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Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair

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Comments

  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    You didn't say what the engine temperature gauge reads when the car boils over.

    You also didn't say how the car has been maintained, especially if you are not the original owner and don't know if the radiator cooling capacity has been trashed by less than the required scheduled maintenance, power evacuation and antifreeze replacement.

    My original radiator worked just fine with a usual operating/running temperature of a sliver under 200 degrees ON THE GAUGE, which may in itself be inaccurate. So here goes.

    I am no mechanic, but I believe the thermostat, as you face the engine from the front, is located on the top right side of the engine where the radiator hose connects to the housing you mention. The thermostat is in that housing. The water pump is in that location as well. Check for leaks from both.

    The 95-99 Classics have no grill, so virtually all fresh air flow to the radiator is solely dependent on that flexible air dam snapped and bolted properly under the front fascia to direct air over the radiator. Notice that the fresh air is being taken right off the molten hot pavement. Not ideal, but it works.

    In continuous summer driving above 90 degrees, my temp gauge (98,500 miles on the odometer) may rise to just over the 200 degree mark, say 205. In stop and go traffic, it is not uncommon for it to hit 220 degrees. And when reverting back to continuous driving, it takes my car quite a while to get back down to 205, say 5-7 miles. These operating temperatures have remained unchanged during the entire life of the car. At about 83,000 miles in 11/07, I had installed a new thermostat, new hoses, a new radiator (old one cracked), a new water pump (seepage), and routine antifreeze flushes and replacement at the scheduled intervals throughout the life of the car.

    On the topic of antifreeze, age and the wrong mixture alone can create boiling over. Antifreeze works at both ends of the temperature spectrum. It pervents coolant from freezing at low temperatures (winter) and it raises the boiling temperature (summer) as well. The recommended mixture is 50% water to 50% antifreeze year round, but make sure you verify that on the bottle. I have used nothing but the orange GM product, Dex something or other.

    Someone else who knows more about this stuff......feel free to correct me.

    Are you on the original water pump?

    Jack
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    That pretty much nails it other than to say the system on this car has full flow through the engine at all times and as temperature rises this bypass system opens thermostat allowing flow to radiator. Yep, it is inside that housing on the upper hose. I have not yet had to change pump so I do not know what the impeller looks like, but there have been cases where the impeller gets loose on the shaft and does not pump. If it is a cast impeller it is possible for the vanes to become filled with dirt or rust. This is one car that I'd make sure the capacity of the pump was maybe greater than the OEM. If it is total change time of fluid, I'd maybe check with radiator shop to see what they use to get that sludge out that is created by mixing wrong antifreezes.
    BTW, does anyone know how to get a new lower air dam?
  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    e net.....

    Regarding a replacement front air dam, there is a maroon Classic parked overnight in a guy's driveway about a quarter mile from my house. Bring tools. ;) Seriously, I get all my miscellaneous parts from a local Cadillac dealer. Just a suggestion because there aren't a lot of these cars rotting away in boneyards YET, still see quite a few of them on the road.

    COOLANT CONTROVERSY:

    A few years ago I read some back and forth about problems with the GM antifreeze, Dextrol is it (orange)? I can't remember what that was all about other than I wasn't alarmed enough to switch. I think the GM product was supposed to have improved long term anti-corrosive properties on the upside, but then there was a downside which bought some press and blog space. Do you know what that was all about?

    "NORMAL" OPERATING TEMPERATURES:

    Do you experience the same coolant operating temperatures as I do in similar temperatures? I realized about 4 decades ago that auto gauges such as oil pressure and coolant temperature are not necessarily dead on accurate, so I have always just thought of them as "guidelines" and just worried when readings wandered out of the usual.

    CHANGES IN ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURES:

    Is your car slow to change engine operating temperatures with changes in operating conditions? In my post I noted that it takes quite a long time for the Aurora's engine temps to drop back down to around 205 (on the gauge) when transitioning from 90+ degree (ambient) weather in stop and go to running, about 6-7 miles. I am also surprised at how many miles I can drive in 5 degree to 15 degree weather before the coolant temperature reaches 200 degrees, about 8 miles on the highway. That seems like a long time, and slow when compared to other cars I have owned or own. In short, while analog gauges adjust as quickly as digital with actual coolant temperature changes, I was always aware that this car takes a longer time for temperature changes to show up in the engine coolant gauge readings, more so than any other car I have owned....and I am no spring chicken.

    WATER PUMP AND RADIATOR LIFE:

    I got 10 years and 84,000 miles out of both of mine before a minute radiator crack developed up by the neck on the radiator where the upper radiator hose connects. Was losing coolant over 18 months, but I could not find a leak, nothing on the ground, and sporadically smelling of coolant around the car. Then the crack got bigger (steam) and the leak was easy to spot. In retrospect, I should have had the radiator pressure tested, found the issue, and gotten mental relief much sooner. At the same time slight seepage was found coming from the water pump. The reason I mention this is everyone assumes the worst, a head gasket leak where the coolant boiled off the intake so the leak is not visually evident. We have an unexplained or mysterious coolant loss and smell crop up, then assume the worst.

    ENGINE SHUT DOWN FEATURE:

    I have to go back and check my owners' manual. but isn't the car supposed to have an automatic engine shut down feature when operating temperatures exceed 240 degrees to protect the aluminum engine block and intake? The reason I mention this is because the previous poster mentioned boil over but not engine shut down.

    Just food for thought............

