1995 Oldsmobile Aurora from North America - Comments

I bought the 95 Aurora and the transmission jerks when shifting from park to reverse, and now the oil is visibly leaking out as fast as you put it in. What can I do to fix it? If you have any ideas, email me lena11077@yahoo.com

I have a 95 olds aurora. So where to start.

I fell in love at first site. A poor mans Cadillac. Really after all the money spent. Bought her back in 2001 35k miles. For under 10k Could not pass that up. Previous owner only used it for church on Sunday. Clean interior and paint. It was a steal. Two months later, I found that if the car sat for more than three days it would drain he bat. I Have taken it to Two different shops, a few time in each but neither have been able to figure out the problem. There solution is to sell a new battery every time I pick up my car. The Ac compressor has been replaced twice. complete ac components replaced after on the 1st compressor I replaced blew out the whole system. The latest shop I have been going to rewired ac switch to run manually because the computer was acting funny after I replaced because it had been acting funny with different codes appearing. The AC has been working fine so far for the last year and a half. Fuel rail replaced. That was a nightmare, spent over a $1000 bucks to the first shop to do nothing. oh yeah can't forget about the

radio. I also had sears replace the struts because the front was shaking. After replacing a set of 4 new tires with a wheel alignment the steering wheel still shake really bad. And can't forget for that brief moment that I feared having my kids in the car because I thought it would catch on fire on day due to the smoke that came from the steering wheel radio and temp controls. Don't ask me but that went away. And she has feelings too. I think I make it worst I talk smack in front of her.

4u2peep@exite.com.

I love my Aurora.

However, ANYTHING you guys have replaced, "I've had more!, AND, I must hold the record for most time spent at the repair shop"

OK, where to start...

First, It goes through brakes pretty quick, and they always squeak, even when I buy better pads.

Second, It runs REALLY REALLY hot. I've never shut down because of heat, but it gets right to the red line if I sit at a drive through window too long w/the AC on, on a hot day.

Otherwise, just physically hot, but around the 220F avg.

OK, I've gone through two head changes. I've had the engine resealed 5 times. Radiator twice, Transmission I caught early, had it flushed and serviced, and no probs.

I have the Hard shift though right after I start the car, and when you first throw it in reverse as everyone else has.

If I let it idle for a sec, it doesn't do it, only when I start it up and throw it in reverse.

My AC has to be charged 3 times a summer.

I've gone through at least 3 sets of those $200 Delco Sparkplug wires. AC unit replaced, power steering replaced. Radiator replaced twice $450 each time!

Air Ride was noisy as hell for 2 years, then finally gave out on me. I cannot start this car on the first try... Every mechanic says its something w/the fuel pump or fuel injectors. Always starts it on the second start.

My AC works on the drivers side, but blows hot air on the passenger side. Window motors have gone out on both of the rear doors. Window toggle switches go out frequently now.

Fuel Gauge runs out at 1/4 tank of gas now.

I ALWAYS SMELL GAS, right after I shut the car off. I've looked everywhere for a leak, but find nothing.

I've gone through, I don't know how many Ti-Rods...however you spell it. Mass Airflow sensor has been replaced. Went through two batteries, then got a RedCap, non vented battery. No more issues.

Somehow the trunk lid got opened...don't know how... I had speakers in the trunk, lid was open for 4 days... no one noticed... battery had to be recharged, but works fine.

I had the master control switch in the steering wheel go out.

THIS is a fun one... this I'm sure is what was originally killing my battery. Get this... I would pull the car into my garage, and take the key out, lock it up. and watch... the lights would just turn on and off, the headlights would blink for no reason... my flashers would just turn on... and stay on for hours. However, when you drive it, it worked fine. So I disconnected the battery each night, and hooked it up in the morning. That was also about a $800-900 repair. What else... Pretty much anything you guys have said, I've had too. Whats weird is... I still love the car.

Even after I spent $3000 on new heads and a engine seal job, and transmission service, all in one, I drove to the store, went in for some groceries, and came out and some jerk hit and ran my front fender... looks like a bowling ball hit it... arrrggghhh... I would have claimed it on ins. but was broke from the $3000 repair to come up with $500 more. Then the next day, the radiator died at $450. So I couldn't win there for a while.

I got the car, a 95 2.3 years ago, in that time, its spent over 9.5 mos in the shop, and 6 mos parked in the street out front of my house, non working, and leaking oil everywhere.

It now runs good, but still hot like I said, not enough to shut down. Does anyone know how to fix the cold air only coming through the drivers side problem?

Please let me know, If I could get that fixed I'd be very gratefull.

Thanks,

Chris

pcfixbychris@gmail.com

NIGHTMARE!!! So far I have had the radiator, fuel pump, and steering column replaced. The funny part is when I took it to get the steering column replaced the mechanic asked was it a GM car without even knowing what kind of car I had. Now the torque converter is stuck and I have to get that fixed. I go through countless spark plugs every few months and it drinks oil like a fish. Had I known what I was getting into I would have taken the Saturn the dealership offered.

Wow!!!, I recently bought a 95 Aurora for $730 dollars and after reading all the comments I am so, so, so, so, bummed out!!... $730 may not seem like a lot of money but it is for someone struggling to make hands meet living pay check to pay check.. Just yesterday I started having the "Hard Shifting" problem... Wow!!!.. I would love to sue GM for building such a crappy car and not being responsible about it!!... Oh my god!?!!.. that $730 really put a dent in my pocket but I think I'm just going to count my blessings and junk the car and not spend any more money on it since after reading the comments apparently it is not a good idea because it will all be in vain... If anyone reading this can help in any way please e-mail at:

rivelvj@yahoo.com.

Also thanks to everyone who wrote a comment on this page!

To 9:53, I'm sorry but nobody has the right to complain about a $730 car. The fact is that for $730 you should be expecting expensive repairs when you bought it. Modern cars like the Aurora are full of electronics which are expensive to fix and no car is going to be extremely reliable for that kind of money. You're right $730 is not a lot of money. $730 should be able to buy you a nice bike, never mind a great running car.

I remember buying used cars for 50 dollars during the 1960's, and they would run and run and run so long I would get really tired of driving, and would resell for 50 bucks and get something different. Now a 50 dollar car is a thousand. Makes me think our money has shrunk in value...

Alright, it's me again!

I still love my Aurora... BUT... once again, repairs have happened quite often since my last post in April.

OK, I did my homework... The Fuel Pump Regulator is the culprit for this beast never starting the first time. The mechanic I know, had a whole fuel rail laying around, and sold it to me for $50 bucks. We actually changed the regulator first, and it fired right up! I did more homework ahead of time, and it was best though, to change the whole fuel rail if given the opportunity, and or money available to.

I have a blinking of my dash lights... like when you have a loud audio system in your car, and it slightly drains and blinks the interior lights. Did some homework again, and found you can go get a grounding cable from the auto parts store, and ground out the main ground back by the passenger front strut, and ground it to the strut. Voila, electrical drain problem fixed, and responses on the car have greatly increased. Voltages have normalized too, they were a bit on the high side before, I never worried about it, now I know they were just incorrect. When you change this cable, you WILL notice a difference in how your car runs, really it makes a difference. Our cars are 12-13 years old now. Mines a 95. Most ground wires, are probably baked by now from the extensive heat from these cars. Do this, it cost me $8 from the auto part store. One thing... My car worked much better after this, but you have to remember, the computer in the car has to re learn the voltages, now that they have significantly changed. So you still may have a slight flicker of the lights from time to time, but only for a week or two, by then the computer will learn the right way.

OK, the Massive heat problem. SOLVED:

Get a new Catalytic Converter, from Ebay Motors or Autozone.

I got mine for $67 and free shipping from Ebay Motors.

AutoZone had them for $70 something. Get a mechanic with a welder that knows what he's doing. My mechanic owed me one, and did it for free. "they don't normally" But they just cut the old one down, and weld the new one on. I had never seen that much exhaust ever come through the exhaust pipes after that. My converter must have been horrible.

It was rattling, and mega hot. It's running nice and quiet now, and it has dropped the temp to a steady 200-230 now, instead of 220-275. I would say I'm at the 215 mark 90% of the time now.

Oh, also, on the fuel pump regulator thing... I found out that... You do really really need to only put Premium Unleaded gas in these things... I know... It says right on the dash, but a mechanic told me "oh that's horse duece" he said that you only need to put in premium once a month, just for the heck of it.

So, spend the extra $1-$2 in total cost and put nothing but Premium in it. If you haven't been, get some fuel injector cleaner from the store next, and add it to your next fill up, and start using Premium only. Your car will thank you. And you'll thank it for not having to replace the rail through a mechanic or dealership. This is upwards of $500-$1,500 in repairs depending on where you go and what they stick you for.

Brake problem: Solved:

Kept replacing pads, mechanics were telling me that the rotors did not need to be turned... I went through my auto parts receipts and noticed I had not bought rotors in 3 years, but have changed the pads 5 times... "Are you keeping up with me?" basically, I added new rotors and new pads, and they work great, I don't feel any hesitation or vibration or wobble...nothing, they just work how they should. So, the options for me were, $22 or $35 rotors. At this point, None are really able to be turned anymore, and they are so cheap, I think turning them is still $12to$15 each. Just get the $35 each ones, and get new pads at the same time, they will last you a lot longer. Then when the pads go bad next time, do the same, replace the rotors too. Don't pass on it, you'll need pads in a couple months, and don't turn them either on these cars, same thing. Just go for it, and in the long run your saving a ton of money.

