1997 Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 liter

Summary:

The Oldsmobile Auroras have a serious overheating problem caused by dex-cool

Faults:

I own a 1997 Oldsmobile Aurora. The car goes through a lot of brakes and has been running hot. I put a new radiator cap on it and it seemed to help for awhile. I had the radiator flushed out twice, because of the orange dex-cool antifreeze had it all clogged up. I finally had green antifreeze put back in it, but it continued to get too hot. The end finally came when it got so hot that it cracked a head last month.

General Comments:

The Oldsmobile Aurora has serious over-heating problems. I feel this is related to the junky orange antifreeze GM puts in them. I believe the Aurora should be added to the lawsuit against Dex-Cool.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th June, 2008

6th May 2009, 09:52

You should put some head gasket sealant in it. Trust me, it works!!!

20th Apr 2010, 14:12

Well all the Auroras run hot, like when I'm in the city she runs hot, but when I get on the highway, it's in the middle.

20th Apr 2010, 17:13

I have no issue with Dexcool in my newer Vette. I make sure I only use distilled water proper ratio and never tap water. I certainly do not mix green or even use universal as well with Dexcool. I flush every 3 years and also remove my overflow bottle scrub thoroughly with simple green and rinse out. I also fill mine by removing the thermostat to avoid air pockets in the block. No issues with Dexcool..

20th Apr 2010, 21:37

To the poster of 26th Jun 2008, 12:31:

All 1990s Auroras did in fact have terrible overheating trouble. But this was not due to the Dex Cool antifreeze. What caused this problem was the fact that in all 1995-99 Auroras, the head bolts were not large enough & the head gaskets were inadequate. These problems were addressed in time to make the 2001-03 Auroras immune to overheating due to poor design.

1997 Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0L

Summary:

Great looking inside and out, but has flaws

Faults:

I bought this car with a blown head gasket, I bought a 55,000 mile engine/trans and installed it. All went smoothly up to when I tried starting it; no clicks, clunks, ticks or any sounds other than a relay from the fuse section behind me. After about the 30th try of turning the key, it started right up and I took it for a drive. It ran well. I got it home and there's where it sits, because it won't start again. I don't get any check engine lights (but one did come on when I was driving it) and all I hear is the relay (or something) clicking. Please help. I have replaced the starter to no avail. Same thing so I'm guessing it's a relay or the ignition? I have a brand new battery and there doesn't appear to be a relay for the starter itself.

General Comments:

Beautiful black on black, comfortable and so forth. Love the styling inside and out (with the exception of the rims)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th February, 2008

1997 Oldsmobile Aurora Autobahn 4.0 V8

Summary:

Punch it Chewie!

Faults:

At about 90K I had all four brakes/rotor/calipers replaced. Cost about $600 with nicer pads.

At 91500K the alternator died. Cost about $400 to replace it/battery.

This is not the cars fault, but the previous owner used fix a flat to repair a tire and it ended up corroding inside my front left tire. This ended up causing an air leak and the tire store had to shave off the interior lining of my rim to fix the leak. So I suppose the moral of the story is fix a flat and chrome don't mix.

There is a airbag problem which has come on and off ever since I purchased the vehicle. This warning comes up on the computer console. Otherwise no issues with the electric/sound system.

General Comments:

This car was awesome. The repairs were pretty expensive, but I figured since it was older and had some mileage on it things were bound to need replacement.

All in all I now know what Han Solo felt like driving the Millennium Falcon. This car was super roomy, comfortable, had tons of cool gadgets on it, and on top of all that it had a very nice V8 with a power mode on it if you needed more torque. My friends and I would always call it the Millennium Falcon because of how old and kind of bulky it was, but at the same time was crazy fast and really comfortable. I still can't believe all the gadgets it had inside to make the ride more comfortable.

Gas mileage averaged around 19/23 mpg, and I spent about 60 bucks every 4 months to have valvoline put some max life oil in, and btw the gas is 93 only.

Unfortunately after the alternator died, the car began to suffer other minor issues that come with age. I kept finding myself quoting Lando... "They told me they fixed it! It's not my fault!!"

Ha ha well all in all it was a great car and a lot of fun and comfort too. I would recommend this to another college student if you want a cheaper used car that is awesome for road trips and really fun to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 11th September, 2007

16th Nov 2007, 14:31

Who the hell is chewie?

16th Nov 2007, 15:33

Chewbacca from star wars!!!

17th Nov 2007, 14:41

To the above poster... Thank you for the info! I'd been up nights wondering about that.