1995-2004 Aurora Tips

Audio. 1

CD code E23 on Display. 1

CD code E20 on Display. 2

Bose Stereo Upgrade. 3

Charging System. 3

Battery Access on classic. 3

Driveability, Overheating & Electrical 3

Traction Control Off & ABS Lights Stay Lit 3

Traction Control and OverHeating Problem. 4

Progressive Overheating. 4

Changing Tire size causes Traction Control problems. 5

Driver Information Center (DIC) and Guages. 5

Fuel Gauge Not Reading Properly. 5

Trans Fluid Life always reads 100%.. 6

Engine Issues. 6

Oil Burning Aurora. 6

Sticky Throttle Accelerator Pedal 8

Changing Spark Plugs. 8

After Plug/Wire Replacement things aren’t right 9

Fuel Pressure Regulator Replacement 9

Vehicle Surging. 9

Serpentine Belt Replacement 10

Exterior - Body. 10

Sunroof Gurgling after rain. 10

Power Antenna will kill battery if it cannot Fully Retract 11

Trunk Piston Mounting Plate breaks& Water in the Trunk. 11

Exterior - Lighting. 11

Reverse Light Condensation. 11

Parking Lights Stay On. 12

Flashing Headlights and Chimer Unexpectedly Sounding. 12

Disabling DRL (Daytime Running Lights) 13

Side Marker Lights are Out 13

Exterior - Exhaust 13

Blackened Exhaust Tips. 13

Interior 13

Gear Shift Indicator Light not working. 13

Intermittant Cruise Control 14

AC blows warm on left side. 14

Buttons on doors stop working. 14

Intermittent Instrument Illumination. 15

Airbag Light Illuminates When Pressing Horn. 15

Loose Knob for ON & OFF AC/Heater 15

Door Window Scratches on Inside of Glass. 15

Non-start & Left Stranded problems. 16

Owners Manuals Online. 17

Performance. 17

Autobahn Package. 17

Suspension. 17

Steering Noise. 17

Vibration at Highway Speeds. 18

Transmission Issues. 19

Slipping Trans. 19

Trans Wont Shift Past 2nd Gear 19

 

 

Audio

CD code E23 on Display

I used the CD player in my 95 Aurora yesterday with no problems what so ever,today I turn on the unit,not only will it not track or play,it does not eject and gives a readout that says E23. The radio and cassette player are normal,can someone give me a clue as to what is going on? and at least getting the CD to eject,the car is not abused and it's still smells new I only have 58,000 miles on the odometer and is maintained A-1. Thanks a million TONY

 

It may be temp or humidity in unit. it will probably pop out in a few days once the temp changes. Its happended to me a few times when I left the cd in and turned off the car. I now eject the cd before i turn off the car and it hasn't happend since.  Chris

 

Mine returns an E23 code and keeps the CD, pressing eject switches to the radio. And I never used a burned copy of a CD. Only CD's that are new or like new.  Dealer used a cleaner as they said E23 meant an error with the optical reader. Thought that was it but it happened again. Stays like that for weeks on end, right until I take it to the local radio shop. Not working when I park it, as soon as the tech starts the car the CD ejects then works like a dream. They are afraid to rebuild it at the $300.00 cost and warranty it unless they know for sure what is wrong.  Got the E23 a week ago so I'm going to hurry to the shop tomorrow in hopes

 

CD code E20 on Display

Won't play certain cds, trys and spits it out. I know this has been up here before but can't remember.

Try a CD cleaner - the lens might have some carbon monoxide buildup on it, especially if the car has ever been smoked in. Also, listen to see if you can hear the motor turning when you put the CD in. E20 is kind of the generic error code for 'can't read the CD' so it could be a few things. Usually means (if the cleaning doesn't work) that you will need to be finding a different CD player.  I suggest looking on ebay for a replacement. Much cheaper than the dealer or a salvage yard. Plus some of them are brand spanking new. Make sure you get the non-Bose unless you have the Bose system.

I don't burn my own cds. This code is coming up on a '98 Bose unit out of a "low mile" wreck that I had bought off Ebay and put into my '95 (with factory Bose, but no CD) a few months back with no immediate problem. It seems to be picky as to which cds it rejects. It played my "24K gold Master Recording" of Dark Side of the Moon album fine (I thought) but spit out a new cd that has never been played. I can hear a quick buzz when it tries to spin and read the cd then it is quiet for 15 seconds or so then rejects with the code. When it does play, I sometimes now hear a distant static-like "sfut, sfut, sfut" that fades in and out. How does one get to the lens to clean it?

 

Just get a cleaning CD from any electronics type store. Should just be a CD with brushes on it.

On burned CDs...
I used burned CDs in my car all the time with no problems. A few hints to help them work better-
1) Use Disc-at-once recording
2) Use a good brand of CD Writer (I realize it's hard to change this now). If you have a cheapo CD writer, burn it at a slower speed.
3) El cheapo blank CDs sometimes (not so much anymore) don't work as well. Try getting the Sonys next time and see if that helps.

 

Bought a CD cleaner and it took care of the E20 messages I was getting sporatically, but a problem remains with some of my CDs; kind of a static-y "sfut-sfut" sound that oscilates in and out. Anybody on this one? If it needs repair, I need some local (Calif.-Zinc?) alternatives to the exchange-only deal that the authorized Delco guy (dealers use) who will want $200-300 exchange only.Thanks

 

The "sfut-sfut" sound you are hearing is probably from the motor in the CD player wearing out. I know of more Delco CD players from 1995-1999 that have crapped out - it is rediculous. What happens is it is spinning the disc slightly too slow and there are gaps in the data stream. Best way to fix that would just be to get a new one off of eBay. People are constantly pulling those headunits to replace them with aftermarket ones, so there are lots of pull-outs on there.

 

Actually, I bought this Bose cd player off eBay 6 mo. ago for $150. It came out of a wrecked 98 Aurora. My 95 came w/Bose but no CD. With all the troubles, buying another would be another crap shoot.  As for the sfut-sfut, it is like an electrical-static sound which only comes up when music is going but stops during quiet times (not just inbetween tracks); the fuller (not louder) the music, the more pronounced the noise gets and mostly it tags on to higher, treble sound as opposed to lower, bass sounds.

 

Yeah - that sound you are hearing is from the motor underspinning the CD. Not much you can do about it except replace it. You wouldn't need to buy a Bose unit - you could buy a regular one and, if you were familiar with electronics, you could just swap out the CD mechanism. It sucks, but the CD player units in any delco stereo from 1995 or later have had an unusually high failure rate. When I got my car, it had an E-20. It wouldn't spin the CD at all.  I replaced it with a Bose headunit and then built my own stereo based around that. It's been great.

 

On the off chance that there might be some dirt or something interfering with the CD read, you should at least run a cleaner through it before you give up all hope. But usually the sfut sfut sound is the death march of the CD player =)

 

You would have to take the CD player mechanism out of the normal Delco CD player and replace the one in your Bose. They are fairly modular, so it's just like 4 screws and a plug. It's not too bad of a deal.  Your other option, which is probably a better one, would be to put the Cassette deck back in and get a Delco trunk changer. The 12 Disc models are solid. I have yet to hear of anyone having any troubles with those. I put one in my 98 that came out of a wrecked 95 and it is great. No problems at all and works like a charm hot or cold.  Your car is probably already wired for it and everything. Just look by the power antenna in the trunk behind the carpet. There should be a 10 pin (4-6) 1 row connector floating around in there somewhere. It will probably have a green and dark brown wire going into it (if I remember right). An additional bonus of using the Delco CD changer is that your steering wheel controls will work with it. You can probably find one on Ebay.  You can e-mail me privately if you like (ryan@shucknet.com) and I can give you some more details. I have done quite a bit of work with Delco stereos, especially what is in my Aurora.

Bose Stereo Upgrade

Shuck how much did you pay for the stereo? Only thing I would be concerned about it the DIC. The dest, eta, and date run off the radio and one from an intrigue might not have the proper hook-ups or something. Also Im not sure if intrigues have the steering wheel controls on them. I am considering this also but if I can get a good price on the bose speakers along with the head unit I might get the speakers too. I read somewhere there is a subwoofer in the bose package. Im wondering where they put it and what size is it? The trunk? Is it amplified?  The bose stereo seems to be the only solutions for those that want an upgrade from their factory ones and want to keep the steering wheel controls and some DIC functions  -AuroraAddict aka BentOnVenge 98 Evergreen Oldsmobile Aurora
http://members.fortunecity.com/zincster/richards_98.htm aROARa baby

 

From what I get from reading about the BOSE stereo in some of GM's publications, the head unit is the same (except for the BOSE lettering on the cassette door). The differences in sound quality come from improved speakers, more of them and an amplifier. It should plug right in, I am actually looking for an Oldsmobile CD/Cassette for my car, to replace the standard cassette (I have a Cutlass Supreme). I have been searching on Ebay and have bid on a few BOSE units (haven't won any yet though).

 

Since I made my original post, I have done a LOT of research on this - here is what I found.

The Bose head unit does have a lower level output (significantly) than the regular olds unit, so there is no bass cutting as you turn up the volume. The output is NOT standard line level, however, and you need to purchase a converter from some place like Peripheral Electronics. The speakers are 1 ohm, so a conventional amp can't drive them.

The subwoofer in the Bose system goes in the lazy back (rear deck) and the rear speakers are in the back doors. So, the Bose system has a different rear deck. The Bose amp mounts in the back under the decklid as well.  So - here is what I have done:
1) purchased a new Bose headunit off ebay
2) purchased a converter that converts the Bose out to Line level outs
3) purchased aftermarket amps and speakers
This will give you the good straight sound of an aftermarket deck and system without sacrificing the DIC time, etc.  The intrigue stereo would supply the time the same as the Aurora one - it's a function on the E&C bus (entertainment and comfort communications network) in the car and it's in all GM radios with the 32 pin connector. Same goes for steering wheel controls - all of that info is sent via the E&C bus to the radio and/or CD changer.  If anyone has any more questions, you can e-mail me privately (ryan@shucknet.com) or post here.

 

The Shuck/Bose stereo is complete. Spent all of the Labor Day weekend building this sucker, but after turning it on for the first time, it was sooo worth it. Built a baffle board and mounted the subs free-air to save space in the trunk. Only modifications I had to do to the car body were to drill 4 holes to bolt the board to and then apply various things to seal off the trunk.   Replaced the door speakers with Pioneer components (1653s) and the rears with pioneer 6x9s (6995s). Main speakers are driven by 2 Sony Xplod 752EQX amps and the subs are driven by a Rockford 360 aII.

 

The rear door speakers are 4". When I was working at Best Buy in the car audio department, and was talking about my new sterio system, my lead installer made the best point. He asked if I knew what 4" speakers were good for. I didn't say anything right away, and he immediately said "exactly, they aren't good for anything". My piont - just disconnect the rear door speakers, and don't use anything back there. The pioneer speakers that are there are very high quality and give great highs. That just makes the 4s extra filling that isn't needed.

 

Charging System

Battery Access on classic

To gain access to your battery, you have to just lift up the rear seat, yeah just lift it up, start on one side, when the back seat pops up you'll feel it all loose. Then go to the other side and lift it up, by now the whole rear seat should be all loose, just remove it and you will see the Aurora's battery. Also be sure to disconnect the terminal that is in front of the car, under the hood (for more info see your owners manual if this does not help). I hope you knew that the battery for the Auroras was in the rear seat, or at least in the 1999 Auroras? - JAVIDOGG

 

Driveability, Overheating & Electrical

Traction Control Off & ABS Lights Stay Lit

Nice to have found a resource for my 95 Aurora! I've been having trouble with my traction control & my ABS. Neither one of the systems will work properly. Diagnostics are uninformative & frustrating.  I recently replaced the Front/Driver's wheel bearing assy as well as the wire harness to that corner to find that the ABS light will now go out, but the TCS is still out of sorts. Any ideas on how to reset these systems or do they go through diagnostics each time the car is started? Do these cars typically have problems with the wheel speed sensors?  Any input is appreciated.  Thanks,  Bob

 

Because your car is a 95 you have OBD 1 you should go to an auto parts store and buy a code reader for your car ( about $20) then you see what code is stored in memory.  For my 96 I have replaced:
PMV
EBTCM
L.F. wheel bearing asmy.
I have had problems with my TCS and ABS.

 

For almost a year the ABS and traction control lights have been on in the Aurora. After $150.00 the dealer simply told me that the brake system was fine.  I have seen other sights discussing this issue. My guess is there's a sensor or something that's bad. I haven't been able to find any repair manuels or other info to pursue a resolution.  Any ideas?

 

Input Speed Circuit problem is what I got. I bought a scan tool from autoxray and received that message as to why my abs and traction lights stay on. When I caught the ses light on, I scanned it again and got the same message. Any suggestions as to what that means? A short maybe?

 

Can anyone shed some light on this?  Recently my "traction Off" light has been coming on by itself. I first noticed it on a trip of about 100 miles on a very hot day (96-98 degrees). I had been cruising on the highway for about 30 minutes when it came on. Pushing the button on/off made no difference. On the trip back, it came on a again, but not for an hour or so -- and it was a much cooler day.  Now it seems to come on even on a short commute. (my usual work commute is only 7 miles.)  Anyone seen this on their Auroras? Is this a side effect of something else, or is the Traction Control going? Thanks, Jim 95 Autobahn

And yes, it meant the traction control crapped out. When the light is on, the system didn't work. It was easily (although not necessarily easy on the wallet) repaired by a GM dealership, though.

 

TRACTION OFF and ABS light problem is fixed! Ended up being the abs hub speed sensor. Warrenty covered. Been having this problem for a while. If I couldn't get it fixed I told myself I'd have to trade her in. I'm glade my 96 is all better now. She's been under the knife several times recently. First attempted to fix the problem I ended up getting a new power steering pump. I told them there's any engine whine and I read here that that's a common problem and if the could do a good look over since my warrenty is almost up.

 

Traction Control and OverHeating Problem

Symtoms:
- Traction control kicks in
- Temperture gage begins rising
- Warning ding, ding, ding begins
- Display (Driver Information Center) shows one of two warnings (“Engine Hot” A/C Off”) or (“Hot” “Stop Engine”)
- Engine cylinders are shut down, causing reduced power
- Heat indicator will peg, until traction decides to correct itself, cylinders kickback in, and heat indicator begins to reside.

This problem has persisted for the past 45,000 miles. It comes and goes. Does not show up on diagnostics. It can begin first thing in morning, within minutes of starting up. The traction control has a mind of its on, and doesn’t care if it is on or off. Car is kept in garage. It has been to the shop many times, and heat sensors, as well as other corrections have been made. Obviously, the real problem has not been resolved. Problem may reoccur within hours, days, or months. Depends on when it chooses to be bit---. When it is bad, it can really be bad. But, when it is good, it can be great.   Usually, I have been able to assist correction by turning traction control on and off, multiple times. I realize this had no effect, but made me feel good. At the same time, I might be pressing the DIC off or reset button, or RCL button. Last night was the worst, pushed out the Traction Control Button, and had the car towed home as I had no power in the mountains.   You might ask why did I keep driving it. It was never actually overheating!! If you stopped and went under the hood, put your hand on the motor, hold the hoses to the overflow reservoir, they would be, maybe warm, Not Hot!! This is the reason I feel it is computer related. Can’t imagine that the ABS overheating would affect the temperature gage as well as Transaction Control. Who knows the answer???  How sold on this car am I. Read about it two year before it was actually available. Called Oldsmobile then to see when it would be available. Put my money down for first right of refusal for first car into the state. Drove it, and there was no turning back. That was in July of 94. Car is in perfect condition, well cared for, and babied. Just need to have reasonable confidence this problem can be resolved. Obviously, Oldsmobile and dealers are neither competent nor caring!! This is my last GM product, and I have owned 3 vets, 2 Eldorados, a Suburban, and Skylark and Olds 88. Most fun car was a 53 Buick that had 300,000, and still ran strong. GM needs to start caring again.  Need advise and solution!!

Hardknock --
after reading your posting one idea came to mind about your traction going haywire on you. at the shop, did they change either of the front wheel bearing/speed sensor assemblies??? The reason i ask is because mine went crazy on my 95 when i replaced only one wheel bearing unit, forcing me to replace the other one to get the same electrical reading from both wheels. It is very important that they both be changed at the same time.  just a thought.

 

Progressive Overheating

I own a 1995 in southern TX. Recently, the temp at which the car runs has been progressively increasing in the city, and will run into 250 if I drive the car long enough. When I drive at higher, more consistent speeds, the gage comes down, but always runs well above 200 deg. Problem seem to get worse and worse each day. I had this same problem about three months ago and, dealership told me I had holes in the radiator that needed to be replaced and second mechanic eventually determined that the fans were not kicking in at the right time, and ended up replacing some computer circuitry. Could this be the same problem happening all over again. It is strange the way it progresses.  Also have had numerous problems with AC that has been worked on four times and still blows hot air. I am tired of the electronic nightmare this car seems to be.  Any comments are appreciated.

 

I would check the fans to make sure they are coming on. Also, you can remove any debris and such from the radiator fins with a stiff-bristled brush. Make sure the coolant is still ok, there is enough of it, and that it is the proper mixture. Too much anti-freeze and not enough water will not cool effectively. Also, make sure that lip is still on the front of the car as it directs air into the radiator. My bet would be the fans, though, if it only runs hot while you are moving slow.  There's also always the possibility that the temp sender is old and is no longer accurate.

 

Changing Tire size causes Traction Control problems

GOOD, got a set of conti contact sport tires slightly used for the front after driving back to Minnesota from Wisconsin on spare. Tires are 50 series. BAD, as I drove away from little tire shop, Traction Active, appeared in few minutes and car slows (engine) to crawl. Slow to almost complete stop, car runs normal for few minutes. Turn off traction control no problems. GOOD,

 

I believe this is caused by your tires. If you change the tire size, you have to go to the dealer to have the new size put in with a Tech2. Else it messes up speed, abs, traction control etc. What is happening is that the computer is seeing you going the wrong speed for the number of rotation of wheels (picked up by the ABS sensor vs flywheel sensor). It then signals the traction control to kick in.  Francois

 

I was discussing the traction control issue with the dealership about 2 years ago when I first started looking at putting the y2k 17" wheels on the classic. I was concenred that the difference in size would cause the traction system to act "funky". Seems that I was right! If the wheel total size of the wheel/tire is too far from stock you will have a problem. However, the 17" wheel and 235/55 tire combination from the Y2K cars seems to be okay on the Classic.

 

Wheel-bearing was recently changed in one of our vehicles. Not certain if it was the Aurora. Will check with my mechanic on Monday.  While the problem has now come to a head. It has persisted for years, at least the last 45,000 miles. Now that I have destroyed my transaction control butten, it is unmanageable. Must be fixed.  The search will center around the ABS and traction control, and will probably replace the master computer board for good measure.  Please keep the advise coming. Thanks,  hardknock

have never heard of them changing both front speed sensors as pairs. They do work independently plus the fact they are a part of the front wheel bearing assembly. If a speed sensor has gone haywire it will show up through the diagnostic outlet informing you of which one has gone. Usually the antilock light will stay on as well if a speed sensor is faulty. Dealers play tricks… I stay away.....been burnt before, never again.

About those 2001/2 17's on the classic. I've had no problem. They sit about as high as the stock set-up - maybe .2 or .3 inches total.  For reference, consider that new tires usually have 10/32 tread, and are worn when they have 2/32. So, in the course of wearing down the tires you would see 8/32 x 2 = 16/32 = .5 inch difference in height. That more of a difference than the 17's make.  Another take - with wear, they will sit as high as the stock tires new.

 

If you want the 17's maybe you can still get a good deal where I got mine. You will have to get the center caps from the dealer because they don't supply original centers. The wheels are the silver ones (probably scratched up or something so GM dumps them) that are stripped and re-chromed. They look good - no problems so far, but I haven't been through winter with them yet.  With tax, and all + buying the centers from the dealer (and getting killed on that) it was about $900 I think.  Let me know, and I'll tell you who I called. The wheels were $740 and the shipping was $40. The centers were just like the factory, but without the "Olds" emblem in the middle. I had to have that.


Driver Information Center (DIC) and Guages

Fuel Gauge Not Reading Properly

As new member, it is good to hear others with similar experiences.....even if mostly bad! My 97 has had many of the earlier posts...plug wires at 80K, O2 sensors, scratches on driver and passenger windows (felt pads in door need replacement). Nothing in the posts though on my problem with fuel gauge. When it gets about 1/2 tank, starts to INCREASE reading and eventually shows full again (wish it were so!). Affects trip computer also with increased range numbers. Had a local repair guy say it could be sensor (big repair) or it could be the fuel pump heating up as fuel level goes down (submersed pump). Anybody have similar problem?

