The Passat V6 (no, it was not a Jetta) I tried had a loose arm rest between the front seats (BTW, more of an after thought from the German company). The plastics on the central console were no better than on my Stratus. The leather felt like vinyl. It's certainly the narrowest in its category. Thus, probably, why I thought it feeling so cheap with those 4in thick doors. The engine was lethargic, perhaps the slowest V6 in its category. The transmission was smooth, but not very smart. The handling was a bit too jittery to my taste.
My conclusion, with a budget to buy one, was keep looking for a replacement for the Alero.
Well, I am not well versed in CR reliablity studies other than I have heard they are collections of opinion, not details. I was not aware their survey pool was so large.
But you are right, it is just one source of many to be considered.
I read 2 reviews of the alero and basically counted it out. I also thought it was too small.
Later, after I drove an accord and some larger cars, I drove one and changed my mind. I guess I got tired of having to compromise on looks and driving pleasure. Yes, GM could do more for that car...a V-6 and 5 speed would have me in heaven.
GM always seems to hold back a little to get you into a higher model.
If I didn't have the GM card points, may have looked at the Passat.
No one will ever convince me of CR's reviews of cars. Even some of their reviews of other durables seems odd at times. They may survey more people over all, but the sample size for some car models is very small hence making the data unreliable. I've done a JD Power survey and it was really thorough also. I have not seen a CR survey but from what I've heard they are not as thorough and they only survey their own readers (another flaw).
jpelder : Alero is a fine car. With the Ecotec you aren't giving up any engine smoothness to the imports. I have always been impressed with the engine since I first drove the Saturn LS 2 years ago.
I agree the ecotech is as good as any engine out there. In fact, I have been pleasantly surprised at it's torque. On hills or at low speeds, you rarely need to downshift...even when in 5th gear.
Then again, you can never have too much power! It's a shame we'll probably never get to read a new review of the alero with the ecotech.
Well, at the end of the month it'll be a year that I've had my '01 GL2 V-6 coupe. It has just under 10,500 miles now. No real major problems to speak of, though the turn signal problem that someone mentioned earlier has recently started to happen to me. They'll stop working for a while, and magically start working again. I'll have to get that checked out, even though it's been a couple weeks since the last occurance. And I had a problem with the seat belt light staying on. That's about it as far as defects go.
I live in Buffalo, and as everyone probably knows, we had quite a snowfall recently. And I'd like to say that I'm very impressed with the car's performance in the snow. I haven't even come close to getting stuck, even when pulling out of the driveway with the front half and driver's side completely buried past the wheels. Or pulling in and out of parking spots on the street that had a large amount of snow that wasn't plowed. The traction control comes in handy on some icy patches. And I don't even have snow tires on it, just the stock 16" tires. I guess I forgot about snow tires, since there was no snow until Christmas week. I kinda miss rear wheel drive for the fun of swinging the tail around, and donuts, though!
Unfortunately I knocked out the driver's side fog light when I hit a snowbank. I knew I shouldn't have attempted to pull into the driveway from the right, with those huge mounds of snow surrounding it. At first I thought it was gone, or at least cracked. But after digging out all the snow from under there, I discovered it deep within the front of the car, and still working. Just the plastic piece that it's mounted to is broken.
You know, I never did share my big accident avoidance story. I'm still amazed to no end that I managed to dodge a woman who tried to turn left in front of me from the right lane on a one way street. Avoided her car, went up the curb right between a light pole and a fire hydrant, made an exact 90 degree turn (avoiding a wall that stretched around the corner) and stopped squarely in the middle of the sidewalk between that wall and two trees between the sidewalk and street. All from 45 mph. Scary, yet somehow beautiful. And I'm convinced I couldn't have done it had I been driving a lesser car. The end.
We had a fair amount of snow in the Toronto area last year and I thought my parents Alero handled great in the heavy snow. Then again, we are probably both used to driving in it. This year, we still have no snow at all. Very strange winter!
I just came back from Autozone with an oil filter for the 2.2 Ecotech. They only had one brand, STP, but it was in stock for $3.49.
They do not yet list parts for the 2002 Alero, so you have to check under the Saturn L Series. Apparently, these just became available recently (according the the Saturn posts).
