12th Dec 2002, 01:40

2000 Olds Intrigue.

1. Lights flickering, after 60,000 miles, still no solution. It usually happens on cold days.

2. Passenger side chrome painted trim sliding back, causing opening and closing of front passenger door to be very difficult. I heard you can pound it back with a rubber mallet and get a month worth of normal use.

3. After 50,000 miles, it starts to use a significantly larger amount of oil. It used to be 7,000 miles between oil changes, now it's back to 3000. Synthetic blends are a good idea.

4. Tire pressure monitor doesn't work.

5. Fuel pump is located in the gas tank. This makes replacement very costly. Do NOT run out of gas. There's a good chance it will destroy your fuel pump.

25th Dec 2002, 01:59

Hello Folks.

Sorry to hear about all your problems with your vehicles.

I have owned a 2000 and currently own a 2002 Intrigue, and can only say I love the car.

There were no major problems or even minor ones with either vehicle. On the 2000 Intrigue I do believe the flickering problem that most of you folks are complaining about is caused by a defective AC Delco battery. Apparently some kind of defect is present, where the posts of the battery meet the plates on the interior cells. I had experienced this same problem, but only after the negative battery post began leaking acid and forming corrosion all over the terminal. Shortly after-wards I started experiencing hard starts, flickering lights, and the digital display that displayed the mileage would flicker in the most unusual pattern.

All of the above symptoms were caused by intermittent contact of the battery post with the internal cells, therefore removing all reference voltage from the alternator stator causing the alternator to max out on output voltage. One person stated that they logged an instance of a reading of 20 volts.

Solution could be to replace battery, although this was the solution in my case it was done out of necessity, but it also solved the problem.

As for the 3.5-liter engine, I have heard about the unusual oil consumption before, but have not experienced it on either of the engines I had. One possible explanation is improper break in of the engine when new.

The Shortstar engine as it is commonly referred to as is a very robust design, but with any engine the key to longevity is a proper break in procedure. Any engine should not be driven above 55 mph for the first 500 miles. During this time speed should constantly be varied. As part of a proper break in procedure two short wide-open throttle acceleration runs should be performed. While this last part sounds counterintuitive it has been widely advocated by many different engine manufacturers to properly seat the piston rings of the engine. Oil consumption should reduce with additional mileage. After the first 500 miles a complete oil change should be performed to cleanse the engine of any minute metal particles of metal worn away during the break in period. I am uncertain if this has been the case for many of you folks. I do wish you best of luck with your vehicles.

29th Dec 2002, 18:49

Hello I have a 2002 intrigue its been great it now has 40,000 miles on it I change the oil every 3000 miles have not had any probems with it at all.

3rd Feb 2003, 09:22

I, too, had the flickering light problem last winter. It went away in the spring, but came back in the fall. It's very annoying to me, and I live in fear that the condition will result in a road rage incident being directed toward me.

I just found that there is a new GM TSB #01-06-03-011 that relates the problem as follows:

Cause: This condition may be caused by intermittent low voltage. Transient engine vibrations may induce the generator to experience field discontinuity. This state results in a voltage spike that causes the voltage regulator to reset. During this period, the generator output dips to near zero.

Correction: Replace the generator with a revised generator, P/N 10464469, that has circuitry to inhibit this condition.

Unfortunately my '99 Intrigue went out of warranty last September, so I'm probably out of luck unless GM issues something more than a TSB.

I've had a few other minor problems, but overall I'm generally satisfied with the Intrigue. The engine-transmission match is fabulous, and the handling is better than any other US car in its class. I would buy another one, if I could.

19th Feb 2003, 14:04

I have a 2000 Olds Intrigue and am a college student. Presently, my car has 71K miles. I bought it when it had 30K miles about a year and a half ago. My parents opted to get the extended warranty, which has paid for itself as it usually seems to with American cars. I have had major components of the steering system replaced twice. It is now perfect. My headlights experienced the flickering problem as well. I had the alternator replaced, as suggested online. Everything seems to be fixed. After my battery left me stranded for the second time, I replaced it. Seem to have no trouble now. Engine is awesome (using no oil) and transmission is likewise good. Car still looks awesome, especially when buffed. I love this car and am sorry to see Olds going under. They deserve a break for these quirks. The 3.5 was an all new engine.

2nd Mar 2003, 14:37

I've had my 2000 for a couple of years and love it. No electrical or oil problems.{knock on wood} A silly thing, but I love the ignition on the dash. Great touch! I think the 3.5 will make a great engine in a '23 bucket someday.

30th Mar 2003, 19:48

Wrong,

22nd Jun 2003, 17:07

I don't like my car. It was fine at first then it went straight to hell in a hand bag. My windows went out, my air conditioning went out about three months after I got my car. I have a 2000 intrigue and I wish I would have bought a better car. I also waste a lot of oil. I change my oil about every month. But my lights don't flicker. YET!?!?

I have a little girl and I can't take her anywhere because it's to hot in my car.

2nd Jul 2003, 11:26

I bought a 2000 Intrigue in February. I have the same light flickering problem. I took it back to the dealership on the 2nd day after I bought it. They put in a new battery. That did not solve the problem. Then when we changed the oil, we noticed a small leak so brought back to dealer. Dealer changed alternator. Did not solve flicker problem. In order to fix the minor leak they had to take the whole engine out. At this time it doesn't seem to be leaking, but when we went on a weekend trip it was a quart low. Am not happy with that. It now seems that the front end shakes. Am taking it back to the dealer next week for that. I am also not real happy with this purchase, but can't afford to get out of it. It dropped in price since I purchased it even used.

Any more suggestions on the lights flickering, please post.