1998 GMC JIMMY Electrical System Problems

THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND LEFT THE PARKING LOT, STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, PROCEEDED INTO THE ROADWAY AND ENGINE DIED. EVERYTHING WENT OFF - ALL POWER ALL ELECTRICAL. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SECOND HAND AND THE OWNER TOLD ME LATER THAT SHE HAD BATTERY PROBLEMS, BUT SHE PUT IN A NEW BATTERY. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX IT. MY HUSBAND FIGURED IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. I KEPT THE CAR FOR TWELVE YEARS AND HAD TO CHANGE IT TWICE, PLUS THE INITIAL REPAIR WAS WARRANTIED. WHEN IT FIRST OCCURRED IN 2000 I LOOKED FOR A RECALL, BUT THERE WAS NONE. I REMEMBER THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD A VERY LARGE KEYCHAIN, AND WE DID FIGURE OUT ON OUR OWN TO CARRY A SINGLE KEY, BUT AFTER ABOUT 5-6 YEARS YOU STILL NEED TO CHANGE THE IGNITION, YOU CAN TELL CAUSE THE ELECTRONICS START...

I HAVE A GMC JIMMY THAT IS EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE DASHBOARD FAILURES. WHEN I FILL THE GAS TANK THE GAUGE GOES TO EMPTY, THEN WHEN I DRIVE A WHILE IT GOES TO FULL AND THEN BACK TO EMPTY. I NEVER HAVE A PARTIALLY FULL READING. ALSO THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES OFF AND ON. MY OIL PRESSURE GAUGE REVES UP AND DOWN LIKE I AM OUT OF OIL. I PULL OFF THE ROAD AND CHECK AND THE OIL IS FINE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS. I TOOK IT TO THE GM DEALER AND THEY WANT MORE THAN I CAN AFFORD JUST TO LOOK AT IT AND CAN'T GUARANTEE ANYTHING. I DID PAY $85 TO PUT IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTER BUT THIS NEVER SHOWED UP. PLEASE HELP! *TR

I WAS DRIVING A 1998GMC JIMMY FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OK TO WALTERS, OK. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING PERFECTLY. I WAS ON THE HE BAILEY TURNPIKE ON HIGHWAY MARKER 30 - I COULD SEE THE SIGN AND PULL OFF FOR THE FAXON EXIT AND THE BIG SIGN FOR WALTERS. A FEW WISPS OF WHITE SMOKE APPEARED AND THEN HEAVY GREY SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW INTO MY FACE THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE VENT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I STARTED TO COUGH AND COULDN'T SEE SO I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AS I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE AND RAN TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLES. UNDER THE HOOD, HALF OF THE ENGINE BAY WAS ALREADY BURNED AWAY - LIKE THE BOTTLE FOR ANTI-FREEZE AND HOSES.... THE WHOLE ENGINE BAY WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS GONE AT THAT POINT...

DRIVE AN 1998 GMC JIMMY WITH AROUND 172,000 MILES ON IT (I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF MILES). HAD THE LOCAL GM DEALER WORK ON MY REAR DEFROSTER (ONE OF THE CLIPS FELL OFF). AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE BACK FROM THE DEALER I TURNED MY DEFROSTER ON ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER. THE BACK WINDOW EXPLODED LIKE A SHOTGUN AFTER ABOUT 15-20 SECONDS. DEALER SAYS REAR DEFROSTER VOLTAGE REGULATOR MUST HAVE WENT BAD. I ARGUED THAT A FUSE SHOULD HAD BLOWN BEFORE AN EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE. GM COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT ALSO DISAGREES, SAYING THAT THE VEHICLE IS OLD AND THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS STANDING BY THE REAR WINDOW WHEN IT EXPLODED BECAUSE IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM. IF I'M WRONG TELL ME I'M WRONG BUT I BELIEVE GM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NO ONLY REPLACING THE WINDOW BUT FIXING THE REAR DEFROSTER VOLTAGE REGULATOR. I HOPE THIS...

THE ENGINE CONTINUALLY MISFIRES. THERE IS A TSB BULLETIN #00-06-04-003B. DEPOSIT BUILDUP ON POPPED VALVE BALL &/OR SEAT, CAUSING IT TO STICK. THERE IS A RECALL BECAUSE OF THIS BUT ONLY IN CALIFORNIA. I LIVE IN ALASKA. I GOT AN ESTIMATE OF $1200 BUCKS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. BECAUSE OF THIS, I ONLY GET 5-7 MPG, AND HAVE LITTLE POWER. ALSO, MY ABS LIGHT TURNS ON AND THE ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEEDS ON DRY GROUND. MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS TOTALLY MESSED UP. MY RIGHT CLICKER JUST THE SOUND NOT LIGHT) GOES OFF WHEN DRIVING. IT IS COMPLETELY ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE. MY SPEAKERS TURN OFF AND ON SPORADICALLY. *AK MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT ADJUSTER BROKE OFF WITH LITTLE PRESSURE. MY STEERING WHEEL CONTINUOUSLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THIS MANY PROBLEMS IN A VEHICLE IS RIDICULOUS. WHAT A LEMON. ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE SEEN THE SAME EXACT COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THIS...

TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD LIGHT FAILURE, ELECTRIC WINDOW CONTROL FAILURE OFF AND ON. *NM

SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE, TWO PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CHRONIC. #1 THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT FULLY OPEN NOR CLOSE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. #2 THE BLINKER SOUND COMES ON FOR NO REASON AND STAYS ON FOR RANDOM LENGTHS OF TIME. TAPPING ON THE BRAKE WILL TURN OFF THE BLINKER NOISE FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT IT COMES BACK ON OFTEN. YES, I HAVE REPLACED THE FUSES MULTIPLE TIMES.*AK

CONTINOUS PRE-EXISTING VEHICLE PROBLEMS AND 3-4 OR MORE ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT PROBLEM OF OFF AND ON OCCURRENCE OF VEHICLE NOT CRANKING UP/STARTING WHEN TURNING IGNITION KEY. I FEAR VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING WHICH CAN RESULT IN A HARMFUL OR FATAL AUTO ACCIDENT

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY WHENEVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE USED THEY WOULD STOP WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT A BAD CIRCUIT BROAD AND FAULTY SOLDERING WERE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE 1997 VEHICLES BUT NOT THE 1998. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *NLM

THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. A NEW FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER WERE INSTALLED. CONSUMER IS DISSATISFIED WITH THIS FAILURE. *JG THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AS WELL. *CB *JB