 

My '97 has the same (or similar) problem. At ~1/2 tank the gauge will go from full to empty and back; this repeats many times. The "low fuel" indicator will chime and display in the DIC. There have been some posts on this. The consensus is that the problem is the sender in the tank.  I have not replaced mine yet. I have relied on the "fuel used " function of the DIC to keep me out of trouble; don't go past 16 gallons. There is an AC-Delco fuel sendor kit for about $100.

 

When I first got my 95 I had a problem with the fuel guage showing 1/8 when the car was actually empty. I replaced the unit (comes with a new fuel pump also) and it was vary accurate. Less than a year later the gas guage acted up again, now when it was near empty it would shoot up to full at times when first started then go slowly down, I got that warrantied the replaced it.  Now a year later I have the same problem again, when the gas guage hits 1/4 there is about 10 miles before it is bone dry. At $400 a copy, I cant replace this thing every year, any ideas? There are no bulletins from GM on this.

 

I got a '95 about six weeks ago. I have the same problem. For the first few days after a fill up, the needle will not move, then for the next few days, I'll routinely loose 1/8th a tank a day (about 60 mi.). When my father had his '95, his did the same thing. I guess the best thing to do is to know your car really well as far as how much you drive in a week. If it varies a whole lot, make the fuel button on the DIC your best friend!

 

had the same problem on my 97, and the warrenty replaced the fueling sending unit. Now the fuel gauge works.

Trans Fluid Life always reads 100%

To my fellow Auroa Drivers. I have thae wonderful Driver information computer in my 1995 Aurora. The bottom for the Transmission fluid life is stuck on 100% Has not changed in 6500 Miles.  Anyone have any idea how I can fix this, or is there a default
that it changes a certian mileage count.

 

From what I've heard, the transmission fluid life will remain at 100% beyond 100k miles. If you, or the previous owner, reset it at any time it may go well into the 100k miles before dropping.

 

On my '95 the TFLI never changed from 100%. I have 144K miles on vehicle. Although the owners manual states that the fluid life can last up to 100K miles I opted to change it at 80K.  (To avoid observing parts of my transmission while looking in my rear view mirror) The trans pan gasket and sump screens are part of a kit (GM#8684953) and should be replaced at fluid change since there is no drain plug on the bottom of the pan. It needs to be removed to drain ATF. Once the pan is off drain the torque converter (7/16" wrench required). Re-assemble & add ATF. Wash hands (lather, rinse and repeat). Fluid is now good for another 80K, if you don't have any other unrelated transmission issues. I have experienced shift solenoid failures twice. Once at 20K miles ( under warranty), then at 124K (give the man at desk money.......next!) 104K mean time between failure is pretty reasonable. Most people don't keep cars that long. Running good now.

 

I am one of those nuts, that changes transfluid every 15,000 miles. That is why my last tramsission lasted in my old 98 267,000 before the car was totaled.

 

I hava a 95 with 190k on it. My trans fluid life has not moved from 100% since I bought it at 130k, even when I had to replace the trans at 182k. As far as I can tell it must be a software flaw and as far as I know there is no update, I wonder if 96 and up do it?

 

I applaude your efforts in changing fluids. I like to change oil at 2500 miles and add also a quart of Rislone each change, trans. at 10K, cooling system after 2 years. I feel like it is cheap insurance and also get 200K mileage out of my vehicles. kudos to you!!!

 

Engine Issues

Oil Burning Aurora

I had a problem with a 1995 Aurora that I recently sold. Oil burning. It started around 45,000 miles and stayed the same or got slightly worse. I was losing 1 qt every 1000 miles or less. The dealer blamed it on me using synthetic motor oil, which I always used since the car was new and it was fine till 45k miles. Then they next changed the PCV valve? At startup or idle or low rpm the exhaust was fine. At or above 4000 rpm you could see oil burning out. Esp at 5000 or more. Almost dark smoke. At this point the car was under the extended GM warranty. The only thing they could do was to pull the 4.0L V8 and tear it down to find out why it was losing oil. It was NOT leaking, it was consumption. They tried telling me that it would be $5k to take the motor out and tear it apart and that the Extended warranty company would NOT ok it, if after pulling the engine they didn't find a problem? What a load of BS. They told me I would have to pay to have the engine pulled. I declined.. meantime... I went thru 3 of those infamous CD players... even on my 4th.. constant E codes once a day, then its fine the next. Then at 70,000 miles the 100k tuneup sparkplugs were worn out and needed replacing. The dealer told me that plugs only last 50-75k anyway... Then why advertise 100K then? The car started run badly and miss... they changed the plugs and wires to the tune of $500 and the car ran great again. I had the old parts put in my trunk, so I know they did it. Then after that the check engine light comes on all the time, even though the car runs fine. Had it to the dealer and another Olds dealer 4x, they say its my auto start from the keyfob causing the light to come on... YET.. this auto-start was factory installed back in December 1994 when I bought the car brand new. So it takes 6 years later to cause a problem? The kept replacing all kinds of parts including the brake switch, each time blaming the light on something new.. then finally blaming my auto start which they installed. The light keeps going coming on even though it runs ok. It will come on then shut off or stay on. Then the fuel pressure regulator went twice in 8months, the first time the ext GM warranty covered it, the 2nd time they say no?? Its one fight after another with them. Then to top it off the right hub went, thankgoodness covered. I have a car that burns oil, and they still can't find a good CD player to install. It has 80k miles on it, and is in mint condtion, garage kept. They treat you like you bought a $18k Alero rather then a $32k aurora... I have to fight to get a rental car of any sort. I have heard of others having oil consumption problems with the 1995-1997 Olds V8 and Caddy V8's... has anyone else? My warranty won't even fix it. I am putting in 1 to 1.5 qts a month, I only drive 12k per year. I wouldn't even expect that out of a low end Gm car. Any suggestions? Regardless I will be trading in the car on something else shortly. Most likely something from Infiniti, Acura or Lexus.

 

Two points: I have heard that the Northstar block has (had?) thin cyl. walls (or liners, is it an alum. block?) that could cause the oil ring on the piston to have trouble sealing I guess due to heat-related expansion.  Secondly, the rings on a new engine need time to seat properly, especially the newer moly rings (compared to the old style in my 72 Cutlass for example) which need up to 10,000 miles to fully seat. During the break-in oil consumption can be high. My mother's 99 Caddy Concours 4.6 Northstar used a couple of quarts between changes for several thousand miles before settling down. The use of synthetic does not allow full seating of the rings and usually is not recommeded until the rings have fully seated.

On my 1995 Aurora I did use regular conventional motor oil for the first 1,000 miles then drained it and went with Mobi 1 after the break in period. For the first 50k miles the engine was fine wouldn't even lose 1 qt between changes. ... then after that major oil consumption. Every new car I have ever had I have done this with since about 1985. Only the Aurora and Caddy both with Northstar V8's have ever consumed oil this badly.   Does your mother's '99 Caddy V8 still consume oil? A couple of quarts of oil on a '99 between oil changes is ludicrous. Esp on a $40k + car. Something isn't right there. Although you say it "settled down" Keep an eye on that. Even an old 10 yr old car should be using a few quarts between changes.  I do understand what you are saying about using regular oil to break the engine in. I have head that before, HOWEVER... The Corvette comes factory filled with Mobil 1 synthetic, as do some other high end cars... they aren't having problems with seals not seating...

I have a '95 Aurora which I purchased about 3+ years ago w/36k on it at the time. I put in M1 and it worked out for about 30k then it started using oil, about 1qt every 1500 miles. It now has 89k and it uses about a qt. every 1200 miles. I still have the M1 in it but am considering changing it to a conv. oil. We also have a '97 with M1 in it and it is not using any oil yet at 48k. I'm thinking about changing it out also.

I have owned my '97 for 2.5 years -- 37k to 75k miles. I have used Mobil 1 10W-30 from my first oil change, which I have been doing about every 5000 miles based on the DIC oil-life gauge. Consumption has ranged between 1800 and 1100 miles per quart, which to me is pretty alarming in a relatively low-miles motor. The service manual states there is not a problem until consumption is worse than 2 quarts in 2000 miles (why not 1 quart in 1000 miles?).  I see no leaks, so it must be going out the tailpipes. But, I have never seen any obvious oil smoke from the exhaust. I know that many Cadillac Northstar and Aurora engines have this problem. Yet, I have never seen an explanation for why this occurs. Are the engines set up loose for higher power? Doesn't seem likely to me.  I do not think the problem is caused by the synthetic oil. I started using M1 in my 1986 Fiero V-6 at about 75k miles and oil comsumption decreased, there were no leaks, and oil smoke at start-up (valve seals, a pretty common problem with this 2.8 V-6) stopped.  Another concern is low oil pressure. Having been sensitized to this problem by my Austin-Healey 3000, I was surprised to read in the service manual that normal oil pressure is as low as 4 or 5 psi. My DIC indicator normally shows 8 (or sometimes 7) psi when the engine is up to temp and at idle. So I guess it's OK, but I'm not comfortable with 7 psi.

 

Has anyone used Auto-Rx in their engine? Hear nothing but praises about the product....

http://www.auto-rx.com/index.htm

Most of you know Bob the oil guy..A quote from his website...

 http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

4. Is there an engine cleaner that you'd recommend?
 I have a personal friend of mine named Terry that posted this on our messg bd. He does personal spectrographic oil analysis and testing and he has come to a conclusion for this. There is one product that I do recommend no matter what oil or engine you use;Auto-Rx. It is vegetable based,does not affect chemistry or viscosity at all. It is NOT an Additive but a engine cleaner that really works. It has a residual effect because it cleans the rings and valve seats and valve guide seals so well. Lasts 10,000 miles or so in a gasoline engine.
Doesn't damage anything in our tests. Check out the website at www.auto-rx.com . You will not be disappointed in using this product. I'm going to be telling all my analysis customers to use it.
Terry "

 

The Auto-Rx sounds like it may be worth a try. I think I will buy some and try it just before the next oil change. I read the testimonials and these people are convinced it works. I don't know what local car stores if any will carry it? Does anyone know where to purchase Auto-Rx? Anyone with any experience out there using Auto-Rx?

 

My mom's Caddy has about 20,000 miles on it now and I think I heard it has settled down to one quart between 3000 mile changes; like my 95 Aurora w/60,000. But, with her car, it never goes much more than 5-6 miles to work so it doesn't get warmed up like it should, or travel at speed like it should (except for a 45 minute trip to LA once every couple of months).

