When driving on a cold morning, my car seems to emit a little more steam than others on the road. Not nearly a fog machine like when my old 3.8 Taurus blew a head gasket.

imidazol97 · December 2005

Go to a Buick/Cadillac dealer parts department. Tell them which car it's for. They will look it up. My usual dealer had the right ones for LeSabre in a baggie like out of a bulk unlabeled shipment. The next year another dealer had a GM card with part number. But he asked which car--different tabs or sizes for different cars. I put in two out of 5 in the pack--don't want to clog the heater core.

sls002 · December 2005

In 1995 the Aurora was rated 17 city, 24 highway. In the following years, 1996 on, it was rated 17/26 for some reason. Perhaps they tested the autobahn version in 95? The V8 aurora was still rated 17/26 in 2003.

rjs200240 · December 2005

For 2002 on the rating climbed to 18/26.

sls002 · December 2005

Actually the city dropped to 17 in 2003. In 2001 it was 17/25, then up to 18/26, then down to 17/26.

Henry · December 2005

If you have a Classic Aurora, you can probably complete one of the two versions the following statement.

1) Please DON'T close the door by _____ ___ _ _____.

or

2) Please DON'T ______ __ ___ _____ when you close the door.

Come on you Classic guys, I know you know this one.

obriend21 · December 2005

I'm considering purchasing a 2001 Aurora V6 from my dad. He's getting the new car itch and will sell the car to me for what the dealer offered him. It has about 45000 miles on it and the only issue it had was a problem with the torque converter (needed replaced at 30000 mi). It is in great shape, the interior still smells like new, and it'd be a great deal for me. However, I'm a little concerned about future repairs, etc. I have a pretty basic 2000 Grand Am (manual windows, 4cyl, etc) that has 85000 miles on it but there's really not a whole lot to go wrong with it and it has been very reliable. Are there any issues with the 2001+ models (esp V6) that I should be aware of beforehand? Thanks.

hammen2 · December 2005

Common issues with the 2001 cars include:

a) crankshaft position sensors (more on the V8, but I do hear V6 folks having this issue)
b) Intermediate Steering Shaft - "clunking" on turns or over bumps
c) on the V6 models, when the secondary air pump is active, the current draw is too much for the alternator, and it can make the lighting (both internal and external) flicker.

Does your dad have the 3/36 or the 5/60 warranty on his car? GM went to the higher warranty standard after the Olds shutdown announcement in 12/2000. Later on, you could drop the warranty down for an additional $1k credit.

--Robert

hammen2 · December 2005

Yep, Christmas night, driving home from my brother's house, my '98 started making a driveline noise (like a loud road hum - thought it was the pavement at first since it was a new stretch of road). Noticed it also didn't seem to want to go over 45 mph. No CEL. Pulled off the freeway, checked everything out (trans fluid, checked the intake, reset PCM by disconnecting the battery for 20 minutes), still no go (seemed OK if you were rolling under 45 mph). Finally broke down and called my brother, who gave me a ride home.

Had it towed to a trans shop yesterday. When the tow truck driver (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Chris Elliott - maybe that's what he's doing these days) drove the car off the flatbed, I heard a rattling sound from the right front, like a BB rolling around the rim. Could the wheel hub/bearing be failing?

My August '97 built '98 has the Autobahn package, and the TSB about shift solenoids does apply to some '98's. I'm hoping, if it's the tranny, that's it (tach was a little high, but not close to redline, but I didn't push it since something was wrong). Otherwise, I've got a line on a couple different junkyard trannies (different depending on the Julian date of the trans - yes, both have the 3.71 Autobahn gearing) for around $400. Anyone know the book time to swap a tranny?

Oh yeah, I remembered that my third-party extended warranty was still in effect (100k miles or early January '06 - I have 98,650 miles on the car). Went to their web site... and their assets have been seized by the Hawaii Insurance Commissioner, and they're in liquidation. Oh well, can't really complain seeing how I got over $4500 in repairs paid out on an $1100 warranty...

Still waiting on the shop's diagnosis,

--Robert

hammen2 · December 2005

Good news. It was the wheel hub assembly (right front)... literally falling apart (one stud was broken, it and the lug nut were rolling around inside the rim - the other lugs were loose, and another stud broke when they went to tighten it). $330 later and she should be cured... whew!

Of course, the hubs usually go in pairs... I'm having them check the left one out. If nothing else I will probably replace it next fall when I pull the Aurora out of storage again (GTO comes out sometime in April)...

--Robert

blk97aurora · December 2005

push on the glass

pat · December 2005

Oh good, I've been wondering what he was getting at!! That makes sense! :shades:

Henry · December 2005

You are correct.

Do you know how many times I have had to say that to people?

Though I have never heard of it happenning to anyone, I am concerned that one day the glass will just break.

I have taken to not only telling people, but rolling down the glass when "new riders" with me get out of the car.

Henri

rjs200240 · December 2005

Glad to hear it's nothing serious. That said, check the wheel studs on the other side. You can also compare their length to a new stud to see if they stretched.

The Regal had a similar, though worse, incident wherein the driver's side front wheel decided to take its leave of the car at about 60mph. Two wheel studs had snapped and the lugs stripped right off the other three. The three were about 1/4" longer than the replacements, making me wonder if the replacements weren't too short. When I then replaced the other side for safety's sake, I noticed they were the same length as the replacements. So the wheel studs had stretched significantly.

garrybloom · January 2006

I just bought a 1999 Aurora and one of the reading lamp bulbs needs replaced. I pulled the lens cover off and cannot figure out how to remove the bulb. Any help?

sda · February 2006

Sad to say, I sold my 01 4.0 about a month ago. My father gave me his car as he can no longer drive. His car is paid for, is in perfect condition and should have many miles left. Payments were still being made on the Aurora, and a third car in the driveway was too many... My 4 yr old daughter still asks about "Aurora". "She was a sweet girl and I miss her. Daddy, can you get her back?" I wish I could. To the rest of you...enjoy. In our family we still have a '98 Aurora with 60k (mom's) and she will not consider getting rid of it. Good Luck and I wish you many miles of happy ownership!

Oldsmobile Aurora

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