Oldsmobile Aurora: Acceleration

2k1olds · October 2004

The only reason I say this, I test drove about 8 Aurora's (all non-autobahn), and they just seemed a little quicker off the line than the one I bought. I just had my throttle body and fuel injectors cleaned yesterday because it seems a little sluggish at low end. Any other ideas? The car just doesn't launch like I'm used to.

hammen2 · October 2004

...without running on a dyno, there's no real way to test this seat-of-the-pants feeling. Or at the track :-).

I know my Autobahn-equipped '98 pulls stronger at the low end than my mother-in-law's non-Autobahn '98. However, I have also modified the airbox on my car - something that's really very easy to do (search CaddyInfo for Greg Garnes' instructions). I also put in a K&N filter. And, speaking of filters, might want to change the fuel filter, and maybe plugs and wires (with the car running, spray a little mist of water over the wires and see if you get fireworks - if so, they're bad). Of course, make sure you use only ACDelco plugs and wires, as others tend to be problematic (the Northstar is picky)...

Hope this helps,

--Robert

95mushroom · October 2004

I know exactly, I drove two other non-autobahns before I bought my autobahn and they definetly needed the traction control as where mine could actually do better w/o it. However, one time when my dad was driving (don't ask the reason lol) he got on it and it felt better then the previous two.

Have a friend (obviously a really, really good friend) drive for away and tell him to go for it once when you're not expecting it. My guess is that you just ready for the blast and it comes out underrated. Just my $0.02

2k1olds · October 2004

drive with traction on, or off? I'm talking about regular, everyday driving. I realize in snow you would want traction on.

John

95mushroom · October 2004

Its really wouldn't matter as it traction control and not stability it doesn't do anything till either wheel is spinning faster then the speed. Since the roras are FWD, spinning them would actually help save you. I know it helped me on an off-ramp. It was wet and the back slid out and I was all crossed up. Just applied some power and brought her back.

It's just the matter of having traction off starring you in the face.

rjs200240 · November 2004

First off, let me just say this place is nicer than 75-80. It has better layout and seems a little nicer and the workers seemed a bit more safety-conscious. And let me also say, there's no band-aid to pull off fast this time...

You can read my first track visit in post #31 of this thread.

Before I left the house to hit the dragstrip, I removed the spare tire and the rear seat bench (which only weighs like 20 lbs, it's really light). I also gassed up with about 3.5 gallons of 93 at Sunoco (I thought they'd have 94) which would put me at about a 1/4 tank after the ~60 mile drive to the dragstrip.

When I got there, I didn't mess with the tire pressures, which I'd set to 33psi a few weeks back, and didn't remove the headlight or anything. Just ran it like I drove it there.

First run I was making the mental checks. But I got up there quick and forgot to put it in 2nd. So I launched about 1500 rpm, traction off, in D. The car pulled real hard, snapped the shift at 6400 rpm, and kept going. Unlike my last trip to the track, 3rd gear felt very strong. Last time 1st and 2nd felt strong but 3rd really fell flat. I smoked the guy in the Pontiac Grand Am V6 next to me on the way to a 14.97 @ 91.92 mph with a .208 RT (they don't include the clock time, so .000 is the best) and a 2.311 60' time.

I knew it was a great run, the car felt strong, but I figured maybe I'd be under 15.5, which was my big goal. When I got the time slip, I about freaked!!

My next run was my best. I was opening the hood while I waited, but surprisingly no one else ever did. I ran a 14.86 @ 92.23 mph, with a .220 RT and a 2.294 60' time against that Grand Am again. Interestingly, he didn't wait in line, they brought him over from the middle. I guess he knew the track folks or something (they'd also annouce the Grand Am V6 running in Lane 1, but say nothing of my car), and maybe he thought I'd be a good matchup for him. His best against me was a 16.38, and even by 330' I was 4/10ths of a second faster (enough to cover my longer RT). He also redlighted each run at about -.03 seconds RT.

On this second run, I remembered to toss it into 2nd. I figured it wouldn't make a diff as the car ran to 6400 anyway. Holy crap did it ever! The car charged so hard the needle crossed into the red hashes at 6500, and it jerked sideways on the shift!! It definitely felt like it broke a tire loose, though there was no audible chirp. The car definitely skipped to the side, though. It was awesome!!

Then I smoked a guy in an old-style Miata. By that time, the announcer was announcing my car as an Olds Aurora and noted that it had been running pretty strong.

