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.