I enjoy reading Consumer Reports and other car mags. But I take all the ratings and reports with a "grain of salt". A lot is very subjective. But I have to say that the US car companies should have paid more attention to these reviews 20 or 30 years ago. They spend zillions of dollars on engineering and should have made cars with the quality and amenities that the imports.
Some common Alero problems that have repeatedly been voiced here -- flooding, warped brakes, and vibrating side mirrors (to name a few) should have been corrected after the first complaints. But they have not been. Many have been problems in GM cars for years.
I have a 2000 Alero GLS with the performance package and 20,000 miles. I was wondering if anyone with similar tires (the tires that come with the performance package), know of the expected life of these tires.
We had the intermittent turn signal problem on our 2001 GL2. The service advisor said he had replaced the hazard switch on several other customers' cars and the problem went away. The replaced hazard switch seems to have fixed the problem -- it has not recurred at all in over two months since the switch was replaced.
Look at http://www.alldata.com for TSB titles. There is no charge to see the titles but you will have to subscribe to read the contents of the TSBs. There don't appear to be very many TSBs for the Alero; many of them appear to be general TSBs issued to dealers for guidance rather than to address a specific problem. Interestingly, there is a TSB titled "Left Hand Mirror - Vibration". I wonder what it says...
<<<They may survey more people over all, but the sample size for some car models is very small hence making the data unreliable. I've done a JD Power survey and it was really thorough also.>>
Actually, dindak, you are contradicting yourself. JD Power for their Initial Quality Survey only has 50,000+ people. 10 times less then CR annual survey. guess which one has more credibility based on sample size? Plus JD is based on the manufacturers and not invididual models, which is much more accurate. Anyway neither is the "Bible" to determine which car is for you. they are both guides.
I agree some of CR reviews leave you scratching your head. But they look at vehicles from a practical stand point. That is why it is important to read their full report. So many people simply read the end-of- year Buying guide which is jsut a two sentence summary. If you went by their recommendations, you would never buy a SUV or sports car. Everybody would be driving a Honda or Toyota.
One thing I do agree withthem is the foreign family sedans are better then the American offerings. I say this not jsut because CR says this. The trend of American companies pouring money into the SUV and truck category is very disturbing. This sectore is theri money maker. It appears they ahve put all their eggs into these baskets. Toyota is on the verge of becoming the #3 sales leader in Amercia. They've done it by creating momentum with the Corrolla and Camry. Now they have the Tundra, Tacoma, and 4-5 versions of SUVs that everyone loves. Now they re-designed the already brilliant Camry, the Corrolla is being revised next year and the matrix (I think that is the name) next year. While GM has nothing exciting going for them. The response of the Big 3 has been to offer rebates and discounts on these vehicles to get people to buy them. Scary!
The Alero is a nice car...too bad they didn't do enough advertising to let everyone know about it.
I'm not contradicting my self at all. Some specific car models CR reports on have small samples themselves, while other more popular car models have very large samples. JD Power uses a more equal number of surveys per car model and though the sample is smaller in size over all, they are sent to owners at random, not their readers.
Purchased an Alero GL2 (V6) in March. Have to take car in for the following problems: 1. Gas gauge does not work properly 2. Wind noise from left rear door/window 3. Gear shift when placed in "Park" does not release the key to be removed from ignition (have to grab gear lever and shake it get it to "click" so that key can be removed).
Anyone else having similar problems? Already had car in to replace driver's window due to etching of glass. Looks like all windows are being "scratched" in normal use.
I'm confused by your reasoning but my guess is there is nothing I can say that will change your mind. A survey at 90 days is no way to test a vehicles long term reliablilty, no matter how they get their results. Based on your rational, am I to assume that CR surveys are not filled out by the owners of the vehicles. It doesn't matter if you are a subscriber or not. Plus to really make it even, they should take into account that the Accord sell 350,000 a year versus a Volvo S60 that sells only 25,000 per year. How do they decide who gets a survey?
I bought a Malibu in July and never received anything from JD Power. But I will get my CR survey in a month or so.
Face it, all surveys have their flaws. That is why they should be used as guides.
CR has 500K surveys for all cars, JD has 50K. Great!
CR will have 500 Honda Civic surveys and say 50 surveys from a smaller volume car. Well 50 is an insignificant sample size and hence the flaw. CR also polls it's readers/ members only which is flawed also as that is not a random population sample.