This run had my highest trap speed, ran a 14.89 @ 92.56 mph.

Then I took a break, ate some nachos, and watched the action with my wife. I saw a Mustang GT (the body style where it could be a 5.0 or a 4.6, both of which made about 215hp) run a 15.2, a totally pimped out Accord run a 16.3, and even saw a WRX run a 14.8 or so. So there were a few cars I was pleased to see I'd have smoked pretty badly. A pimped GTI ran a 14.2, and I can't recall the others that ran slower than me (I think a Hyundai Tiburon that was all pimped).

Then I took a last run for the heck of it and we left. It was my worst run, but the car was parked on the grass so the tires were wet and grassy. I didn't do a burnout any of the times. I ran a 15.00 @ 91.41 against some Eclipse. I think he was spraying because I took him off the line, took him to 330', and even passed the 1/8th marker first, though that was due to my better RT, but then he took off. He ran a 13.77 @ 107.85 mph. This time was the highest launch rpm, of probably 2000+ rpm. I'm not sure it helped, though it's hard to say if my poor run was due to the tires. My 60' was 2.320, my 330' was 6.376 (my best was 6.304). But launching at closer to 1500 rpm seemed to work fine and doesn't seem as bad for the car.

So there you have it, a 14.86 @ 92.22 mph... Pretty dang impressive, and much better than I was expecting. The temps were just under 50F, my gas tank was about 1/4 full, and of course this time I have the Corsa exhaust. It's a heck of a lot better than the 16.06 @ 85.77 mph best I ran the last time I was at the track!! I'm soooo happy with the car!!!

rjs200240 · November 2004

garnes1 · November 2004

Those are some incredible times. And consider the luxury heft of the car too. That is WAY cool. The temperature was about perfect for maximum power although the tires may not have been as grippy at that temp. I'll bet you anything your times would have been better with a new set of tires. How may miles do you have on them? When I get new tires the difference is amazing - and I get new ones before they are technically gone.

The Corsa exhaust is definitely doing something.

I've got to go to a track. That sounds too darn fun to pass. Now, what would be unbeatable is if I got to race you. Heh Heh Heh. But solid upper 14's - oh man, I don't know. That's brutal.

Thanks for sharing the other times of other stuff you saw. I doubt any of those was totally stock either. I'm sure they at least had a K&N filter. You have to wonder what that poor WRX owner is thinking when his times (under great conditions) aren't close to the magazine times. I have to laugh. I think is tested much quicker than that.

Thanks for the post. I hope mine would be close. I'd flip with low 15's.

rjs200240 · November 2004

I would have flipped for low 15's also. I was really just hoping to be below 15.5, though in the back of my mind I wanted to match the 15.1 that one online car review quoted back in 2001.

In reality, I should have known it would do that or better. I swear, the car gets stronger and stronger all the time. It seemed like after last winter, the car maintained winter-like performance in the summer. Now that it's cooling down, it feels stronger than it's ever felt. I'm guessing it's from breaking in. The car and tires have about 27k on them now.

Grip wasn't too big an issue. I think mainly due to the real drag cars laying down pretty good rubber on the track. But it did peel out a fair bit.

Here you can see one of my better runs. Listen to the announcer (you can also listen for the sound of Corsa, though it didn't pick up that well):

http://members.aol.com/aurora402002/dragstrip/3rdrun.mpg

We'll definitely have to meet up and line 'em up one day. That would be a real blast!

2k1olds · November 2004

would love to see your run; it pops up for about 1 second and then closes. Anyone else having problems?

John

blk97aurora · November 2004

The video clip worked for me. FANTASTIC! Thanks for posting it.

Les

rjs200240 · November 2004

Try right-clicking at selecting "save target as" then play it from your desktop. But it's an mpeg, so it ought to play ok. Maybe try installing a newer Quicktime plugin?

95mushroom · November 2004

Worked for me. Awesome stuff... God you make me want an exhaust so bad!

Makes me want to head to the track too. What's your elevation there? Thinking at my sea-level conditions at about 70 degrees at night, would be close to optimal. Maybe a little bit colder.

On the fifth time I watched the clip, I can't believe how remarkably close your car sounds to the STS on corsa's sound clips. The sound exactly the same to me.

rjs200240 · November 2004

I watched it at *least* 5 times just the day I got home...

I always thought my car sounded a little less deep than the STS clips, which to me made it sound a little more exotic. But they do sound quite similar. And it may be because I hear it from inside the car where it isn't as deep since it's not subject to the doppler effect.

If you want to hear your exhaust more, take the rear seat out for a day. It really sounded wicked. If it weren't so impractical, I might just leave it out...

The track is in the mountains, so I'd guess probably around 500'-750', I wouldn't think it's over 1000'. I guess I could call them and ask.

Greg, it could be that WRX driver was just a crappy driver, or that he just cared about his car. I suspect you really have to get it right to launch that thing well, and I also suspect that sidestepping the clutch at > 4000 rpm on an AWD car is horrifically bad for the drivetrain.

Here's another clip for you all. You can't hear my car as much, and this is the guy who ran the 13.7 against me: http://members.aol.com/aurora402002/dragstrip/4thrun.mpg

garnes1 · November 2004

Seriously, I think new ones would have made a measurable difference. 27,000 miles is nowhere near new grip/grab - even if you have a lot of highway. My stock Michelin's were good to about 33,000 miles before I did not feel comfortable with them in winter. I know the new ones have been improved for better tread life, but still, I think you were handicapped at least a tad with those tires.

I don't think you'd notice/feel a tenth or two of a second in grab/go vs. spin, but the clock doesn't miss a thing.

However, if you are saying that the track was pretty sticky from the other cars, then maybe it would not make much difference.

95mushroom · November 2004

A Ferrari F355 decides to follow YOU. Driving home from school, Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale, I passed the Ferrari while working through traffic, I look back and his mimicking my moves. We clear the traffic and I expected him to come flying around, we were already in the last 90 degrees of the speedo, but he stays behind and follows me till I get off.

Thinking wow, the old girl still gets that kind of respect. Bet he'd been pissed if he knew he was following a 95 with 112K miles lol.

rjs200240 · November 2004

'cause he only has a 3.5L V8...

thrak44 · December 2004

ok how do I modify the rev limiter from 109 mph to about 125 mph? i love the thought of the RMS site; but i don't want a street cruiser(stop lite to stop lite).I was on hwy 5 over the thanking weekend and was tearing up beemrs and vw's.



   Good fun but if they knew what thier cars could do I would have been blown out of the water.

       all advice much apreciated

          THRAK44

rjs200240 · February 2005

I scanned it up, finally... My car is "T66".

95mushroom · February 2005

What ran the 17.047??

rjs200240 · February 2005

He later ran like a 16.5 or so. It was the first body style... He had goot RT's, especially for a manual.

stickking1 · February 2005

Sweet Robert...just sweet!

sda · February 2005

Wow! How much fun! Question on shift points. My '01 shifts automatically from 1-2 at 5900rpm. I just had the transaxle replaced with a GM Certified, that is supposed to be brand new out of the box with all the updates. It too, shifts at 5900. I tried to manually shift the old unit 1-2 but it overrode me and still shifted at 5900. I haven't tried this on the new unit, thou. Any others do the same//do you know if the shift points can be raised? Though I generally drive conservatively, fun is fun. I hate not getting maximum benefit from that sweet 4.0. And I am jealous (ha ha)that yours shifts at 6400, 6500 manually. Awesome.

2k1olds · February 2005

Robert, I hope this doesn't sound like a stupid question, but you say you drop the car in 2nd gear when racing. What does this do, and how long do you keep it in second? Do you manually upshift at certain rpm's?

John

rjs200240 · March 2005

Hey John,

I put the gear selector in 2 while I am stopped/staging. I just leave it there for the whole run. What it tends to do is signal the PCM that you are serious, and it will snap off faster and firmer shifts. It also seems more willing to hold until the redline in 2. The car will still shift into 3rd gear when you top out of 2nd despite the shifter selection.

However, make sure you put it back into 3 or D before/as you slow down, or it'll jump back down to 2nd gear as soon as you are slow enough that the revs are allowed in 2nd.

Bob

95mushroom · March 2005

And why not 1? I believe you said too much wheel spin? I guess then for us less privileged, 1 would be better?

rjs200240 · March 2005

But from what I understand, 2 has the desired effect. I suspect putting it in 1 would perform exactly the same way. In either case it starts in 1st and shifts hard and fast at the redline.

On my car, though, 1 interferes with the cupholder... It does take just under 15 seconds to get down there, you might get thirsty during that time.

95mushroom · March 2005

yea mine hits the cupholder too. I love engineers lol.

Henry · March 2005

Engineers that don't drink coffee.

thrak44 · March 2005

Hi all, I have a 98 white diamond classic appx. 54k. Do I need a chip to adjust redline or a software program?

I dont see alot of folks using domestic power products ,are there concerns?

thanx all THRAK44

rjs200240 · March 2005

If you wanted to adjust the redline, yes you'd need something that changed it like a reprogram.

Henry · March 2005

The only aROARas that are "chipable" are the 1995's. The other need to be reprogrammed.

thrak44 · March 2005

is this something i can buy or can a "tuner" do it?

blk97aurora · March 2005

thrak44,

eBay has dozens of austions for products to increase hp by about 20 for $10 to $20. I think they work by fooling the PCM by changing the intake air temperature input to a lower value. I have not tried one and am not recommending. Take a look at Hypertech, but I don't think they have anything for Northstars. If you find a tuner who can reprogram 96-99 Auroras, there will be a lot of interest on this board.

zephram22 · June 2005

Just got the car. Thought it was great. Still do. BUT....can't find repair manuals anywhere. Very few aftermarket parts available for this specific model, and it's sluggish. Anyone know if a "96-99 4.0 performance intake" would work on an '02 3.5 liter one? Also, has anyone actually found a tuner that works well with the 3.5?

Thanks :confuse:

hammen2 · June 2005

Repair manuals - look at http://www.helminc.com - there are also eBay auctions for CD-ROM based service manuals for multiple GM vehicles.
intake - probably not, totally different generation of car, not to mention different engine
tuner/aftermarket parts - probably not much. Maybe try a K&N panel filter, if they make one for the Shortstar, or look at http://www.domesticperformance.com and see if they have any real products (not vaporware)...

--Robert

phavas · June 2005

I have a 96 Aurora with 158K and no problems other than the AC quit. Th thought it was a low charge so bought an R134a Kit, I have the gauges etc... COuld not get the compressor to kick in. Shorted out both switches inthe low pressure line, checekd voltage to the relay, checked the relay, checked the fuses, no pwer to the plug at the front of hte compressor. Continuity from one plug pole to earth, no voltage from the other, nothing across them. Any ideas? GOng nuts here. Also: Are the rear wheel bearings special? Hard to change?
Thanks
Peter (New member) :confuse:

hammen2 · June 2005

Yes, this is Yet Another Aurora Common Failure. The compressor is likely seized and shot (it's a little underpowered for the car... poor engineering).

Don't know about the rear wheel hubs, but the fronts are a bear. Info on replacement at the link below:
http://www.howardm.net/dred98/underhood.php

Here's another site with good info common repair areas:
http://maytag87.dyndns.org:8081/rob/auroratips.htm

Hope this helps,

--Robert

docweatherbee · June 2005

Hi guys! I have a '95 Aurora that is stone, bone stock with only 82k on it. It's Teal with Teal interior and it's been very well kept--the paint still glows, no rust, and the interior is doggone near perfect. It gets 18mpg around town and 26 on the highway. I've had the car since 2000 and the only gripe I have with it is it's soggy bottom-end power. Once over 2500rpm the thing will come alive and scoot, but with the air on at low rpm it's not all that impressive. Since I also have a hot rod '68 Camaro that runs 11s in the 1/4-mile, I feel kinda let down when I get back in the Aurora despite its absolute luxury. Does anyone have any ideas how I can wake the Aurora up to at least be peppy at low rpm and have some decent thottle response? I love the car and intend to keep it until it falls apart, but I sure miss having some decent torque. Any help would be much appreciated.

hammen2 · June 2005

search for "airbox mod" and "Corsa" for more info on two HP-boosting mods you can do to your Aurora... The former is cheap, the latter isn't...

--Robert

garnes · July 2005

Don't forget the RSM throttle body parts too. All this stuff tends to help the high end more than low end. Another suggestion - at 82k or anywhere up there, new plugs and plug wires (DO NOT fool with anything other than replacing with the exact same stock plugs - anything else has shown to cause problems) will probably help. Don't be too lulled by the 100k on the plugs. Be realistic, they probably serve fine up to 100k, but I would be surprised if they perform at 100% up to 100k before starting to slide.

Also - clean the throttle body. At high milage with this never being done (or even once), you are losing power for sure.

In short, before looking to modify, take care of the maintenance first. It can make a difference. And yeah, a simple K&N filter and box mod can add a tad bit of power right away. You want more - then look to Corsa and an RSM throttle body.

trailmug · August 2005

JRS -- how much louder is the Corsa system during everyday driving than bone stock? Awesome sub-15s..