Cold air on the drivers side, Hot air on the passenger side.

Solved:

Heat Blend Actuator Motor.

Cost is $125 on ebay motors, Cost is $200 from the Olds/GM Dealership. (very hard to find other than ebay or GM factory, or junkyard) Probably $75 from the junkyard if you want to chance it with a 13 year old wrecked replacement... I don't even waste my time anymore.

This little motor looking thing, is located by your drivers side right foot, behind the kick plate behind the stereo center thing. You have to go on your back, and? how you do it, but you'll have to wriggle up in there, and change the middle slot. Not the top one or the bottom one. They control where the fans go, ie defrost, floor whatever. The middle one is what controls what temp on each side of the car. So there, took the guess work out of that one for you.

Joy, Not 5 days after I have done these repairs, but now the Transmission just messed up on me. I took it to my buddy, ie Best Friend now, and he says it's definitely not the tranny, its the solenoid in the tranny. It was $80 shopping around, and he charged me $100 to put it in.

Now, this is the important part. This was buddy work, and you all know what happens when buddy work gets done, and you don't get a warranty because your buddy "helped" you out.

I IMPLORE you!, on Auroras, either fix it yourself, this way if it f/s up on you in a week, you can only be mad at yourself and the car, OR, pay someone who will warranty what they do.

As most of you know, I dropped $3,500 on new heads and ALL engine seals replaced last year. It took them the WHOLE year to get it right, Up to the last day of the 1 year warranty, so I've had it home and leak free for about 8 mos now. When my buddy had to drop the tranny pan to replace the solenoid, he had to shift the engine around a bit to get to what he needed. Your gonna love this... "I have an oil leak again from one of the upper engine seals in the back... Warranty is out, buddy won't warranty it. They just made the bolt holes funny on this engine, and any damage or movement from it, causes them to leak. It's not much, but damn it's disappointing when you paid soooo much and went through soooo much to get it right, and now THIS, Again. Oh well, it's literally about 4 drops a week. Just annoying that's all.

SO, its been another week, and we are at two days ago Nov. 7th 2008. And I'm driving down the road, and notice, "it's awfully cold in here, better turn the heat up" when I notice, the vents are on high, just nothings coming out.

"it was cold today" So, I called around, and your gonna love this Olds/GM wants $200 for a new blower motor. I called AutoZone, and they have to special order them, at $79. Then, I had them check to see if any other store had them in the state. I lucked out, The really old AutoZone in the town about 20mins away, had two that had been there since time began, and they only wanted $59 bucks, and no core charge either. Easy fix, 7mm socket, is only tool needed. Just a few bolts, and a couple wire harness/connector things, took about 15mins. hardest part was being upside down under the glove box by the passengers feet replacing this one. Funny, this blower motor was new, but it literally had been on that shelf since probably 95, we opened the box, and it literally had about 2 inches of dust on it. We laughed... He said that's probably the oldest part in here. :)

Oh, one more goody you should all know. If your multi switch goes out in your steering column like mine did, and your lights just turn on for no reason and your flashers come on and stuff, even when the car is off. Don't take it to the dealership until you try this fix. Go to Walmart or wherever they sell that air in a can stuff with the little straw you connect to get into small places. Go to your turn signal switcher arm, and pull the rubber thing to one side so you can see in. You should see several little holes in a line. If you spray the air in those holes, just keep doing it, and do it when the car is off, and flashing the lights. Spray em out, and see what happens. 9 times out of 10 people have said this fixes the problem, and the stuff never glitches for another year or two, then they just repeated the steps again, and solved.

I did not know this until after the fact, and paid $800 for this at the dealership, they were the only ones who knew how to fix it around here. You live and learn, now I only hope I save some of you from going through the same things.

Hope this helps. I'll post any other cheap quick fixes I find, BECAUSE WITH THIS CAR, no fix is a cheap one. I've given you all my cheap fixes I know, and I hope they help.

On a positive note, while I was at the store getting the blower motor, they had a sale on wiper blades, buy one get one free. I normally spend about $12 a blade for some of the nicer but not quite expensive kind, about $24 usually. So today, I got the $30 each kind, and it only cost for one. Right after I put them on, I went to go out for a bit, and it immediately started raining. :) for once, I was happy to see rain. :) My wipers Kick Ass! LOL, it's funny how the simple things make us happy.

95 Aurora Lover,

Chris.