    Jack
  • justmereallyjustmereally Member Posts: 2
    brinwood,

    Thank you, thank you, thank you. You probably saved me more money than I could afford to fix this same problem with my 96 Aurora. It started slowly and after a few days of me trying to figure out what in the world was going on, it killed my battery.

    I found your post here and spent the afternoon following your directions and it worked great. I charged up the battery and it is working fine again.

    Thank you very much.

    Brian
  • bgadamsbgadams Member Posts: 9
    My horn has now quit working and wont blow no matter how hard I try. I had it inspected last week for new plates, and asked the tech to check it since it had stopped once before. He checked the relays and could not find any problem. Today when I got stuck behind a brainless teen who was texting on her cell, I could have used it, but no work, and gunning my engine didn't get her attention. Any one with help on this one? Thanks in advance.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Trying to avoid Caddy price by using body shop.
    Controversy to me is still somewhat mysterious. There has been a ton of lawsuits, some class action, and some of those had outrageous claims. Some claim the orange causes head gaskets to leak. What I find objectionable is the amount of seepage through head gasket that is allowable, across the GM line. I used the Dexcool/Prestone in 3 Taurus/Sable without a problem. I totally flushed the green and put Dexcool in a 95 Regal and was alarmed at the gunk showing up in the overflow bottle. And it was near imposible to remove, that is heavy duty cleaners did not get it. To get it out of the bottle, I tried several different things including strong solvents without luck. Finally, because it is plastic, I sprayed oven cleaner which broke it down enough to allow brake cleaner to remove the rest of it. My daughter started having overheat problems and traded it. My suspicion is that the head gasket was going again.
    GM claims there is no problem in a closed system where air can not mix with the coolant. The Aurora surely does not fit that group. And I see quite a bit of gunk accumulating in the bottle. I will probably check with radiator shop to see what is needed to clean system and then use one of the newer high milage coolants (Xerox) that claims it mixes with any coolant.
    Temperature change is slow I suspect because of the full flow through the block system I suspect. Other vehicles use the system where cold the thermostat is closed and only a small amout circulates via heater by-pass. This more easily creates hot spots and when the thermostat pops open the block could be slugged with cold coolant from the radiator. This system has full flow through the block and blends a portion of the radiator coolant to maintain temperature. This might be why the perceived slow response exists. And slower temp changes are better with aluminum. When my pump goes I will likely look for a slightly larger impeller just the same to avoid heating problems many seem to have, or is it maybe a gunked up Dexcool radiator?
    Having been down the overheat road, thermostat is rated at 195 or 198 fully opened maybe. Fans will run at low around 212 I think, if AC is not on. Somewhere around 230 the fans kick to high speed. And at maybe that temp or higher still, the engine cuts back to four cylinders. It does not shut down.
    By now you have likely noticed that this engine also uses a low oil pressure system, something I forget the details of at this moment. Neither of these changes, cooling or oil are new technologies. They were used a long time ago, maybe pre-50's.
    It is my opinion that GM engineers did not do the best they could. It seems there should have been much more failure rate testing, but then that seems to be true of a lot of their newer vehicles as well. It is my opinion, that with currently available technology, no vehicle should need anything but oil change, etc. before 100K. And with only minor problems easily run till 200K. It does not take a genious to see that they only need to use a slightly higher grade of wire so it does not break at the doors. More strands equal greater flexibility and more bends before it breaks. Too damned cheap to spend 10 cents per vehicle for better wire? To some degree the Aurora and Caddy of same vintage was a small leap forward but I am awe struck at the wiring and relay managerie used at a time when the engine and several other systems are tied to a computer. It seems like it is from the era where the very first computer was built with vacuum tubes and relays and the term bug originated because a bug actually got in a relay.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    By a super powerful laser and melt her mirror. If that don't get attention, change your aim.
    Is the power getting to the horn?
  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/129989/article.html

    THANK YOU EDMUNDS. For once someone went out and actually tested all of the fuel economy tips folks have been arguing about and quantified the results of their testing. If the above link doesn't work by cutting and pasting to your web browser, go to:

    Edmunds.com
    Car Reviews
    Top 10 Lists
    Top 10 Ways to Waste Gas
    under #1....click on "We test the tips"

    I just got done arguing with my Father-in-law about Mr. Obama's claim we could cut U.S. gasoline consumption by 3-4% by properly inflating tires. So I went to the source of the claim: www.fueleconomy.gov. Tests were published by the US Department of Energy and The US EPA. Four of five fuel economy tests were conducted by a firm known as Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc., out of Washington, D.C. (never heard of them), including the tire inflation claims.

    Mr. Obama's contention that we could save 3-4% on gasoline consumption in the U.S. if we were to properly inflate our tires is true, BUT, all of our tires would have to be underinflated to start with by 7.5-10psi., every tire. This is using the .4mpg lost for each underinflation amount of 1 pound per square inch, cited by the "company" doing the testing as cited by the United States Government.

    Edmunds was surprised when they found the fuel economy loss with underinflated tires (up to 8 psi) too small (unworthy) to quantify They realized that the differences in vehicle aerodynamics and differing tire rolling resistances would further make the exercise senseless to pursue since there were far greater (some huge) gains to be made through simple adjustments in drivers' driving habits.

    Read the Edmunds article. It makes for interesting reading if not huge gains in your fuel economy.

