1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

AROUND JAN 2008 WHILE DRIVING A PLASTIC WATER HOSE BURST. I REPLACED IT AND HAD NO OTHER PROBLEM UNTIL AROUND AUG 2008. THIS TIME THE WATER PUMP STARTED LEAKING. I REPLACED THAT AND THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR CAP, BUT I STILL KEPT LOOSING COOLANT. THEN I FOUND A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR WHICH I REPLACE AROUND THE END OF AUG 2008. I STILL KEPT HAVING TO TOP OFF THE COOLANT RESERVOIR EVER TWO DAYS. ABOUT JUNE 2008 I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE VEH STARTING, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE IT WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH GAS OR FLOODING. IT WOULD BE RUNNING BUT BARLEY AND IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. FINALLY IT WOULD START. IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME BUT IT'S DOING IT MORE OFTEN NOW. I'VE FUEL SYSTEM AND INJECTION CLEANERS WITH NO CHANGE. THEN I WENT TO NHTSA AND FOUND A RECALL 96V-116...

COOLANT FROM UPPER INTAKE PLENUM FOUND TO CAUSE MIS-FIRE CYLINDER. REPLACED UPPER INTAKE PLENUM TWICE ONCE AT 54,820 MILES AND AGAIN AT 107,181 MILES. *JB

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. *PH EGR VALVE IS STUCK AT 67% OPEN POSITION AT IDLE, WHICH IN TURN HEATED THE EGR PIPE CONNECTION AT THE PLASTIC AIR PLENUM AND LED TO THE LEAKING OF COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC AIR PLENUM WHICH HAS MUCH THICKER WALLS AT THE EGR ENTRANCE. VEHICLE ALSO DOESN'T RUN WELL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND GAS MILEAGE DROPPED. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, NO ONE KNOWS WHEN THE LEAK ON THE MOTOR STARTED. *LA

AIR INTAKE PLENUM ON THE BONNEVILLE 3.8 LITER ENGINE FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOCKED UP WHEN THE WATER ENTERED THE PISTON AREA. THIS FAILURE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PISTONS AND THE VALVES. ENGINE IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND MUST BE REPLACED. *NLM

THE ENGINE ON THIS CAR FAILED. IT HAS 115,000 MILES. IT WAS MAINTAINED FROM THE START. WE PURCHASED IT NEW. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED AND LEAKED ANTIFREEZE THROUGHOUT THE MOTOR. WE HAD THE MANIFOLDS, OXYGEN SENSORS, AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED. WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED ON THIS VEHICLE REGARDING THE MANIFOLD PROBLEM. PONTIAC AND THE DEALERSHIP WERE CONTACTED. THEY BOTH TOLD US IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT THEY'LL DO NOTHING. I'D UNDERSTAND GIVEN THE MILEAGE THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW CAR, HOWEVER, KNOWING THERE'S A TSB ISSUED ON IT, IT SEEMS THEY ARE FAILING TO PROVIDE A GOOD PRODUCT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

THE ENGINE FAILED.*DT *JB

ENGINE:GASKETS:OIL PAN REPLACED, VEHICLE HAS A REPEATED ENGINE OIL PAN LEAK. ENGINE LEAKS OIL AT OTHER LOCATIONS. CONCERNED ABOUT ENGINE FIRE.*AK

OIL HAD BEEN LEAKING FREQUENTLY FROM THE ENGINE REAR SEAL. TECHNICIAN COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. *AK