In the end we can agree that all surveys and data have flaws. Unfortunately most people believe everything they read. A cross section of data is always best!
i've mentioned my vibrating driver mirror before. after many attempts to fix, the dealer says gm blames the bugflector. has anyone else had the vibrating mirror problem and did gm blame it on a bugflector? if not how did they fix it? i had the bugflector on for 4 months before i had the mirror problem so i don't see how that can be the problem. so if i want it fixed they are requiring me to remove the bugflector so we can check it without. but it's a pain to do. i'm going to see if they know about tsb 01-08-64-006. also, my emergency brake boot cover has torn for the 5th time! i only use it in my driveway because it slopes and i don't want the transmission holding it. so i am using it correctly no? still love the car tho.
I don't have both surveys at hand, but if my memory still serves me, both JD Power's and CR's surveys ask pretty much the same questions about problems in several categories.
JD Power's goes deeper in narrowing down if the problem was at delivery or after a while and exactly where the problem was and how the major ones were solved.
To CR, a problem is basically something that stopped working; to JD Power, it's more broad, including a clean car at delivery, for instance.
I wish I had an answer. Since the mirror's been worked on so many times without success, I think I would remove the deflector just to see what happens.
I have worked on emergency brake cables (adjust and lubricate), but I am unfamiliar with the "boot". I assume is some sort of cover, but what is it?
it's the black, leather boot that covers the emergency brake between the handle and the console. it always tears along the seam. i wonder if they'll try to blame it on the bugflector too! also i just remembered another problem. the lights on my cruise control buttons (right side, set/resume...)stopped working. the dealer said they had to order the whole part because they couldn't just replace bulbs on them. anyone else have this problem too?
Do all of the GM mid-size models use the same power steering pump and steering rack? I have driven a Malibu, Grand Am and the Alero.
The Malibu and Alero have a stiffer feel, which I do not like, and the Gran Am has a lighter feel which I prefer. I also noticed these differences in the Cavalier and Sunfire which I thought use the same components.
I prefer the Malibu but not if I have to struggle with the steering. Anybody know technically what's going on and what can be modified, etc?
I'll look at the one on my alero to confirm this, but I believe all GM power steering pumps are adjustable. All you need is a large screwdriver with a fat handle, because you'll have to turn kinda hard.
I'll take a look and let you know, but I still don't know it if is the same on the malibu.
I wasn't aware that the right side buttons (set/coast, result/accel) had lights. If so, mine have not worked since I bought the car. Only the left on/off button is lit at night.
The JD Power survey I had was about 8-10 pages of questions related to the car and it's reliability, the dealership and service and over all happiness with the processes of buying and servicing. It took over 1/2 hour to finish and it was mostly multiple choice.
What specifically can you adjust on a power steering pump? I never heard of this. Can you adjust the steering feel and make it require less effort to turn it?
I appreciate your knowledge concerning this issue (and anyone else that may have more information).
I took a look at the pump on the alero last night. It was nothing like the one on my old chevy s-10. I still think there is a way to increase or decrease the power assist level, but I need some more time to look it over.
Many moons ago, I adjusted one to stiffen the steering feel. The way it looks on the Alero pump, you may not be able to increase the power assist, only decrease it. Again, I am not sure as this setup has me baffled for the moment.
Surely someone out there has more current knowledge than I.
yes, the lights on the right side cruise control buttons are supposed to light up-same color as dash, light blue. so the set/coast, result/accel buttons ARE supposed light up. for a while sometimes they would work and others they wouldn't. again, anyone have problems with emergency brake boot tearing?
I looked at the boot covering the Emergency brake handle. It seems rather tight, almost stretched taut when the handle is down. I moved the boot down the brake handle a bit, and this relaxed the material.
Does the boot tear when the handle is down, or up? On mine, I can't see how the boot would tear when up, and now that I adjusted the boot, it seems just fine when down.
the power steering system is the magna-steer type. I heard 3 levels of steering effort can be programmed with a computer hookup. the dealer can do this for you.
Well, I just filled the gas tank for the first time. Got 26.5 MPG, which is a little better than I expected for the first tank. I look forward to better mileage as the rings get seated.
I look for reasons to drive anymore, this car is a kick with the 5 speed!
