2buickbob Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hey, folks, I loved the Intrigue when it first came out. I periodically see some with a for sale sign. I get closer and they are model year 2000 or later. Engines in Intrigue: 98 - 3800 V6 99 - 3800 V6 (earlier) / 3.5 DOHC V6 (later) 00-onward - 3.5 DOHC V6 I really trust the 3800 V6 but wonder how the Shortstar has held up. Any high-mileage, long-life, no-problem stories about the 3.5 V6 in the Intrigue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 They generally burn oil. Some people don't realize this, let it get too low, and seize the engine up. The AIR pumps go out everyonce in a while. Some have 0, some have 1, some have 2, and it doesn't seem to be year, or state specific on just how many they have. Otherwise, they sound nice, pull pretty decently, and last a long time. It is a timing chain, not a belt, so no worries there. Just take care of it, keep on checking the oil level, and you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 3.5=best engine ever installed in a w-body, end of discussion. Also the most expensive!! Also true synthetic doesnt burn at all in these engines. The guy who I sold Maries car to runs true synthetic and it doesnt lose a drop in 7500 miles. When I owned it, it ran through 1.5 quarts of conventional in 3000 miles. That engine has 192,000 miles on it today. Not ALL 3.5s burn either its an engine by engine case. ALot of them are ran low and blown up though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2buickbob Posted February 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 3.5=best engine ever installed in a w-body, end of discussion. Also the most expensive!! Also true synthetic doesnt burn at all in these engines. The guy who I sold Maries car to runs true synthetic and it doesnt lose a drop in 7500 miles. That engine has 192,000 miles on it. Not ALL 3.5s burn either its an engine by engine case. ALot of them are ran low and blown up though About 5 years ago, a neighboring elderly lady had an extra clean, low mileage silver Intrigue ('99 from the small Oldsmobile rear badging) that I would eye. After months of acknowledging her, I then went up and introduced myself as a neighbor. I told her how much I liked her car. I told her that, if she ever wanted to sell it, to give me the opportunity to buy it. She said she really liked it, too, and told me that it had been great except that in the first year, the engine had to be replaced. I was then thinking: WTF, 3.8 or 3.5? (That CAN'T happen to a 3.8 ???) I asked her if I could look under the hood to see which engine she got. She said ok as she knew I had lived there for months and went off to work in a coat and tie. I lifted up the hood and saw that it was a 3.5. I never brought up my offer to buy her car again. Still, what a beautiful automobile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 that was a collosal mistake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 I have seen FAR fewer hydrolocked 3.5s then I have 3800s Just ask Rob about how much money he has made off failed 3800 intake gaskets / upper intakes. Next week I get to dig into L36 LIM/UIM job number #9 in 3 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRONDOG442 Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 ALOT OF $$$, about to make some money off another w-body engine her shortly the 3400 SFI (2000+ impala) hiding under the hood of a 2002 Grand Am GT guess what the problem is. I bought the car for $500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2buickbob Posted February 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Just ask Rob about how much money he has made off failed 3800 intake gaskets / upper intakes. Right, I know of this "issue." However, it sounded like an issue with the Series II version of the 3800...that Series I and Series III have different, more durable fuel intake systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Just comparing the 3.5 LX5 against the 3800 L36 that the same car could have gotten (at least 98-99). Apples to Apples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Series III for teh win! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirkdaddy Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Well this is an old thread but I just joined...we drove the GP '00 when looking for a car, was racy esp the GTP version but those were both $$ and wife was not that much impressed with look/interior and it was going to be mostly her car. We bought first a Maxima SE '00 5 speed, which was fast when you revved it up, but lacked torque big time. We sold with low miles and bought a GLS Intrigue '00 with 90k on it. It has been excellent car, with exception of where I bought it from - Ohio. Even a sort exposure to those roads caused the PS line to rust through, and the rear brake lines. This has been the majority of the hassle with the car. The engine has been flawless, until about 140 when it did start using oil - but I traced most of that to a leaking valve cover gasket and fixed that. 3.8 to 3.5 --- totally different beasts. My parents had 3 Bonnevilles I drove at various times and am pretty familiar. Obviously the 3.8 when left in D upshifts a lot and will lug around town for fuel mileage. This works well, but not so great for throttle response. The 3.5 however, is a DOHC smooth rev engine and the transmission works very well in tandem to provide instant (or near to it) response and while its not going to pull to redline like the Maxima's v6, it will totally walk away from it with TONS of torque until the maxima either gets traction from roasting the tires or revs into its power zone. For most everyday driving - its the bomb. My wife LOVES it, and the GLS trim comes with stability control, 4 wheel disks, pretty big sway bars and all the options like heated seats, dual zone climate, bose stereo, etc. For a used car its hard to beat. The only major work to car besides some rust on brake/PS lines is motor mounts - the front was a complete bear! And now rear suspension bent on a pothole or something, wife does not recall but the adjustable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.