2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette Electrical System Problems

WITH THE HEADLIGHT ON, THE REVERSE LIGHTS AND FLASHERS COME ON WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. ALSO, THE RIGHT SIDE FRONT & REAR LIGHTS AND THE HIGH MOUNT STOP LAMP FLASHES FASTER (THE HIGH MOUNT STOP LAMP SHOULD NOT FLASH AT ALL.) EVERYTHING WORKS FINE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OFF. WE HAVE SINCE STOPPED DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR FEAR OF A FIRE. *JB

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE, FIRST ATTEMPT VEHICLE WOULD START MOMENTARILY AND THEN DIE. SECOND ATTEMPT AND SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO SERVICE SHOP AND NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME VEHICLE WOULD EVENTUALLY START PROPERLY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION PERSONALLY, FOUND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS FROM THE FUEL TANK/PUMP HAD CORROSION IN AND/OR AROUND THE PLUG UNDER THE DRIVERS' SIDE SECOND ROW SEAT. CLEANING THE CORROSION RESOLVED PROBLEM THUS FAR.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE ELECTRICAL WIRING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SMOLDERED. HOWEVER, NO FLAMES WERE VISUALLY SEEN. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE SMELL OF SMOKE WAS PRESENT WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THE RECEPTOR BOARD WAS DAMAGED AND THE GROUND WIRE HAD COMPLETELY BURNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED ALTHOUGH NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

FIRST, WHAT HAPPENED TO ODI #'S 563553 AND 767723? THESE WERE IN THE COMPLAINT DATABASE IN 2002 BUT DO NOT SHOW UP ON THE COMPLAINT SEARCH TODAY. AS REPORTED IN 2002, MY VEHICLE AGAIN SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFICE AT 40+ MPH - ENGINE QUIT, MESSAGES "CHECK ENGINE", "LOW FUEL", AND 'SECURITY" APPEARED ON THE CONSOLE IN ROTATION, LASTING A FEW SECONDS EACH. THE "SECURITY" MESSAGE IMPLIES THAT THE PROGRAMMABLE KEY SYSTEM COES NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY, THOUGH IT IS THE ORIGINAL GIVEN TO US AT TIME OF PURCHASE IN 2000. THE CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT BRAKELIGHTS, DUE TO THE DEAD ENGINE WITH TRANSMISSION STILL ENGAGED. IN 2002, THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES BEFORE THE DEALER FOUND A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM, THE THIRD TIME RESULTING IN A COLLISION OF TWO VEHICLES TRYING TO AVOID ME WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED. THIS TIME THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE, BUT NO SECURITY SYSTEM SHOULD EVER SHUT DOWN A VEHICLE ONCE IT IS IN MOTION.

I HAD A "STROBE" EFFECT IN MY 2000 OLDSMOBILE SILOUHETTE. TURNS OUT IT WAS A $4.00 SCREW THAT GOES INTO THE ALTERNATOR. *AK

LOOKS LIKE ODI #563553. CAR SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC - BOTH INSTANCES. ABLE TO RESTART ONCE FOR 20-30 SECONDS, THEN STARTER WON'T CRANK. ALL INSTRUMENTS FLASH AT TIME OF FAILURE THEN TURN OFF, INCLUDING GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR, BUT HAZARD FLASHERS WORK. AFTER TOWING TO DEALER EVERYTHING IS FINE, AND DEALER IS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DEALER WON'T FIX WHAT THEY CAN'T OBSERVE. WE BELIEVE SUDDENLY LOSING POWER IN TRAFFIC (WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS SHOWING) IS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION, I.E. FREEWAY AND MOUNTAIN DRIVING. I WONDER IF THIS COULD BE A MALFUNCTION IN THE PROGRAMMABLE PK3 KEY SYSTEM - SHUTS DOWN WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION? NLM

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN WINTER MONTHS. WHEN I DROVE IT OFF LOT RIGHT HEADLIGHT BLEW. I PHONED DEALER- SALESWOMAN TOLD ME TAKE IT TO THEIR MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. HE REPLACED IT SEVERAL TIMES, EACH TIME IT BLEW. HE SAID IT WAS WET WEATHER. I WONDERED, BUT TRUSTED THEM. 1 ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER. I HAVE SPENT $500 TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS REPAIRED REPEATEDLY. LAST JULY, I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND PAID $122 FOR REPAIRS. IT LASTED LESS THAN 1 MONTH. LIGHTS BEGAN BLOWING OUT, AND FAILED. BLINKERS OPERATED ERRATICALLY, SOMETIMES RIGHT ONES WORKED(FRONT & BACK), SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T. BACKUP LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN BRAKE WERE PRESSED. MESSAGES FROM COMPUTER MESSAGE CENTER SAID DOOR WAS AJAR ROLLING DOWN I95 AT 65 MPH OR THAT THE LIFTGATE WAS AJAR AT 65 MPH - ATS MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS TURNED OFF. THE REPAIRING DEALERSHIP SAID EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. WIRES BURNED THROUGH FOR SOME REASON". MECHANIC SAID EVERYTHING WORKS OKAY. ONBOARD COMPUTER MESSED UP. I CONTACTED OLDSMOBILE WEBSITE, AND WAS TOLD EACH TIME IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY SINCE VAN WAS OLDER. *AK A POLICE REPORT WAS ISSUED TO THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER FOR DRIVING WITHOUT LIGHTS/DEFECTIVE LIGHTS. *SC *JB

2000 SILHOUETTE VAN CAN FAIL TO START AT ANY GIVEN TIMES, HAS LOST ALL POWER ONCE WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. DEALER HAS TRIED TO CORRECT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH NO SUCCESS. *JB ****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****761989

WHILE DRIVNG, VEHICLE WOULD ALL OF A SUDDEN LOOSE POWER AND THEN CUT OFF, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE DEALER DID STATE THAT THERE MIGHT BE TRASH IN THE GAS TANK BECAUSE TRASH WAS NOTED ON THE FUEL FILTER, VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE ON SEVEN OCCASIONS, POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS.*JB

ON OCTOBER 16, 2000 I SMELLED MELTED PLASTIC IN GARAGE WHERE OUR 2 CARS ARE PARKED. I OPENED GARAGE UP TO AIR IT OUT AND LOOK FOR SOURCE OF SMELL. I COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE SMELL WAS COMING FROM. NEXT DAY CAR WOULD NOT RUN AND HAD TO BE TOWED INTO LOCAL DEALER. CHUCK NICHOLSON 7190 SR 39 E, MILLERSBURG OH 44654 (330-674-4015). CAR WAS IN SHOP 25 DAYS. I NOTICED OTHER GM PRODUCTS WITH SAME PROBLEM. NO SAFETY DEFEC TMENTIONED. *AK

MY MINI-VAN IS IDLING AT 2700RPMS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS LIT. THIS HAPPENED AT 4000MILES AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE TPS (THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR) THE FIRST TIME. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURED AT 10,400 MILES WITH THE CAR IDLEING AT 2700 RPMS. THIS TIME THE DEALER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE DEALER TECH TOLD ME THAT A TECH AT THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE TPS IS ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES EMENATING FROM THE WIRING HARNESS IS CAUSING THE TPS TO FOUL SENDING IT INTO THE HIGH RPM REVS. THE TECH ALSO SAID THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD DENIE THIS IF ASKED. THE DEALER TECH SIAD TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM FOR NOW, HE WOULD WRAP TAPE AROUND THE HARNESS TO KEEP THE WAVES DOWN TO A MINIMUM. I FIND THIS VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TAPE WILL FIX THE PROBLEM, UNLESS THEIR GOING TO WRAP THE HARNESS IN COPPER WIRING. THE ONLY OTHER THING THE DEALER HAS DONE WAS TO CLEAR THE ERROR CODES OF THE ON BOARD COMPUTER TO RESET THE TPS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT NEED ATTENTION.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATING ON DASHBOARD. AFTER INSPECTION OF ENGINE AND OIL LEVER THERE SEEMED TO BE NO PROBLEM WITH EITHER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BROKE. ALSO HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH TURNED AIR BAG LIGHT ON. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. TS. ...*AK