1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING I'LL HIT BRAKES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BRAKES GRIND LOUDLY AND ENGINE STALLS. ALSO THE ENGINE WILL STALL AT ANY CRUISING SPEED OVER 40 MPH. CAUSING FULL POWER LOSS INCLUDING BRAKES MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE RECEIVED INJURIES FROM THIS IN THE PAST. NEED HELP ASAP *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 OLDSMOBILE 88 LS. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, THE STEERING DIDN'T LOCK AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SIX OCCASIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ABLE DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,435. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES HAS TAKEN VEHICLE INTO DEALER FOR 2 DIANOSTICS CHECKS NO FAILURES FOUND. ENGINE STILL CONTINUES TO STALL. UPDATE *4/23/07TR

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT A LIQUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ALSO, WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL DID NOT GO TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKING POWER WAS LESS THAN NORMAL. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE OIL PAN GASKET AND FRONT BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *ER *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON A NATIONAL HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. ALSO WATER WAS IN THE CYLINDERS, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOCK AND THE STARTER TO FAIL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT HOME. CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALER IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *AK

NAR 06/19/2003. *MR THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE TWO PROBLEMS, ONE WAS A FAULTY HEAD GASKET, AND THE OTHER WAS A FAULTY THERMOSTAT IN WHICH GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR. IN ADDITION, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED THE WARRANTY RATES OFFERED SO THE CONSUMER ENDED UP PAYING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE. WITH FRUSTRATION THE CONSUMER RETURNED THE VEHICLE BACK TO MILLER BROTHERS AND IS NOW ASKING THAT THE TOTAL REPAIR COST BE REFUND FOR THE AMOUNT OF $2,946. *CB *JB

1) AUG. 2000 GENERATOR FAILURE 2) AUG. 2002 BOTH REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS REPLACED 3) OCT. 2003 COOLANT LEAKING : REPLACED LEAKING WATER PUMP. INTAKE MANIFOLD ALSO LEAKING BUT NOT REPLACED AT THIS TIME DUE TO COST. 3.8L V6

TRANSMISSION: UPPER PLATE GASKET WENT, CAUSING GEAR SLIPPAGE AT HIGH SPEEDS WHICH GRADUALLY BECAME WORSE IN THE LOWER GEARS. TRANSMISSION REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT UNIT WHICH IS NOW EXHIBITING MUCH OF THE SAME SLIPPAGE AT HIGH SPEEDS (ONLY MINORLY AT THE MOMENT) @ 156,000KM. ENGINE: FIRST ENGINE HAD THE EGR/EXHAUST DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO MELT AND COOLANT TO POOR INTO THE ENGINE. REPORT FROM THE SHOP WAS THAT ENTIRE BOTTOM END WAS DESTROYED BY THE COOLANT, AND A FULL NEW ENGINE HAD TO BE ORDERED (COMPLETE WITH ACCESSORIES, ETC.). THE NEW ENGINE'S IDLER FOR THE SERPENTINE HAD THE BEARING CEASE, KNOCKING THE BELT OFF. SINCE THE WATERPUMP WAS BELT DRIVEN, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE CAR WAS LEFT TO IDLE IN THE PARKING LOT FOR A TOTAL TIME OF ~ 5-15MIN. (THE TEMPERATURE OUT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND -40C / -40F.). BRAKES: PERHAPS...

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT EVERY WEEK HE/SHE WAS POURING ONE GALLON OF COOLANT INTO THE VEHICLE. THE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND TECHNICIAN STATED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH BLEW THE INTAKE MANIFOLD APART. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

LEAKING COOLANT FROM WATER PUMP AND FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD.

FRACTURED PLASTIC (!) INTAKE MANIFOLD (UPPER PLENUM) RESULTING IN LOSS OF COOLANT OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT FOUR WEEKS UNTIL THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED. HAD TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM ANALYZED AND EVENTUALLY REMEDIED AT A COST OF AROUND $700.00 TOTAL. WHY ON EARTH IS THIS CRUCIAL COMPONENT PLASTIC? *JB

CAR HAS 55,000 MI ON IT, AND THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD RESTING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE CRACKED, LEAKING ALL COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS SHUTDOWN AS SOON AS THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 250 F. PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE RESULTED.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTART. *NLM