1999 OLDSMOBILE 88 Electrical System Problems

1999 OLDSMOBILE 4.8L ENGINE WILL SHUT COMPLETELY OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS OCCURS BOTH AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS OF 65 MPH OR AT SLOWER SPEEDS OF 35 OR 35 MPH. ALL OF THE POWER ASSISTED FEATURES SUCH AS POWER BRAKES AND STEERING ALSO STOP WORKING WHEN THE ENGINE STOPS. THE ENGINE SHUTTING DEFECT DOES NOT OCCUR DAILY AND IS UNPREDICTABLE. THE ONLY CHECK ENGINE CODE PRESENT WAS A "EGR VALVE" CODE. THE EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $344.00. THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF UNEXPECTEDLY DEFECT HAS CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE THAT APPEARS TO REPLICATE THE GM IGNITION SWITCH RECALL THAT THIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN. FROM "GOOGLING" THIS DEFECT IT APPEARS TO AFFECT A LARGE NUMBER OF SIMILAR VEHICLES WITH 3.8L GM ENGINES AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.

Mileage: 145,000

VEHICLE WILL RANDOMLY "KILL" AND IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY - ALSO POSSIBLY SOMETHING IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS FAILING - MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH REFERENCE TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *TR

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, BUT DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 64,000

1) ROUGH IDLE WHEN STOPPING CAR. UPON RESTART,STRANGE NOISE FROM ENGINE. WOULD NOT RESTART. 2) SMOKE FROM STARTER. ENGINE LOCKED UP. WATER LOSS FROM RADIATOR. CRACKED MANIFOLD. 3) REPLACED UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD & GASKET. CLEANED LOWER INTAKE. REPLACED SPARK PLUGS & WIRES. CHANGED OIL, OIL FILTER, & REPLACED STARTER. *JB

Mileage: 118,295

THE VEHICLE'S REAR POWER WINDOW WIRE HARNESS CAUGHT FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Mileage: 40,000

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE LOST POWER. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE, AND NOTICED ENGINE WAS LOCKED. TECHNICIAN REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, MANIFOLD, AND STARTER. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE LOST POWER. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE, AND NOTICED ENGINE WAS LOCKED. TECHNICIAN REPLACED SPARK PLUGS, MANIFOLD, AND STARTER. *AK

THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER TWICE, DUE TO LEAKING. *JB *SCC

COMPLETE LOSS OF DASH LIGHTING. INTERMITENT LOST OF INSTRUMENT DIGITAL INDICATORS I.E. MILEAGE, TRANSMISSION INDICATOR AND RADIO/CLOCK READOUT. "FACTORY TRAINED PERSONNEL" BEAT ON DASH AND PULLED ON WIRES BOTH TIMES ALONG WITH COMPLETE DISASSEMBLY OF DASH BOARD. BOTH TIMES THE LIGHTS STARTED WORKING ON THEIR OWN. WE ARE BEGINNING TO EXPERIENCE FAILURE WITH INTERMITENT LOST OF LIGHTS AND DIGITAL INDICATION AGAIN. DEALER WANTS TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GO OUT COMPLETELY. HAZARD EXIST WHEN DRIVING EXPECIALLY AT NIGHT WITH NO DASH LIGHTS OR INDICATORS.

OWNER TRIED TO START CAR AND THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, AND SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER VEHICLE DUE TO THE ENGINE CATCHING ON FIRE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. *AK