1994 Pontiac Bonneville

IN SEPT OF 1997 WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT I SWITCHED THE LIGHTS FROM LO BEAM TO HI BEAM. THE RESULT WAS TOTAL DARKNESS. I QUICKLY SWITCHED BACK TO LO BEAM. I COULD SEE AGAIN. I TRIED TWO MORE TIMES TO SWITCH TO HI BEAMS, AND EACH TIME TOTAL DARKNESS. THE NEXT DAY I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A SOLUTION. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD REPLACED A SWITCH(#1995405). THE BILL WASS $234.25. I HAD NO FURTHER SIMILAR PROBLEM UNTIL MARCH L999. WHILE DRIVING LATE A NIGHT I HAD EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM-TOTAL DARKNESS WHEN I SWITHED TO HI BEAM. I REPORTED THIS AGAIN AND WAS ADVISED THAT I SHOULD HAVE A COUPLE OF SWITCHES REPLACED AS THEY WERE NOT SURE WHATA WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. AS IT WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN I CONCURRED. BOTH SWITCHES WERE REPLACED.(#1995405 AND #26005936). THE BILL WAS $409.52. WITHIN THE WEEK I WAS AGAIN RETURNING HOME AT NIGHT AND I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. TOTAL DARKNESS WHEN I SWITCHED TO HI BEAMS. I DROVE HOME ON LO BEAMS AND WHEN I GOT INTO THE DRIVEWAY SWITCHED TO HI BEAM. THEY WENT ON FOR A SECOND OR SO AND GRADUALLY FIZZLED TOTAL DARKNESS. THE NEXT DAY I AGAIN REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP FOR SEVERAL DAYS, BUT COOULD OFFER NO SOLUTION. I DID REQUEST A NUMBER OF THE PONTIAC CONSUMER SERVICE OFFICE AND TOLD THE PERSON ABOUOT MY TROUBLES,, BUT HE OFFERED NO HELP. SEVERAL DAYS AGO BY PURE ACCIDENT I CAME ACROSS A COMMENT IN THE AUTO SECTION OF MY COMPUTER PROGRAM. UNDER RECALL HISTORY ON '95 BONNEVELLE WITH TWILIGHT SENTINEL(WHICH I HAVE) IT MENTIONED HEADLIGHTS GOING OUTWITH ENERGY DRAIN. I CALLED THE SAFTEY DIVISION OF PONTIAC AND MENTIONED MY PROBLEM AND THE RECALL COMMENT I HAD NOTED. THEY TOOK THE INFORMATION BUT KNEW NOTHING ABOUT A RECALL HAVING TO DO WITH HEADLIGHT GOING OUT. I'M DRIVING MY CAR BECAUSE I HAVE NO OTHER GOOD CHOICE AND BECAUSE I AM PREPARED TO GO TO LO BEAM. MYCOMPUTER PROGRAMNESS.TOTALROBLEMING LATE AT NIGHT

STARTING AT ABOUT 50,000 MILES, EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT, SPORADIC, ENGINE FAILURES WHILE UNDERWAY, AND WITHOUT WARNING. ENGINE CAN ALWAYS BE RESTARTED BY SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL WHILE UNDERWAY, OR TO PARK, WHEN STOPPED, AND TURNING IGNITION KEY. CAN CONTINUE PERHAPS A FEW TO MANY MILES WITH NO FURTHER INTERRUPTION. SERVICE TECHNICIANS CLAIM LIKELY IN ELECTRONIC IGNITION OR FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM, BUT A REPLACEMENT OF CRANKSHAFT SENSOR LASTED PERHAPS 5 TO 10,000 MILES WHEN SAME ENGINE FAILURE, WHILE MOVING AND IN TRAFFIC, HAPPENED AGAIN. SERVICE PEOPLE ADVISE CAN BE ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, BUT NO WAY OF KNOWING FOR SURE WHICH ONE. IS A HAZARD WHEN DRIVING, BUT WITH NO APPARENT KNOWN WAY OF REPAIRING.

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILED 11/98, REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSIN (NOT REBUILT) INSTALLED BY DEALER. REPLACEMENT BEGAN NOT FINDING GEAR FROM PARK IN 2/99. DEALER DIAGNOSED AS PROBLEM OF TRANSMISSION LEAKING FLUID INTO RADIATOR AND REPLACED RADIATOR, 5/99 TRANS BEGAN FALLING OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AT 45-65MPH, DEALER DIAGNOSED AS LEAK IN PART BETWEEN TRANS AND RADIATOR AND "FIXED" IT, THE NEXT DAY THE TRANS MORE THAN DOUBLED THE INSTANCES OF WHEN IT WOULD RANDOMLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AT SPEEDS OF 45-55MPH. NHTSA ALREADY HAS 3 REPORTS OF '94 BONNEV. TRANS SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. *AK

RECALL NOTICE (96V015000) FOR CARS MANUFACTURED FROM AUG/91 TO JUL/95 POINTS TO SUCH A PROBLEM. I WAS LEAVING A TRAIL OF IGNITED FLUID ON THE ROADWAY AS I DROVE. I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT ON THE 3RD ATTEMPT AFTER STOPPING. IGNITED LIQUID OF SOME FORM COULD BE SEEN POURING ONTO THE ROAD SURFACE AFTER I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT AND RUN BEHIND MY CAR. I TRULY LOVE THIS CAR BUT FEEL I SHOULD ALERT OTHERS TO THE POSSIBLE DANGER. I BARELY MADE IT OUT OF THE CAR DUE TO THE FLAMES. THE PROBLEM MAY BE RELATED TO THE CRUISE CONTROL, SINCE I COULD FEEL THE GAS PEDAL MOVE IN AND OUT WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATED. IT WOULD REV HIGH AT TIMES. I WOULD LOVE TO GET THE SAME CAR BUT NEED TO BE ASSURED ALL IS SAFE. INSPITE OF THE VIN NUMBER FOR MY CAR, WHAT OCCURRED SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE THE RECALL NOTICE. WHATEVER THE CASE, THE FIRE INCIDENT WAS NOT DUE TO OVERHEATING. IT STARTED BY FLUIDS OF SOME KIND BEING IGNITED BY THE HOT SURFACES. AS I SAID BEFORE, I TRULY LOVED THIS CAR; AND, BECAUSE OF THIS, I MADE SURE REGULAR MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORM ON IT. IT'S A CAR I HAD HOPE WOULD BE WITH ME FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

CAR WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE. FIRE OCCURRED WHILE BEING DRIVEN. IT APPEARED THAT A SIGNAL WAS BEING TRANSMITTED TO PUMP MORE GAS EVEN THOUGH CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED. EVENTUALLY, GASOLINE FROM THE LINE IGNITED WHILE DRIVING, LEAVING A TRAIL OF LIGHTED FUEL ON THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED OVER, AND THE CAR BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. LIQUID FIRE COULD BE SEEN POURING OUT OF AREA UNDER THE HOOD BELOW THE WINDSHIELD NEAR THE FOOT WELL.