I don't think there are many 5-speeds out there and Oldsmobile doesn't really promote them. They should as the automatic is fun, I can only imagine how fast the 5-speed is.
My dealer tried to get me to buy an auto back in Feb. 01, but I insisted on my Ruby Red 5 sp. GL2 Apparently there were only 3 manual GL2s available in the whole state of NY. My salesman had to drive over 300 miles to go fetch my car. I was jealous that he got to put the first few hundred miles on the odometer. I love the standard, but it is balky going into 5th. I've never had this problem in any other car. I've had to be really careful to shift into 5th very slowly and deliberately to avoid hitting 3rd instead. I may take this up with the dealer next time I bring it in, though I'm sure they'll tell me nothing is wrong. Anyone else had this problem?
Fclspat - Yes, I have an '02. I have been awaiting this car for awhile and ordered it in Dec (Olds didn't begin production of the 5 speed until Nov.) I had to call and call and call, nobody seemed to know much about the 5 speed models.
They should be making their way to the lots pretty well right now.
Isseyvoo, what part of NY are you from. I stumbled upon one of the first '02 5 speeds by accident in Jamestown NY. I really wanted to drive one before ordering, and they had the exact one I wanted on the lot, but in a different color. Drove it, went home to PA and ordered one. Too bad you couldn't order one and deprive the Dealer the driving pleasure.
I have not noticed the 5th gear problem. It may just need a little breaking in. One thing I am surprised about with the 5 speed is that you hardly "need" to downshift. You can ascend moderate hills in 5th gear no problem. I usually like plenty of power so I downshift anyway, but it is unlike any 5 speed I have driven before. Then again, I'm sure the CTS can pull just as well.
One thing I noticed the other day was when You start the car at night, with the emergency brake on, the headlights do not come on until you release the emergency brake. HAve any of you seen or noticed this feature before?
Congrats on the Ruby Red. I almost ordered that color...it is really sharp. Did you get the sedan or coupe?
That's the way it is supposed to work. Unless you turn on the headlights manually they will stay off until the handbrake is released. If I'm not mistaken, GM recommends using the manual switch under most conditions, not relying on the auto sensor to turn the lights off and on. I believe this is because if you drive into a lighted tunnel the sensor could turn the headlights off. Then when you exit the tunnel there could be a momentary delay before they come back on. Does the 02 model have daytime running lamps?
I'm in Newburgh, NY. My GL2 is a coupe, with 5,400 mi. on it now. The shift into 5th issue has been consistent since new, though it varies (with no particular rhyme or reason) in its degree. I wish 5th were a little taller for better highway milage, but you're right, I seldom have to downshift to climb hills. The 2.4l is a little brute!
Re: auto lights, I find they turn themselves on and off again around dusk. I guess the computer gets confused in low light levels.
All and all though, I very much enjoy the car, especially the sport suspension.
The following post is from the Venture Van post that I was in for a few weeks. I did follow some of the Alero posts before I bought the car and asked my dealer specifically to look at the brake rotors and door leaks, they assured me that the 2001 had resolved the issues but if not the 5 year/100000 warranty would ensure a resolve. Driving it now for one week, what a wonderful car.
#1107 of 1111 Greetings from Victoria, B.C. by victoriaboy Jan 22, 2002 (10:05 pm) Some some white stuff this morning on the van, neighbours think its snow but are not sure, they've never seen it before. (Just rubbing it in for my Canadian cousins)
Anyway, probably my last post on this forum, at least for vans anyway. Thanks to all those who had suggestions.
Continuing my epic on the leaky 2000 Venture Van, the dealer after 5 tries now absolutely positively, guaranteed that there would be no more water leaks. They kept it for a week and alternately flooded and dried it. All gaskets and seals replaced and three welded seams repaired, all around the upper right rear tailgate post.
While I did not doubt their belief, having sleepless nights wondering what could be the next problem resulted in taking the van from their repair shop immediatly up to the next Chev dealer up the road and trading it in on a six month old 2001 Olds Alero GL V6 with every option exc lthr and sunrf..