    Jack
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I would like to know if anyone has found an effective way of removing gunk created with using Dexcool? That slimely looking stuff that shows up in overflow bottle. My prior efforts of removing it from a 95 Regal bottle would not be good for the system. I did a double flush using heavy duty cleaner on that one and it did not clean bottle so I strongly suspect it left a lot in Radiator and engine.
    Has anyone tried a product called ARC, aluminum radiator cleaner. I talked with a radiator shop and was told that was what they would use with their method. Not sure what that was but also told it would not help with gunked up block so their must be something in the method.
  • pharry752pharry752 Member Posts: 6
    At 110,000 miles my 96 aurora started misfiring. The autozone guys hooked up a code reader and found muliple random misfires. This turned out to be a bad coil. I founded it by grounding out plug wires to find which coil is bad. The difference in spark is very noticeable as a bad coil gives a very weak red spark versus the hot white spark of a good coil. I replaced the coil and it ran great for a month. Another coil went out. Then another a week later. Bottom line is the coils all four went out within 2 or 3 weeks of each other.
  • pharry752pharry752 Member Posts: 6
    I have 155000 miles on my 96 aurora. v8 northstar 4.0 liters. At a steady accelerator pressure it backfires through the intake. I have replaced the throttle position senser. I have cleaned the maf senser. No codes are present. I ohmed out the plug wires and they check good. I can't find any vacuum leaks, but then I probably haven't found all the vacuum lines either. Any ideas?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    backfiring is often a timing issue---the spark going off at the wrong time OR a leak through the valves themselves. The plug wires could test fine for resistance but they still might be cross-firing through leakage, especially old wires.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    The demands of the plug wires was determined before they came up with the cheap steel fuel rail replacement and the wires are close or in contact to it in several places. (Kick GM in head). I've also blown a few coils since they replaced it. But there could be other reasons for backfire as pointed out, such as timing sensor. Are there any codes?
    One place to look for leak is backfire valve in end of manifold. It has a flapper door with a rubber seal around it and I found mine tore up. I had to remove manifold and then found manifold totally gunked up. Totally surprised since it should only have blowby and EGR gasses. Gunked up to the point I had a hard time removing valve which locks in place with maybe a quarter turn and has another seal around edge. They are an available part, but I did mine before the fuel rail that I hate.
  • bdblkab96bdblkab96 Member Posts: 9
    Speaking of low oil pressure let me add my 2 cents...
    I own a 96. About a year and a half ago my alarm was going off every time I came to a stop light or stand still. Raising the idle above 1k of course stops the bling bling bling with the higher RPM. One could raise the idle setting to help but not with the cost of fuel these days. So I took it to my mechanic and had the "actual" pressure tested. He mentioned the fact that if you don't hear the valves clicking, the oil is circulating as it should.

    He was quite surprised to find it at about 25 lbs with the low pressure alarm sounding off. So he replaced the Pressure sensor and poof problem solved.
    About a week ago I drove into NYC and sat in traffic. Guess what started in again ?
    This time it was intermittent. Sometimes bling bling bling and sometime everything was fine at idle. So I thought ay, the dammed sensor went bad again.
    Brought it back to the mechanic. He replaced the sensor with another new one.
    First stop light.... BLING BLING BLING BLING !!!! every stop after that ? BLING BLING BLING BLING...has a good tempo but it is worse than it was before I brought it back to him. Now they say they have to pull the Pan, but to do that they have to pull the Tranny. But they don't do that and have to send it to a Tranny shop but the tranny shop don't pull oil pans ! I had them put the old sensor back in. Do an oil change with a heavier grade oil. Everything is fine now but I see the pressure is higher than it should be. Now I idle at about 30 + lbs, 86 to 90 + when cold..

    What do I do now ? Is my engine suddenly going to explode oil out of every conceivable gasket ? They told me that they put in "straight 30 weight".

    This all started about 2 years ago when I had my oil change done at Walmart.
    The Dealer was getting expensive. $1,000 + bucks every time I needed something done. Weird. I lucked out and found a mechanic that knows the cars but now I am starting to doubt this shops knowledge.

    What are your thoughts or more so ...knowledge. :mad:
  • dustyrusteedustyrustee Member Posts: 5
    have no fear of your oil pressure readings....you should be very pleased they are that high...especially with only 30 weight oil, which is not a particularly heavy or high viscosity oil..tells me that all your rod and crank bearings are in great shape...ditto for your oil pump internals..

    no fear of 'blowing gaskets', etc...none at all...engine gaskets dont factor into the equation at all....
  • blk97aurorablk97aurora Member Posts: 573
    Where did your mechanic measure 25 psi with the alarm sounding? How long was it between replacement of the pressure sender and return of the low-pressure alarm?

    What is the logic behind pulling the oil pan? Are the lifters clicking?

    My '97 shows 70+ psi at idle when cold and running 10w-30 Mobil 1, so 85+ does not surprise me with straight 30 weight.

    I do not remember how the pressure sender triggers the low-pressure alarm. Does anyone know if shorted wiring could do it?

    Les
  • bdblkab96bdblkab96 Member Posts: 9
    I apologize for being away so long. Over a year. But us Aurora owners are very busy these days, especially if you still have yours too. After 90k they demand too much attention. May be where the term "squeaky wheel" came from. Duh ! The circuit turned out to be the popular "broken wires inside the boot" by the driver door hinges.
    I had several. And a blown dash board lighting fuse under the rear seat. I'm guessing you have read the blogs about how to fix those wires ? If not, let me know and I will advise asap. (now that I remember my log on.) I just recently had to replace my driver door window motor. I thought at first I missed a wire but when using the window switch, I could hear that it was clicking which told me it was getting power to the switch. But of course I allocated the time to take the door apart to make sure anyway. Now I am in the infamous low oil pressure mode again. This time it looks like it is more than just a change out of the oil pressure sensor. There are some informative discussions on that too. :D
  • bdblkab96bdblkab96 Member Posts: 9
    Where ? If I knew I would have done it myself.
    The alarm sounds when the sensor/sender drops below 5 psi typically Mine rang out just before zero. This always occurred when at hot idle. Apparently there is a way to hook up this external actual pressure indicator while the car is running. As I stated, sort of, I have no lifter clicking at all and believe me I know very well the sound of lifter clicking from my younger days. Spent a few hours changing out Hydraulics in my International PU too. (you know back in the days we could rebuild engines ourselves) It was about a year and a half ago that I had the sensor/sender replaced. We are at the mercy of the mechanics knowledge. That in itself can skew all of our related issues. The mechanic said that I was getting a false reading from that sensor/sender. Replaced it and all remained well until now. By this new replacement not doing the trick tells me something else somewhere else is wrong.
    As stated within this forum, there are several other factors that can affect oil pressure levels. One being bearings located inside the oil pan. But what I want to know is.... do you really need to pull the tanny to get the oil pan out ? Maybe I will take a good look this weekend myself.
    According to this forum, the alarm is triggerd by several possible factors.
    Knowing the "cheap wiring" in the vehicle, that may also be a contributor.
    But not necessarily. I prefer to use 10w 30 M1 myself. maybe that too ?
    .
  • bdblkab96bdblkab96 Member Posts: 9
    Thank you for easing my pain. I like your confidence. And I truly hope you're right.
    I will be taking her for a seven hour cruise soon. And yes, I was very pleased to hear of those pressure readings. I also liked the expression on the mechanics face when he saw them. I just can't like blowing gaskets. No matter what kind they are.
    Thanks :D
  • bgadamsbgadams Member Posts: 9
    You sound like someone that might be able to help me with blower fan problems on hvac in my 98 Aurora. The blower will come on only when it wants to operate and not when I need it.I have been told that it could be the fan control module , and or the fan motor itself. Both somewhat expensive to repair or replace.
    Today with controls set on low temp and high fan it came on after 10 minutes of driving and blew for 10 or 15 more before failing again. I did make a hard right turn
    just before it started up, and have had that happen a few times past. I hesitate to pay the dealer to train his tech at
    my expence. When I had it there last, the tech said he checked the relays but could find nothing wrong. Is it
    possible that I have a cracked relay that is making intermittent contact. Please help me if you can. Thanks.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Following on, I see no reason to pull the pan unless the oil pressure reading is actually low! If it were, pump wear, a stuck bypass valve, or leaking gasket at the pump assembly might be some reasons for dropping pan. Otherwise you might have a top end gasket leaking, head gasket, or just plain wear.
    If pressure reads good at sender location, then you are down to the sender itself, wiring, and computer. I'd say eliminate wiring as it is cheapest and a new sender won't work any better unless slight tolerances allow it to send a marginally better signal. I don't know for sure, but think this sender is of the older style with varying resistance, not like some of the newer where a modulated signal is created.
    So locate the sender, disconnect wiring and check it at connector. Might want to disconnect battery to be safe, especially with next steps. Remove the main connector at the firewall that everything passes through and check for corrosion or other obvious defects. (Reconnecting might be enough to force better contact, but maybe consider some anticorrosive sprayed into the contacts. Silicone grease is also an excellent protective that does not conduct.) Go to the computer and do the same thing with connectors there. Also locate the wire feeding computer and measure resistance from sender to it which should be near zero ohms, that is less than one ohm I would hope. Don't forget to check the ground circuit and also check the signal wire for a short to ground and that should read very high, maybe 100K or more as it should be infinite.
    Some senders had a single wire with the stud of the sender being ground. Some had more than one wire and in that case the second wire might be the ground, or it is a power feed to the sender and the other is the return to the computer. This type of circuit often has the power sent from the computer as a regulated voltage. That feed may also be sent to other sensors. So the internals of the computer could be failing or something else is loading that voltage line. Once that is determined, also check for proper voltage at the sending unit. Disconnected should be the regulated voltage. Check connected voltage by back-probing, looking for a voltage drop that could cause the output to be out of tolerance. Do the same at the computer to determine it it is computer or wiring issue.
    If there are three wires at sender, one is likely power, another is ground, and the third being signal. In this case it might be a purely resistive output, or it might be a fancy modulated signal, which likely also means a pricier sender.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    The fan and control module are not that hard to get at, drop the glove box. Check if power is being sent to fan when it is not operating.
    Caution on aftermarket, I used one a number of years ago and it just did not spin as fast as the OEM, so less cooling when needed.
  • dustyrusteedustyrustee Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for your thanks.

    FYI, I am an old hot rod builder/drag racer.

    When building a high performance engine, one normally changes or modifies the oil pump so that it puts out greater pressure and volume than stock...this is critical to engine life. Performance application demand greater pressure and volume.

    The gaskets and seals on an engine are not located in areas where the oil pressure would affect them...it is not easy to give a full explanation here, but in very basic terms the oil pump circulates lubricant under highest pressure through the oil galleries in the engine block directing this flow to the crankshaft bearings with a residual amount going to the camshafts and valve train...these are the areas that are pressure lubed....the areas that are guided by bearing elements.

    the balance of the engine internals are lubed simply by splash or drip without pressure involvment.....it is these areas that are contained by the gaskets and seals...for example the engine pan, upper valve train covers, crankshaft ends,etc.

