I'm new here

[zzyzzx]

I don't have my Alero yet, but I will by the end of the year and want to do my reading before I get the car. Currently, it's my mom's car. I have been told that it's blue, and sitting in a garage for it's entire life of about 10 years, and has less than 20,000 miles on it. V6 automatic, most likely a 4Dr model. I'm mostly here to figure out what the common problems are and have some sort of a plan of what to do with it when I get it (probably change the belts and tires and fluids and just drive it). The car is practically new, but I don't have pics or anything yet. The only mods I plan on making are adding any gauges if I deem the stock ones to be insufficient and maybe a stereo upgrade to a CD player if it doesn't already have one.

I will also be looking for recommendations about where to get a service manual.

:Hi:

[cherrington17]

what year? (no idea where to get a manual from. check ebay?)

common problems include awful factory rotors (warp easy), Lower Intake Manifold Leak (can now be fixed free of charge at a GM dealer) and a couple others i can't think of.

Personally, i'd also change the intake, to WAI or CAI (which ever your comfortable with) it'll improve your mpg, and is easy/cheap to do.

other then that, welcome aboard.

[Trickyslick]

Welcome and have fun...

[jackal2000]

welcome.

[DOHC_tuner]

welcome and just go to autozone to pick-up a manual

[lonnie]

Welcome, and I haven't been able to find a manual at an autozone around here yet.

[zzyzzx]

I personally have found both Chilton's and Hayes to be inadequate. When I get a new car I usually buy a full array of manuals. But the last time i bought a car it was 1995. Now I figure I'm better off with something on a CD.

Or maybe this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-PONTIAC-GRAND-AM-OLDS-ALERO-SERVICE-MANUALS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ34232QQihZ009QQ itemZ190206153405QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

http://i17.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/e1/15/578b_1.JPG

[Daytona]

Welcome aboard. If there's any info you can't find n a manual you can always search here. We have a wealth of knowledge amongst everyone.

[Vinman]

welcome

I've been thinking about getting a shop manual myself..i found this website through a google search..but they want over $100...ebay's got a good deal...though those a most likely used...

anyways..
have fun here...there's quite a bit you can learn from these guys/gals....

[CBLOHM3400]

welcome aboard as far as the manual goes use serch button at the top of the screen just about every question that you can think of can be anwered there but helps to have that manual in hand looking at the car
but any ways have fun

[TheEdgeofSanity]

i found this....not sure how it compares in price

http://www.helminc.com/helm/Result.asp?Style=3FT21VOLDJLC0BH&Mfg=GMC&Make=OLD&Model=ALER&Year=2000&Category=&Keyword=&Module=&selected%5Fmedia=&mscsid=B3DJ9HSNS8JQ9N6AKD6UBQ3NQBF71965

[zzyzzx]

i found this....not sure how it compares in price

http://www.helminc.com/helm/Result.asp?Style=3FT21VOLDJLC0BH&Mfg=GMC&Make=OLD&Model=ALER&Year=2000&Category=&Keyword=&Module=&selected%5Fmedia=&mscsid=B3DJ9HSNS8JQ9N6AKD6UBQ3NQBF71965

New ones are way more expensive than used ones, which are probably only a little dirty. The great thing about the factory service manuals is that even if you buy them new and spend a couple of hundred bucks on them, they pay for themselves the first time you use them.

And I probably should have mentioned that I found this place by looking at the assiciated links from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alero

It's at the bottom of the page.

[CharleyO99Alero]

***

The link provided above by zzyzzx has links to the transmissions and might be useful to those who want or need to change transmission and want to change final drive ratios. Take a look ......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_4T40-E_transmission


***

[YALEROYNOT]

welcome to the site search and enjoy

this site can help with gauge in stalls or any thing you might want to glass


http://www.fiberglassforums.com/

[zzyzzx]

I don't have the car yet, but should have it by September. I got some pics, but they aren't digital pics, but I found some on this site that look exactly like it, so I'm posting those below:

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3694&stc=1&d=1202432602

http://www.aleromod.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3698&stc=1&d=1202432655

Of course, the one I'm getting has been sitting in a garage it's whole life and has 19-20,000 miles on it, so it looks newer. But other than that, the one I'm getting even has the same wheels.

[zzyzzx]

I just found out it's a 1999 GL. Not sure what the difference between GX, GL and GLS is though...

[Cliff8928]

They kinda varied through the years.. but this pretty well generalizes it.

http://www.oldsmobile.com/olds/alero/options.html

[NickAlero2000]

GX is base
GL is "Grand Luxury" lol at least thats what i call it
GLS is "Grand Luxury Sedan" lol again
I think Ur Getting a Coupe
welcome to the site!

