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If everything else is working in the car fine, I would fix the car. You are looking at $2200 in repairs and payments to get free which is not a lot of money. Hopefully you can get another year out of the Intrigue without a major problem which will make the repair worthwhile. then you can save for a down payment on a new car if something else major happens.
I have not heard of any other issues with the transmission.
I have a 1999 Olds Intrigue GX with 128,000 miles on it.
And this is the only thing, besides general maintenance and wear and tear, that has given problems for this car. A good drive otherwise.
I would prefer to keep it and drive all I can out of it, especially because, like you mention, no car dealership will give me what it's really worth, even if I have it fixed. Usually in the past experiences I've had, they'll usually give you MAYBE $500-$1000 for the trade-in if it's that old. And Intrigues seem to be for sale EVERYWHERE around here too, so not really a hot commodity.
I really appreciate your honesty, thanks for your help!
~Tracy
I'll have this car paid off by the end of this year, and I fully intend on just running it til it doesn't run anymore. After all, from my experiences with this car as well as what I've read online, the tranny is about the only major issue with this car and that's been taken care of. I've got a 1 year warranty on this rebuilt tranny so that's even better.
Thanks for all your advice and help. (And yes, thankfully my husband is able to do most everything as far as car repairs.)
~Tracy
The problem I was having with the hard shifting is fixed. I had new plugs and wires put in and the car is running great with more power than ever. if the dang thing would crank and not go dead while driving I may get another 100K miles. The crazy thing is...it's so random. It may crank on the first try for 3-4 days then not crank.
Just checking this site to see if anyone is having the transmission problem with the 3.5 ??. :confuse:
My 3.5 is still shifting hard, transmission :confuse:
I checked my trans fluid and it has the metal color on my rag.
Anyone have any ideas?
GM 4T65E - 4 speed automatic transmissions found in many
1997 and newer vehicles equipped with the 3800 engine and
most 2000 and newer vehicles with the 3400 and 3500 engines.
Description:
Everything is fine when you just started engine.
(It’s just fine when cold)
Sometimes after a long drive, stop and go traffic, or when accelerate really fast. All of the sudden you’ll notice "hard shifts" where car slightly jerks when it shifts. Shutting off the car for few (10 minutes) will make this condition go away until you drive a few more miles or the vehicle warms up and the hard shifting will return. (Notice Check Engine light remains OFF)
This is perhaps one of the most common problems with this transmission. It has been a problem since the release in 1997 and can happen for no reason at all even with clean fluid and very low mileage.
Solution:
Replacing Pressure Control Solenoid or EPC will most likely correct this condition and again is probably the most common problem found in any year of this transmission.
Details:
The EPC solenoid controls line pressure and has a spool valve which oscillates back and forth to regulate transmission line pressure based on commanded pcm signals dependant on lots of various inputs from the vehicle. The spool valve in the solenoid will bind up and cause loss of pressure control from the pcm. The pcm constantly monitors shift timing in milliseconds and if this is not within programmed parameters after a few shift cycles the pcm triggers trouble code P1811 which is Max Adapt/Long Shift. This code will not set the Engine Light but will dissable all adaptive shifts and will max out line pressure in the transmission which causes the harsh shifts...
Other solution is using premium engine oil to keep systems running cooler.
I have 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue with 155.000 Km. when it started happening.
Valvoline engine oil worked-out as an alternative solution to replacing EPC the Electronic Pressure Control Solenoid
On a side note: If you're thinking of ever changing from Dex-Cool to green, I advise against it. What will happen is the green will eventually start to pit the metals inside the engine. My engine has always had the Dex-Cool and it's never caused any of the problems other people report. This could be due to the fact that I have always performed every maintenance task in at least half the recommended scheduled time. I completely understand that not every Intrigue has the same reliability, however if maintenance schedules were performed in half the time (or at least earlier) than the manual suggests, perhaps many owners issues may be avoided. Just some food for thought.
The issue is not Dex Cool but the poorly designed upper intake manifold gasket in the 3.8L engine. Very common issue on all GM small block V6. finally came out with a re-designed gasket in 2003.
Many of the issues folks are having with the Intrigue has nothing to do with the maintenance schedule. Blinking headlights caused by a poorly designed alternator; poorly designed intermediate steering shaft; upper intake manifold failure (3.8L); problems with crankshaft position sensor; faulty ignition switch; excessive oil consumption; Secondary air pump; and it goes on and on.
