New Intrigue Guy in TX (needing help with a car that's gone crazy)

[marcusa]

I got sent here by 442much from oldsmobileforums.com

I'm the proud owner of a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue, I've had it for almost four years and many many miles now (not sure how many). Car itself is Canadian so it's all in km but loosely converted the odometer is at about 180k-185k miles.


Here is my pride and joy










Unfortunately...

My transmission developed a leak on the passenger side somewhere on the side of the transmission towards the bottom. I took it to a transmission shop here and decided to just do a full rebuild since it wasn't much more than reseal.

Well I got my car back and everything was going crazy. Dash lights, gear indicator, HVAC, power locks, auto headlights coming off, car thinking key was still in ACC or RUN after I removed it, the works.

Transmission shop said it wasn't a transmission problem except the gear indicator and they would order a part (neutral safety switch) and maybe it would fix the rest. A week later I had no part and the car died after it - as my regular mechanic told me - pre-ignitied and backfired into the intake, blew a hole (bigger than a pencil) on it and cracked another part by the throttle body (where it is weaker to begin with) and got water in it and hydrolocked. Turns out the whole issue was that the transmission shop left two ground wires loose.

Car is sort-of back to normal. HVAC is making a noise and is broken, transmission shop said they would cover the replacement since it self-destructed trying to find its position. I'm still having other issues and they are short on answers over a week later.

- Automatic headlights were turning IC on in the car but not the lights outside. This went back to normal today for some reason though, go figure.
- Seatbelt warning light and chime completely gone.
- I had some issues with the ABS wheel sensor on the driver's side being a tad sensitive, esp when I went over cat's eyes. Now there is no more Low Trac light (or ABS lights if I do it enough) but Cruise now does not work. I know the cruise gets cut off if the traction control activates, but I don't even know if this is related. Trac control seems to work since i saw Low Trac come on a few times, how well and if on all wheels I don't know.
- Steering wheel too light when driving, same low resistance as when I'm stopped.

this is not electronic but:

car was bucking like crazy and even threw a code for the torque converter. Briefly stepping 3/4 of the way on the accelerator with it in Drive and holding the brakes made it act up too. All of the sudden it bucks like a horse and now it behaves...mostly. I did get a slight stutter after stop & go when temp went a hair over half (still touching the half line). Car also barely chirps tires now (just briefly on one side) when I floor it and sometimes trembles when I put it in drive while still rolling backwards. It just does not seem as responsive as before but it's not really acting up. I thought defective/failing torque converters got worse with time, what's up with that?


Anyone have any idea what could be causing the electronic issues and transmission problem? I am going to be taking the car back and want to be armed with more information this time. I already burned through several thousand this month on the rebuild and then the engine, I don't want to empty out my bank account getting a diagnostic from my regular mechanic but I want to go back armed with a little more information.

[Oldsguy]

Man! That sounds terrible. I think you may have an issue with that transmission shop my friend. By the way, welcome to our site, your car is really nice looking.

[marcusa]

I just hope my car gets fixed, I'm afraid I have become too attached to it to let go.

Thanks! When I saw it on the lot I practically ran to it. When I opened the hood and saw it had the 3800 I was sold on it before the test drive. It was incredibly hard to contain myself the whole time so I could get a good deal on it.

[74 Omega]

I bought one of those cars for my daughter, a 2001, lots of electrical problems, do a google search and you will find, as I did, that this car is full of electrical gremlins. I wish I did the search first. One place to look for electrical issues and ground issues is under the fuse block in the engine compartment,just behind the battery, the way it was designed the wires rub on the fuse block and frame area, I just found some damaged wires this weekend and i was able to get the high beams and lights to work again,

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea8f2f/

Try this link

[gearhead1218]

Originally Posted by Oldsguy

Man! That sounds terrible. I think you may have an issue with that transmission shop my friend. By the way, welcome to our site, your car is really nice looking.

I agree with Dan. You need to take action against the tranny shop.

[rocketraider]

Turns out the whole issue was that the transmission shop left two ground wires loose.

If you have independent proof of this, it is time to consult a lawyer.

Even so, with the car's age and mileage, any settlement you get will be only the car's current value. I'm afraid you've already spent more than that.

[marcusa]

I didn't have a single electrical issue on this car until the guy left those ground cables disconnected and I drove around like that for a while. My regular mechanic told me when he put it up on the rack after the hydrolock incident. Even though it's fixed it's still a nightmare (though not as bad), I don't know if it's the BCM, if a relay got fried or something (or several somethings) else.

This car has been great, I have had it for almost four years and have put in two new front bearings, new struts & mounts, new coil pack (I had to push my car the last block on the way to my first day of work lol), new DRL/turn signal lamp socket, new radiator and new power window motor on the driver's window (stuck down at drive-thru when it was pouring rain, that was a fun drive home) . Considering it is a 98 and has over 180k that's not bad at all.

The guy at the transmission place said he would pay a mechanic he knows to fix all that got messed up. That was 10 days ago, they kept my car for a week and returned it exactly the same way. I literally emptied my bank account on the transmission rebuild and then the engine, otherwise it would be at my mechanic and I would just send the other guy the bill. I'm giving him one last call tomorrow, I want to have a general clue of what might be wrong rather than "it's broken!" for when I talk to him. I think this is probably going to end up in court though the way it's looking.

[ozoneblue]

I do automotive electric service & just like household or any other application When you lose the Ground or Neutral the power back feeds trying to find a ground Which can take a toll on any thing in it's path

[marcusa]

Originally Posted by ozoneblue

I do automotive electric service & just like household or any other application When you lose the Ground or Neutral the power back feeds trying to find a ground Which can take a toll on any thing in it's path

That's what I feared, I was hoping cars being big and mechanical were a little tougher but I guess electricity is electricity. Do the symptoms sound like 1-2 things, a big thing like the BCM or several different systems that got shot?

[ozoneblue]

More than likely it took out the BCM have you tried to RE PROGRAM it It well take more than a Autozone code reader to do it Ask your regular guy at the shop you normally go to & see if he can do it Car computers are alot like home PC's they to be de fraged from time to time

[Olds64]

Hire a lwayer.

BTW, the car looks really nice. I hope you can get everything resolved.

[citcapp]

Welcome to the site X2 on the lawyer.

[marcusa]

Originally Posted by ozoneblue

More than likely it took out the BCM have you tried to RE PROGRAM it It well take more than a Autozone code reader to do it Ask your regular guy at the shop you normally go to & see if he can do it Car computers are alot like home PC's they to be de fraged from time to time

Is there a possibility the actual part got damaged or do you believe the programming just got messed up. The headlights fixed themselves, though there is still no seatbelt warning light or chime (I have no idea if that controls it). I'm wondering if I should reprogram or if I would be better off getting a used one off of eBay or the local junkyard (or reprogramming the used one).

I think my cruise control issue is with the box that controls it, the light comes on inside when I turn it on there is just no more response when I push SET. I'm wondering if the ABS sensor issue was it being too sensitive all along, though the sensor was almost new since I had the bearing replaced in 2006.



I did hire an attorney and even found a few more unsatisfied customers, including one who's shift lever came came off in his hand Also got them nailed for falsely advertising credentials. I already got ATRA saying they were never a member and having their lawyer send a letter, ASE will likely soon follow. I also called the credit card company up, so at least I won't be paying for having that shop break my car. Transmission still has a leak to top it all off.

[Olds64]

Glad to hear that things are panning out with a lawyer. Too bad it went that far though.