Tucker442

This is the latest buy of Oldsmobiles in the house. My wife loves it and I guess I will be keeping it running until it either rots away or gets crashed beyond repair. It's got just over 71k, bought it new, serviced it regulary. No problems other than the seat covers rubbing through the edges in the bottom of the seat back. After seeing how the seat frame is built I can understand why. I looked at the pontiac and chevy models and they are the same way but other than that it has been a great automobile.

Oldsguy

So what about your OTHER Oldsmobiles?

BTW congratulations on being the one to finally post in this sub category of Silhouettes. I was wondering how long it would take.

Tucker442

Got 88K on it now and still gets over 27 mpg on the highway running between 65 and 70. It's a shame that Olds went out of business because now I guess I'll just have to buy used ones after this one wears out

Olds64

Welcome! You could make your wife really like the minivan if you dropped a blown 455 into it!

Tucker442

Let me tell ya I'd love to find a way to put in the 3800 that is in my 92 88. That car runs like a top, gets better mileage then the silhouette and can burn the tires. The body on the 92 88 is getting a little shabby but it runs so good I plan on doing the body work over the winter and get it painted in the spring

ozoneblue

Got a 94 Pont transport ready to part out with a 3.8 in it Mice got into wiring over 200K on engine ,trans rebuilt many new parts CHEAP! was running strong until then

Tucker442

I've love to put that drive train the in Silhouette but in 97-98 they changed the entire body so the subframe won't fit in the newer body and the 3800 is too wide for the engine compartment but thanks for the offer.

flameorange

Lets get this forum going with Olds Silhouette Drivers!
I have an 01 I bought new now has over 200k KM (130 K Miles), Canadian car. Still drives nice, it is still comfortable with original springs/shocks. My biggest beef is the chrome plated alloy wheels, had two sets replaced under warranty, due to chrome peeling off in large pieces. On my 3rd set now,which are doing the same, now out of warranty. No winters on these wheels, only summer driving and they continue to disintegrate. Any one else have this problem? I am surprised there is no tech service bulletin on these.

Steve
01 olds silh
72 Flame Orange CS Convert

AtzMaBoy

128,000 plus and still going strong. (purchased with just over 40k)

I thought it was going to get traded due to intake gasket / DexCool sludge issue. Turns out intake gasket is good and just had the DexCool eliminated for good! (Chemical flushed, cleaned, and good ole' green installed - $120).

Wife noticed this past winter, heater wasn't heating. The cores became sludge/blocked. A little research discovered many, Many, MANY article on DexCool and it's "problems"; (class action to boot). After reading these, I expected to be in the intake gasket problem arena. I can't tell you how pleased I was to discover this was not the case for us.

So... ("no need for a car payment" later) the Silhouette lives to drive another day!

gearheads78

Have to put my .02 in here. I am in the used car business so I get to drive a lot of cars. I personally own a 00 Silouette and I think its the perfect example of what has been wrong with GM. Ours has 95K runs and drives OK. No major mechanical problems other than the TCC solinoid that was a PITA to replace. The problem is its just a cheap feeling piece of crap. The headlight projection is the worst I have ever seen. the interior fit finish and feel is junk. Driving it you just feels worn out. It seems like I will be lucky to get another 20K out of it before it falls apart. The original MSRP was 30,000 on the car and I would be lucky to sell it for 3,500.00

By contrast I have an x-loan car I drive home quite a bit. 2000 Lexus RX300 original MSRP is 33,000 and I could wash it and throw it out on the lot and get 10,000 with in a week. This car has 92K but still rides and drives excellent. Its still tight and nothing feels like it will fall off in your hand when you touch it. Driving it you would think its ready for another 100K. Its just sad if you ask me.

jensenracing77

i have a 2000 Silhouette also, i changed the intake gasket after i got it and had the transmission rebuilt at 100K. the trans was because the original owner pulled a boat with it all the time. other than that it has ben a wonderful van. we love ours. we were fortunate enough to buy a used one so the former owner took the big hit on the price. i don't think any van holds it's value as well as other automobiles do.

Tucker442

As of this writing i have 2 of these now a 2002 that i bought new and a 2000 that i bought last summer cuz my daughter loved moms van so much. If you guys don't like these vans thats fine but i have to say that both of them have been problem free for the enitre time i have owned them. Just today i did the oil again in the 02 model, it was still full at 4800 miles from the last change. Both these vans have their original transmissions and i do filters at 15 k, complete flush at 60k and they both still work 100%. The 02 and 2000 have both had intakes gaskets done at some time in theif life but the cost was covered by GM they know they messed them up in the original design. I have changed them both over to regular green anitfreeze because of the Dexcool issues and the heat and cooling are just fine, both still have the original radiator, front and rear heater cores with no problems. I am an exception to the rule?? How could you not like a vehicle that just needs oil changes and brakes about every 50k. To me this is almost a no maintance vehicle.

jensenracing77

i done the intake gasket myself. it is a difficult job but was worth the challenge. i talked my wife into letting me buy a snap on tech wrench to do the job. it is a torque wrench and angle wrench in one. after using it i want to throw my torque wrenches away. i decided to keep the red antifreeze but now i wish i would have switched over to the green. i may switch over now. i have 130,000miles now and don't use a drop of oil.

gearheads78

I didn't take the hit either. We took as trade last year and the trans was going into full line pressure and hard shifting. We were going to send it to auction so I made on offer and took it home a fixed it myself. It has not been a bad vehicle (other than my wife constantly gripping about headlights) but I think it could have been so much better of a vehicle.



I'm not really having any mechanical problems (yet) its just the quality and feel of the vehicle compared to others out there with similar miles and similar original cost.

Tucker442

Well Gearhead you should go drive one of those chrysler mini van that have sold a ton of and got the company back on their feer. Now thats a van that rides like crap, i am 6ft 4 and hit my head everytime i get one of them if i forget to duck, the Gm vans have a ton of head room and i just flop in them. I have to say if u own a chevy the seats are no where as comfortable as the Olds Silhouette. I know they are all GM vans but it seems to me the Olds vans seats are much more padded than the Pontiac or Chevy.

gearheads78

The Chryslers are just as bad or worse. Go drive a 8 year Old Honda Oddesy and see the difference. I wish I didn't think this way but drive them all and you will see what I mean.