My '97 with 78k miles has excessive (in my view) oil consumption and low (in my view) oil pressure. I bought it at 37k miles and both oil problems have been fairly consistent in the intervening 2.75 years. I know that these conditions are fairly common for Auroras and Cadillac Northstars, so I haven't been overly concerned. Yet, I have never seen an explanation of why relatively low-mileage motors should exhibit these characteristics. There are no external oil leaks, the cooloing system is clean, and I see no white smoke out of the tailpipes.  Oil consumption averages about 1100 miles per quart. The service manual states that anything over 2000 miles per 2 quarts (why don't they say 1000 miles per 1 quart?) is OK. Minimum oil pressure at idle is 5 psi per the service manual. My display usually shows 7 or 8 psi when at operating temperature; I once saw it at 6 psi. These numbers would be quite alarming in other cars I have owned, but they seem to be the norm for Auroras.  I am considering going to Mobil 1 15W-50 instead of the M1 10W-30 I have been using since I bought the car. Does anyone have experience or opinions about using the heavier-weight oil?

For my car 10-W30 is only suggested if 5-W30 can't be obtained. 15-W50 is quite a bit thicker. I wouldn't try it if I were you. It would cause a lot of excessive drag as it would build up more on the cams and crank. This might cause higher pressures to be exerted on these components. Also, there is a possibility of starvation because more oil will stay in the heads (although with 8 quarts this probably isn't a problem). Even if 15-W50 increased the idle oil pressure, I don't think it would mean more oil is circulating. I think the higher pressure would only be because it is a harder oil to move around. So it isn't like the oil pump would be pumping more protection. It just means you would be more satisfied with the DIC display.  If it were my car that were burning a quart every 1100 miles, I'd just put in an extra quart that often and make sure I used a high quality oil. If it isn't leaking on the ground and it isn't in the coolant, then I'm sure it must be burning up. It could burn up that much without smoking. If the oil is burning that much then there is probably more combustion by-product that is making it into the oil too. So I'd want to ensure the oil could handle it.

My '95 started burning oil at 1 qt./1000miles. It started around 80k. I recently tried RISLONE concentrate in it, it was approx 2500 miles for the next qt. to be burned. I too use a synthetic oil. It had approx. 5k on it when I added the additive. I recently changed oil and added two bottles of this additive. It comes in a 15oz. bottle. If you get the regular RISLONE it comes in 1 qt. bottles, but it is half reg. oil and half RISLONE. I will let you know how the oil consumption is with new oil and additive in it. I just took a 300 mile trip today but haven't checked the oil yet. Before the additive I was using almost half a quart on this trip that I make twice a month. Someone talked about a vegetable oil additive that cleans the rings and cylinders also. It is called Auto-Rx. Let me know it you try either of these additives, if mine isn't working I'll try the other.  My '97 also uses the synthetic oil but has not started using any. It only has 49K.

Sticky Throttle Accelerator Pedal

Anyone have a sticky accelerator pedal just off idle? Dealer says this is a maintainence item on the fuel injection system and costs $85 to clean something.

 

I've got the sticky accelerator pedal right off of idle, too. I hate it cuz my passengers get whiplash =). Any idea what they clean?

 

many gm cars with some mileage accumulation suffer from the sticking throttle off idle. It is due to carbon buildup in the throttle body. The only way I know to fix it is to remove the throttle body and remove the carbon build up around the throttle butterfly. This is not a big job for the doit yourselfer.

 

I had that problem with an Oldsmobile 98 I owned (1986). Took it to about 3 separate garages before someone finally fixed it. I must have had every inch of the linkage oiled/greased with absolutely no change.

The shop that finally fixed it did by reprogramming the engine management computer! Apparently some setting was wrong, causing some adjustment to be set way out, somehow causing the accelerator to stick. As I watched him, he punched in a number of codes - the engine idled up and down - and DONE. No more sticking.

I would suggest taking your car to a shop that's not afraid to mess with the computers. They can probably take care of it.

 

Sounds like they reprogrammed the position of the idle solenoid. I had the problem on my Park Avenue but could only fix it by cleaning the throttle body. I suppose it's possible that the throttle butterfly could stick in the throttle body if it is allowed to fully close--pulling it back just a hair could fix that. Is your idle speed up a bit?

Changing Spark Plugs

the sedan discussion board, there are alot of posts on changing the plugs, of course there are also close to 3000 posts so good luck finding them. I haven't changed mine yet, 74,000miles, but plan to later this summer. From what i'v read here, you can do them yourself and you do have to remove some of the gizmos from the firewall in order to reach the back plugs. I plan on having a socket wrench with the u-joints to reach back in all those hidyholes.

 

The rear spark plugs are not as bad as it looks. You do need a universal socket and take that flat piece off the firewall (2 screws). I bought the wires at autozone for about $70 which is high compared to about $20 for my neon and lumina I also have.

Over the weekend I replaced all spark plugs and wires on my '97 at 83 000 miles. As expected, the engine miss I was experiencing went away. I decided to go with OEM AC-Delco wires ($101 for set) and 41-950 plugs ($5.40 each). There was a large tear in the coil boot for cylinder #8.  With the ignition module and coils removed, it is a fairly easy job. Access to the front two bolts holding the ignition module is quite good. But to remove the two rear bolts holding the ignition module, the left and right coils need to be removed. Of the four vehicles with transverse V engines on which I have replaced spark plugs, my Aurora is the easiest. The worst has been my 1990 Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.3 V-6; next 1986 Toro 3.8 V-6; then 1986 Fiero 2.8 V-6.  A couple of observations: the plug I removed from cylinder #3 was dripping oil from the threads. This must be related to my high oil consumption, but I don't understand why there was so much oil on the threads. The parts of the plug in the combustion chamber were oil-free. The four wires for the front cylinders were separated by a wire loom behind the ignition module. Within a 1/2 inch they were taped togther side-by-side for routing around and to the front of the ignition module on their way to the front of the engine. Everything I have always read about routing plug wires is not to run them parallel and close together. I revised the wire dress by using that split plastic wire loom for each plug wire individually.  Finally, I gapped the plugs at 0.050" going by the factory service manual. After completing the job, I looked at the tuneup label on the radiator cover, which specifies 0.060". I think the tuneup label is more likely to be accurate, so I have regapped the front plugs already. I will probably regap the rear ones this weekend. Does anyone have insight into this discrepancy on plug gap?

 

After Plug/Wire Replacement things aren’t right

After changing the plugs and plugwires, I've noticed the engine rpms drop slightly right after startup, like a couple of slight hesitations for about 5 seconds if I put it into reverse right away. Also if I turn the steering wheel with the car in gear but not moving the steering wheel kind of surges in my hands as I hold it in a turned position. After the car has run for awhile I don't notice the hesitation and it seems to rev just fine without cutting out.

Did I not get a plug in right?, wire hooked up wrong?, pinched a fuel line when I was working on the engine?, or is it just a coincidence and it was doing this before and I just didn't notice it? Anybody?

Seeing as how nobody dared venture a guess, I had the oil changed at the dealer and told them of the hesitation after changing the plugs and they checked it out. Turns out the grounding wire to the coils wasn't tight and that in turn fried a coil and burned up one of the new spark plugs. All I can say is be careful out there. They did fix her up and once again she runs great.

Fuel Pressure Regulator Replacement

Can anyone tell me how to go about replacing the FPR in my 95 Classic? I have the replacement part from GP Sorenson (p/n 800-335) that I ordered from a local Auto-Zone for $77.99 but it did not come with any instructions.  It has only one connection for a vacuum line. The other end looks like it must plug into a receptacle somewhere....??

 

IF you take off the cover with the olds aurora script on top of the engine (four bolts), you will see a small vacuum line running to a valve that looks like what you bought with a shiny black fuel line running underneath. The valve is held on by a spring clip. Wrap a rag around the old valve. When I replaced the old valve a small amount of fuel squirted out. Cool engine please. The old valve will lift out. The old screen or rubber o ring may stay in the bore where the valve is seated. You may have to carefully remove them. Don't get dirt in there! Just seat the new valve and re-connect the line. Ten to fifteen minute job maybe. Garnes, anyone did I miss anything?

Vehicle Surging

BOUGHT MY 95 AURORA USED AND HAVE PROBLEMS THAT THE LOCAL DEALER CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT. WHEN ACCELERATING SLOWLY MY CAR WILL SURGE. MY RPM'S FLUXUATES, BUT IT ONLY DOES THIS AFTER WARMING UP. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES, SO I REPLACED THOSE. IT TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE BUT NOT COMPLETELY, I TOOK IT BACK IN AND REPLACED THE COIL AND IT STILL HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN COMPLIENT BUT NOT PRODUCTIVE. PLEASE HELP!

Not to sound like a one topic person BUT check the Fuel Pressure Regulator. SEE PREVIOUS FPR POSTS FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE on this and AURORA SEDANS board. Low speed surging for first month followed by stalling at idle in following month after car was warm was completely and instantly cured in my case at least by taking fifteen minutes to replace the FPR. If this is the problem don't delay to long. I could tell the FPR was dumping raw gas through the vacuum line into the intake manifold (began backfiring) and cranking times began to get longer and looonger as the monthes passed by. I also replaced the wires and plugs first and things improved for a couple weeks. I think the new wires and plugs led to a better spark which masked the excess fuel dumped into the intake tract. By the way I think the 100,00 mile tune-up is ill for these cars. If i'm correct these engines are loss spark engines wich means the ignition system fires on the intake as well as the exhaust stroke, TWICE the wear and tear on the plugs and wires. anyone disagree?

 

You are right about the classic having the spark plug fire twice. Although, the plug on the exhaust stroke only fires with about 30% of the voltage from the coil pack. The other 70% goes to the cylinder on the compression stroke.

This doesn't happen on the new Aurora. The coil-on-plug is pretty neat. It fires with less voltage on light-throttle to reduce RFI and power consumption, and can crank out over twice (130% more) the voltage on full-throttle than the old system. Plus, there are no wires to replace.

 

I have had this same problem for a year and a half. Mine does do it when cold, too, so yours might be the beginning of a fuel press. reg.. I have replaced that along with EGR, plugs and wires, fuel filter, cleaned throttle body, decarboned engine and moved a new coil around to each of the four coil positions incase one was bad; no dice. These turkeys should be able to "see" the surge in either the fuel pressure psi or in the timing or as a vacuum leak. I have the aftermarket warranty now so I might try to get an Olds dealer that handles alot of Auroras to diag. it. Keep us posted on your results.