Also, I hear a lot about using the 2nd gear position.. On my Classic (managed to buy a 1998 with 26,400 on the clock), using second firms up the shift quite a bit. It seems to cut the shift time in about half, and if you forgot you placed the shifter into 2nd, it will surprise you. I actually can hear my serpentine belt squeak during the abrupt RPM change.

I second the want to find someone who can change the PROM variables on these OBD-II cars.. moving the redline up a bit would be good (in 2nd, the Classic shifts around 6100, just before the hash marks.. but the engine doesn't feel anywhere near valve float).. it just dosen't feel out of steam at 6000. I'd buy V-rated tires if I could increase the top speed variable.. it pulls strong at 110, and the cutoff is quite abrupt.

On an extremely minor note.. does anyone else's PCV valve buzz like crazy? I've replaced with a third-party and an AC.. both rattle audibly at idle.

garnes · August 2005

I have the Corsa too. It sounds awesome. On the highway, it's stock quiet. Around town, it's not bad at all. At WOT it sounds great. I was very wimpy about getting it, fearing it would be too loud. I am so happy I got the Corsa. Check out my post on the modification area. Let me know if you want pictures and info on how to modify the Corsa STS system for the classic Aurora.

rjs200240 · August 2005

I second Greg's observations. His are more relevant, though, as he has a Classic. On my 2nd gen car the exhaust is stock-quiet most all of the time unless you get on the throttle a bit. If you are accelerating you'll notice a little more noise. If you gun it, it will be noticable but not loud. Louder than stock but to me it is not obnoxious. Cruising is quiet as stock, possibly quieter.

trailmug · August 2005

I expect I'll wait to get some more use out of the stock system, but I like what I'm hearing about how the straight-through path can open things up. I wouldn't mind a little more growl -- the sound is for sure part of the feel of a car. I think even a bit more of a roar at WOT 5k+rpm would be welcome. Garnes -- did you say you live around the Indianapolis area? I'm camped out on the west side.

I haven't managed to secure a profile, etc, anywhere, but I do have some pictures I took the day after I drove it home if anyone cares

http://bymeinc.com/files/car/

It had the spoiler when I bought it -- I am impressed that a lit one was made for it. I read that it was not a factory option, but I have to assume it was dealer-installed, because I can't imagine the older couple the car belonged to jumped through hoops to get it.. I haven't seen another one to date.

Maybe a somewhat off-topic post.. oh well.

blk97aurora · August 2005

I saw a similar (maybe the same) spoiler on a Classic in Johnson City, TN, last month. It was at a repair garage that was closed, so I didn't get to ask anyone about it. How does the light operate? Brake light? Tail light? Both?

Les

trailmug · August 2005

It's brake only, I believe tied to the high-mount light (which is also in place).

momrc · August 2005

I have taken the car to the dealer and it sat there for two weeks. They ran a complete diagnostics and couldn't find a problem or they were unable to recreate the problem. The problem is that when driving the car it just turns off. It happens on and off sometimes when I'm at a stop sign or even while on the road traveling. When I turn ignition its as if the car is dead, no sound nothing. Then I try again and it kicks in like its attempting to start after 3 times or more it kicks in and starts up. Can anyone tell me if this might be a fuel pump issue or electrical.

trailmug · September 2005

Sounds silly, but.. battery terminals? An intermittent failure of everything in the car makes this the first thing I'd check.

The fuel pump isn't necessary to crank the engine (if the fuel pump's out, the car should crank until the batt is dead, just won't start).. Nor, if it dies when running, can we blame the starter. Lock cylinder is a possibility.. it controls lots of stuff.

Will the horn work when it's "dead?" Easiest thing to check that will always work. No computer, no logic, no ignition key position.. just a switch, relay, and battery. If the horn's dead, think battery, terminals, wiring, fusible links, fuses.. in extreme cases a short somewhere.. but enough shorted current to stop the car dead in its tracks would generate smoke somewhere.

ddog789 · October 2005

this story is beautiful it gives me hope . this kid in his 2002 dodge dakota he thinks he can beat me . i think hes mistaken. unless he has the 5.9 liter i gladley lay down. the 4.7 ( 235 hp @3400 290ftlb @4000) its close but i think i can do it.

Oldsmobile Aurora: Acceleration

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