Wholesale value slightly higher than the Van so they agreed on an $800 (Can)$480(US)profit for doing the paperwork and maybe selling the van for a better markup. Our van is listed wholesale at $17,290 (Can) $10,374 (US). The Alero is wholesale priced at $17,995(Can)$10,797(US)
It was funny that the best our original dealer could do on a trade was a 1999 Malibu LS that in my Black Book Canadian Equivalent to the US Kelly Blue Book was listed at $12,200 (Can)$7300 (US). DiD they know something about their van we did'nt??
Both my wife and myself feel a lot better and hope we do not have to show up on the "Alero" forum whiners lot. Hope the rest of you have happy "vanning", it does not seem to be in the cards for us.
I have a 1999 Alero 2 door coupe with the tan interior. The back seat is seldom used and it hadn't been cleaned for well over a year. When I lifted up the rear factory floor mats, there was a rust colored impression of the back of the mat in the carpeting. If I hadn't moved the mats I would have never known. Has anyone else noticed these stains on the rear floor? Have you looked???
Anyone have any ballpark idea what a carpet replacement would cost for a 2001 Alero? Some genius (yours truly if you must know) left a bottle of Clorox in the rear floorboard after doing laundry and the seal on the bottle was apparently bad. I now have a pewter interior with a stark white left rear carpet (where the bleach didn't eat through entirely). Sigh...
I went to www.auto-parts-for-less.com and looked but couldn't find a listing for carpet, but did find lots of interior trim stuff, so it's probably there somewhere. A quick call to the dealer parts dept. would answer your question also. I would imagine it would be expensive to have it replaced (if labor is paid for) since I believe that at least the front seats, console, and many trim parts that contact the floor will have to be removed.
I have a 2000 GLS with about 27K on it. For the past 9 months I have has problems with the turn signals not working at all or going off while in use. The signal handle remains in place the lights just stop working. I can sometimes get the to work by alternating the hazards and blinkers but not always. I have had this looked at twice while in the shop for routine work but has turned up nothing. Yesterday while driving my trans was acting up and my tachometer was having seizures. The car finnaly stalled when I tried to turn around and head home. Anytime I went over 30 it would stall. I am getting AAA to tow it in to the shop on monday. Has anyone had any of these problems before? I have also had the brakes fixed twices, the rotars replaced once, and the alternate auxilatory jack replaced twice. Other then this (sic) all has been fine.
Comments
My conclusion, with a budget to buy one, was keep looking for a replacement for the Alero.
But you are right, it is just one source of many to be considered.
I read 2 reviews of the alero and basically counted it out. I also thought it was too small.
Later, after I drove an accord and some larger cars, I drove one and changed my mind. I guess I got tired of having to compromise on looks and driving pleasure. Yes, GM could do more for that car...a V-6 and 5 speed would have me in heaven.
GM always seems to hold back a little to get you into a higher model.
If I didn't have the GM card points, may have looked at the Passat.
jpelder : Alero is a fine car. With the Ecotec you aren't giving up any engine smoothness to the imports. I have always been impressed with the engine since I first drove the Saturn LS 2 years ago.
Then again, you can never have too much power! It's a shame we'll probably never get to read a new review of the alero with the ecotech.
I live in Buffalo, and as everyone probably knows, we had quite a snowfall recently. And I'd like to say that I'm very impressed with the car's performance in the snow. I haven't even come close to getting stuck, even when pulling out of the driveway with the front half and driver's side completely buried past the wheels. Or pulling in and out of parking spots on the street that had a large amount of snow that wasn't plowed. The traction control comes in handy on some icy patches. And I don't even have snow tires on it, just the stock 16" tires. I guess I forgot about snow tires, since there was no snow until Christmas week. I kinda miss rear wheel drive for the fun of swinging the tail around, and donuts, though!
Unfortunately I knocked out the driver's side fog light when I hit a snowbank. I knew I shouldn't have attempted to pull into the driveway from the right, with those huge mounds of snow surrounding it. At first I thought it was gone, or at least cracked. But after digging out all the snow from under there, I discovered it deep within the front of the car, and still working. Just the plastic piece that it's mounted to is broken.
You know, I never did share my big accident avoidance story. I'm still amazed to no end that I managed to dodge a woman who tried to turn left in front of me from the right lane on a one way street. Avoided her car, went up the curb right between a light pole and a fire hydrant, made an exact 90 degree turn (avoiding a wall that stretched around the corner) and stopped squarely in the middle of the sidewalk between that wall and two trees between the sidewalk and street. All from 45 mph. Scary, yet somehow beautiful. And I'm convinced I couldn't have done it had I been driving a lesser car. The end.