 

You all remember the "Surging" topic that was so popular about a year ago?  Well, I may have another "fix" for it. My 95 Classic had been surging ever since I bought it last year with about 60K miles on it. The dealer changed plugs/wires and checked the computer and still couldn't figure it out. Finally, based on a hunch, I had my regular mechanic (cheaper than the dealer!) change the tranny filter and fluid. Viola!  Within a week, the problem was gone. (It apparently takes a little driving because you can't remove ALL the tranny fluid when you drop the pan to replace the filter. So you are supposed to put in a "reconditioner" which rebuilds the remaining fluid and protects it and the new fluid.)  On a sadder note, my "Traction Off" light has been coming on pretty constantly and according to the dealer it's a problem with the part of the ABS system and will cost $900 to fix. Oh well. The ABS does still work, so I guess I have to go back to modulating tire spin myself....

 

MHO - traction control on a front wheel drive is not very important. Take the dash apart (It's a little tricky) and kill the light.

 

YES! I hope that will do it for me. Just recently I have been wondering if the trans/torque converter might be suspect. Just checked the fluid (73,000) which is now starting to change color and smell a little--seems to have started to slip just a little between shifts sometimes, too.
When I bought the car 2 years ago, the selling dealer does a Prolong deal on the engine AND trans. Always worried that maybe it was that Prolong doing funny things in there. Plus, the trans fluid seemed too high so I siphoned some out (was bubbling and 'pulsing' and was all the way up to the cap almost!). Hope this works as I have already done: (all Delco products) plugs and wires, rotated a new coil around to each pair of cylinders to see if it improved (no), EGR, fuel filter, cleaned TB and top engine cleaner, Fuel Pressure regulator. Only unplugging the EGR will diminished it. If the trans service doesn't do it, then I will try to remove the EGR and de-carbon the chambers below it. Dealers (Caddy/Olds) like to say they all do that (especially the early Northstars) and to tell you the truth, my mom's 99 DeVille Concours (300hp) actually does it, too, but VERY, very slightly and I am the only one who notices it…

 

Serpentine Belt Replacement

silotwo, you bring to mind a good point - the 2 drive belts (serpentine and water pump). I had my mechanic friend replace them at 40k mi on my '98 - figured the $35 investment in belts, and the 15 minutes of his time, was well worth it in the long run (I was once stranded in northern Wisconsin at 3 a.m. because of a broken serpentine belt, so I make it a point to change it every 4 years or 50k mi, whichever comes first :-)

Yes take the cover off. Wirth the cover off use a 1/4 drive to relieve the tension by rotating the tensioner arm (by sticking the square into the square opening on the tensioner)wich will allow you to slip the belt off and slip the new one on. Easy job.
The Northstar uses cam chains, not belts. These chains it is said will go over 250,000 miles easy. The water pump belt will reach it's load tolerance and fail WAY before the chains or cam sprockets are endangered.

On my '97 I had to remove the tensioner to get clearance to remove and replace the belt. It was easy to do as the tensioner is held in place by the two threaded studs to which the cover is attached. BTW, my cover is steel; interesting that yours is plastic. There is no tension adjustment to make as the tensioner takes care of that.

is off I'd check and make sure the pulley spins freely and doesn't sound dry. I had a overheating problem at high (ahem) speeds that was caused in part by the pulley binding. The belt looked fine but was slipping and bouncing when the engine warmed up and the rpms were high.
If this happens the pulley can be replaced with an oem pulley from NAPA. The Caddy parts guy I called stated that a lot of belts are replaced and then fail again after a few thousand miles because either the pulley is getting hot and binding (if it sounds dry but still spins you can try lubeing it) or is worn and has enough play to allow the pulley to cock and wear the belt. As stated before on this forum I got over 100,000 miles on my belt and it still looked good when I replaced it.
Thinking bac I realize the first time I had the belt off was to replace the water pump and I took the tensioner off to reach the pump. The second time I got the belt loose and realized it would be easier if I had taken off the tensioner, ESPECIALLY as the pulley was bad anyways. Ohh well.

Exterior - Body

Sunroof Gurgling after rain

I have 95 with sunroof and on a wet day the sunroof gurgles. Any suggestions?

 

It only does this when I am driving on a wet day. It sounds like it is right at the top of the roof. The glass looks like it is sealed tight as a drum.

 

My '95 does that same "gurgling". It's only noticeable on wet days with the sun shade open and it sounds like it's coming from directly over the driver's head. I'm sure it has something to do with the water runoff at/near the sunroof. Good news is that I don't get any noticeable water leaks and it really only happens occasionally (we don't get many rainy days here lately). I had pretty well decided to ignore it until it really becomes a problem. Sorry I'm not much help to you on this one yet.

 

Yeah you are right. Since I don't see water I am not going to worry about it. Thanks tho

 

I think the best way to get rid of the problem is to blow out the drainage line. Since the sound is coming from 95's, it is a safe bet that after 7 years there is enough crud and/or leaves to cause the drainage hose to gurgle.

 

Sunroof Not Working

My sunroof is acting up for the first time, It opens some what, but it won't close all the way, and the glass won't go up to lock mode or pop up mode without a couple of hand pushes. Anyone here had any problems with their sunroofs? And do you guys think it's covered under warranty? I took it to my some what local OLDS (if you can believe that in the Chicagoland Area there is only 2 local dealers close to me which are the Park Ridge and Highland Park OLDS) they stated that if it's not covered under my warranty it would cost me $90 dollars for them to take a look at it, that's wack though, will see what happens. I'll keep you guys post it.

 

Just wanted to let you guys know that finally the problem with my sunroof will be fixed on Wednesday 6.19.02, I took my Aurora to the dealer today at 8:00am, waited about 2 hours so they can look at it, and they said that they are placing an order of parts for my sunroof, they mention that there going to replace the lining inside of the sunroof, the outer gasket (the black mask outside which has been peeling on it's own , exposing the aluminum trim, and something about wires) and some other stuff on it, sounds like a mini tune-up that's needed. And yes it's all covered under my GM warranty. I will let you guys know the outcome once it all gets fixed Wednesday.

 

Well an update on the problem with my sunroof, It's now Thursday and my car is back home all fixed. I was suppose to have my Aurora fixed & ready by Wednesday, but according to the Olds Dealer they had a light & phone problem so they were a day behind. They found the sunroof "module binding internally" (what ever that means), Also on the outside the glass molding was peeling (which I've seen on other Auroras), and they also replaced the whole sunroof glass too, this is what they replaced on my sunroof because it would not close all the way. Under parts description this is what they listed.....

QTY FP Number Description
1. 01 12536822 TRAC S/RF WARRANTY
2. 01 12371672 WDO SUNRF WARRANTY

Overall I'm quite please with the outcome, a quick note, it looks like my extended warranty it's starting to pay for itself, I know this job would of been about $1000.00 dollars, thank goodness for the GM warranty. Peace.

 

Power Antenna will kill battery if it cannot Fully Retract

Here is an interesting one that maybe the group has seen.  I Live near Toronto and for March Break, I took the family to Ottawa Ontario for the week.  I have an 1995 Aurora that I have owned for about seven months without a hint of trouble.  We drove to Ottawa, checked in to the hotel and parked underground. Came down the next morning to find that the battery was absolutely flat. I boosted the battery and load tested it at the dealer ship where I am told that the battery is in excellent shape. The very next morning, the battery is dead again. To get to the end of this story quickly, I eventually found that my power antenna was not retracting all the way down (thanks to salt and corrosion).  If the antenna cannot be fully retracted, the motor just sits and whirrs away all day drawing current and eventually kills the battery. The solution was to wipe down the antenna mast with wd-40.  When the weather gets better here, I will take it apart and clean it properly. I hope that this helps someone......Peter

 

The manual says never lubricate the power antenna. Lubrication could damage it. It suggests that you dampen a cloth with mineral spirits or equivalent solvent to clean mast. Wipe mast dry before retracting. Chapter 3 pg 31. Just trying to keep you from buying a new one.

 

Trunk Piston Mounting Plate breaks& Water in the Trunk

Anybody else had their Classic's lower trunk piston mounting plates pull loose from the body?  When I bought my '97 in 1999, I noticed that the left lower mounting point moved around as the trunk opened and closed. Pulling back the trunk liner revealed that the 1.5" x 3" mounting plate had pulled loose from its four spot welds (one in each corner) and had been "repaired" with four self-tapping screws -- woefully inadequate for the forces exerted on the mounting plate. I drilled out the welds, and fashioned a backing plate from 1/8" aluminum stock which I drilled and tapped for 10-32 cap screws. I then assembled this with the backing plate outside the truck, clamping the body sheet metal between it and the original mounting plate on the inside of the trunk.  Last week the right side mounting plate pulled loose at its top two welds. I repaired this one without a backing plate, figuring that two 10-32 cap screws I added at the top would be strong enough. BTW, the welds did not fail; instead, the sheet metal tore away at the weld locations.

This is rather common on the classics, I seem to recall that, and water in the trunk from opening the trunk when it's wet have been common complaints to the dealer. I would call a dealer and ask if there are any TSB's on the subject for resolving the problem.

You're right, there is a TSB for the rain-water-in-the-trunk problem, which my dealer installed, and it does a fairly good job. I've never seen a TSB for the broken weld problem.

 

I just got into the habit of opening the trunk slowly.

 

Exterior - Lighting

Reverse Light Condensation

Are the reverse lights susceptible to condensation. I am assuming the seal is bad and the cover should easily remove?

 

Yes, I think the condensation in the white back-up lights is quite common. I saw this on my '98 (and several others) a year ago when it was on the dealer's lot, but, by the time I finished the deal/picked it up in early April, the condensation wasn't happening. Fast forward to November, shortly before the expiration of my warranty, and the condensation started happening again (I live in Wisconsin = normally cold in late fall/winter). I showed it to my service dealer (not the one I bought the car from), but they indicated this wasn't an item that GM would repair under warranty.

 

Parking Lights Stay On

This week I noticed the parking lights staying on and if you watch them they go off and on and a relay in the PPL box (under dash) chatters...just doing what it is told I suppose...dealer say's it's the manual headlight switch...this we have never used due to auto feature so it can't be worn out...they tell me it cost $380 and 2-3 hrs. labor to install (said steering column has to come out to install)for a total of about $600. Also this week it started missing and spitting back (backfire) under light to medium acceleration and surges under full acceleration. I have noticed
light carbon tracking on almost all the plug wires and wonder if they are the problem! Dealer say's $109 to install plugs...can back spark plugs be accessed by removing coil assembly. This Aurora
only has 41,000 miles on it and these are my first problems...really like the car but I am getting a little scared reading this forum...as helpful as it is may be the best advise might be to become an X Aurora owner...or surely I need to purchase an extended warranty...Thanks for any help...glad I found you all!

