2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA Engine Problems

THE ENGINE RANDOMLY DIES OR STALLS WHILE IN TRAFFIC AT RANDOM TIMES AND WILL NOT TURN BACK ON FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION WHEN THE STALLING OCCURS AND THANKFULLY ONLY ON CITY STREETS. CODES HAVE NOT BEEN PRESENT BUT THE STALLING AND IDLE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT IS FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSORS. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES AN AUDIBLE CLICK NOISE WHEN TURNING PAST THE 12 O'CLOCK POSITION ANYTIME THE STEERING WHEEL IS CRANKED, IT DOES NOT HAPPEN SOMETIMES, IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME. THIS IS MOST LIKELY DO TO POOR LUBRICATION OF A BEARING OR JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SERVICE STABILITY SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON AND VEHICLE CHIMES AS WELL BUT THE ESC WORKS AS IT SHOULD, NO MATTER THE DRIVING CONDITIONS IT COMES ON, MOST LIKELY A FAULTY CIRCUIT BOARD.

CUSTOMERS CAR CAME IN WITH A FAILED STARTER ON THE 4.0L ENGINE. UPON REMOVING THE INTAKE, IT WAS FOUND THAT OIL HAD FILLED THE ENGINE VALLEY AND SHORTED THE STARTER OUT. THE OIL WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKETS, BOTH SIDES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN OF THE REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND ONCE I PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, THE ENGINE LOCKED UP AND THE STEERING, BRAKES, GAS DIDN'T WORK. I HAD TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION AND RESTART IT. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I'VE HAD THIS ISSUE WITHIN THE LAST 3 MONTHS AND THE PREVIOUS 2 INSTANCES OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ACTUALLY MOVING AND ACCELERATING. I HAVE HAD SOME EXTREMELY CLOSE CALLS THAT COULD HAVE ENDED VERY DANGEROUSLY BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I USE MY CAR KEYS WITHOUT ANY OTHER KEYS ATTACHED, SO THAT IT'S AS LIGHTWEIGHT AS POSSIBLE. IN THE PAST YEAR, THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE HAS HAPPENED 8 TIMES AND IS BEGINNING TO OCCUR MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME RECOGNITION OF THIS ISSUE. *TR

WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO ACCOMMODATE ANOTHER CAR, MY VEHICLE BEGAN UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THEN I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES HAD LOCKED UP AS WELL. I HAD TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE CAR AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO WORK AGAIN. *TR

WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A STOPLIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED UP AND THE PEDALS LOCKED. THE ENGINE STOPPED. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN START IT AGAIN. *TR

I WAS SLOWING DOWN AT A STOPLIGHT, DECREASING MY SPEED, ALTERNATELY USING THE BRAKE AND COASTING. THE STEERING WHEEL THEN LOCKED UP AND THE PEDALS STOPPED WORKING AND THE CAR COMPLETELY STOPPED. I HAD TO TURN THE ENGINE TOTALLY OFF AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO WORK AGAIN. *TR

WHILE SLOWING MY SPEED TO GET ONTO THE RAMP TO THE EXPRESSWAY, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED COMPLETELY AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO TURN. ADDITIONALLY MY PEDALS STOPPED WORKING AND MY CAR CAME TO A STOP. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND RESTART IT. *TR

DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CAR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SPUTTER OR SHUT OFF, EVEN IN A CURVE. IT FINALLY FRIGHTENED ME SO MUCH THAT I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER ON 2/12/2009. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $463 PLUS TAX TO REPLACE THE FRONT AND REAR ENGINE CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THIS MALFUNCTION IS VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE TO IGNITION FAILURE AND COULD EASILY LEAD TO INJURY. MY CAR IS A 2001 OLDSMOBILE AURORA WITH THE 4.0 V-8 ENGINE. IT HAD 48,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE WORKED AS I NOW HAVE 123,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE PROBLEM NO LONGER OCCURS. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND 20 OTHER OWNERS WHO REPORTED THE SAME ISSUES AT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/STALLING-DUE-TO-IGNITION-MODULE-OR-CRANKSHAFT-POSITION-SENSOR-FAILURE-144 I BELIEVE THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED AT MINIMUM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING CAR CUTS OUT, ENGINE STOPS. NO POWER. AFTER OVER 3 WEEKS OF RETURNING CAR TO DEALER 3 TIMES, THE DEALER FINALLY REPLACED A CYLINDER AND THE IGNITION SWITCH. TOTAL COST TO ME: $1,200.00. *TR