[Onewing91]

They kinda varied through the years.. but this pretty well generalizes it.

http://www.oldsmobile.com/olds/alero/options.html

So, my Alero is a mut, it doesnt have leather seats, has front & rear Disks, has Sunroof, has the 8 speaker system has the rearview with reading lights, has cloth seats, it cant decide if its a GLS or GL2, or GL...

back to the main topic though, welcome to the site! sound's like ur getting a sweet Alero and I bet you'll find everything you need here, just use the search button!

[meadus101]

Mine is a Mut too. 2.4l Twin Cam, Cloth Seats, No Sunroof, Wheel Covers, Power Mirrors, No monsoon System.

[Cliff8928]

So, my Alero is a mut, it doesnt have leather seats, has front & rear Disks, has Sunroof, has the 8 speaker system has the rearview with reading lights, has cloth seats, it cant decide if its a GLS or GL2, or GL...

back to the main topic though, welcome to the site! sound's like ur getting a sweet Alero and I bet you'll find everything you need here, just use the search button!

Well, that's fairly well generalized and '03-'04 specific. The two things that always remained constant are that all GX models have crank windows and all GLS models have leather.

Really, the way to tell what you have is by your VIN or the RPOs.

The easy way is if the 5-th digit of the VIN is..

K for a GX
L for a GL
F for a GLS

[zzyzzx]

OK, so I finally picked it up last Friday and drove it back to Maryland from SC. It had 19,400 miles on it when I picked it up. It even still smelled new. Nice car, I like it a lot! I've got it inspected and registered and all too. Picked up the front license plate mount yesterday at a dealer that's across the street from my work. They got it overnight. So all I've got to do left is to mount the front license plate holder (and the OEM one fits on the car perfectly), and put on the front and back plates. Then I'll put in a new air filter, flush the brakes (never been done on this car), and get one of those windshield repair kits and fix the small crack on the windshield. So far this "free" car has cost me about $550, but that's still really cheap for what's essentially a new car. Fortunately in Maryland for a car > 7 yeard old, they sales taxes you pay is only 6% on $640, so my total license and registration fees were only $240 (and that lasts for 2 years).

Everyone at my work, and my GF are pretty impressed by the car.

[Alerosaint]

alright time to get to work on her..=)..clear your corners...lol im a hyprocrite mines not cleared yet

[CharleyO99Alero]

***

Glad you finally got the car. Now, post some pics of the actual car. ;)


***

[Alero_1986]

Welcome! ..Post pics

[Trickyslick]

Ahhhh the life of an Alero owner...

[01silveralero]

about time almost 3 months later heh

[zzyzzx]

I just put my new Maryland plates on it this morning before coming to work. Yes, I'll have to take some pics today since it really does look better than the sample one I ripped off and reposted before. I don't know about the clear corners yet, I figure I should change the air filter (still original), flush the brake system (not sure how to do that on an anti-lock brake system), and wax it before I attempt to actually do anything to it.

I like the stock stereo except that the CD player doesn't do CD-RW. but I kind of expected that from a 1999 model. I don't think I'll ever use the casette player part. I don't think the stock head unit has CD changer control built in, but if it does I might add a changer.

[cliffordwoeller]

welcome to the fam

[zzyzzx]

Here is the actual car:

http://forum.videohelp.com/images/guides/p1857769/alero_01_internet.jpg

http://forum.videohelp.com/images/guides/p1857770/alero_02_internet.jpg

[Vinalero]

Hmmm nice car! looks like new indeed :)

Well I knew my car was a GX, and now I know it has the sport package because its manual with spoiler and 15 inch aluminium wheels. Only thing it doesnt have is the leather wrapped steering wheel :(

Anybody has one laying around ? (does the steering wheel fits all years? I guess)

[01silveralero]

damn how did my "blue" get down to maryland..............oh wait i still see mine outside :p

[CharleyO99Alero]

***

Thanks for posting the pics of your very nice Alero. :)


***

[cliffordwoeller]

nice sounds like you a hell of a deal on the price...so you didnt pay anything for the car itself ?

[zzyzzx]

nice sounds like you a hell of a deal on the price...so you didnt pay anything for the car itself ?

Correct. And as at least one of you have noted, the car is essentially new.

I haven't tried driving it hard, but from the looks of it, and the tires, I bet it handles really good too.

[zzyzzx]

damn how did my "blue" get down to maryland..............oh wait i still see mine outside :p

How rare is this color anyway? I'm thinking that if I ever see one my color in the JY with a rear spolier, I should grab said spolier.