Maybe there are poorly designed parts in the vehicle instead of lack of maintenance that has caused many of the problems. Just some food for thought.
my father has a 2000 olds intrigue with over 200,000 miles on it. the transmission does not have a whine or make any other noises, shifts smoothly, not hard or jerky, but does not shift into overdrive any longer. this just started last week, which was about a week after (with help from others on this forum) cleaning the throttle body, maf senser, air filter and replacing the crank position sensor. don't think they should be related but mention just in case. has anyone had this problem? or know of a fix for it? i know the car has lots of miles and owes him nothing but he wants to keep it for a daily driver and keep miles off of his 95 vette and moms 04 caddy deville. thanks for any help you can provide for this problem. the info on this sight was very helpful in repairing the above mentioned problem with the crank sensor.
jman
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=758495&highlight=over- drive
jman
i called and told him the bad news but, he hasn't decided what he is going to do with it. he may run it till it blows the tranny up or may fix it. he was dissapointed it wasn't going to be an easy fix though :mad:
thanks again for the link! :shades:
jman
Any CLUES?
Engine Whine by mfd37
I've got a 2002 Intrigue and had a whine that lasted for about 30-45 seconds when the car was started cold and then it was never consistant enough to pinpoint. I took it to the dealer and they immediately identified it as a "second stage air intake motor". Seems the motor was binding and causing the whine. It was replaced under warranty and hasn't been a problem since.
Is the Service engine soon light on in your Intrigue?
Models:
2000-2002 Buick Regal
2000-2002 Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo
2000-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2000-2002 Pontiac Grand Prix
with 3.5L or 3.8L Engine (VINs H, K - RPOs LX5, L36)
Dave
1. Remove the case side cover.
2. Disconnect the pressure control solenoid electrical connector.
3. Remove the retaining clip (314E).
4. Remove the pressure control solenoid (322).
Thanks for the info. Do you or anyone else have drawings, photos, sketches, etc. for the replacement of the PCS. This would help me out alot. Also, where (which side) on the vehicle is this side cover located and is it easy to access? Thanks in advance for your help.
Dave
That said, had you checked the fluid after you got it home.
Also, the folks that worked on my car were supposed to have fixed my blinkers, but didn't. They will work fine one second, then not work at all. Its not the lamps or the connection, any idea what it could be??
any suggestions?
Luckily we have so many people on this forum who have first hand experience with most of these codes that if you know the number of the code, they can help you diagnose the problem.
As far as the blinking problem, here are a couple of links to another Intrigue forum. These people had similar problems that you are having.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=228733&highlight=prob- lem+with+blinkers
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=620417&highlight=prob- lem+with+blinkers
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=759308&highlight=prob- lem+with+blinkers
However, when manually placing the shifter in first or second then manually shiftilng into drive it works ok. Is this a sensor problem or the lilke? RON
The Intrigue is a hit or miss vehicle. There are many well known issues that may or may not affect your Intrigue: flickering lights (alternator), ISS, ignition switch, mass air flow filter, crank shaft sensor, cam shaft sensor, fuel pressure regulator, secondary air pump, window motors, overheating issues, torque converter control sensor, etc. Again not all Intrigues will have these problems.
One thing to remember the Intrigues with the 3.5 L engine has 215 hp. That is a lot of power for teenagers learning to drive. Just something to consider. IF the owner has shown they have kept up with maintenance and the price is right, it may be a good value.
A little history: Its a 2000 GX, It has about 145,000 miles on it. I've replaced the radiator, water pump (twice), reservoir tank, Mass airflow sensor, wheel and hub assembly and other random stuff.
While driving (stop and go) when coming to a stop I'd swear that my car is gonna stall but it (always) catches itself and brings the RPMs back up. Then upon taking off again there is violent jerking. I am positive its the torque converter, but I am having so many problems and I have taken it everywhere from autozone to GM. I was told that my torque converter is stuck "open?" or on.
I have intentions on getting my transmission replaced (rebuilt) , I will be getting the final verdict on it soon.
I love this car and have no plans on abandoning it, even though my camry ran like a dream it just didnt have the umph to get into traffic. Any input would help.
A few other questions....
are the spark plugs a pain to replace? and how long should a spark plug cycle last?
and why is it so common for my car to burn through like a quart of oil a month or so?
I do not have a manual, but reading around i have seen that there is something that controls my idle and sometimes can get gunked up? (like an air intake thing).
Thank you all for your time, and im looking forward to any reply.
Do you have any "check engine" lights on? If so, get the car scanned and post the codes.
The front spark plugs are easy to change, the rear 3 are PITA. Others have reported needing an extended socket wrench. some have reported removing the engine mounts and "tilting" the engine to give more clearance. I took a quick look and saw this was too much for me to handle and had my mechanic replace my spark plugs. He commented they were tough to reach and the bill reflected as much. the spark plugs are 100k plugs.
The 3.5L engine is derived from the 4.0L Northstar engine (also used in the Aurora). This engine burns oil. i was burning about a quart every 1500-2000 miles. There are many discussion about this on the internet. Most are too detailed for interests but no one has found a solution.