They do not yet list parts for the 2002 Alero, so you have to check under the Saturn L Series. Apparently, these just became available recently (according the the Saturn posts).
Some common Alero problems that have repeatedly been voiced here -- flooding, warped brakes, and vibrating side mirrors (to name a few) should have been corrected after the first complaints. But they have not been. Many have been problems in GM cars for years.
My 2 cents
Thanks
Seriously, my buddy replaced his at 45,000 miles. They still passed inspection, but winter was coming so he wanted a little more tread.
By the way, where do you find TSB's for the Alero (or any car for that matter). I'd like to learn a bit about other predicted problems.
So far, I love this car.
Look at http://www.alldata.com for TSB titles. There is no charge to see the titles but you will have to subscribe to read the contents of the TSBs. There don't appear to be very many TSBs for the Alero; many of them appear to be general TSBs issued to dealers for guidance rather than to address a specific problem. Interestingly, there is a TSB titled "Left Hand Mirror - Vibration". I wonder what it says...
Actually, dindak, you are contradicting yourself. JD Power for their Initial Quality Survey only has 50,000+ people. 10 times less then CR annual survey. guess which one has more credibility based on sample size? Plus JD is based on the manufacturers and not invididual models, which is much more accurate. Anyway neither is the "Bible" to determine which car is for you. they are both guides.
I agree some of CR reviews leave you scratching your head. But they look at vehicles from a practical stand point. That is why it is important to read their full report. So many people simply read the end-of- year Buying guide which is jsut a two sentence summary. If you went by their recommendations, you would never buy a SUV or sports car. Everybody would be driving a Honda or Toyota.
One thing I do agree withthem is the foreign family sedans are better then the American offerings. I say this not jsut because CR says this. The trend of American companies pouring money into the SUV and truck category is very disturbing. This sectore is theri money maker. It appears they ahve put all their eggs into these baskets. Toyota is on the verge of becoming the #3 sales leader in Amercia. They've done it by creating momentum with the Corrolla and Camry. Now they have the Tundra, Tacoma, and 4-5 versions of SUVs that everyone loves. Now they re-designed the already brilliant Camry, the Corrolla is being revised next year and the matrix (I think that is the name) next year. While GM has nothing exciting going for them. The response of the Big 3 has been to offer rebates and discounts on these vehicles to get people to buy them. Scary!
The Alero is a nice car...too bad they didn't do enough advertising to let everyone know about it.
1. Gas gauge does not work properly
2. Wind noise from left rear door/window
3. Gear shift when placed in "Park" does not release the key to be removed from ignition (have to grab gear lever and shake it get it to "click" so that key can be removed).
Anyone else having similar problems? Already had car in to replace driver's window due to etching of glass. Looks like all windows are being "scratched" in normal use.
I bought a Malibu in July and never received anything from JD Power. But I will get my CR survey in a month or so.
Face it, all surveys have their flaws. That is why they should be used as guides.
CR has 500K surveys for all cars, JD has 50K. Great!
CR will have 500 Honda Civic surveys and say 50 surveys from a smaller volume car. Well 50 is an insignificant sample size and hence the flaw. CR also polls it's readers/ members only which is flawed also as that is not a random population sample.
In the end we can agree that all surveys and data have flaws. Unfortunately most people believe everything they read. A cross section of data is always best!
For instance, I would expect a survey to request a list of problems which needed addressed, not just an opinion of the car.
How many times have you taken the vehicle in for a defect? What was the defect?
I'm just curious. I just bought my first new vehicle in 8 years, so maybe I'll receive a survey soon.
JD Power's goes deeper in narrowing down if the problem was at delivery or after a while and exactly where the problem was and how the major ones were solved.
To CR, a problem is basically something that stopped working; to JD Power, it's more broad, including a clean car at delivery, for instance.
I have worked on emergency brake cables (adjust and lubricate), but I am unfamiliar with the "boot". I assume is some sort of cover, but what is it?
The Malibu and Alero have a stiffer feel, which I do not like, and the Gran Am has a lighter feel which I prefer. I also noticed these differences in the Cavalier and Sunfire which I thought use the same components.
