1998 Oldsmobile 98 Engine Problems

BOUGHT MY 1998 OLDSMOBILE REGENCY IN JULY OF 2005 WITH 78000 MILES ON IT. MARCH OF 2006 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF. THE COOLANT WAS BONE DRY UPON INSPECTION BY SELF. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO HAD TO REPLACE THE PLENUM AT A COST OF $533.00. THE PLENUM HAD CRACKED AND COOLANT RAN INTO THE #3 CYLINDER. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE FUEL INJECTORS CLEANED AT THE DEALER WHO CHARGED ME $170.00 FOR THAT JOB. NOW I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE ANTI-THEFT LOCK SYSTEM. MY SECURITY LIGHT KEEPS COMING AND GOING AND MY CAR WON'T RECOGNIZE MY KEY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS ABOUT (EVERY 3RD START LATELY) THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE STARTER SHUT DOWN FOR 3 MINUTES. IT DOESN'T ALWAYS START AFTER I WAIT 3 OR 4 MINUTES EITHER, SO I HAVE TO SIT AND WAIT ANOTHER 3-4 MINUTES AND SO ON. (ONCE I HAD WAITED 2 HOURS BEFORE IT WOULD START.) I HAD A LOCKSMITH LOOK AT IT WHO SAID HE COULD FIX IT (ULTIMATELY HE COULDN'T) BUT ENDED UP PAYING $135.00 FOR THAT SERVICE AND THEN FIGHTING HIM WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S HELP AND GOT A REFUND. I STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST A YEAR. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND THEY SAID IT IS "PROBABLY" THE COMPUTER AND CHARGED ME $80.00 TO TELL ME THAT. HE SAID HE COULD "TRY" TO FIX THAT PROBLEM FOR ABOUT $450.00. I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE AND WISH SOMEONE COULD HELP ME. *NM

NHTSA ID

10176707

Incident

Mar 16, 2006

Mileage

85,000 mi

MY 1998 OLDSMOBILE REGENCY WAS LOSING COOLANT. I COULD NOT SEE A VISIBLE LEAK. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE UPPER INTAKE (PLENUM) TO BE LEAKING THE COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE (CYLINDER #3.) THE LEAK WAS CAUSED DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE INTAKE PLENUM IS MADE OF PLASTIC. I INTEND TO SEND OLDSMOBILE A COPY OF MY BILL WHICH WAS $533.32. WHY WOULD A COMPANY MAKE A PART SUCH AS THIS OUT OF PLASTIC? BY THE WAY, MY INDICATOR LIGHT IS STILL ON, SO I WILL NEED TO HAVE A DEALER CHECK IT OUT, AS THE ORIGINAL MECHANIC CAN FIND NO REASON FOR IT REMAINING LIT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10153116

Incident

Mar 13, 2006

Mileage

88,950 mi

COOLANT LEAKED OUT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. HAD TO REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND GASKETS. *BF E-MAILED CONSUMER RESPONSE EXHAUST GASES HAD GOTTEN INTO THE PLASTIC UPPER MANIFOLD HAD THERMALLY BROKE DOWN THE PLASTIC AND CAUSED THE LEAK. *SC

NHTSA ID

10101571

Incident

Nov 1, 2004

I OWN A 1998 OLDS REGENCY WITH 62000 MILES ON IT. THIS CAR HAS THE STANDARD 3.8 LITER V-6 WHICH HAS BEEN IN PRODUCTION FOR PROBABLY 30 YEARS. I NOTICED RECENTLY THE COOLANT RESERVOIR LEVEL WAS SLIGHTLY DOWN AND ADDED COOLANT TO BRING IT UP TO LEVEL. TWO WEEKS LATER MY ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH SO I CHECKED THE RESERVOIR LEVEL AGAIN. THE RESERVOIR WAS DRY AND I COULDN'T SEE ANY COOLANT IN THE RADIATOR. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, ADDED DISTILLED WATER AND GOT IT THERE. WHEN I ARRIVED THERE WAS COOLANT LEAKING OUT OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THE NEXT DAY THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLDS AND GASKETS AT A COST OF $1050. I QUESTIONED MYSELF AND THE SERVICE MANAGER HOW AN INTAKE MANIFOLD COULD GO BAD. HE INFORMED THAT THE UPPER MANIFOLD WAS MADE OF PLASTIC. I TALKED TO THE MECHANIC AFTER THE FIX. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE EGR NIPPLE THAT FLOW EXHAUST GASES INTO THE PLASTIC UPPER MANIFOLD HAD THERMALLY BROKE DOWN THE PLASTIC AND CAUSED THE LEAK. GM'S FIX WAS TO DECREASE THE SIZE OF THE NIPPLE IN THE LOWER MANIFOLD SO THERE WAS AN AIR GAP BETWEEN THE NIPPLE AND THE PLASTIC UPPER MANIFOLD. THIS FIX WOULD STOP HEAT FROM BEING TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY TO THE PLASTIC UPPER MANIFOLD. GM HAS AN ENGINEERING PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE ADDRESSED IT BY CHANGING THE REPLACEMENT MANIFOLDS. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED SO THE TOTAL COST IS THE BURDEN OF THE OWNER. I HAVE MAINTAINED MY CAR PROPERLY AND I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS NOT MY FAULT. THE PROBLEM IS GM DOESN'T THINK IT'S THEIR FAULT EITHER.*AK

NHTSA ID

10096360

Incident

Aug 10, 2004

Mileage

62,000 mi

INTAKE MANIFOLD, MADE OF PLASTIC, RUPTURED DUMPING COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS. RESULTED IN INSTANTANEOUS STOPPAGE OF ENGINE AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. COULD EASILY HAVE LED TO WRECK. *AK MECHANIC AT FIRST GM DEALER CONTACTED DIAGNOSED PROBLEM SIGHT UNSEEN AS IT IS A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM. GM STRONGLY SUGGESTED HAVING WORK DONE AT A DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD MAKE "ADJUSTMENTS" TO THE REPAIR BILL. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER, NO "ADJUSTMENTS" WERE MADE, TOWING BILL WAS EXHORBITANT, AND REPAIR BILL WAS 30% HIGHER THAN QUOTED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. DEFECTIVE PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION (IN MY POSSESSION).

NHTSA ID

10091349

Incident

Aug 5, 2004

Mileage

90,195 mi

THE VEHICLE INTAKE MANIFOLD WARPED WHICH RESULTED IN THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10012505

CONSUMER STATED THE SHIFTER SHAFT WOULD SLIDE TO 2ND GEAR AND NOT CLICK TO 1ST,THE DEALER FOUND A LOOSE NUT AND TIGHTENED IT ON THE SHIFTER SHAFT AND ADJUSTED THE CABLE. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT. *YD *CB THE DEALER ALSO FIXED A LOOSE CRADLE BOLT BECAUSE THE CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNK NOISE AFTER BRAKING OR WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

566170

Incident

Jan 1, 2002

TIRES WORE OUT EVERY 22,000 MILES. ALSO, ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW OUT, AND OIL WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

862080

Incident

May 17, 2000