I had this problem. It is a short in the manual light switch cause by too much grease. Drop the two panels under the dash, remove the shroud from around the steering column. This exposes the light switch on the left side of the column. Turn the light switch. You can see the contact through the holes in the switch. Get some electrical contact cleaner (aka brake cleaner) and spray it on the contacts while you rotate the switch. That should take care of it.

Thanks a bunch Jim! Dealer wanted $600 to install new light switch...I did the cleaning thing yesterday and parking lights are fixed! The crazy type screws on the steering shroud gave me a fit however I bought a 3/16ths. nut driver and got them out ok...yea left side..no problem...figured you were facing car ha ha! On a different note...I installed a Amsoil oil wetted foam air
filter (which flows a bit more air than a K&N - a filters a lot better) and noticed my service engine soon light on afterwards...then it went off for a day and has come back on...seems like
I read where the extra air flow from using this type of filter will cause this until things re-adjust to the extra air??? Ever heard of such!  I still have a miss going on and I think it is the plug wire carbon tracking thing...AutoZone told me they can get (2 days) Bosch plug wire set for $69 and I am ordering them today and want to also order (on-line) Denso iridium plugs and try and install this week...hope I can get to the back 4! Again....thanks...I owe you one!

 

 

Flashing Headlights and Chimer Unexpectedly Sounding

Every once in a while the lights start flashing on and off and the chime goes off on my 97 aurora.
i have looked under the dash and i can hear the lamp control relay cycling. if i turn the lights on manually the flashing stops. has anyone experienced any problems with the lamp control module or experienced this problem. thanks

I just had the same problem about three weeks back. Eventually the battery died, and the constant clicking of the relay in the dash had me concerned enough to go to the dealer. They replaced a body control module - a 4 hr. job according to the service tech. It cost my warranty company around $575.

Sounds like another item for the "Aurora common failure" list...

 

If your LUCKY, spraying a contact (electrical) penetrant into the relay module will drive out the moisture and clean up the contacts. (does it happen in high humidity?) You can pull a silver relay under the seat wich will disable the head lights and another fuse which disables the side marker lights and the tail lights to get you through the night but I don't remember which ones they are anymore. I do know they're in the fuse box under the back seat closest to the passenger side.

Similar thing happened to my '97 two years ago. It was intermittent; fortunately I was able to demonstrate the problem to my dealer with about 300 miles left on the original factory warranty. The paperwork said they replaced the headlight switch -- part was $400+. I did not notice a correlation with high humidity, but it was definitely correlated to high temperature -- 85+ degrees. The problem occurred a couple of times September 1999, then didn't happen again until the weather got hot in 2000.  I found the same circuit breaker and fuse that mike98c reported. I had to pull them when I parked to ensure I had battery power to start the car later. I marked them with pieces of tape. I can pull the seat and post the locations. Let me know if you need to know.  I also had the clicking under the dash, but that seems to have been a result of the problem -- not the cause.

You're right! In my case the temp and the humidity both had to be high for the problem to occur. When the humidity dropped the problem disappeared temporarily. As soon as the humidity went up problem reappeared then the temp. dropped and problem disappeared. Of course this was the day I took the car in to be diagnosed.

Spoke to an olds dealer regarding the flashing lights and cycling relay. dealer says this is a very common prob. he repairs theses weekly and has parts on hand. says its the multifunction switch in steering column. 2.5 hours labor and $385.00 for the part. $575.00.

Same thing happened to me this summer. The only lights that flashed were my parking lights and interior, no headlights. If you are the same way, you can get by with just pulling the fuses in the fuse box by the driver's left leg. It should be the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd right in a row down the right side of the box. It'll still click, but no lights come on. My battery never ran out that way, and you don't have to get under the seat...which is good.

 

I had the flashing light problem 4 months ago and it is due to excessive grease in the rotating switch on left side of steering column...you can remove the column covers (lower knee cover must be removed too) by taking out about 7 bolts from bottom of column near steering wheel (special bolt...but I think I used a 5/16 nut driver)and you will see the switch and gold contacts as you turn the headlight switch. Soak it good several times with electrical contact cleaner as you turn it bach and forth...problem solved...not a real difficult job and sure beats $600.

 

Disabling DRL (Daytime Running Lights)

The DRL's are easily defeatable with no cost. On the fenderwall (I beleive the driver side near the front of the car) there is the DRL "resistor". Basically a harness plugs into this resistor in series to run the lights at lower voltage for daytime. Unplug the harness and voila, no more DRL. The regular lights are on another circuit so it won't affect them or the automatic features, etc. You just lose the DRL.  You should be aware that according to most studies they claim DRL lowers accident rates, I don't know why but they do claim this. For safety I drive w/my parking lights and fog lights on. Looks nice too.  If you can't find the resistor to unplug (it's just a black plastic U shaped thingy), let me know or check alldata...that's where I found mine.

 

Side Marker Lights are Out

does anyone know what fuse the side marker lights, rear ones are red and front are yellow, are located on the fuse panel? My front cornering lights work but the side marker lights are out. Figure i would check the fuse first before changing bulbs.  -

I've had my side marker lights each replaced twice under the factory warranty, for both moisture and burnout (probably related). Fortunately they've stayed functional over the past year (since I've been covered by my aftermarket warranty). Another CRI (Common Repair Item) on the Classics...

 

Exterior - Exhaust

Blackened Exhaust Tips

I have a 99 that I just bought and wanted to know what I can do to clean up the exhaust tail pipes. The car is gorgeous except for the tail pipes 15,000 miles but they look like no one ever cleaned them. Are they stainless steel? Should I just replace them? I would appreciate any info. Thanks

 

Same here...I think every Aurora I have seen always has blackened tailpipes. You just shot my hopes down too! I was about to go and was my car...and that was one thing I wanted to clean the most. Now that you tell me this...what are we going to do about this. Anyone got the answer. How about chrome polish?

 

I took some sandpaper sanded then down, then used chrome polish. Ever week now I keep up by using the polish. They look great, brand new even, and the oxidation doesn't stick if you clean them regularly. O, and don't worry, the sandpaper won't hurt the tips because they are stainless steel. Chrome is a different story though. Sandpaper that and you'll mare and scratch the finish.

 

Interior

Gear Shift Indicator Light not working

Questions, I have a 1995 Aurora. I noticed the red shifter to mark the gear you are in is hard to read.Is there a light behind this that maybe burned out

 

I have the same problem on my 97...someone please answer if it is just like that or are the lights burned out??

 

Yes, there is a light that is just for the shift indicator. It seems to be prone to burning out. I'm not exactly sure how to get to it, but if you call an Olds dealer and talk to someone in the service department they should be able to help you out. Honestly - I've seen more Auroras with this light burned out than I have with it actually working.

 

you remove all screws from the center console which are inside, I think there is six total using a phillips screw driver (I used a Snap On rachet screw driver, love that tool, $40 something dollars at SnapOn.com) anyway unplug the console which is hooked up to a 194 bulb that lights up the inside of the console then, go over to the ash tray remove it from it's place there is 2 small screws also phillips, by now everything pretty much should be loose pull up the center shifter console piece, it's not going to come out fully, you have to go underneat of it from where you removed the CD console, where you kept your CD's and sparechange and go in thru there. At this point is really about feeling underneath for the housing of the bulb, unplug the piece where the light bulb goes for the shifter and you should be able to see the little light bulb, just pull it out. After that I did not stop there, I when in more inside and found the other bulb a 194 that lit up the center shifter console and replaced it for an L.E.D. bulb for a bluish one, it gave it a different look that actually matched my Kenwood eXcelon CD player (KCDX817). Well hope that helps, let me know how it turns out for you, peace

 

Yes, I figured how to get the bugger out.You need to remove the center glove boxc 6 screws, plus two screws near the ash tary and power outlet. Then pull the Devil horn pin from the shifty mount. With tender care take a flap head scew driver and push the panel up on the right then the left. With yender care lift the center counsel panel up and out over the centyer shift mount.  The sad part replaced the burned out bulb, and rewired the shifter light with new wiring. Guess what, it still does not work. Is this the same problem in your Oldsmobile Aurora.

 

Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes scary) world of classic Auroras. I cannot access your pictures link. There are several posts (393-399 in Accesories & Modifications (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX?50@126.jb16bLLTxbJ.0@.ef04296!make=Oldsmobile&model=Aurora&ed_makeindex=.ef04296), and some earlier ones that I cannot find) that address the shifter lamp problem. Be aware that the problem is most likely broken wiring instead of a simple burned out bulb. If you do have broken wires, don't just try to reconnect them. Instead, replace with flexible test leads (Radio Shack). The power switch and wiring was a challenge for me to reassemble. That may be why yours is disconnected since it sounds like the previous owner was in there.

 

To get inside of your center console you have to take everything out of your arm rest were you keep your spare change and CD's remove the screws inside there, a total of six.  Then you remove using a flathead screwdriver, the U-style pin behind the leather shifter, slow, then I mean very slowly remove upward the shifter, you don't want to yank it up real fast, it will pull apart the thin blue & black wire from the transmission button on the shifter.  Then take out 2 small screws using a phillips screwdriver in the ash tray, also remove the small ash tray, just pop it out.   By now you should have every screw out of the center console, including the leather shifter.  Now just pull up the center console exposing the goodies underneath the console, look for the lightbulb (size 194) unplug it, insert your 194 LED or incandescent bulb and your done.  Now just put everything back together.  Hope this helps, let me know.  Also if you have to replace the red light for the shifter, just look for the plug, remove the burned out bulb (really small bulb, smaller the a 194)

 

The bulb for the shifter itself is a clear # 73 -- much smaller as javi points out. Also, you may find broken wiring instead of a burnt out lamp. The wiring for my '97 was small gauge and solid -- not what you want for something that moves frequently.

 

The wire on my 98 was broken, I replaced it with a flexible test lead from radio shack. According to one of the techs at the dealer, the bulb is almost always good, the wire almost always bad!

 

Intermittant Cruise Control

Hello!! I'm a new member that just read all the Q and A's but did not find any thing concerning the cruise control. I have a 99 with 33,ooo miles that has a problem turning the cruise off between 30 and about 150 miles-it will not come back on until the car sits for about 2 hours. The dealer has put in a new cruise module and PCM and who knows what else.

