1998 Oldsmobile 88

ENGINE HYDRO LOCKED WHEN A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ALLOWED COOLANT TO BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE CYLINDERS, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOCK UP WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW BY GM. WE HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED, AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, AT A COST OF $5,400.00. WE HEARD THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT PEOPLE WERE JUST AFFORDED A SHORT TIME TO ACT ON IT, AND WE WERE NOT EVEN NOTIFIED. IS THERE ANOTHER SUIT THAT WE CAN BE A PART OF? WE SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE AN ENGINE WITH JUST 44,000 MILES ON IT. *JS

GRADUALLY YOU WILL SEE A DEPLETION OF THE ANTI-FREEZE FROM THE HOLDING RESERVOIR. THIS IS COULD BE A SIGN THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS BEGINNING TO LEAK ANTI-FREEZE (JUST A LITTLE) INTO THE ENGINE. SOONER OR LATER WHEN THE EROSION IS LARGE ENOUGH THEN A PLUME OF WHITE SMOKE WILL COME OUT OF THE EXHAUST AND YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL OVER AND CALL THE TOW TRUCK. I HAVE REPLACED THE ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD TWICE ON MY 1998 OLDS 88 DUE TO DEGRADING OF THE INTERIOR WALL WHERE THE ANTI-FREEZE FLOWS BACK INTO THE ENGINE. BOTH TIMES THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR (INCLUDING PLUGS, WIRES, NEW MANIFOLD, LABOR) WAS AROUND $1,200. ON THE LAST MANIFOLD GM HAD ESTABLISHED ADDING A PIECE OF METAL WHERE THE ANTI-FREEZE WAS ERODING THE "SPACE AGE PLASTIC" INTAKE MANIFOLD. BASED ON THIS, GM KNOWS THIS IS AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM, BUT THEY WILL NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT AND OR PAY FOR IT. *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

MY OLDSMOBILE 88 WAS LOOSING ANTI-FREEZE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, SO I TOOK IT IN FOR RECALL REPAIR AND HAD THE DEALER CHECK THE COOLANT SYSTEM. THEY SAID MY INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1200. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THIS DONE TO THE CAR. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED AT 60000 MILES.APPARENTLY THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD IS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE HEAT. MY CAR HAS NEVER OVERHEATED AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. I HAVE 133,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THIS MANIFOLD TWICE.*AK

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,\ THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THEN, THE VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. NOTICED THAT COOLANT LEAKED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED REPLACEMENT. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE ,AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK