2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, FUEL STARTED POURING OUT OF THE FILLER NECK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT REFUELING THE VEHICLE TOOK AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME TO ACCOMPLISH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE O-RING AND RETAINER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

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.

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