New Guy...

11-15-2005, 05:44 PM

Hey guys, hows it going? Looking at getting a 2 door Alero around the first of the year. Hopefully it will be a good winter car. I was talking to a few people about them on another forum, one who didnt like them and one who did and they said this...

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FWD sucks. I was looking at buying a coupe back in 2000. I test drove one and it was OK but I hate FWD with a passion and bought an Xtreme instead. My Fiancee had a 2000 Olds Alero sedan. It was the top of the line GLS model with leather, 3.4 V6 and all the toys. The intake gaskets suck on these. GM's dexcool eats them up and you have to replace them about every 40K miles. Her car had it replaced at about 44K or something like that. It also had lifter noise. We ended up trading it in on a new Jeep Wrangler. It was an OK car with decent power but I think it was just starting to have problems and would have gotten a lot worse. The AC compressor sounded like it had gravel in it when you started it up in the last few months she had the car(bad bearings I'm sure). Good luck if you do decide to get one.

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Depends on personal preference, if the FWD car is fast then I don't mind driving one. Ever drive a Grand Prix GTP or a Caddy with a northstar, they make you appriciate FWD.

GM did have problems with the LIM (lower intake manifold) gaskets on the 3400, however they have released a new gasket that is suposed to fix the problem and from what I have seen, it is working.

From the looks of the picture I would guess that it is a lower model, based on the chrome trim around the windows, so my guess would be that it is a 4 cylinder. Ecotec is a better engine than the 2.4L, but the 2.4L is a decent engine as well. 3400 V-6 will get about the same milage as a 4 cylinder though, so get a V-6 if possible.

So hopefully I can find a nice V6 with low miles, just seems hard to find one around here with low miles.

doubleN0alero · 11-15-2005, 05:52 PM

First off welcome aboard!
Second off, you can't always believe ALL that you read. I have switched over from the 2.4 to the 3.4 and increased my MPG. Also, just like any car; some people have nothing but trouble and others have nothing but pleasure. I am personally on my 2nd alero and there are quite a few people on the boards that are in the same shoes at me. I loved my 2000 and wanted to upgrade before they went away, so i bought a 2004. The gasket problem affects some, but not all. It is a pretty common problem though.
When you go looking, your best bet is to really take it for a test drive, maybe see if they will let you take it home for the night and run it hard and see how it reacts.
I have had no issues with snow regarding my FWD. The only time I had a single problem is when I was sitting on a bridge that had a layer of ice on the bottom and about 6 or 7 inches of snow on top of that and some slush that had frozen. I had some issues there, but I was running my summer tires at the time and not many cars wouldn't have issues under those circumstances.
I'm not sure where you're located to get a good indicator of your snow situation, but I've drove mine through many of snow storms and ice storms, etc and never had to stop because I was stuck. In fact the last real big storm I drove through, I had to stop and help me buddy that got stuck in his X-terra.

11-15-2005, 05:56 PM

Well thank you sir. Yeah I hear yah on everyones opinion is different. How hard is the gasket to replace? Also I am in the southwest part of Michigan.

doubleN0alero · 11-15-2005, 06:10 PM

I honestly can't say for sure, i've never done it...mine has held up. My old alero had 45000 miles when i traded it and this one has 24000 now, so haven't gotten there. I would definately order the gasket online though and have somebody else put it in...save some cheese for sure.

jackal2000 · 11-15-2005, 07:20 PM

welcome, i'll be living in the muskegon area next summer

ImSoBored · 11-15-2005, 08:13 PM

Me personally, I love my car 2000 GLS. unfortunately Ive gotten the LIM leak twice. But then again I am at 104,xxx miles. Also my rotors had to be replaced once Other than that and a few minor problems, the car runs fine. Im not sure how hard it would be to fix the LIM yourself, but it cost me around $1000.

11-15-2005, 08:24 PM

Thanks guys for the help! Is that $1,000 for each time you had it fixed? Hm...maybe I dont want one, lol. Or Ill just have to set a little aside here and there to be prepared for it.

Frostbite545 · 11-16-2005, 10:48 AM

My 2000 GL is my first car, and I love it. Right now I have the LIM coolant leak, and I am procrastinating in getting it fixed. My car has 36K miles, but it sat in a lot for 5 years, so im guessing that helped mess it up. I carry coolant in my trunk just in case.

From what I hear from people its not so much the price of the gasket or the difficulty of the installation as it is the amout of time it will take. My mechanic friend said it could take 4 hours... In any case I would take that leak and the money it takes to fix it over a crapy civic any day.

Frostbite545 · 11-16-2005, 11:12 AM

Almost forgot...WELCOME. :wave:

Daytona · 11-16-2005, 01:45 PM

Welcome aboard!

blackalero99 · 11-16-2005, 02:12 PM

welcome welcome

Redog · 11-16-2005, 06:05 PM

:aleromod:

PrImEtImE · 11-20-2005, 09:46 PM

WELCOME!

forbidden · 11-28-2005, 10:12 PM

Welcome... Go ahead get ya an Alero there great rides

PlainOldOlds · 11-29-2005, 11:23 AM

Welcome. As for it being a good winter car, I haven't seen snow here yet since I got mine, so I can't say. I am a little worried because ground clearance is a lot lower than my old car, and I got stuck in that car last winter on my street (which wasn't plowed.) But I didn't have traction control or ABS on my old car, and judging by wet roads this summer, I do suspect the Alero will beat it in the snow provided it the roads are being plowed.

11-29-2005, 11:36 AM

Welcome aboard. At 68k miles, 3.4 v6 2000 GLS, I had to have the ac compressor replaced at like 45k, water pump last week, and I have the lower intake mainfold gasket problem along with another unknow coolant leak at this time. Also, I have the dash that has come unglued, looks like its undressing its self. As far as the Alero goes to each its own, depends on if you like dumping money into a car or not.

For instance, I had an 86 Accord b4 the car and the only problems I had with that car with 200K on it when I passed it along was a fuel pump to go out. So i;ve spent less on maintence on that car than what i have now. So i'm looking for another car now.

DRA-GON · 11-29-2005, 12:28 PM

welcome abord sir and my alero in the snow is sweet , I have to drive like 40KM's to work everyday no matter what the weather and have never had an issue never slipped or slide and that was on all season tires, got studded winter tires this year so I don't exspect any issues this year either.

PS I don't drive like an idiot in the snow either.