    So, in very basic terms there are no gaskets or seals to "blow" as a result of elevated oil pressure.....because there is no elevation of oil pressure in these areas where gaskets and seals are located...so this is an unfounded fear and you should no fear.

    hope this helps...dusty
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Because of the overhead cam, in this engine it seems necessary that there be a pressure feed through the head gasket to lubricate the camshaft.
    But it would seem unlikely that the head gasket would fail in such a way as to create a major leak, internal, without failure of coolant or combustion chamber seal. But then the engineer might have put that galley too close to an edge of the gasket where it might be more susceptible to leak because of the greater changes with aluminum.
    Yet, we are talking about a low pressure system to start with. But there is one thing that has intrigued me because the pressures go so high when cold. Sort of like a combination of high and low pressure systems. Works on high pressure until the engine is heated and tolerances have settled to operating specification.
    Weird huh?
    Again, I'd rely on actual pressures checked with guage, and I know there is a specification chart that shows both cold and warm temps for checking. I think it was at All-Data.
  • dustyrusteedustyrustee Member Posts: 5
    Dont overlook the fact that engine oils thin considerably as well when engine reaches operating temp, hence all engines have noticeable pressure drop from cold to hot...

    as well oil porting thru head gaskets to lube cams presents no concern about gasket failure there as the oil is constantly flowing to cam bearings and there is very little backpressure at head to block juncture...
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    My concern at head gasket is that part of the gasket has broken allowing flow back to pan before it reaches camshaft. As oil thins that volume would become greater and possibly enough leaking by to drop pressure enough to get the alarm. But this would only be if pressure is low at sending unit.
  • boston08boston08 Member Posts: 7
    Hello I have a 1995 Oldsmobile Aruora That i just bought in April, Now the sterring wheel is loose it moves up and down and you can feel some play in it while driving! So i was wondering if anyone has ever heard of such a thing like this? At first it didn't pass state inspection because of the play the wheel had in it,,So the place i bought it from somehow got a sticker on it..Than he told me it was suspoes to be that way incase i got in an accident so i wouldn't be trapped in my car..I feel that is bull s*** because why would the state not have known about that? Anyways please some help here before i go back to where i bought it from and give them hell..I drive with 2 little children in the car with me..So i don't want to put them nor myself at risk for an accident..Thanks
  • dr_turbodr_turbo Member Posts: 60
    Hi, I have a 96 and it does the same thing, up/down movement. It is not suppose to do that but mine has been like that for 4 yrs now. I don't believe it is a safety hazard but should be tightened up. Someone once told me how to tighten that up but never got around to doing it.
    Hope someone responds that can tell us exactly where this may be loose and how to tighten it.

    paul
  • boston08boston08 Member Posts: 7
    Thank you Paul for your reply =)
  • donnapacadonnapaca Member Posts: 26
    95 aurora
    Check engine light with hard shift from park to reverse and hard shift neutral to drive-in the past this has generally been bad pcm. Took to dealer that I have had success in fixing problems in the past. They hooked up code reader and the check engine light was not on, and computer did not store trouble codes. It shifted fine when they tested it, however the gages would not work-84,000 miles and never had this problem. Dealer said they only hooked up code reader, did not do anything else-any ideas?
    I have read ignition switch issue-I will try other key. Any other suggestions?
    I would appreciate any responses.
  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    This may be of no benefit to the discussion, but my 98 just turned 101,000 miles and uses 1 quart of 10-30 conventional by about 3,500 miles when I get the oil changed. Over the life of the car, the oil pressure readings have not changed much and, assuming the gauge is not dead on accurate, I haven't been concerned with the oil pressure readings under various operating conditions.

    Summer idle cold idle @ ~ 700 rpm: 59 psi
    Summer hot idle @ ~ 700 rpm: 8-9 psi
    Summer cruising hot @ ~ 1950 rpm & 60 mph: 28-34 psi
    Winter cold idle @ ~ 1000 rpm: ?
    Winter hot idle @ ~ 700 rpm: 12-14 psi
    Winter cruising after cold start @ 1950 rpm: 73 psi
    Winter cruising hot @ ~ 1950 rpm & 60 mph: 36-38 psi

    Original sender, pump, and gauge. I'd be interested if everyone elses' experience is similar.

    Jack

    Jack
  • brinwoodbrinwood Member Posts: 32
    My 97 has the same oil pressures at those RPM's.
    I change my oil and filter at 7,000 miles. I use 10-30 Pennzoil and it doesn't use any.
    I have 117K on my aurora.
  • pepe13pepepepe13pepe Member Posts: 2
    I would check your rack and pinion, my 1997 aurora was like that since i bought it in November of 07 and my rack and pinion bushing/bracket snapped about a week ago when i was pulling into a parking spot. The play on the steering wheel is horrible now because nothing is holding the rack and pinion to the frame. So I am thinking that there was a fracture in the bracket before. If you are not too car saavy i would have someone you know how is look underneath at the it and see if there is any damage done to your rack and pinoin or the brackets. good luck. p.s. to get it fixed by a shop will run you about 600-1200 dollars is what ive found
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Can you clarify? What exactly moves up and down? Just the wheel flexing at the tilt joint or the whole assembly noticeable at dash junction?
    Is there any side play?
    Going back to a complaint of mine, wife bought without consulting me. I got in and noticed lots of play, gave wheel a hard shake and upper assembly fell into my lap. At the tilt joint, aluminum castings with a steel pin about 5/8" on each side of column for the joint. At some time one of the pins was replaced with a quarter inch drive socket which was still loose and the shake broke the casting. Whole column was replaced.
    Definitely time for removing covers and doing an inspection.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    I decided to revisit your comment about knowing noisy lifters because that may be a relative to a specific engine thing. Having known someone with a '65 Mustang 289 High Performance, that thing is noisy at idle always, but then it uses solid lifters. Hydraulic lifters should be much quieter and I don't know about overhead cams. I'd presume them to be even quieter and they may remain near quiet at insufficient oil flow, just not enough to prevent wear.
    Your noise level indicating good oil may best be answered by someone who has knowledge of this engine.
  • dr_turbodr_turbo Member Posts: 60
    boston08, not sure if yur asking me the question but the wheel moves mainly up/down but also with some side movement. If I grab the steering wheel it feels like something in the shaft is loose, not the entire column where it would mount underneath. I hope I am making this clear to understand. Thanks

