Ask the Car People.SM


Oldsmobile Intrigue

12345 messages,  Last post on Jan 18, 2013 at 7:07 PM

You are in the Oldsmobile Intrigue Forum.

What is this discussion about? Oldsmobile Intrigue, Sedan

Messages Page 577 of 1235

#5757 of 12345 Flicker, knock, & rattle by coonhound

Dec 28, 2001 (3:24 pm)

My wife's driver is a 2000 GX program vehicle. We had the intermediate shaft and the rack replaced due to popping noise. This was done under warranty at around 30,000 miles. The rotors have a slight warpage as there is a slight vibration during hard braking. The lights don't flicker and there is nothing but smooth power flow and a nice ride. The car had 27,000 when purchased in mid to late 2000. It had been in west Texas with a rental car company.
 
I have an opinion, everybody does, that the alternator problem is due to heat. The unit is rigidly mounted to the block for engine rigidity. The engine uses a 180 deg. thermostat vs 190 or 195 deg. thermostats for most cars today. The alternator could have been a consideration for the lower engine temperature.
 
Another opinion. Bob, being as smart as he is, probably will not drop the Oldsmobile label. There are a lot of Oldsmobile ads on TV, not Alero, Intrigue, and Bravada. Had this been done early on at introduction then dropping the name would never have been considered.

#5758 of 12345 flicker by oldsman01

Dec 28, 2001 (5:12 pm)

Got a flicker this evening, but just once and it was after a 5500 rpm jaunt on the freeway. As it has done before, several seconds after the engine speed was down(not immediately) the headlamps dimmed for a moment but did not do it again. I'm probably going to schedule a service visit sometime early in the new year and will have the alternator looked at. I'll keep everyone posted on what the dealer says and/or does. Whats so irritating is this is something so simple. It's not like it's a a major mechanical or engineering problem, just the stupid alternator. GM should start buying them from a different vendor.

#5759 of 12345 #5594 of 5594 flicker by oldsman01 by wbhall

Dec 29, 2001 (7:27 am)

"Got a flicker this evening, but just once and it was after a 5500 rpm"
 
WOW.....5500 rpm's! How fast were you going? I cruise on the highway at a little over 2000 rpm's! LOL

#5760 of 12345 Rear seat belt problem by focus

Dec 29, 2001 (2:55 pm)

i was driving on the highway couple days ago and i heard these loud clunking noise without knowing what the problem was; when i stop i realized that the driver's side rear seat belt did not roll back in position and was stuck outside the door, the seat belt's knuckle was damaged and it made about 10+ chips on the rear wheel. I showed this to the service advisor this morning and he said they don't usually cover this problem and has to waited until monday for the service manager's opinion. Should the seat belt stuck out any longer, it might have caused serious damage and an accident as it get caught between the wheel's openings. While at the dealership, i had an oil change and that intermediate shaft lubrication; driving home now i hear little noise coming from the front console.

#5761 of 12345 flicker gone by dindak

Dec 29, 2001 (6:26 pm)

Much colder last night and I had no flickers. Go figure. Seems to be an intermitant problem at this point for me.

#5762 of 12345 Re: flicker by coonhound

Dec 29, 2001 (8:50 pm)

Dindak, I done told you that it is probably a heat related problem because of the Alternator being rigidly mounted to the engine block. The exhaust manifold is shielded adjacent to the alternator, but the alternator is a heat sink for the engine block. Get a piece of duct hose and run it so as to get some ram cooling air onto the alternator, especially onto the diodes st the rear of the alternator. This is another GM experiment like the flexible drive shaft in the tempest, rear engine corvair, and the aluminum cylinders with no sleeves, I believe on the Corvair also. The converted 350 to Diesel. To name a few.
 
But this is progress. Where would we be if we didn't experiment and test different things!
 
It's just unfortunate that the poor consumer has to pay a little extra if it doesn't work out as planed. But he gets the benefit if the experimental model is a success.

#5763 of 12345 Re: Flicker - coonhound by jjpowell2

Dec 29, 2001 (8:56 pm)

I can't believe it's heat related in our case. The outside temp is in mid 50's and we just drove home, a distance of 2 miles at 35 mph tops. Our headlights and dashboard lights dimmed 3 times in that short span. We can't go fast enough to bring in outside air for cooling! Good idea though...any more?
 
I also noticed that there are posts at BAT Auto regarding the same problem.

#5764 of 12345 re:dindak "flicker" and everyone else- mine did catch it! by ketch

Dec 30, 2001 (10:12 am)

Well, after another drive last nite, I did in fact see the headlights flicker, alot. So did my wife, who is "less sensitive to car issues".
 
So it seems my car has recently caught this ailment (at just under 20k miles, 2+ years old, a dec.99 built 2000 GL).
 
So I experimented, and found:
[1] SO FAR, occurs here (Chicago area) when temps are below 20. Esp. bad last nite (10 degress)
[2] Only occurs miliseconds after application of the gas pedal, in drive, any spped, and not always(?)
[3] DOES NOT occur in garage/sitting, in drive (or nuetral) when trying to re-vreate by applying the gas/revs.
[4] Did see interior lites simulataneously dim, no surprise of course.
 
....So after lots of reading here, what I am to take away is that the TSB (new alt.) does not fix it?
Of course my dealer would say they cannot reproduce (and in fact I cannot every time as above). I assume since the voltage regulator is now in the alternators these days, that its not
working correctly to maintain constant voltage.
 
To me its no big deal, but do want it corrected eventually. 1 year to go on the warrantee at this point. I will add my input to the NHTSA site, and print out the tsb. For now, the car is "my friend flicka".

#5765 of 12345 correction by ketch

Dec 30, 2001 (10:48 am)

In my last post, I mean't that the lites flicker problem is unreproducable when sitting in PARK, and revving it.
 
Some here think its a heat sink effect of the alt. from the block, but then why didn't it occur in the extreme heat this past summer? Then again, if this is the cause, It possible the said heat could have damaged the alt. over time, and thus why I see the problem now. Going on a drive up to Wisconsin this coming next weekend, and may contact the dealer after I get back. Once again thanks to all here for the great input.
 
Anyone know the url to the tsb?

#5766 of 12345 Flicker Flicker little star by coonhound

Dec 30, 2001 (12:29 pm)

Ketch is that an intended pun, mine did catch it?
Seriously, is the voltage regulator mounted in the alternator? I have an old 87 Chrysler Le Baron that I play with and the alternator field is controlled by the ECM and a external power module. When the ECM (computer) goes out the alternator looses the field. Needless to say I was working on the alternator when the problem was the ECM.
 
If the field regulator is in the alternator then the temperature could be an even bigger factor.
 
No one has identified the problem of potentially:
Shorted field poles?
Shorted rectifier diodes?
Sticking field brushes?
Failed voltage regulator?
Some other loose field connections?
Field windings having broken solder joints or crimp connection?

Messages Page 577 of 1235

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement