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Sedans Oldsmobile Aurora Oldsmobile Aurora Maintenance & Repair
4283 messages, Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 10:33 AM
You are in the Oldsmobile Aurora Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: dcosey (Oct 08, 2008 10:50 am) Not sure it that will solve your problem, but it did mine. My local dealer checked it and did not charge. Don |
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Replying to: jmarshall22 (Apr 24, 2008 1:02 pm) Thanks. |
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Replying to: jmarshall22 (Apr 24, 2008 1:02 pm) EGR is electric and located near throttle body. |
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Well, the hard part was trying to figure out where on this site to post a question about body rust. So I decided body rust on my 1998 Black/Black Autobahn is simply maintenance. I started my annual detailing and noticed the beginning of a paint bubble on the right (passenger) rear quarter panel at the front edge of the wheel well. The beginnings of rust through. The body side molding on the right rear door almost points to it! It is about 1 inch long and 1 inch wide. I live in road salt central, so I am not surprised. But the car is so clean that it has my anal retentive, obsessive compulsive mind cranking. Has anyone started to see body rust on your 95-99? In this spot? And short of going nuts and hitting the body shop, what did you do about it? I did a search on the forum under "rust" but found nothing about rust on body panels. And the hood is aluminum, so no issues there. At 103,000 miles, the car still garners admiring looks and questions. About 18,000 of the miles were put on in the last 9 months, a commuting issue which thankfully has run its course. And no maintenance issues in that time frame! Miracle. Thank you in advance for any advice.
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Replying to: sj1400 (Dec 19, 2006 6:22 am) Daniel |
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Hi. I was unable to locate any posts that directly answered 2 of my three questions--I'll keep looking for answers to number 3. Question 1: Any idea how to test a BCM (Blower Control Module) to see if that is the reason for my intermittent blower? I've seen multiple posts suggesting that that is the cause, but I'd rather not have to guess. 2. I can't seem to get gas to do into my car at anything other than a trickle. If I don't hold the gas "throttle" at the pump just as slow as I can, then after a few seconds you can hear the gas backing up the tank neck and before you can stop pumping (or the auto-stop kicks in) you have a "spurt" of gasoline backing up and out of the car. I DID end up trying to cross a median that seems to have been a little higher than my clearance. The same day I bottomed out (scrapped/banged the bottom of the undercarriage) I found my self needing gas and when I tried to put it in, my '98 Aurora decided to spit it back out on my hand! I've never had a car that didn't LIKE gas! Unless it was that cheap junk. 3. I'll keep looking for answers/resolutions to #3. I've seen some posts about fuel gauges not being consistent below about a quarter tank, and mine sure isn't. Resetting the Tripometer works pretty well, but short of a filling up (a VERY slow process) regularly, I just can't be sure how low my gauge really is. I carry a gallon of gas in the truck to be "safe." Any advice is greatly appreciated. DMGadget
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I also forgot to mention that I can't seem to reset the Transmission Fluid "percentage" as listed on the computer readout (is that being called the DCM? What's that stand for again?). The oil resets w/o problems, and I've been trying to keep it done regularly, but I've been unable to ever reset the Tranny fluid reading (it says 100%). I could also use some advice as to the suggested maintenance of the transmission. When should I be changing it, or should I? I've heard for and against. I'm in a '98 w/120,000 on it. It's a California car, but I moved to Chicagoland to wed and it handles great in the sucky winter weather here, but between the crazy fuel gauge, the iffy heater/AC blower, the slight coolant leak (after changing Radiator hoses, which failed), and the gas going into the tank at, literally, the slowest possible speed, well, I'm practically willing to trade it for a little Honda. But, boy, heated seats....ahhhhh.... 
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Replying to: dmgadget (Oct 14, 2008 8:40 pm) 3. I'll keep looking for answers/resolutions to #3. I've seen some posts about fuel gauges not being consistent below about a quarter tank, and mine sure isn't. Resetting the Tripometer works pretty well, but short of a filling up (a VERY slow process) regularly, I just can't be sure how low my gauge really is. I carry a gallon of gas in the truck to be "safe." There are a lot of posts out there on this one, but finding them is another story. The short answer: common problem, the fuel gauge on the dash goes nuts; and the most common cause is that the sending unit ( part of the fuel pump assembly) has gone bad. I've seen some post that you can purchase the sending unit separately. Others have just replaced the fuel pump with the sending unit. Parts prices quoted by others were varied, but expect $280-$400. The good news is that Olds provided a trap door so to speak to access the fuel pump without having to drop the tank. It's in the trunk under the mats, forward toward the passenger compartment. Also, there was some sort of tool folks purchased to facilitate the DIY approach. Personally, just too much expense for my blood when you have the Driver's Info Center DIC gallons used gauge (FUEL) which I have found to be accurate and reliable. My sending unit started acting up at about the 8 year 80,000 mile mark. The gauge would work fine until about a 1/3 tank of fuel remaining, or about 11-12 gallons used. Then the fuel gauge would bounce all over the place from full to empty, the range (distance to empty in miles) would go nuts, and the low fuel warning indicator on the DIC would warn me. Since I have sometimes ridden the edge, I have had the DIC gallons used (FUEL) read as high as 17-18 and have been able to put that much fuel back in. The tank is rated at 18 gallons I think. Others have warned that running the fuel that low is a bad idea because the fuel pump requires a couple of gallons in the tank to keep it cool. I have also manually calculated mpg by dividing the trip odometer miles by the DIC gallons used. Matches the average mpg on the DIC. BTW, on the original ignition (wires, plugs, coils, etc.), I get over 27 mpg pure highway miles per gallon. Replicated in August on a long trip with the wife and half of her earthly possessions (or so it seemed, but the trunk was filled). Cruise at 65 mph. It's fairly amazing for a 3,900+ pound car that's 11 years old! That's almost a 490 range on a tank of gas! Jack
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Replying to: dmgadget (Oct 14, 2008 9:04 pm) I also forgot to mention that I can't seem to reset the Transmission Fluid "percentage" as listed on the computer readout (is that being called the DCM? What's that stand for again?). The oil resets w/o problems, and I've been trying to keep it done regularly, but I've been unable to ever reset the Tranny fluid reading (it says 100%). I could also use some advice as to the suggested maintenance of the transmission. When should I be changing it, or should I? I've heard for and against. I'm in a '98 w/120,000 on it. I called it the the DIC (Driver Info Center), from the owners' manual. DCM may be correct for something else. While you can't reset your trans fluid life remaining (always shows 100% fluid life remaining and never changes), take comfort that no one else can either, at least as far as what I've read on this Forum. Me neither. Better yet, when I first had the trans fluid changed at the dealer, I told them the trans life never dropped below 100%. Their response was that the "recommended" interval for trans flushes, screen, and new fluid is "never" under normal operating conditions. Sure enough, the scheduled maintenance in the 1998 owners' manual calls trans fluid to your attention at the 50 and 100K mile marks. The 1998 (my) owners' manual suggests only change the trans fluid if you drive "mainly" under one or more of the following conditions: * Heavy city traffic w. outside temps regularly 90 degrees or higher. * Hilly or mountainous areas. * Frequent trailer towing. * Uses such as taxi, police, delivery (livery?) service. Personally, I don't buy into "never" when it comes to trans fluids and screens. That's just me. Yes, have read horror stories from folks posting that things went south right after changes. Coincidence? Knucklehead mechanic fails to get the oil pan sealed? Your choice. I've changed mine around every 3 years/30,000 miles regardless, and the trans still runs as smoothly at 103,000 miles as the day the car was delivered, very smooth. If I bought used, that's one of the first things I'd change no matter what, along with the motor oil and a radiator flush/coolant replacement. I've read here of trans replacements  $4800! The $120 full trans service is cheap enough, gives me piece of mind, though I always check the fluid level and the pan for leaks or seapage, before and after the change. Trust no one. dmgadget wrote..... It's a California car, but I moved to Chicagoland to wed and it handles great in the sucky winter weather here, but between the crazy fuel gauge, the iffy heater/AC blower, the slight coolant leak (after changing Radiator hoses, which failed), and the gas going into the tank at, literally, the slowest possible speed, I'm running the Yokohama Avid V4S at about $98 per tire, great price performance all season tire. The car is a tank in the snow, don't need an awd vehicle. Wife drives in the winter, every winter, leaving me to fend for myself in the "new" car. Re the slight coolant leak, you may want to read up in this Forum on this because the sources of the leak are too numerous to discuss. I've had just one, never could find errant coolant on the engine or on the ground. After eliminating a head or head gasket leak as a possible cause (no coolant on engine, ground, or in the motor oil, long story re burning coolant smells, white residue on inside of the oil filler cap, rising oil levels because coolant leaking into motor oil), I drove the car for 2 years, adding the 50%/50% blend of Dex-Cool coolant and water (another controversy re coolants) about every 6 months. I could very intermittantly smell coolant, usually after highway driving, an all season problem. Finally got some visible steam working for me when I almost got stuck 40 miles from home. Got home. Under pressure at operating temperature of ~ 200 degrees, lights out in the mechanic's garage, and with a flashlight, my mechanic found two issues: original radiator was cracked by the top (passenger side) hose neck; and the original water pump was seeping ever so slightly. Swapped the radiator and water pump out, replaced original hoses, replaced the original thermostat, problem fixed. At the 10 year 82,000 mile marker or so. Another poster found a crack in the surge (overflow) tank and another a faulty surge tank cap. Another found a leaking water line from the radiator to the trans or back to the radiator, can't remember which. dmgadget wrote....... ........well, I'm practically willing to trade it for a little Honda. But, boy, heated seats....ahhhhh Realistically, the day is coming when reliability and cost of repair will make my decision for me. But my 1998 Aurora Autobahn with the toys (except Bose and disc changer, another headache) is far and away the best looking, functional, and dependable American car I've owned, partially because I have a good local mechanic who seems to correctly diagnose and treat the patient, not a replacement parts mechanic. This includes electrical issues so far, but I have a local electrical/engine management guru in the wings (used him before, recommended by the Ford dealership!) who gets the stuff the dealers can't find.....usually after they replaced a bunch of stuff and still couldn't figure it out and either they or the owner went knocking on his door. My son-in-law owes me big time for referring him to Guru after he had electrical AND check engine light issues with a used Mercedes SUV. Benz dealer quoted him $2,000, for parts only! Properly diagnosed (electrical = one faulty power seat wire connector; check engine light due to fuel pressure, both left and right cylinder banks, being intermittantly 1 psi out of spec!). Guru said forget it. $82.64 please. Re the heated seats......up here in the Northeast it is a wonderful feeling knowing that I get heat quickly on my rear and back when it's 5 degrees out and the engine is stone cold. My new(er) G35 seat heat doesn't come on nearly as quickly as the heated seats in the Aurora. The 8 way power driver's and passenger's seats for my aching back, with both the upper and lower power lumbar adjustment! My Infinity doesn't have that! Good luck and keep us posted on what you or your mechanic find.....it helps us all, even if it is just to point the mechanic in the right direction. Jack
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Replying to: pscheid (Oct 15, 2008 6:10 am) Thank you! Not only for getting back so fast (wowsers!), but also for the well written reply(s). I've found a local shop that seems competent and honest, if not the guru I could hope for. They seem to take the middle ground, replace the common problem parts, charge the usual prices, hope that solves the problems. I had an intermittent Check Engine Light that seems to have been related to emissions. Replaced fuel cap, 2 O2 sensors and tried to avoid overfilling the screwy gas tank, and eventually, it cleared and has stayed off long enough to pass the IL emissions test and so far so good. I got this car w/115K on it and am at about 130K now. I've kept the oil changed and topped off, using hi-mileage synthetic every change, but as my trans keeps performing smoothly, I am a little worried to risk it going south by changing fluids. Don't rock the boat and all. Obviously, 130K is a lot of miles on the same fluid (I have no idea if it had been done before). But, I've heard from more than one shop the only way to have it done (SHOULD have it done) is at the dealer's, so they can cover the work if it screws up the transmission. With the