    paul
  • oldwinooldwino Member Posts: 20
    If the movement is up/down without any side movement and is pivoting at the tilt joint and not the whole steering column, then it's possible that the tilt locking mechanism is loose. I had a Buick that started getting up/down movement in the tilt function. It got worse til it came completely loose one day and flopped down and would not lock into any position. I ended up having to do some disassembly and put the screws back in the locking assembly for the tilt. I don't know if the Aurora mechanism is the same. My guess would be that it's probably different. Good Luck.
  • pepe13pepepepe13pepe Member Posts: 2
    im replying to your post again because i just fixed my rack and pinon and got it done two days ago. After fixing that I found out my tilt had come loose, so i took off the cover to replace it. I fixed that but still had play in my from left to right. The play I had in my steering wheel was due to the two cases that connect where your tilt is. (sorry i am not clear as to what the specific name of it is). Anyways I had to remove the piece to see if i could get it welded, long story short, it was a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] and i wasted a couple hours figuring out how to fix this(because i am not that mechanically inclined). Heres how it goes to check if that piece is broken or if the tilt is messed up. There are six screws in the steering wheel case that must be romoved to open it and the only way to get to them is from under the case. Three in the bottom half and three that screw up into the top half. One of those last three you must get to by sneeking up through the hole where your tilt lever is. If our cars are the same (which they should be, as all 95-99's are) then you will have to use a 1/4" 5mm socket and a 1/4 extension would be the best. the case is then only held together by clips, just squeeze and pull and the case should seperate. (you have to remove the tilt knob cover which is held in by one screw i think) Once that is removed you will see the guts, now if the TILT is out of position you will be able to tell by looking underneath, if you can see the two sets of teeth sticking out and not in the case, then thats your problem right there, which hopefully thats all that it is. But if they appear to be positioned right then check the right and left sides to the two aluminum half cases meet each other. they should be held together by a pin (actually two seperate pins). but on mine, the part where the two meet from the rear half case was broken and that had to be welded. and fixed. I could walk you through the process of how to remove that piece which is not that hard but due to the lack of time that i have right now, i cannot explain. Please leave a post if you need further instructions or feel free to call me at 269 290 3735 and leave me a message, as i usually dont pick up numbers that i dont know,. I would gladly help you all that i can. All of the repairs ive done this past week wouldve cost me close to $1500 if not more and in all i spent maybe 200. Hope to save you money and hope this helps
  • wickedinvawickedinva Member Posts: 3
    I had to replace the dash cluster to fix the gauges eventually you will loose all visual of the gauges on the dash panel my 95 aurora dash panel turned completely off and it was after dark I couldn't see the speedometer, or any other gauges when the cluster went out. Hope this helps you.
  • wickedinvawickedinva Member Posts: 3
    lift up the back seat and disconnect the battery for around a minute that should reset the system.
  • dcoseydcosey Member Posts: 1
    MY DIC, DASH GAUGES AND CLIMATE CONTROL IS NOT WORKING CAN ANY ONE HELP :confuse:
  • donnapacadonnapaca Member Posts: 26
    check your computer & other connections. I took my 95 in because I was getting some check engine warnings, and they ran diagnostic. After their test the gages did not work. It turned out just to be connections that had to be plugged in harder.
    Not sure it that will solve your problem, but it did mine.
    My local dealer checked it and did not charge.
    Don
  • txshadow12txshadow12 Member Posts: 10
    Question: How difficult did you and your dad find it to replace the spakr plugs? Steps you used? Any key steps with which one has to be particularly careful? When removing the plug wire, was it easy to remove or did the wire rip? Is this a job that an old back yard mechanic can do?
    Thanks.
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    PCV valve located in right valve cover at front of engine. Connected to throttle body via a plastic tube near 1/2" diameter.
    EGR is electric and located near throttle body.
  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    Well, the hard part was trying to figure out where on this site to post a question about body rust. So I decided body rust on my 1998 Black/Black Autobahn is simply maintenance.

    I started my annual detailing and noticed the beginning of a paint bubble on the right (passenger) rear quarter panel at the front edge of the wheel well. The beginnings of rust through. The body side molding on the right rear door almost points to it! It is about 1 inch long and 1 inch wide. I live in road salt central, so I am not surprised. But the car is so clean that it has my anal retentive, obsessive compulsive mind cranking.

    Has anyone started to see body rust on your 95-99? In this spot? And short of going nuts and hitting the body shop, what did you do about it?

    I did a search on the forum under "rust" but found nothing about rust on body panels. And the hood is aluminum, so no issues there.

    At 103,000 miles, the car still garners admiring looks and questions. About 18,000 of the miles were put on in the last 9 months, a commuting issue which thankfully has run its course. And no maintenance issues in that time frame! Miracle.

    Thank you in advance for any advice.
  • dmgadgetdmgadget Member Posts: 4
    Not sure if you'll see this, as it's a couple years later, but when I replaced my '98 Aurora's factory deck with an aftermarket one, I noticed that it seemed that the HVAC steering wheel controls and the radio controls were all wired through the same harness. Essentially, replacing the radio costs you all the steering wheel controls. I tested this theory by plugging back in the radio and the controls worked for the AC and radio. Had to try that because I've been having the same HVAC BCM (blower control module) issues: namely, sporadic, unpredictable and unreliable AC...and now the heater. I know the fan it self could work, because at times, while driving along, the AC would pop on and blow nice, cold air for a minute, two, ten, sometimes until I was forced to turn it down (which I hated to do) before it would just shut right off again. I've pulled the BCM and am trying to determine just how to see if it is the problem. There are no visible issues, although, someone HAD put a pin (like a "T" shaped sewing needle w/o the eye) into the hot (RED) lead wire. Perhaps, that was done to try to put a volt meter on the BCM to locate the problem, or maybe it was a creative solution to making sure the hot wire had contact inside the harness housing. Either way, it was strange to see/find. Any idea how to see if this thing works or not? Thanks.
    Daniel
  • dmgadgetdmgadget Member Posts: 4
    Hi. I was unable to locate any posts that directly answered 2 of my three questions--I'll keep looking for answers to number 3.

    Question 1: Any idea how to test a BCM (Blower Control Module) to see if that is the reason for my intermittent blower? I've seen multiple posts suggesting that that is the cause, but I'd rather not have to guess.

    2. I can't seem to get gas to do into my car at anything other than a trickle. If I don't hold the gas "throttle" at the pump just as slow as I can, then after a few seconds you can hear the gas backing up the tank neck and before you can stop pumping (or the auto-stop kicks in) you have a "spurt" of gasoline backing up and out of the car. I DID end up trying to cross a median that seems to have been a little higher than my clearance. The same day I bottomed out (scrapped/banged the bottom of the undercarriage) I found my self needing gas and when I tried to put it in, my '98 Aurora decided to spit it back out on my hand! I've never had a car that didn't LIKE gas! Unless it was that cheap junk.

    3. I'll keep looking for answers/resolutions to #3. I've seen some posts about fuel gauges not being consistent below about a quarter tank, and mine sure isn't. Resetting the Tripometer works pretty well, but short of a filling up (a VERY slow process) regularly, I just can't be sure how low my gauge really is. I carry a gallon of gas in the truck to be "safe."

    Any advice is greatly appreciated.
    DMGadget
  • dmgadgetdmgadget Member Posts: 4
    I also forgot to mention that I can't seem to reset the Transmission Fluid "percentage" as listed on the computer readout (is that being called the DCM? What's that stand for again?). The oil resets w/o problems, and I've been trying to keep it done regularly, but I've been unable to ever reset the Tranny fluid reading (it says 100%). I could also use some advice as to the suggested maintenance of the transmission. When should I be changing it, or should I? I've heard for and against. I'm in a '98 w/120,000 on it. It's a California car, but I moved to Chicagoland to wed and it handles great in the sucky winter weather here, but between the crazy fuel gauge, the iffy heater/AC blower, the slight coolant leak (after changing Radiator hoses, which failed), and the gas going into the tank at, literally, the slowest possible speed, well, I'm practically willing to trade it for a little Honda. But, boy, heated seats....ahhhhh.... :)
  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    Hi DMGadget......re your third question.

    3. I'll keep looking for answers/resolutions to #3. I've seen some posts about fuel gauges not being consistent below about a quarter tank, and mine sure isn't. Resetting the Tripometer works pretty well, but short of a filling up (a VERY slow process) regularly, I just can't be sure how low my gauge really is. I carry a gallon of gas in the truck to be "safe."

    There are a lot of posts out there on this one, but finding them is another story. The short answer: common problem, the fuel gauge on the dash goes nuts; and the most common cause is that the sending unit ( part of the fuel pump assembly) has gone bad.

    I've seen some post that you can purchase the sending unit separately. Others have just replaced the fuel pump with the sending unit. Parts prices quoted by others were varied, but expect $280-$400.

    The good news is that Olds provided a trap door so to speak to access the fuel pump without having to drop the tank. It's in the trunk under the mats, forward toward the passenger compartment. Also, there was some sort of tool folks purchased to facilitate the DIY approach.

    Personally, just too much expense for my blood when you have the Driver's Info Center DIC gallons used gauge (FUEL) which I have found to be accurate and reliable.

    My sending unit started acting up at about the 8 year 80,000 mile mark. The gauge would work fine until about a 1/3 tank of fuel remaining, or about 11-12 gallons used. Then the fuel gauge would bounce all over the place from full to empty, the range (distance to empty in miles) would go nuts, and the low fuel warning indicator on the DIC would warn me.

    Since I have sometimes ridden the edge, I have had the DIC gallons used (FUEL) read as high as 17-18 and have been able to put that much fuel back in. The tank is rated at 18 gallons I think. Others have warned that running the fuel that low is a bad idea because the fuel pump requires a couple of gallons in the tank to keep it cool.

    I have also manually calculated mpg by dividing the trip odometer miles by the DIC gallons used. Matches the average mpg on the DIC.

    BTW, on the original ignition (wires, plugs, coils, etc.), I get over 27 mpg pure highway miles per gallon. Replicated in August on a long trip with the wife and half of her earthly possessions (or so it seemed, but the trunk was filled). Cruise at 65 mph. It's fairly amazing for a 3,900+ pound car that's 11 years old! That's almost a 490 range on a tank of gas!

    Jack
  • pscheidpscheid Member Posts: 190
    dmgadget wrote......

    I also forgot to mention that I can't seem to reset the Transmission Fluid "percentage" as listed on the computer readout (is that being called the DCM? What's that stand for again?). The oil resets w/o problems, and I've been trying to keep it done regularly, but I've been unable to ever reset the Tranny fluid reading (it says 100%). I could also use some advice as to the suggested maintenance of the transmission. When should I be changing it, or should I? I've heard for and against. I'm in a '98 w/120,000 on it.

    I called it the the DIC (Driver Info Center), from the owners' manual. DCM may be correct for something else.

    While you can't reset your trans fluid life remaining (always shows 100% fluid life remaining and never changes), take comfort that no one else can either, at least as far as what I've read on this Forum. Me neither. Better yet, when I first had the trans fluid changed at the dealer, I told them the trans life never dropped below 100%. Their response was that the "recommended" interval for trans flushes, screen, and new fluid is "never" under normal operating conditions. Sure enough, the scheduled maintenance in the 1998 owners' manual calls trans fluid to your attention at the 50 and 100K mile marks.

    The 1998 (my) owners' manual suggests only change the trans fluid if you drive "mainly" under one or more of the following conditions:

    * Heavy city traffic w. outside temps regularly 90 degrees or higher.
    * Hilly or mountainous areas.
    * Frequent trailer towing.
    * Uses such as taxi, police, delivery (livery?) service.

    Personally, I don't buy into "never" when it comes to trans fluids and screens. That's just me. Yes, have read horror stories from folks posting that things went south right after changes. Coincidence? Knucklehead mechanic fails to get the oil pan sealed? Your choice. I've changed mine around every 3 years/30,000 miles regardless, and the trans still runs as smoothly at 103,000 miles as the day the car was delivered, very smooth.

    If I bought used, that's one of the first things I'd change no matter what, along with the motor oil and a radiator flush/coolant replacement. I've read here of trans replacements @ $4800! The $120 full trans service is cheap enough, gives me piece of mind, though I always check the fluid level and the pan for leaks or seapage, before and after the change. Trust no one.

    dmgadget wrote.....

    It's a California car, but I moved to Chicagoland to wed and it handles great in the sucky winter weather here, but between the crazy fuel gauge, the iffy heater/AC blower, the slight coolant leak (after changing Radiator hoses, which failed), and the gas going into the tank at, literally, the slowest possible speed,

    I'm running the Yokohama Avid V4S at about $98 per tire, great price performance all season tire. The car is a tank in the snow, don't need an awd vehicle. Wife drives in the winter, every winter, leaving me to fend for myself in the "new" car.

    Re the slight coolant leak, you may want to read up in this Forum on this because the sources of the leak are too numerous to discuss. I've had just one, never could find errant coolant on the engine or on the ground.

    After eliminating a head or head gasket leak as a possible cause (no coolant on engine, ground, or in the motor oil, long story re burning coolant smells, white residue on inside of the oil filler cap, rising oil levels because coolant leaking into motor oil), I drove the car for 2 years, adding the 50%/50% blend of Dex-Cool coolant and water (another controversy re coolants) about every 6 months. I could very intermittantly smell coolant, usually after highway driving, an all season problem.

    Finally got some visible steam working for me when I almost got stuck 40 miles from home. Got home. Under pressure at operating temperature of ~ 200 degrees, lights out in the mechanic's garage, and with a flashlight, my mechanic found two issues: original radiator was cracked by the top (passenger side) hose neck; and the original water pump was seeping ever so slightly. Swapped the radiator and water pump out, replaced original hoses, replaced the original thermostat, problem fixed. At the 10 year 82,000 mile marker or so.

    Another poster found a crack in the surge (overflow) tank and another a faulty surge tank cap. Another found a leaking water line from the radiator to the trans or back to the radiator, can't remember which.

    dmgadget wrote.......

    ........well, I'm practically willing to trade it for a little Honda. But, boy, heated seats....ahhhhh

    Realistically, the day is coming when reliability and cost of repair will make my decision for me. But my 1998 Aurora Autobahn with the toys (except Bose and disc changer, another headache) is far and away the best looking, functional, and dependable American car I've owned, partially because I have a good local mechanic who seems to correctly diagnose and treat the patient, not a replacement parts mechanic.

    This includes electrical issues so far, but I have a local electrical/engine management guru in the wings (used him before, recommended by the Ford dealership!) who gets the stuff the dealers can't find.....usually after they replaced a bunch of stuff and still couldn't figure it out and either they or the owner went knocking on his door.

    My son-in-law owes me big time for referring him to Guru after he had electrical AND check engine light issues with a used Mercedes SUV. Benz dealer quoted him $2,000, for parts only! Properly diagnosed (electrical = one faulty power seat wire connector; check engine light due to fuel pressure, both left and right cylinder banks, being intermittantly 1 psi out of spec!). Guru said forget it. $82.64 please.

    Re the heated seats......up here in the Northeast it is a wonderful feeling knowing that I get heat quickly on my rear and back when it's 5 degrees out and the engine is stone cold. My new(er) G35 seat heat doesn't come on nearly as quickly as the heated seats in the Aurora. The 8 way power driver's and passenger's seats for my aching back, with both the upper and lower power lumbar adjustment! My Infinity doesn't have that!

    Good luck and keep us posted on what you or your mechanic find.....it helps us all, even if it is just to point the mechanic in the right direction.

    Jack
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