I prefer the Malibu but not if I have to struggle with the steering. Anybody know technically what's going on and what can be modified, etc?
I'll take a look and let you know, but I still don't know it if is the same on the malibu.
I appreciate your knowledge concerning this issue (and anyone else that may have more information).
Thank again.
Many moons ago, I adjusted one to stiffen the steering feel. The way it looks on the Alero pump, you may not be able to increase the power assist, only decrease it. Again, I am not sure as this setup has me baffled for the moment.
Surely someone out there has more current knowledge than I.
Does the boot tear when the handle is down, or up? On mine, I can't see how the boot would tear when up, and now that I adjusted the boot, it seems just fine when down.
I look for reasons to drive anymore, this car is a kick with the 5 speed!
I just don't understand why it isn't more popular. Do you have an '02?
They should be making their way to the lots pretty well right now.
Isseyvoo, what part of NY are you from. I stumbled upon one of the first '02 5 speeds by accident in Jamestown NY. I really wanted to drive one before ordering, and they had the exact one I wanted on the lot, but in a different color. Drove it, went home to PA and ordered one. Too bad you couldn't order one and deprive the Dealer the driving pleasure.
I have not noticed the 5th gear problem. It may just need a little breaking in. One thing I am surprised about with the 5 speed is that you hardly "need" to downshift. You can ascend moderate hills in 5th gear no problem. I usually like plenty of power so I downshift anyway, but it is unlike any 5 speed I have driven before. Then again, I'm sure the CTS can pull just as well.
One thing I noticed the other day was when You start the car at night, with the emergency brake on, the headlights do not come on until you release the emergency brake. HAve any of you seen or noticed this feature before?
Congrats on the Ruby Red. I almost ordered that color...it is really sharp. Did you get the sedan or coupe?
Re: auto lights, I find they turn themselves on and off again around dusk. I guess the computer gets confused in low light levels.
All and all though, I very much enjoy the car, especially the sport suspension.
I'm in Pelham, NY (Westchester County) and bought the car near Mystic, CT (about 80 miles away) at $120 over invoice.
BTW, I have a Ruby 4dr.
#1107 of 1111 Greetings from Victoria, B.C. by victoriaboy Jan 22, 2002 (10:05 pm)
Some some white stuff this morning on the van, neighbours think its snow but are not sure, they've never seen it before. (Just rubbing it in for my Canadian cousins)
Anyway, probably my last post on this forum, at least for vans anyway. Thanks to all those who had suggestions.
Continuing my epic on the leaky 2000 Venture Van, the dealer after 5 tries now absolutely positively, guaranteed that there would be no more water leaks. They kept it for a week and alternately flooded and dried it. All gaskets and seals replaced and three welded seams repaired, all around the upper right rear tailgate post.
While I did not doubt their belief, having sleepless nights wondering what could be the next problem resulted in taking the van from their repair shop immediatly up to the next Chev dealer up the road and trading it in on a six month old 2001 Olds Alero GL V6 with every option exc lthr and sunrf..
Wholesale value slightly higher than the Van so they agreed on an $800 (Can)$480(US)profit for doing the paperwork and maybe selling the van for a better markup. Our van is listed wholesale at $17,290 (Can) $10,374 (US).
The Alero is wholesale priced at $17,995(Can)$10,797(US)
It was funny that the best our original dealer could do on a trade was a 1999 Malibu LS that in my Black Book Canadian Equivalent to the US Kelly Blue Book was listed at $12,200 (Can)$7300 (US). DiD they know something about their van we did'nt??
Both my wife and myself feel a lot better and hope we do not have to show up on the "Alero" forum whiners lot. Hope the rest of you have happy "vanning", it does not seem to be in the cards for us.
I doubt that one would find more than one on any lot. Dealers, especially Olds', hate to stock manual trans cars, so expect to have to order one.
When I lifted up the rear factory floor mats, there was a rust colored impression of the back of the mat in the carpeting. If I hadn't moved the mats I would have never known.
Has anyone else noticed these stains on the rear floor? Have you looked???
I can't imagine it would cost more than a few hundred bucks.
I have also had the brakes fixed twices, the rotars replaced once, and the alternate auxilatory jack replaced twice.
Other then this (sic) all has been fine.