Lost All Electronics Briefly

[ted tcb]

I have a couple of bugs to work out on my new 99 STS.

On two occasions when starting the car, the dash doesn't light up, and then the car doesn't catch, like there's no spark. When I turn the key completely off, then to acc, the dash lights up and the car fires. If I don't see the dash instrument lights, then I know to back off and then start.

On these occasions, the car catches weakly, stumbles for 1 or 2 seconds, then catches.

Driving home tonight, I lost all power, the dash went dark and the engine turned off. I coasted for a few yards, went to neutral, turned the key, and the car started up while rolling .... kind of scary in traffic. When the engine caught, it was once again a weak start, hesitant idle for a few seconds.

Then, the car drives great.

My codes are DIMB1805 ... ignition switch problem.

PCMP1599 .. Engine stall or near stall

DIMU12SS.. I couldn't get the OBD site to show me "U" network

codes tonight.

I could see if this sudden loss of juice was a one time freak and address the poor start with plugs and wires .... BUT .... its a safety issue, and it could very easily have happened at the wrong time, leading to an accident.

All I can think of doing is handing the car over to the Caddy dealer$hip for a diagnosis.

Anyone heard of this ignition problem ... I didn't find any relative TSB's on the subject.

Thanks for the assistance.

Ted.

[Logan]

Bad ignition switch. Thats what I would look at. Heard of a few doing this....

[canadian95sts]

ted,

i have looked around and found the following complaints, interesting to read:

from www.mycarstats.comCONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 8021285

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Details: CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK STARTED. DEALER NOTIFIED

CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 8017001

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Details: ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT MULTIPLE SPEED. VEHICLE BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SIX OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 765605

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Details: THE CAR HAS STALLED 4 TIMES.. ALWAYS AT SLOW SPEEDS.. EVERY 3-6 MONTHS..THE DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM... AND NOTHING SHOWS UP IN THE COMPUTER..THE LAST TIME THE CAR ALMOST ROLED INTO A FAST MOVING INTERSECTION.. PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED... FOR SURE.. THE DEALER HAS SEEN IT ALL 4 TIMES.. THEY CANT FIX IT. IT IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY..I OPENED A CASE WITH CADILLAC..1-22953970..THEY DISMISSED ME BECASUE THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM..IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE MICHIGAN LEMON LAW BECASE I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASER..I BOUGHT IT USED FROM CAPITOL CADILLAC..THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.. FOR ME OR FOR SOMEONE THAT I WOULD SELL IT TO..I NEED HELP.. BECAUSE I BELEIVE IT HAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT.. I DONT KNOW WHO THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS.. NOR IF THEY HAD THIS PROBLEM.. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS 3 MONTHS AFTER WE BOUGHT IT.. THE MANUFACTUERER AND THE DEALER CANT FIX IT.. AND JUST HOPE I GO AWAY.. WHICH COULD HAPPEN IF WE GET KILLED IN THIS CAR.. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP US.. THANKS THIS CAR IS UNSAFE.. FOR ANYONE.

CONSUMER COMPLAINT: ODI Case Number: 756834

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

Details: PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR SINCE MAY 2001, I HAVE MY ENGINE SUDDENLY STOP WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF A FEW MILES PER HOUR UP TO 70 MPH. I HAVE ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY IN RESTARTING THE ENGINE WHEN THIS STALLING HAPPENS. I TAKEN IT TO THE CADILLAC DEALER WHO HAS SERVICED MY CAR SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. THE DEALER IS MARTIN CADILLAC, 12101 OLYMPIC BLVD., LOS ANGELES, CA 90064. SINCE THE MAY 2001 I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TO MARTIN CADILLAC TO CURE THIS PROBLEM, THE LAST TIME WAS ON DEC. 17, 2001. THEY RETURNED IT TO ME ON DECEMBER 24 AND CLAIMED THEY HAD FOUND THE PROBLEM AND REPAIRED THE CAR. IT IS NOW WORSE THAN EVER. ON TWO OCCASIONS I NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR STALLED WHILE TRAVELING ON A BUSY STREET. SHORTLY AFTER GETTING THE CAR IN DECEMBER WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS A TRANSITION SECTION THAT CONNECTED ONE FREEWAY TO ANOTHER. I WAS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT IT WOULDN'T START. TRAFFIC BACKED UP AND UNFORTUNATEDLY A REAREND COLLISION RESULTED SEVERAL CARS BEHIND ME. IT HAS NOW BECOME TOO DANGEROUS TO ME, MY PASSENGERS, AND TO THE CARS AROUND ME TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS CAR. IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION I CANNOT SELL IT. I KNOW THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO MY CAR. RECENTLY I READ THAT THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO OTHER GM CARS. PROBABLY SOME OF WHICH ARE CADILLACS. MY CADILLAC DEALER IS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE MADE AT LEAST 4 ATTEMPTS SINCE MAY, 2001. I AM NOW GOING TO ARBITRATION TO GET CADILLAC TO BUY BACK THIS DEFECTIVE CAR. THE HEARING SHOULD OCCUR SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 5 TO 6 WEEKS..

there are several complaints like this on the site, also found the following recall notice, not sure if it is related or not:

NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 99V070000

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

Details: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAN DEVELOP IN THE GENERATOR, EVEN WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF.

Consequence: THE ELECTRICAL SHORT COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE THAT COULD SPREAD TO THE REST OF THE VEHICLE AND ANYTHING NEAR IT.

Corrective Action: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GENERATOR.

Units Potentially Affected: 29766

Recall Initiated By: MFR

Date added to NHTSA datbase: 04/15/1999

Internal use: 4/15/1999

couldnt find anything in the way of TSB's though.

Matt

[ted tcb]

Thanks for that post, CDN STS.

I took the car in this morning to leave it with the dealer for a few hours ... and gave the service writer the codes for ingnition switch problem and possible stalling problem.

The service writer also wants to check the coils, in case one of them is going bad. He pulled up any outstanding warranty recalls, but none exist ... he also checked the warranty history on the car, but just the usual stuff ... battery cable replaced, wheel vibration, interior trim pieces replaced, and thats about it.

I'll post back my findings.