 

This is a long shot. If you speed sensor is faulty, it will store a code. When the ECM has a code for a bad speed sensor, it will not allow the cruise to operate. If the code is cleared, the cruise should work again. Codes generally can be cleared by disconnecting the battery. The problem with my theory is that you stated it works again after a few hours. Codes do not clear themselves, therefore the cruise should not operate until the code is cleared. I know this from experience. My '98 had an intermittent bad speed sensor. Speed sensor problems are not uncommon is the AURORA. Like I said, it's a long shot. If it is a speed sensor, repairs at a Olds dealer will run appx $130. Good luck!!

AC blows warm on left side

The driver side a/c is blowing air only a slight bit cooler than outside temp. Passenger side is blowing cold. Back seat is blowing about the same as the driver side. Needless to say it is very hot inside when temps outside exceed 70 degrees. Any ideas on what might cause this?  I have changed the temp sensor located in the dash just below the steering wheel - NO LUCK!

Had this problem, too. Driver side warmer than pass and neither one cooling well enough. Ended up being low on refrigerant. The Aurora and the Riviera both have this dual set up and apparently this is how it shows low freon. I probably have the famous leak in the evaporator in the dash, too.Jay


FREON LOW

 

Buttons on doors stop working

The lumbar buttons and seat memory buttons quit working the other day. Thanks to earlier posts on this site, I knew to check the wires where the door and frame come together. Sure enough 3 wires were broken. I pushed the rubber protective sleeve around the wires into the door in order to get to the wires. Had a heck of a time splicing the wires, not a lot of room to work in, was able to get some slack in the wires from the car side. I used the plastic twist connectors to re-connect the broken wires, as I couldn't get a crimping tool into the space. ... If any of the controls on the door quit working, check the wires between the door and the car!

Good timing on this one as I had developed this a month ago. Removed the door panel and could not find anything. Problem started only when the door was openned all the way. It was when I grabbed the rubber insulator and wiggled it when the power was gone completely. I wonder if my Warranty-by-net will cover this.

sorry to hear about that. I imagine your warranty will cover it, I read the fine print on mine and it said "wiring". The only problem is I've got a $50 deductable and then Gober gets to work on my car. The fix took me less than 1 hour out in the driveway. I could have saved alot of time if I hadn't been checking all of the fuses, and just reconnected the wires. I didn't even unhook the battery to do the job. Goodluck.

the wires were broken in half right in the middle between the door and the body. There is a jillion wires that run through there and the broken ones were on the inside of the bend (the easiest ones to get to) and when I pulled back the rubber cover they were right there. Apparently this is a common problem on these cars. The wires that split were not very thick, I would guess around 20 gauge, though the one for moving the seat back was a thick orange one, I think it had more to do with their location, like maybe part of the door cuts into them when it is closed.
    The connectors used do look like small acorns, they're standard twist electrical connectors that you can get at Walmart or hardware store, I'd get an assortment of sizes. If too many of those wires break I'll need to soder in replacement wire because there isn't enough room for too many of those connectors.

 

Intermittent Instrument Illumination

For several months my '97 suffered intermittent illumination of the analog gauges and digital displays (DIC, HVAC, and radio). The culprit was the interior lights control wheel to the left of the steering column. The panel that holds this control and the twilight sentinel pulls straight out toward the back of the car. But it is a hard pull. I went to an Olds dealer (not easy to find these days) and talked with a mechanic who showed me how to pull it off with bare hands. It takes a lot of force. I had been afraid I would break some of those plastic fasteners.  Anyway, I cleaned the electrical contacts on the wheel with contact cleaner (remember mechanical TV tuners?) and a q-tip. The illumination works like new again.

 

Airbag Light Illuminates When Pressing Horn

I remember you saying you had problems with honking the horn and getting the air bag warning signal and DIC indicator. It was after honking my horn on vacation at another vehicle. I sat on it hard. It cleared itself after sitting a few minutes turned off and has not come back.

 

That's exactly what happens to mine. It is fine the next time you restart the car. I've never had a problem except those two times I've really laid on the horn. And that's exactly what happens, the little red airbag light comes on and the DIC displays an airbag message.

 

Loose Knob for ON & OFF AC/Heater

I just noticed the other day that my On & Off knob for my AC/Heater came loose. It still works you can turn it and adjust to were you want the air, it's just all loose. I called the Olds Dealer to make an appointment for Thursday 10.17.02. Let's see if it's also covered under my warranty. I also added that sometimes it won't turn on, so they hopefully replace the whole thing with a new one. I'll let you all know the outcome of this. Peace.

 

Got back from the Olds Dealer today after like 3 hours, they looked at my problem with the AC/Heater knob and supposely could not find anything wrong. I also told them about the 6" scratch on my passenger window, some what deep too. The Olds Dealer said they had to "Special Order" a whole new window, they said there gonna call me, when they receive the new part. Next week when I go back to the dealer, I'll mention it to them again about the AC control button. Peace.

 

I don't know what it is about these boards, but it sometimes seems when something is mentioned on here, BINGO - my '95 want's to join in the fun!!  After you posted about your AC/Heater knob - now mine decides to be loose. I guess like yours, it works fine but will "wobble" if I push on it anywhere but dead center. The temp knob doesn't do that - it stays pretty solid. I assume it's commig loose from the switch and it's just a matter of tightening a screw or nut - once you can get to it. I'm interested to see what your fix will ultimately be.

 

Door Window Scratches on Inside of Glass

For some reason, I've just got a nice scratch on both front windows. The scratches are on the INSIDE. That is weird. It's clearly related to the window motion (up-down). Something inside is rubbing on the glass and it must be nasty. I rolled the windows down and cleaned out the rubber packing/gaskets or whatever to make sure nothing stuck in there. Maybe it's something in the door that has gone a little wrong. I don't hear any grinding or scratching.  Has anybody experienced this? Any TSB's? I'll be looking that up and calling the dealer

 

Garnes-ME TOO BUDDY!!! My front window are tinted, so that extra thickness is getting scratched away in 1 place on both front windows. About 5-6in from the back, definetly Up-Down motion. I've already had my front tints replace once, because the scratch went all the way thru to the glass. My scratch isn't hairline, it's 2-3 mm thick, and at the top its, round, so it's a post rubbing the glass. Looks like it went thru again, INTO THE GLASS. Getting time to re-tint again. Sigh, maybe I'll take off the door panel and look around, get out the small file and sand paper, then I'll re-tint the fronts for the LAST TIME. I did get the re-tint for free, though. They liked my ride so no charge, Ziebart Baby..

Taylor - what you described - with the little circle and all (and about 6 inches from the back) is EXACTLY what I have on the driver side!!!!!!!!! The passenger front just has a 4 inch long single scratch in the same location - no circle marking though. It's really weird that both happened at the same time. My car is under the factory warranty (in service 12/21/98 with only 35k miles). If the mechanism is eating the glass, I will demand that it be fixed and the glass polished (if possible) or replaced. I really hate it. It's totally uncalled for. I'd think your warranty may cover this too. It must be something right near the top of the door because the top of the window got it. If I find a TSB on the list, I'll go in with it. The dealer said they would have to see it - and said they never heard of that one before.

 

Hey dudes, I also have the same problem with a scratch on my passenger window. The scratch is about as thick as one or two human hairs. I don't have the slightest idea how that came about. Peace.

 

It's something in the power window mechanism that has come loose or misaligned and is scratching the glass as it travels up and down. There doesn't seem to be a TSB for this, but it clearly happens. Maybe I'm just really lucky this has occurred within factory warranty. As far as I'm concerned, GM is paying to fix this - and the glass.

 

The fix may not be easy. The dealership had my 97 Aurora door panel off anyway and replaced a window guide that has a black, fibrous pad mounted on a metal piece that seemed to be a bear to remove. The plastic center on that pad seemed to be the culprit: when the fibrous/felt wears down, the plastic scratches the glass. The next stop is a window tinting or glass place and see what they can do to buff out the scratches. There has got to be a better fix...

 

Yes it apparently is that pad you are talking about, but it apparently was allowing the glass to rub up against something else. There are even round circular scratches that trail up and down. I'm getting new window glass too. It's all covered under the factory warranty. I've heard glass polishing doesn't work.

 

Beware. I had both front windows replaced. Apparently the passenger fronts are mispackaged. It took forever to get one. The dealer said perhaps 1500 front passenger windows are mismarked. Make sure it is the correct window before arranging to leave your car with them.  They also have to replace the rubber/felt strip that guides the window. That is the cause of the problem as it lets the window go where it shouldn't and it get's scratched inside the door.

 

The Dealer along with a new window they also ordered two other parts, let me look at my "Special Order" form, ah yeah they ordered a glass and insulator, whatever that means. If any here has access to the GM Parts website, these are the parts numbers, and ah yeah let me know:

Quan. Part No. Description
01 25639778 R/FT Dr. Window
01 16632073 R/FT Dr. Stab Felt
01 10054691 R/FT Dr. Stab.

I will let you all know how everything turns out. Peace.                 

 

Javi - I'm sure they ordered the right part. It just that you might get the box with the right number on the outside and the wrong window on the inside.

Man, today I went to the Olds Dealer and you were right "garnes", they order the right part but for some reason they got the wrong window, now I will have to go back next week so by then they will have the right part and they also order the knob for my AC/HEAT control.  So by next week I should be all set up, I think everything should be covered under my warranty.  I'll keep you all posted on this. Peace.

 

Non-start & Left Stranded problems

Just put my 2001 4.0 on a wrecker. Stopped for breakfast and the car would not restart. Just a "clicking" sound when the key was engaged. Even the horn would not sound. However, Onstar worked and sent a tow. The DIC gave numerous messages about the air bag and theft system. The dealership will not open until Monday. Will post the final outcome.

 

Final Outcome - The dealer indicates that the "computer" suffered a fatal "crash". Naturally, an item that is not in stock. Hope to have the repairs completed this week.  Covered under warranty.

 

My 2001 (10,000 miles) quit running while I was out of town-I had some occasional surging before that. The fix appears to be the crank sensor(s). This apparently has been a common problem, but it is almost unheard of these days to be left stranded on the side of the road with a new car!

 

Make sure they check them both. I was told by a tech that there are 2 of them on the 01's.  Of course, take that for what it's worth since most tech's don't know their heads from their feet without a computer readout telling them.

 

Thanks Campo--they did replace both. So far so good--although it will take a while for me to forget it.

 

Today after work, I went to get a quote for a custom bent dual exhaust with my supplied Corsa mufflers. On the way to the import/dyno shop, MY CAR DIED.  LEFT ME STRANDED!!! DIC read SHUT OFF ENGINE NOW!!! So I pulled over on the shoulder of the highway, open the hood, and the accesory belt was shreaded. There was also coolant all over the back of the engine bay/ground. I'm calling the water pump the guilty colperate.  I was PO'ed. Lock her up and start walking. Next exit had an Acura dealer where they called Enterprise for me. Now tonight I gotta get it towed to the dealer, 15mi. away.  ERRRRRRR 800wattAURORA

A few months ago my 95, with 68k, DIC also told me to shut off the engine, after telling me it shut off the traction control, then the A/C, then 4 cylinders. All those text messages on top of the warning bells made it hard to miss that I had a problem.  Had it towed 60 miles, at quite some cost. Water pump drive belt went, only a $30.00 dealer repair, water pump was fine.  Still wonder why routine service doesn't seem to include inspecting belts and hoses anymore. What was left of the belt was so obviously dry rotted I can't believe even I missed it. Of course, I stupidly thought the serpentine belt was the only drive belt.  Lesson Learned, at a cost.

 

Owners Manuals Online

I wanted to share the news with you all about getting your owners manual online from this website, if you still have not purchased your own. What you have to do is register with these website and you should be able to see your owners manual. Okay so the website is https://www.mygmlink.com/main/US/en/gm/home once you register you can keep a profile on your Aurora or GM vehicle. I wish I had found this website a while back, when I was waiting for manual to arrive from the Oldsmobile dealer. This website had the owners manual for my 1999 Olds Aurora, so I take it, it should have the manual for the earlier Auroras.

Performance

Autobahn Package

Under the lid that covers the micro spare there is a series of build codes. The standard Aurora had a QQW the Autobahn Aurora had a QQX build code.

 

The limiter is about 110 on the Aurora, unless you have the Autobahn package which is limited at about 139 - from personal experience. - Zincster

 

Suspension

Steering Noise

My first question is about the steering. I recently took it to a dealership because when I turn the steering wheel, sometimes even just a little bit I hear a grinding/buzzing -like sound coming from the steering. I opened the hood and it sounded like it comes from where the steering is. The dealership replaced the high pressure steering hose and said everything was fine. It still makes that noise now and I want to know if it is supposed to be like that or if something is wrong with the steering. I test drove a 98' Aurora, but I heard the steering was modifyed after the 97' so I didn't hear any sounds.

 

there was a TSB issued about the steering noise on the 97, Changing the hose is supposed to fix it.If it didnt, they either didnt do it right, or used the wrong hose..i can email you a copy of the TSB if you need jim8115@bellsouth.net - JAVIDOGG

 

Last week my '01 V6 was in the dealership for two steering related problems. Maybe they resemble your problems.
a) A sort of moan or growl from the power steering unit on slow speed, or start-up, turns. As I understand it, the power steering unit has a poorly designed fluid valve that vibrates audibly under specific low speed conditions. The fix was to replace the whole power steering unit and some of the associated hose. There is an Oldsmobile Technical Service Bulletin already out on this problem, and the dealer should know about it. The first Cadillac dealer I tried claimed ignorance and didn't know about it. I'm not sure whether he was ignorant or not. The second Chevrolet dealer's shop manager knew about it and responded right away with a tentative diagnosis while on the test drive with me. He ordered the parts (It is a substantial repair, and they don't stock the parts.), and the parts delivery and repair was complete within a week of the test drive. About a 6-hour job, I'm told. It was covered under my new car 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty. No charge.

b) While turning the steering wheel I felt a rubbing or maybe a weak grabbing that felt like an off-center steering wheel shaft, or maybe a worn out guide bushing. Again, the Chevy shop manager knew what it was immediately and offered a tentative diagnosis on the test drive with me. They pulled the "intermediate steering shaft" (I think), lubricated it, and reassembled it. About 30 minutes work, he said. The shop manager said that the intermediate steering shaft problem was well known in the GM repair shops. Also covered under my new car warranty. No charge.

c)At the Chevy dealer's own initiative, and while they had part of the dash disassembled, they replaced a burned-out dash bulb that they discovered during the repair work. No charge.

Unlike my experience with the Cadillac dealer, the Chevy dealer didn't leave greasy hand prints on the interior, didn't scratch the walnut veneer, and didn't cut the vinyl trim while working on the interior. (The Chevy dealer hasn't had a chance yet on regular routine maintenance, but I bet they don't put in the wrong oil like the Cadillac dealer did.) Do you see a pattern here?

I hope items a) and b) above help you identify your the problems when you go to your repair shop.

 

 

Vibration at Highway Speeds

Has anyone else with a 2001 Aurora 4.0 experienced a continuing problem with vibrations that can be felt in the steering wheel, gas pedal, and seat at highway speeds (anywhere from 40-70+ mph) on smooth roads that wasn't resolved by the dealer rebalancing the tires? If so, what was done to remedy the problem? Many thanks!

Make: OLDSMOBILE
Model: AURORA
Year: 2001
Service Bulletin Number: 000310007
Bulletin Sequence Number: 180

VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE SHAKE / VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL, FLOOR, SEAT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON SMOOTH ROADS.

 

My 2001 has had the tire disturbance since I have had it, but unfortunately this is a very common and difficult problem on all "G" bodies since they were introduced. They experience extreme sensitivity to tire uniformity and unbalance. It is a complex issue of bushing rates, spring rates, control arm mass, etc.--in other words it is design issue that while improved since the 1995 models, is still not resolved. I have had mine in 3 times now and am still not happy. It takes a finely calibrated balancer at a minimum, but generally a special machine which measures force variation (some better tire companies have them) in order to reduce the problem to acceptable levels.

 

My 96 aurora has a steering vibration when I turn, most noticeable when I turn to the right. Changed the power steering pump, the tension pulley and rack, all under warranty. Vibration is less pronounced than it was but still there. Someone said it is the egr, another said it is the harmonic balancer. Any Ideas? Warranty is running out.

 

I have just read through all of the postings, and it seems that no one has a clear, definate answer on what causes the vibration problems. I have a 97 that does it, and a friend of mine has a 98 that does it as well. Both of us recently got new tires, and still the problem persists (the fact that both of us got new tires shows me that it is not a wheel-balance issue).  I recently asked a gentleman who I saw at the local car wash (a fellow Aurora owner) if he had ever had any similar problems, and said yes. He had his spark plug wires and all 4 ignition coils replaced, and the problem disappeared. Anyone else try this? I hate to go spend $250 for nothing... Also, my new tires are Eagle Aquatred 3's...they do not handle quite as well as the original Eagle GA's, however, they are 100% better in the snow and rain...a trade-off that was well worth it.  Please email me with any answers...ready2play81@hotmail.com

 

My 98 is the same way. At about 68-72 mph, I get a pronounced vibration that seems to be coming from the front of the car. I put brand new tires on the car when I got it (Michelin Pilots) and still have the vibration. I have read that ball joint problems can cause vibration.  I can tell you that the ignition coils most likely will not solve this problem - it's further down the drivetrain than that. I had a problem with my engine missing earlier in the year and it turned out the ICM and one of the coils had gone bad - they were tahnkfully replaced under warranty. 4 new coils and new wires will probably cost more than $250 and my guess is it won't help. I'd look up front behind the wheels somewhere.

 

What about the plug wires being bad? I feel the vibration most in the gas pedal (but I also feel it in the floor boards and seat).

I had new wires put on right before I had the ICM and coil replaced. We originally thought the wires were what were causing my engine to miss. I just wish the engine missing would have been the vibration, but I could tell it was further down the drivetrain.

My vote is still for ball joints.

oldsman2, shucknet: I own a '95 I purchased back in May w/ 50K miles from a reputable Buick dealer here in Clearwater. The car had the same vibration from about 70-80mph. That was a stipulation of my purchasing the car, that the vibration be removed. It took them 3 days and two trips back to get it out. They wound up putting a new set of Continental ContiTouring (?) tires on it and the vibration -while reduced- still didn't go away until they did something they called a "four wheel 'forced' balancing". It apparently included indexing, dis-mounting, re-positioning and re-mounting all the tires. Anyway, it eventually got the vibration out and I took delivery of the car. Today, 22K miles later, it still is fine.... - although now I'm scared to have the tires rotated/balanced for fear it will pop back up :-). A GM dealer may be able to get the vibration out of yours as well.

 

I took the advice of having my wheels re-balanced using this special method, and the car drives great now. The guys at the Goodyear shop were a bit pissed that they messed up, but all is good now. Thanks for the tip...it saved me at least $300 for new coils and plug wires.

 

Just a tip. If you have this done, make them remount the wheel on all 4 tires so that the wheel/tire is at its optimum position. Usually they don't break the tire down unless it's out of "spec" which is 15 lbs of force. My opinion, "spec" is a one size fits all. The Aurora seems to be sensitive. I had my tires rotated and a little bit of vibration came back. So I had them improve on the force balance job. The machine tells you the minimum (best possible condition) upward "off" force possible and where to move the tire to achieve that. If it's in within "spec" they don't do anything and just add the weights for a dynamic balance. For a lot of cars, maybe you can't feel the difference between say a 4 and a 14 (both within spec), but I think it may make a difference on the Aurora if you want a perfect ride

 

I was one who asked about the vibration maybe two months ago. The problem was not a force balance issues, but something much simpler: out of balance rims and worn Goodyear Integritys. Now I have some Bridgestone Turanza LSHs and love them, the ride and the handling.

 

Transmission Issues

Slipping Trans

My beloved 97 with 65K is in the dealers to get a tranny! I can't beleive this car could break down so soon! It started as a slipping and was intermittent then lately it's beome more of a problem. The dealer said I would save money by getting this SRTA for $3400. Ouch! Anyone esle have a slipping transaxle?

I suggest you try "Lubeguard" in tranny. You can get at any NAPA store. $10 to $12.

 

Trans Wont Shift Past 2nd Gear

More specifically, the check engine light was on. The car would not shift correctly. In particuliar, it would no shift into any gear higher than second.   After putting the car into the shop twice, I have what hope to believe the final soluntion.  The first time the car was in the shop it was discovered the car's computer was holding two error codes concerning the transmission. Clearing the codes allowed the transmission to shift into 3rd & 4th and drive normally.  The error codes suggested a stuck valve or a bad solenoid. The mechanic suggested to wait and see if this was a one time thing or if the valve needed replaced. We did flush out the transmission on the off chance any debris was causing the valve to stick.  After driving the car approx. 45 miles, the problem reoccurred. The check engine light came back on and the car could no longer drive faster than 45.  Took back to the shop, removed the valve body and replaced the shift solenoid.  Car apprears to be running fine. Haven't driven far,though. If something goes wrong with this fix, I'll write back.