few little annoying bugs that I keep chasing down, I'm reluctant to "grease" a "wheel" that isn't "squeeking" if you follow me. I stopped by a local radiator/AC shop on the way to work this morning and showed him the BCM that I pulled successfully last night. I asked him about the possibility of testing it and he said something I couldn't follow about how it could only be done in the car, with grounding it, checking continuity and the rest. I know what he was talking about, but not how to do it, exactly. He seemed convinced that the problem was more likely the blower motor itself, than the BCM. Of course, niether part is particularly cheap and I know the blower CAN blow quite well...when it feels like it. If the blower (fan?) works, but the Motor is intermittent, any ideas how I can compare/check that against the possibility that the BC Module is the problem? Winter is right around the corner here in Chicago and I'm NOT looking forward to it. An aside: Regarding Winter driving: The first time I encountered snow w/my 'rora was on a trip across the Cali/Oregon border to see a monster truck rally. Seems that a storm rolled in and dumped a good dusting on the mts between where me and my 2 friends were in Oregon and home. I stopped at an auto parts store and purchased a pair of chains for the front tires. (We had a great time spinning doughnuts in the parking lot with the traction contol turned off and using the e-brake before we put the chains on. For a sedan, that boat can handle pretty well, if you are comfortable with the mass!) After rolling along quite smoothly for a number of miles, passing cars slipping into ditches and moving at about 15 mph, I found that the 'rora was smooth and managable at 45-55, depending on visibility. At one point, I was not sure why, when things cleared enough that my high-beams should have been piercing the road farther away, I stopped and got out and my best friend and I discoverd that the reason the hi-beams weren't working was NOT that they were reflecting off the snow in the air, but rather, during the more blustery conditions, the snow had actually buried the headlights! Only the heat from the low beams had managed to keep the snow melted in front of them! After clearing the hi-beams, which now worked quite well, we noticed that not just one, but BOTH of the chains off the front tires were gone!! Now, I had purchased the medium priced ones, and also added the bungee-tighener option that was designed to help hold them snug (like a spider-wed covering the hub, pulling the edges of the chains together). I'm also familiar with putting on chains and had never lost a pair before. I was mostly concerned about their loss because of the damage to the wheel-well that may have occurred upon their release, but there appeared to be none. I have no idea how long I had been driving without them; the car was smooth enough (and the snow/road rough enough) that I couldn't even tell when they were on the car...Crazy, huh? The rest of the ride home was uneventful. After arriving in Chicago last winter, I was able to compare my car (w/o chains) against a couple of other cars belonging to friends and family. Talk about stable. I felt like I was in a go-cart while driving the 3 other cars (all similar to a 4 door Corolla). Not so with the Aurora. I felt like I was back in the Army driving the Bradley Fighting Vehicle (M1A2)...but with much better visibility...and fewer bullets. Enough story telling...I've had questions about the transmission and proper maintenance of it since I got it, as I'd like to make sure it keeps running for as long as possible. I could never afford a comparable replacement car... Unfortunately, there seems to be some serious division in the camps as to the right way to keep it on the road. Coolant leaks? I can keep topping it off. Same with the slight oil leak. (Any thoughts on the whole, "flushing the oil" idea?) Crazy fuel gauge? Keep an eye on the DIC and use the tripometer. Fuel not going into the car at a resonable speed? It's a nuisance, but it DOES go in, albeit slower than honey. But, I have a functional and seemingly finely performing transmission that I don't want to have to fix if I can prevent a costly repair with maintenance, but don't want to create the need for a repair while attempting to maintain it! Good grief...what a delima. Open to more input. I'm really happy to have found this site and hope I can be of as much assistance as you all have been to me. I have to get back to being productive so I can pay for the upkeep on my 'rora. FYI--Gas has dropped more than a dollar a gallon here, from around $4.65 to $3.35 since H. Ike....Yeah. Oh yeah, that reminds me, thoughts on the ocatane requirements? When this car was produced, there was 87, 91 and 93 ocatne avavilable. The manual says use 91. Now, we have 87, 89 and 93. (If memory serves.) I've always tried to use 93, but when the price gets back up to $5/gallon....ouch. Any experiements tried? Thanks! ~Daniel (DMGadget) '98 Aurora, 130K
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