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Oldsmobile Alero

3012 messages,  Last post on May 28, 2012 at 5:28 AM

You are in the Oldsmobile Alero Forum.

What is this discussion about? Oldsmobile Alero, Sedan

Messages Page 265 of 302

#2632 of 3012 Re: Looking to buy... [moll] by rdeschene

Aug 09, 2005 (8:56 am)

Replying to: moll (Aug 08, 2005 6:49 pm)
Here's an article that gives an overview of the Alero and also addresses reliability issues: 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero Full Review
 
My husband has done some minor repairs and maintenance to our 2000 Alero, but most of the time we take it to the service centre. We had a Corsica before our Alero, and we have found that there have been more costly repairs with this car (for example, both front wheel bearings and the fuel level sensor have had to be replaced) than with the Corsica. However, we do enjoy our Alero and haven't found the reliability issues to be excessive; they just occur more frequently than they did with our Corsica (which, to be fair, had very few problems, beyond regular maintenance, until the last year we had it). The Haynes Repair Manual is good to have on hand for any do-it-yourself repairs.

#2633 of 3012 one car, one problem by shudders

Aug 15, 2005 (9:01 am)

i bought my 1999 alero as a new unused vehicle. it is the only vehicle i have owned. it has not left me severely stranded, only recently about 300 miles from home. however, i am on my third transmission, not due to my driving since it is rarely driven. i have the 6 cylinder engine which has a lot of pick-up and is fun to drive, however it is not so driveable right now and i am looking for any suggestions.
 
the recent problem is that when the car is warmed up, turned off, then turned back on anywhere from 15 min to an hour or so later, it shudders and the "check engine" light comes on and flashes. took it to the same dealership twice where they hooked up the diagnostics machine and saw it missing firing at 2 different cylinders each time. so, we have misfiring at 4 out of 6 cylinders. other than that they could not offer much. took it to a mechanic nearby and he thought the injectors may need replacing.
 
from a cost stand point and mechanical issues. could it be my spark plug wires and therefore i should just replace those? then try injectors if it doesn't work? any info is greatly appreciated.

#2634 of 3012 Followup to earlier inquiry by casandranow

Aug 15, 2005 (9:13 pm)

So having taken the heeding of some posts around here, I decided against the 99 Alero for 7500. But still having not found a new car, and not wanting to put a ton of money in, I've found a nice 2000 GL 4cylinder for $6600, but the dealer is willing to knock it down to $6000. I'm thinking, even if I can only get a couple years out of it, for the cash, it's not a bad idea. Right now I'm driving a 94 Chevy S-10 with no a/c and no power anything.
 
Does anyone think that sounds like a decent deal? I'd like to be able to take the car down to Virgina from here in PA in October for vacation instead of renting like I did this summer for our Boston trip. And I want to make sure it's reliable. It's almost at 60,000 miles, so I'm hoping that some of the issues reported here have already come and gone and been replaced with better parts.
 
One other thing, the standard CD players on the 2000, are they CD-R/RW compatible or would I have to look into getting a newer Pioneer installed?

#2635 of 3012 Re: Followup to earlier inquiry [casandranow] by rdeschene

Aug 16, 2005 (9:33 am)

Replying to: casandranow (Aug 15, 2005 9:13 pm)
Re: the CD-player, our Alero is a 2000 GLS 6-cylinder, but I would think the Delco stereo system would be the same. Anyway, ours plays CD-Rs just as well as commercially manufactured CDs.

#2636 of 3012 Alarm System by scoobycar10889

Aug 16, 2005 (12:59 pm)

What was the first year that Oldsmobile put the factory alarm system in there aleros?
Thanks

#2637 of 3012 Re: Alarm System [scoobycar10889] by rdeschene

Aug 16, 2005 (2:44 pm)

Replying to: scoobycar10889 (Aug 16, 2005 12:59 pm)
Do you mean the Passlock system? (As far as I know, there's no alarm involved, but if something other than the correct key is used, or the ignition tampered with, fuel is disabled and the car won't start.) Our 2000 Alero came with a 1999 owner's manual (we bought ours used), and the Passlock system is mentioned there. The Alero was first introduced in 1999, so I would guess, then, that the Passlock system has been there from the beginning.

#2638 of 3012 Re: Alarm System [rdeschene] by stumped99

Aug 16, 2005 (4:08 pm)

Replying to: rdeschene (Aug 16, 2005 2:44 pm)
I do not have an owners manual and have had this car for about 3 years now. This is a 99 alero V6 2 door, and I am having problems with my security light coming on and killing my engine. It will not let me start my car, it has done this in the past and after the light goes off, about 10 minutes, it would then start, however it is no longer allowing me to start the car. I disconnected the battery thinking that might reset the computer or the security system, however that did not work. Can anyone please advise what maybe causing this and how much it may cost to be fixed? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#2639 of 3012 Re: Alarm System [stumped99] by mikey00

Aug 16, 2005 (5:18 pm)

Replying to: stumped99 (Aug 16, 2005 4:08 pm)
Security light coming on and not allowing the car to start is a common problem on the Alero and its twin the Pontiac Grand Am. The dealer fix to to replace the ignition switch for $300 +. Do a search on "security" here and over at the Grand Am board. You should have lots of hits.

#2640 of 3012 Re: Alarm System [stumped99] by rdeschene

Aug 17, 2005 (8:11 am)

Replying to: stumped99 (Aug 16, 2005 4:08 pm)
Mike has given you a better answer, and I'm not sure if this will help you, but here's what our owner's manual says about the Passlock system:
 
If the engine stalls and the SECURITY light flashes, wait until the light stops flashing before trying to restart the engine. Remember to release the key from START as soon as the engine starts.
 
If the engine is running and the SECURITY light comes on, you will be able to restart the engine if you turn the engine off. However, your Passlock system is not working properly and must be serviced by your dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock at this time. You may also want to check the fuse. See your dealer for service.

#2641 of 3012 Alarm by scoobycar10889

Aug 17, 2005 (3:34 pm)

No sorry im meaning the alarm where the horn beeps and lights blink if the door is opened while locked.

Messages Page 265 of 302

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